Page 76 of Taken to Heimo
He makes a face and even though we’re only one rotation apart in age, looking at him feels like looking in a mirror. We could have been twins.
“I’ll speak to the Raku and Rakukanna, Va’Raku and Va’Rakukanna and help them find an interim solution until they decide who should take over.”
My parents and brother exchange a look I can’t interpret. My brother opens his mouth, but my mom cuts in, “That would be lovely. Until then, let’s get you cleaned up. And should we plan to have Krisxox staying with us as well?”
“Oh, um, I don’t know.”
She nods. “It’s not a problem. We can decide later.”
She comes and touches my hair and I say, “Mom? Dad? I want you to know that the hybrid who helped us out of the fighting pit was one of the babies Mathilda sold.”
My parents both pale at that. “And…” My dad licks his lips. “How was she?”
I grin as a spasm ripples up my right side, then say through clenched teeth, “I think she’s doing just fine.”
22
Svera
Miari comes to see me when I’m steeped in my second bath. The water is even hotter this time and actually appears clear-ish, unlike my first bath which was rendered muddy on my first dip.
She has her kit in her arms.
I squeal as she edges herself into the bathroom and squats beside the basin. “No, no, don’t get up. Dora and I just wanted to come by to see you.”
“Dora,” I say, pulling myself into a seat and reaching for the bundle. I stroke the back of my finger down Dora’s soft-as-down cheek. She is a perfect combination of Miari and Raku, her skin a perfect shade of purple, reminiscent of Va’Raku’s tone, only lighter. Her hair is a few wisps of dark fluff and when she yawns, a little pink tongue peeks out with a little bump dotting its center. Her first ridge. I wonder if she’ll have more of them.
I beam down at the kit, feeling emotion well in my body as I wonder if Anand really has changed so much that he could one day learn to love a hybrid.Ours.
“How is she doing?”
“Wonderfully.”
“How are you and Raku doing?”
“Perfect. Minus the fact that my best friend went missing the day I gave birth, I’ve been great.” She rolls her eyes and shakes out her wavy hair, mouth turning down into a pout. “Your parents confessed about the hybrids. They wanted to be punished, but from what I understand, they were heroes. They saved a bunch of lives.”
I nod, feeling guilty. “Yes. I should have told them that. I was ashamed that they could do something like that, but I know now that they did what they thought was best. And it was.”
“And you…you say you met one of the hybrids?”
I nod, huffing out a laugh. “She was something.”
“Tell me.”
So I do. I tell her everything.
She and Kiki share dinner with me and my family that lunar. Conversation veers towards the Council and who will take over for them, but Miari and Kiki tell me that a proposal is in the works and that they’d like to share it with me when I’m fully healed — a proposal put forward by Krisxox.
I let them evade plans for now. I’m not a xub’Raku, so I know that there are things that they may wish to keep close to the breast, it just…hurts my feelings a little. I wonder if Miari’s questioning my ability to act as her advisor, and it keeps me up all lunar. Well, it’s part of the reason I can’t sleep. Afterspending the last three — or was it four? — lunars sleeping with Anand’s warmth and strength and scent at my side, I find that I can’t sleep without it.
Operating on tea and determination alone when Kiki comes to pick me up the next solar to take me to Miari and Raku’s house, I’m xoking pissed off. Oh my… I’mveryupset. There, that’s better.
Anand made all these bold pronouncements, asked me to marry him, and then vanished. Poof! He must know I’ve been released from Lemoria’s care this past solar, but he hasn’t come to my parents’ house to see me. I vow that, the moment we’re finished here, I’m going to find him and give him the punishment he deserves.
“You alright?” Kiki whispers under her breath so low that Va’Raku on her other side can’t hear her.
I grunt and pull the veil I carry with me higher over my hair to shield my face. I don’t wear the veil anymore but, right now, I need something to keep the sun from burning my skin even more.
