Page 70 of The Poison of the Earth
I shrug. “I don’t know, you’ve had sex with women?”
“When you’re only rolling about the bed for a night or maybe a week, it’s not usually during their cycle. You know as much as I do in this case.” He pulls on his shirt.
“Well, go ask Nell? See if she has anything we might want?” I suggest.
“Good idea.” He leaves the room and I wait for Ollie.
Shortly, the door opens and Ollie returns, carrying a steaming tea cup and a small cloth bag. She looks paler than normal. I frown and cross to her.
“Has it started?”
She chuckles. “It’s not a battle nor an emergency. Happens two times a year. Mine are usually very short and... intense.”
I don’t like the sound of that. Lonan returns, holding extra blankets.
Ollie slowly makes her way towards the doors. I grunt, and take the tea cup from her hand, pass it to Lonan, and scoop her into my arms.
She makes a noise but I can’t tell if it’s displeased or not, but now we can move at a quicker pace. When we get into Lo’s rooms, I ease her to standing near the bed and spin her so I can undo the laces on her corset. She laughs quietly.
“I can do that,” she argues, looking to Lonan, who is putting extra sheets and blankets on the bed. he paces to the wardrobeand digs out her sleep gown. It’s a pure white linen with delicate pearl buttons and embroidery. Her face falls.
“Uh, would you prefer one of my old shirts, perhaps?” Lonan’s nervousness in suggesting this is clear in his voice.
A tiny smile. “Yes, actually, I would.” She turns to me as Lonan resumes digging, “I need to use the bathroom.” I nod and step towards it. “Alone!” She clarifies loudly.
“Oh, right.” I step back, now holding her corset, her rich yellow gown loose around her. She takes the cloth bag with her.
I turn to Lo who has found a navy blue shirt with elbows patched and a button missing. He turns and holds it up for my inspection.
I nod. “Do you think she’ll want pants?”
“Naw,” she says, coming out in only her panties, her breasts free and magnificent. She takes the shirt and pulls it over her head. “Thank you. Oh,” she says, “It smells like you.” She smiles at Lonan.
He raises an eyebrow, “What do I smell like sweetheart?”
She looks at me and I smile.
Ollie slips into the bed, pulling the blankets over her. “I’ll be fine,” her little voice emerges from under the fluffy covers. “You two can go do rebel things.”
“No way,” Lonan says, unbuttoning his shirt. I pull off mine and drop my breeches.
Ollie’s head peeks out and takes us in. “I’m fine. It’s just a cycle. I usually sleep through most of it.”
I blink. “You’re going to sleep for three days?”
She lets out a little pain noise and I hurry to the bed.
“Just a cramp, it’s ok. And no, mine rarely last more than a full day. I should be fine for the Mabon Festival tomorrow eve, thank goodness.”
“Will this tea help?” Lonan sits on the other side of the bed, holding the tea from Cook.
“Mmm,” she says, sitting up and taking it, drinking several big gulps.
She settles back down into the bed, making another low sound. I lift the covers behind her and lay up against her body.
“Kai...” she begins suspiciously.
I chuckle, “I’m not doing anything untowards. But, now that you suggest that, wouldn’t you not be fertile...?”
