Chapter 17 #2
The interpreter translated that, and I picked out the word “al-lesh” for thank you even though much of the rest of it was simply too fast for me to follow.
Zeddira spoke again.
“The second high counselor has brought healers with him, but servants also. He does not wish you to overexert yourself again since you are a precious member of his own family now.”
Fellisse gave a single low click, and I could practically hear Vergis’s eyes roll in their sockets. My fingers closed around the fabric of Inkiri’s shirt, and with my other hand, I reached for the necklace half-hidden by my scarf.
“That’s really kind, but Fellisse is my doctor. Or healer. I don’t need any servants. My mate takes really good care of me, you know.”
Zeddira’s look remained level. Before the interpreter could talk, Kinnek joined us. He looked as if he were just out for a stroll, but it didn’t escape my notice that he was wearing bagu clothes now rather than his normal shorts, and he had shoes on for a change.
I had no idea what he was saying either. He spoke too fast for me to follow, just like everyone else had, but he was doing so with an attitude that matched Zeddira’s, at least as far as I could tell.
Zeddira nodded and smiled right back at Kinnek. If I hadn’t been so much smaller—if my weirdo husband hadn’t been such a tall and handsome hunk—I would’ve whispered in his ear to tell me what was going on.
At some unspoken agreement—well, unspoken in English—we all turned and headed back to the house. Kinnek fell into step next to Zeddira.
I ended up walking between Fellisse and Inkiri. The translator caught up and looked at me from Fellisse’s other side. That bagu had lighter skin, a lot like Inkiri and Zeddira, and hair somewhere between teal and blue, with horns so inky, they almost looked black.
“Might I translate for you, sir?”
Both Inkiri and Fellisse clicked low in their throats. I was wondering whether that was self-soothing more than to comfort me. This definitely wasn’t the easy camaraderie they’d had with Hove.
“Uhm.” I desperately wanted to know what was going on, but it felt like it would be easy to offend someone, and no one knew how capable I was of inadvertently doing that than I did.
“He’s fine,” Vergis said as he pushed between Fellisse and me. “Aren’t you, Princess?”
“Right. Sure. I’m fine.”
You don’t happen to translate, do you? I asked the presence. Being able to magically understand everyone would definitely be a bonus.
It rustled around in my mind, amused. You want me to fix your mate’s language in your brain so you do not have to learn the subtleties of communicating in it and understanding all the subtleties in turn?
Yeah?
More rustling. That’s not what magic does. Nothing in magic is free, and I cannot gift you the experience it takes to speak and listen. You must earn it. You must strive to make his words your own.
That seemed unfair. Where was a universal translator when you needed one?
It seemed like my involvement in the conversation had ended anyway.
Everyone headed to the house, and Kinnek and Zeddira were chatting still when we got there.
Kinnek led Zeddira and his group past the tomatoes to where the cherry trees were.
Fellisse clicked at me and said, slowly and in Lugarra, that he thought I “lak” my “sun hat,” meaning he thought I needed my sun hat, which was in the house.
The guys got me inside through the front door, which we hardly ever used even if Nokim and Vergis had freshly painted it not too long ago.
Once we got inside, Inkiri took hold of me and clicked happily. “You did so well, Sadir.”
“Uhm, thanks, I think. Not that I did anything.”
Vergis snorted and led the way past the stairs and to the kitchen. “It’s noteworthy to see you not mess up a situation, Princess. Maybe we should declare it a holiday or something.”
Lissir and Nokim were in the kitchen. Nokim was cooking, making garden vegetable stew.
Lissir had migrated here. After breakfast, he’d been lounging on the couch in the living room, reading something called Moonlight Cherries.
Before we’d gone out for the tomatoes, he’d looked up from that book and asked me to explain what a giraffe was.
When I’d got to the description of their horns, he’d cooed and smiled happily and reburied his nose in the text. Now they both looked at us expectantly.
In a very neutral tone, Lissir said, “How exciting to see Zeddira here.”
“He brought a lot of the best makers along,” Nokim said.
I cleared my throat. “Hey, is the cola ash dude in the bunker going to be a problem?” I looked around at everyone there. “Who’s watching him, anyway?”
I poked the presence to check if the bunker ash person was still here, living his best life underground.
Yes, and sleeping, it told me.
Vergis leaned against the counter where Nokim had set up his cutting board. “Dad has the place wired up like a spy’s wet dream.” He stole some of the yellow carrot coins Nokim had prepped, ignoring the orange and red ones. “Our guest isn’t going to be a problem.”
Inkiri absentmindedly hugged me to his chest and stroked my back.
“Technically, Zeddira should be told.”
Vergis went from stealing carrots to nibbling on celery and spring squash. “All the good little Raikengana and their good little rules.”
“It’s not like he needs to be told right this second. Or like he can do anything about who Kinnek chooses to keep in his bunker.” Lissir crossed his arms and smiled at Vergis sweetly. “I think you would’ve made a wonderful Raikenga. In fact, I think I should go outside and make introductions.”
Nokim cast a longing look in Vergis’s direction even as Vergis frowned.
“You mean you’re going to use me to find out what exactly they want here. It’s pretty obvious though.”
Inkiri growl-purred. “Vergis, do not.”
I was flat against Inkiri’s chest, but I craned my neck up at him. “What? Are you not telling me stuff? I always miss things. What’s going on?”
When no one said anything, I could at least be certain that they were not telling me stuff.
Inkiri sighed. “Sweet thing, how about we lie down for a little while?”
Vergis groaned. “Imma go find my earplugs.”
Lissir tilted his head. “No, you are going outside with me, and you are going to attempt to smile. And no playing with your knife in front of all the nice Raikengana. Fellisse can help Nokim with the food. I’m assuming Kinnek will not kick them out without inviting them to eat.”
“Sadly, you’re assuming correctly,” Vergis said. Lissir looked like he was about to drag him outside, and Inkiri had almost walked me to the stairs already.
I heard Fellisse chuckle and clap Nokim on the back. “Don’t forget to open a window, Inki. Rory needs fresh air.”
We got up the stairs and to our room before it dawned on me.
“Wait,” I said, but weirdo spouse was already cracking a window. “You didn’t just drag me up here so you could—so we could—”
But he was. My husband was totally going to ravish me, and he seemed to have every intention of letting the Raikengana listen through the open window.
I really should’ve looked into getting a gag.