Chapter Six
Ival woke up and tasted chocolate. “What the fuck?” She was in a hospital-style bed, and there were flowers in a vase next to the table. She fumbled around and found the controller. It elevated her to sitting and must have triggered something.
She expected a nurse or something, but a member of the Sethir royal family walked in.
“Sand dragon. Here to finish the job? Letting prey run around wounded for nearly a decade is just bad hunter activity.”
He smiled slightly, and then his golden-scaled features smoothed. “Are you well?”
She checked her arms, and the smock was showing her unblemished skin. “Oh, shit. They took my skin off.” She reached up and touched her hair or rather... scalp. “And my hair.”
“The healers consulted with your scans and the cumulative effect of using your activation. So, your hands are now under your control, and you can probably still use your feet or saliva to attack your targets.”
She nodded and reached to touch her neck. “How the hell is this still here?”
“It has my DNA, not yours. The mark defended itself.”
Ival nodded. “Right.”
“When Riithan told me that he had seen you, and in what a state, I got myself together and made my way here. Your healing had already occurred.”
“What day is it?”
“Saturday. I am sorry, but you missed the party.”
She checked her com and her balance, smiling slightly. “I do love my friends. Caska got the funds from Thorassen. Anything to keep them away from that bitch.”
“You are cursing a lot.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
He smiled and asked, “May I touch you?”
“Why would you want to? When last we met, I ended up dead.”
“Because I didn’t want to kill you. You had been injured in your previous bouts. I wasn’t aware of that until I was holding you.”
“Crushing.”
“Your ribs were already broken, and the heat in your abdomen showed internal bleeding.”
“Yeah, that happened frequently.”
“You said you died?”
“Yup. Just a regular day for me. They had a reviver, and she would carefully wake me up, and then I would go back to the cells until the next time they wanted me to try to kill someone.”
He took her hand, and her heart thumped at the comforting warmth of him.
She sighed. “What is your name?”
He smiled. “Riimal. I am Riithan’s uncle.”
“Yeah, that figures. You were on an ambassadorial visit?”
“Trade mission. After I won my bout with you, my people arrived to haul me home. My beast was freaking out that you were ours and you were gone, but he was insisting that you weren’t.” His thumb rubbed the back of her hand, the fine gold scales were smooth and so warm.
She wanted to pull her hand back, but it had been so long since she had just enjoyed a simple touch. She blinked and felt tears tracking down her cheeks. She touched her face. “My cybernetic eye is crying.”
“It has been regenerated. Your eyes are dark green once again.”
“Dang. I kind of enjoyed the red.” She twisted her lips a little. “Is there a mirror around?”
“Let me check.”
He looked around and found a mirror for her. He held it up, and she stared. The woman from her picture in Thorassen was there, aside from the bald head.
She ran her fingers over her head and sighed. “I just got the right products for it.”
“Salat’s lady said you have to put on a few pounds before she can help you with your hair. Your fat layer sloughed off.”
“Oh. Charming.”
“Hm. You have visitors. They are eager to see you.”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
She made sure her gown was in place, and it covered everything. “You can let them in.”
He nodded and left for a moment, and then he returned with a much older couple, clinging to each other.
Ival smiled. “Nandy? Gravva?”
The couple burst into tears and walked to her, clutching her hands and hugging her. Nothing happened. She said softly, “You always had the best hugs.”
The elders both sobbed against her, their tears registering on her skin.
They started to tell her that they never stopped looking, that they disowned their other son and his family, and that her mother didn’t commit suicide.
Her aunt had held her under the ritual bath.
Ival’s mother had been very petite. A perfect omega.
“Mishana confessed when questioned, and the details were unveiled with a minder. He has crafted a complete report. His child’s mother is Uraddan.”
She smiled. “Sorooth does good work.”
Her grandmother smiled. “You know him?”
“Kessie’s mother is a friend. As are Kessie’s aunties.” She paused and looked at Riimal. “Do you know if Hemma was all right?”
He smiled. “She made it, recovered, and sang at the celebration. You can probably see the streams. The Uraddan festival has now been declared an annual event.”
“Oh, good. I might get to see one someday.” She sighed. “All that work and I didn’t even see it. That sucks.”
She looked at her grandparents. “Did you have business in town?”
They looked at her in shock. Her grandmother said, “You. You are the business we are in town for.”
“Thank you. I have had more contact with living people today than I have since I was fighting for my life.”
Riimal froze. “Really?”
“Yeah. Zephyr got me out of there because no one looks for corpses. It was a few rounds after you.”
Her grandparents turned to him. Riimal looked embarrassed.
“Oh, you didn’t tell them. It’s not a big deal.
After my husband died, my mother-in-law threw me out on the day of the memorial.
She sold me back to Uradda. Just like Uncle did, but this time, I wasn’t a child.
I was an adult with an activation, and they put me under intense stress to make the activation more aggressive.
That is how I met the sand dragon. I was thrown into a pit to try to kill him. It was quite the fight.”
Riimal touched her arm and then reached up and rubbed the mark. It made her feel warm and relaxed. “That is where the beast marked her. He’s known she was out there all this time, but I thought we killed her.”
She looked at him and gave him a serious expression. She didn’t say that he had killed her, but he nodded slightly. “Anyway, I was used as a fighter for a few more months, and then I disappeared, healed as much as I could, and looked... well, I am sure that Riithan showed you my scarred-up face.”
They nodded, and her grandmother cried again. Her grandfather looked like he wanted to punch someone.
Her grandmother said, “We want you to come home with us.”
“What?”
“You will be recovering for at least seven days. We want to take care of you during that time, if we may.” Nandy smiled and stroked her arm.
She thought about it. She didn’t have anyone at home to help her, and it was going to take a bit to get this new skin to flex, not to mention building up a fat layer under it.
“I... how long do I have before someone kicks me out?”
Her grandfather was grim. “You are a Sethir citizen. No one will steal you or kick you out again.”
“I am also far less portable and a bit meaner than I used to be.”
Riimal touched her cheek, his scales sliding on her skin. “If you are at the stronghold, I am going to be a frequent visitor to your family’s quarters.”
Her grandparents looked really happy about that. Her grandfather said, “It is only appropriate, as you marked her.”
Riimal nodded. “I will be courting her appropriately.”
Her grandparents sighed in relief.
Ival laughed. “Are you worried about my maintenance? I just got my widow’s benefits twenty years later.”
Her grandmother said, “What was your husband’s name?”
“Zukker. A global defender out of Thorassen.”
Riimal paused. “Zukker? I knew him.”
“He was also serpentine in appearance,” she explained to her grandparents. “Wait. Is my activation going to be restricted at any point?”
Riimal shook his head. “No. If they try, drop them.”
She smiled. “I knew I probably liked you.”
He smiled, and his brilliant gold eyes sparkled.
“Wait. Did your eyes change colour?”
He grinned wider. “Yes, my deadly darling.”
There was a soft knock, and Zera came in along with Khytten. Khytten smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, it was Wednesday before dawn, and now, it’s Saturday or Sunday. I missed the party and woke up bald, tasting chocolate. You do weird work.”
Khytten grinned. “Thanks. After that song you wrote for healers, you get special attention. I would love you to play it.”
“Oh. That one. It will have to wait until I can stand on my own feet. They seem really soft.”
“Your hands and feet will be super soft for a while until you build up the thicker skin. You can still make your components, but it is going to be far more voluntary and focused now. You are still set up to have an effect on the nervous system, but you have a lot more options now. The stress they put you under blocked half of your components. Now everything is wide open, and you can pick and choose,” Zera spoke softly.
“I knew the toxin was a panic response, but it was all I was feeling for years.”
“Right, but you said you used to use the secretions to calm people.”
“I would give Zukker a rubdown and massage his temples. He relaxed easily. No worry until he died.”
Riimal tensed and reached out to touch the mark again, as if he was seeking comfort.
She lifted her hand and gripped his forearm. “He’s very dead. Don’t worry. He was sweet to me, and he was kind, but we were friends long before we were lovers. I don’t need that twice in a lifetime.”
Riimal asked softly, “What do you need?”
“This time, I would settle for sex.”
Her grandparents’ eyes went wide, and Khytten burst out laughing. Zera just rubbed her forehead. Riimal had a slow smile, and his eyes were a blend of colours. “I think I can manage that.”
“Oh, good. Getting it from the dragon would just be weird.”
The eyes glowed gold.
Her grandparents looked at them and smiled nervously. Her grandparents said, “We will be outside, but you are coming with us?”
“I am. I can get out if I need to.”
Riimal said, “If you need to leave, I will take you myself.”
She nodded. “Right. I think Zera needs to brief me on something.”