Lustoodbythebed,feelingalittlelossashelookedattheyoungwomanlyingquietlyuhecovers.Herfaceale,pletelydrainedofcolor.
EversincehehadbroughtReyahome,shehadneverbeensick.Asagrownman,heusuallyjusttoughewhateverailedhimanddidn''''''''tevenkeepmedieinthehouse.
"Ohno...what''''''''swrongwithmylittleprincess?"
Moxihadrushedbackthemomehecall.Shetossedherbagontothefloorandmadeabeelihebed,immediatelypushingLuaside.
"HowexactlyareyoutakingcareofReya?Whatdidyoudotomakehersick?"
TheimposingCaptainLu,acedtogivingordersthatnoonedaredquestion,suddenlyshrankbacklikeaschoolboycaughtdoingsomethingwrooodtothesidewithhisheadlowered.
"I...Idon''''''''tknopened.Shegothomeprettytetoday.Assoonasshewalkedin,sheseemed...outofitaraighttoherroomtoliedown.Shedidn''''''''tevedinner."
"Whydidn''''''''tyoutakehertothehospital?"
"Ifigureditwasjustafever.Iwasgoingtoaskyoutsomemedieover."
"You''''''''tjustgivemedierandomly."
MoxigentlypattedReya''''''''sfadhelpedhersitup.
"Reya,sweetie,howaboutwegotothehospital,okay?"
ReyaclutchedMoxi''''''''ssleeveweakly."No...I''''''''mscaredofneedles."
"Youneedashottogetbetter,baby."
"No...no...no!"
Shehadn''''''''tstruggledthishardevenduringthoseterrifyingmomentswiththetwomenearlier.
Still,LuandMoxiendedupcarryiheER.
Reyarefusedtocooperatewheriedtodrawblood,sothedoctorcouldn''''''''tfindanythingspecific.Hertemperaturewasonlyslightlyelevated.Theyprescribedsomefevermedieandinstructedthemtomonitorherclosely,returningifanythingworsened.
Baoximadepeaoher,thentuckedheruhecoversandpcedasoftkissonherforehead.
"SleepwellReya.You''''''''llfeelbetterwhenyou."
Reyanoddedfaintly,eyesclosed,driftingsleep.
MoxiexgedaghLu,awoofthemquietlylefttheroom,closingthedoorbehindthem.
"YoureallypnonkeepingReyawithyoulikethis?Sheisanadultwomennow,afterall."
FortuherewerehardlyanyneighborsleftaroundwhereLulived.Otherwise,thegossipalonewouldhavedrowhem.
Moxiscoopedtwobowlse,pulledabagofpickledradishfromthefridge,checkedtheexpirationdate,frowned,andtosseditstraightintothetrash.
"You''''''''vejustbeenpromotedtocaptain.Yourjob''''''''soingbusier,andyoudon''''''''teveimetobuygroceriesorcook.You''''''''tkeeplivinglikethis."
Luslurpeddownthepe,lighislipsasifitweren''''''''tenough.
"Butasyousee,Reyastilldoesn''''''''thavetheabilitytoliveindepely.AndIdon''''''''thavethetimetoteachhereither.I''''''''tjustfindheramomoutofnowhere.Howabout...youefillinfornow?"
"I''''''''mbeingserious.Don''''''''tjokearound."
Moxipushedheroardhim.Ludidn''''''''thesitatetopickitupandstartslurpingagain.
Afteramoment''''''''sthought,Moxisaid,"Maybeit''''''''sbetterifReyaestostaywithme."
"Thatwon''''''''twork.Yourmomalreadynagsyounonstopaboutingmarried.IfyoutakeinReya,peoplewillgossip,andnomanwilldareenearyou.hingyouknow,yourmom''''''''llshowupswingiaichisword,tryingtoeinhalf.Idon''''''''tmindthesacrifice,butifshethrowsoutherback,I''''''''dneverfivemyself."
Moxi''''''''sexpressionturnedcold."I''''''''mingmarried."
"Whynot?"Luasked,stillscrapingtheedgeofthebowlwithhisspoon.
Moxitookthebowlfromhimandgavehimalightsmathehead.
"Stopagsopathetic.I''''''''llgetyouanotherbowl."
Asshewalkedaway,Luwatchedherback,histeasinggrinfadioutaquietsighandshookhishead.
Somethingsinlifedon''''''''thavea''''''''why.''''''''They''''''''tbeexpihlogic.
Whenevenyoudon''''''''tfullyuandyourself,howcouldanyoneelsepossiblyuandyou?
***
Reyastaredattheceiling,herwideeyescatgthefaintglowofthenightlight.Theclocktickedsteadily,eachsedlikeameasuredstepinanunyieldingmarchtowardmidnight.
Thestrahadsurgedinsidehernowystill,curlingliketwoetherealserpereatingintohiddenersofherbody.
Reyatouchedherstomach,tryingtoseheirpresence.
Thetwosmallmassesfeltlikesurrenderedremnantsofabattle,restingquietlywithinher,nolohrashing.Herbodycooled,theturmoilleavingbehiybattlefield.Initspce,astraionemerged—hunger,butnotthefamiliarkind.
Shegotupandwahekithopingfoodmighteaseit,buttheemptinesspersisted.Soon,sherealizedthatthishungerwasdifferentfromtheowhenskippingbreakfast.
Itfeltlikeahiddendoorhadopenedsomewhereinsideher,creatingavoidthaturgentlyobefilledwithsomething.
ThememoryofSilverRing''''''''swordsbrushedagainsthermind.Perhapshehadbeenright—shewouldeventuallyseekthemout.
Instinctively,Reyafeltthepull,theurgetotakemore,tofilltheemptinessgnawinginsideher.
***
TheDay
NoonewashomewhenReyaleftinthem.
BothLuandMoxiwereatwork.MoxihadevencalledtheamusementparktoexcuseReya,tellingthemsheo"restandrecover"athome.
Though"recovery"seemedtohavetakenonadifferentmeaningforReyanow.
Co''''''''scararkedbytheroadside.Withouthesitation,shewalkedstraighttowardit.
"Reya,noworktoday?"Coasked,openingthecardoor.
"Ihadafever,"Reyareplied,gnginside.OnlyCowastherethistime.
Asmirktwistedhislips."Lyingisn''''''''tnice."
"I''''''''mbetternow."Reyaneverlied.
Codidn''''''''tblindfoldher.Thedestinationwasn''''''''tfarafterall.Yesterday''''''''swindingroutehadbeendeliberate.
"Haveaseat.Wantadrink?"Coopenedasmallfridgeintheerandpulledouttwobeers.
Reyashookherhead.Herreaswassimple.
"Iwantmore."
Cofroze.Hehadn''''''''texpectedsuchdireess,andforonce,heseemedataloss.
Reyabeganundressing.
Cobitoffthebeerdtookalongswig.Theicyliquidburneddownhisthroat,carbonationfizzingviolentlyinhisgut.
HeslumpedintothecouearmdrapedpossessivelyoverReya''''''''sshoulder.Tiltingherup,heguidedasipofthebitterliquidpastherlips,warmnow,minglingwithhisown.
Reyacoughedslightly,delicatebrowsknittingindisfort.
Cochuckleddarkly.
Hertonguecarriedasweetnesshehadastedbefore.Strange,almostlikehoney,butcedwithaheady,entinguoshhttohishead.Itwaslikeadrug.Onesipwasenoughtomakehismindspin.
HowhadImissedthisyesterday?
Hisbodythrummedwithanticipation,buthedidn''''''''trush.Today,SilverRinghadtoapanyhisoldmanfordinner,whichmeantthislittlewomanwashisaloosavor.Coleanedback,lettiensioncoil,knowinghehadallthetimeintheworld.
PushingReyaontoherback,heexploredbetweenherlegswithroughfingers.
Shewasalreadydrenched.
"Eagerlittlething,"hemocked.
Ofcourseshewas.Themomentshehadnearedhim,thehollowasidehadfredunbearable.Thatdormantpresehinher,likeacagedspiritcatgsightofitsliberator,thrashedviolentlyagainstherribs,demandingrelease.
Shefeltit,ahuhatcouldedbyordinarymeans.Sheobefilled.
Andteoa.Justnotwithhimself.
Thebottle''''''''sridgedmouthofferednofortasitbreachedher.Reyatriedtosquirmaway,butCoshovedherdowneffortlessly.
Coldbeerrushedthroughherlikegcialmeltwater.Herbodyvulsed,musclestremblingasthecarbonationfizzedviolentlyirappedwithnoescape.Everynerveseemedtoscream,andforthefirsttime,Reyatrulyfeltthefragilityofherownbody—asifshemightnotsurvivethesensation.
Cotwistedthebottledeeper,ensuringitwouldn''''''''tslipfree,thenpalmedherslightlydistendedabdomen.Theskiretchedtautandicy,grotesquelymimigpregnancy.
Tearspooledinherwideeyes.Fearanddesperationblendingintosomethingperverselyalluring.ItshatteredCo''''''''sstshredofrestraint.
Bottleout.Di.
Thebriefwithdrawallowedastescapeofliquidbeforehethrustintoher.Heavenandhellcoexistedinthatslick,gheat.Sheburnedaroundhim,searingattheedges,freezingatthedepths.Thoughtdissolved,leavingonlytherawcethatpulledhimunder.
Reyaheardherbodymakewet,sloshingsounds,likedahalf-filledjarshakentoohard.Coldbeerandsearingdickwarredinsideher,abrutaltidewithnoshore.
Thenitcame.Co''''''''sbackarched,tendonsinhisautassteelcables.
Desperate,Reyareachedinwardforthatelusivespark,onlytorecoilinhorror.Thebeerhaddrowutterly.Hisessencewasgone,sbehealcohol''''''''sweight,everyfragilestrandoflifeannihited,leavingnothingtoharvest.