I was still inside my cage, I knew that much, and every part of my body ached, lying on a thin mattress spread across the metal floor. I wondered, too, why the physician failed to report to Perdil or Zendeval that I was pregnant. Something prevented it, and I was too feverish and in pain to worry about it for long.

"Reah?" The voice came. I knew it from somewhere. I struggled toward consciousness. "Reah?" A hand touched my forehead. "Burning up. Get over here!" The voice shouted. "Get her into one of the private rooms. We need to clean her up and get this fever down. Where is that fucking physician?"

I hadn’t heard Perdil use that word before. He was with me now; I saw him through a fevered haze. "I didn't move her; I wasn't informed that I could." Geldis arrived quickly. Perdil was cursing again, raving about everybody needing permission to fart. I didn't care, I wanted to be unconscious again and away from the pain.

"What part of take care of her needs did you not understand?" Perdil shouted. Likely, Geldis was cringing before the dwarf. I would be, too, if I were human. I wanted to laugh, I think, at my thoughts. The cage door was opened and I was lifted out of it. Usually a guard did that; Geldis didn't fetch and carry. Another cool tub of water followed, more drugs were administered by mistjection and then someone carried me into a shower and bathed me. I didn't realize it was Perdil until it was nearly over. The drugs were beginning to take effect.

"Three days and still no better off," he muttered as I was toweled off and carried to bed. It was a much better bed than the thin mat had been. Perdil was combing out my freshly washed hair when I slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Any better?" Zen slipped inside the private room. Perdil hadn't told him that Reah had been moved, and at first he was angry to find the cage empty. The guards directed him to Reah's new room. Perdil had sat next to the bed for several clicks, watching Reah sleep.

"The fever's down for the moment, but I have to keep after that fool of a physician or he just wanders away. I asked him if we needed an IV; he said probably and walked out."

"Why does she need an IV?" Zen gave Perdil a worried glance.

"Because she isn't getting better. She hasn't kept anything down, including water. She needs fluids—even I know that and I have no medical training at all." Perdil snorted at his own statement.

"Do we have the necessary supplies? We can go to the hospital on Stellar Winds and get them."

"I sent one of the other physicians already," Perdil sighed. "About a click ago. They should be here anytime." That was how Zendeval Rjjn, who'd never needed a physician for any trouble of his own, watched in fascination as an IV was inserted into Reah's hand and taped there, while a bag of fluid was attached and began to drip. Geldis attached another bag as well, which administered a steady flow of medication.

"Some develop infection of some kind," he said when Perdil asked about the treatment. "This drug treats a broad spectrum of infections, so I hope it has some effect. We'll know by tomorrow if it helps."

"And if she has a reaction?"

"We'll remove it right away. I'll have someone watching if I can't be here myself."

"See that you do." Perdil rose stiffly and walked out of Reah's room. Zen, unsure what to do, rose and followed Perdil, leaving the physician with Reah.

"You will not recall my presence," a tall, blue-skinned man appeared and lifted Reah up, holding her against him. Geldis nodded briefly before the gentle trilling noise the blue creature made had him falling asleep in his chair.

"If we tell Teeg about the baby, he'll show up and blast the place," Norian growled at Lendill. Lendill and Norian had seen Neeki and Teeki just as well as Reah had the night of the attack. They'd also seen a flash of bright light, and still couldn't explain the events surrounding that anomaly. They'd set that aside; Reah was pregnant with Teeg's child, and according to one of Kifirin's assistants, it was his son. Both knew Reah was very ill, too. Lendill had tried to contact Reah through mindspeech many times, but she hadn't been able to send a coherent reply.

They'd also seen the physician several times as he'd treated Reah. Then, Lendill had seen Nefrigar appear, telling the physician that he wouldn't remember the visit. Lendill had only seen a wide blue chest and listened to some very restful trilling for two clicks after that.

Ry, too, hadn't been told, and neither Lendill nor Norian wanted to tell Garde, Lissa or any of the others. "Norian, what if that were your child she was carrying?"

"Lendill, don't throw that in my face," Norian muttered angrily.

"What if she doesn't recover? What then? Teeg may come after us."

"I don't think that Larentii will allow his mate to die, do you?"

"But he was there last night and she's still sick," Lendill pointed out. If he were honest, he was scared witless that Reah couldn't even send mindspeech. And that thug who'd bitten her? Lendill had plans for that one. He still didn't know what Zendeval Rjjn was, but he wasn't really interested in anything other than Rjjn's death.

"Look, Kifirin's assistants said they were shielding the baby, so he's not suffering, I think."

"No, Reah's the one suffering. We don't know what kind of pain she's in, she can't tell us." Lendill paced inside Norian's office. It wasn't Norian's mate caught up in the middle of this, it was Lendill's, and he was frightened. Reah was ill, pregnant and in the hands and care of the enemy. "Someday, Norian, come and talk to me if you find Lissa in this situation." Lendill folded out of Norian's office.

"Fuck," Norian cursed. "Fuck!"

"The girl is in here, Master Nedrizif," Geldis opened the door for Ned. "She has been very ill. We are making some progress, though. The fever is down somewhat."

Nedrizif walked to the bed and stared down at the little white-haired beauty. The color had drained from her cheeks as was usual if a girl became ill. "I want her treated as well as can be. I want her healthy for the sale, do you hear me?" Nedrizif snarled. "And why was I not informed that this one was as ill as she was?"

"I do not know, Master. I was only told to care for he ko c widr."

"Then continue to do so. Spare no expense, and if it is needed, bring someone else in to help."

"Of course, Master. It will be as you say." Geldis bowed to Nedrizif.

"And do not speak of my visit to anyone," Nedrizif demanded before leaving the room.

"Of course, Master," Geldis muttered at Nedrizif's retreating back.

"Here's our pretty High Demon, back among the lucid," Teeki grinned as I opened my eyes.

"Why are you here?" I could barely get the words out, my mouth was so dry.

"We've been checking on you regularly, you just didn't know," Neeki's head popped up over his twin's shoulder. "And the baby is quite fine, we are proud of the job we have done," he grinned.

"Sure. Pat yourself on the back," I muttered.

"You are not happy with our work?" Teeki sounded hurt.

"With one of your patients, yes. The other, no."

"She is talking about herself," Neeki looked at his twin.

"I know. But we must do as Kifirin says. He says that we must hold back from helping you too much. He has some reason," Teeki informed me.

"You haven't helped me much at all," I grumped. "Go away."

"She keeps saying that to us. I do not think she likes us."

"You work with Kifirin. That's enough to ensure you're not welcome," I said wearily. The conversation was wearing me out.

"We will make sure food is brought," Neeki said. "Come, brother. We will do what we can." He and Teeki disappeared.

"Awake now and much better," Geldis said as he entered the room with a tray of food later. I noticed that I'd been handcuffed to the wall after Neeki and Teeki fled. I wasn't supposed to get away. Right then, I was too weak to get away. The food Geldis brought consisted of bland and tasteless, with bland winning.

"How much have we eaten?" Perdil walked in. I blinked at him.

"You have permission to speak," he added.

"This stuff is awful," I said, making a face and pushing weakly against the tray.

"Spoken like a true cook," Perdil chortled. "How weak is she?" He turned to Geldis.

"Weak. I don't think she can stand for longer than two ticks."

"How about sitting?"

"Not long."

"Long enough to put ice-cream ingredients together?" Perdil looked from Geldis to me. I grimaced and closed my eyes. I didn't know how long I'd been down, but likely they were out of gishi fruit ice cream.

"She could faint," Geldis warned. "Or be sick, since she just ate."

"We'll watch for that. You will come and keep her awake," Perdil jerked his head at Geldis. "I have a hoverchair coming. We'll float her to the dock and transport her to Stellar Winds." k&qurke

"Reah, we're here." Perdil's voice woke me with a start. I was inside Galedaro's pastry kitchen, and ingredients were already laid out on the prep table. Three assistants were looking at me, all with pity in their eyes. I knew then that they all bore controllers.

The hoverchair was no help at all and it took every bit of strength I had to stand and pull ingredients to me so I might dump them into the ice-cream maker. I never measured anything, basing amounts on the number and size of gishi fruits I had. Assistants peeled and chopped those for me while I watched. The rest I did, feeling dizzy while I did it. Perdil watched me closely the entire time, and I didn’t lose what I'd eaten until I stumbled away from the prep table and ice-cream maker.

"I told you this might happen," Geldis said over my head as I huddled on my knees upon the floor, vomit splattered on my clothing, my hands and on the floor itself.