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“I did the patching,” he says.
Dilacs walks the rest of the way in, closing the door behind him and locking it, then rises onto his toes to inspect the patch. He grumbles and nods.
“Good work,” he says. “Should hold well.”
“Heh,” Khiara grunts, shaking his head. “No patch will hold if there is another quake.”
“Right,” Dilacs says.
“Well? You going to chit-chat the entire time or tell us what you found out?” Khiara asks.
A slow, mischievous grin spreads over Dilacs’s face and he chuckles.
“I don’t know, thought maybe I’d talk about something else. Why? You curious brother?” he asks. Khiara’s answer is a punch in the arm. Dilacs grunts, rolling with the hit, then rubbing the spot on his arm. “I spoke to Mazabuta.”
Khiara moves to his seat at the table and motions towards the other chair. Dilacs takes it but pours himself a drink instead of continuing.
“Well, come on,” Khiara says. “Enough with the dramatics. What did you find out?”
Dilacs takes a drink but the entire time he sips his eyes are locked onto mine, staring over the rim of his glass. He finishes his drink then sets it on the table.
“Annalise is pregnant,” he says.
“What?” I exclaim, leaping to my feet. “No. You’re kidding? For real? Oh, shit. I mean… is she okay? I didn’t… wow.”
Words fumble out of my mouth running one over the next. Surprise is overwhelming making it almost impossible to form a coherent thought. I didn’t think about it. I know the Zmaj and humans are compatible, but no one knew if that would be true between the alien Urr’ki and the humans, but I guess it is.
An empty ache forms in my belly. What will her baby look like? Even my arms suddenly feel a lack. I’ve never had baby fever. Even when that red comet appeared in the sky, way back when we were still in the bunker, and everyone went nuts for an entire night I didn’t feel that pull.
So many babies have been born and even more will be born after that night but for me, nothing. Not a twinge of desire. Yet now, not even seeing her and as far as I know no mystical red comet in the sky, and I’ve got baby fever burning hot.
“Yes,” Dilacs says, nodding slowly, those heavy eyes fixed on me.
“Surprising,” Khiara says, speaking softly. He is staring at his brother, still avoiding looking at me. A pang stabs in my heart because I feel so bad for him. “Good news, I suppose, but not why you went out.”
“No, it’s not why,” Dilacs agrees. He takes another drink. “And while it is good, we all know that it is also bad. The Shaman and the Maulavi cannot know.”
Khiara growls.
“What do you think they would do?” I ask, cold chills running down my spine.
“Nothing good,” Dilacs says.
“No, but the point brother. Come, quit holding back. Did you ask him?”
“I did. And the rumors are true. More true than we could ever have imagined.”
“What do you mean?” Khiara asks, his hand clenching into a tight fist.
Dilacs conspiratorially leans over the table and looks between the two of us but lands with his eyes on his brother.
“Janara is alive,” he whispers.
“What? Who?” I ask, not understanding the importance of the name but it has a clear effect on Khiara.
“No,” he says and now his voice is low and hoarse and his eyes wide. “It cannot be.”
“Mazabuta himself says so,” Dilacs says.
