“So this mating chamber,” she said, because talking was better than thinking about either of the males walking with her.“Whyexactly does a science bunker have one?”
“It was not originally aKindredbunker,”Severinreminded her.“Itbelonged to theVisskousresearcher who invited us here to study the first wave of infections.Apparently, he used this place as a private retreat as well as a laboratory.”
“A private retreat,”Cassierepeated.“Witha group mating chamber.”
“Yes.”Heshrugged, as though it was no big deal.
“Of course.Whywouldn’t it have an orgy chamber?”she muttered.“That’sexactlywhat every underground plague bunker needs.”
“TheVisskoushave different mating customs than humans orKindred,”Severinsaid.“Ibelieve this room was designed for heat-sharing during fertility rituals.”
“Heat-sharing?”Cassiewrinkled her nose.“Youmean because they’re cold-blooded?”
She’d never heard of anything like that, but maybe it was because she andSskarthhadn’t been trying to have any children since he knew she couldn’t get pregnant by him and lay eggs.
“Yes.Duringcertain mating cycles, several partners may share a warmed nest-bed in order to regulate body temperature and encourage egg development,”Severinsaid.
Cassie stopped walking for a second and stared at him.
“Severin,Iambeggingyou not to say the words ‘egg development’ again whileI’mtrying to psych myself up to get into bed with the two of you.”
His mouth twitched.
“My apologies.”
“Accepted.Barely,”Cassietold him.
Ravik leaned closer from behind her, his breath brushing the top of her hair.
“Cassie does not lay eggs.”
“No,Cassieabsolutely doesnotlay eggs,” she said firmly.
“Good,”Raviksaid.“Eggsare fragile.Cassieis soft.”
Cassie wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she didn’t say anything at all.
The hallway sloped downward slightly as they went, the air growing warmer with every step.Atfirst,Cassiethought it was another hot flash sneaking up on her, which would just be the cherry on top of this particular nightmare sundae.Butthen she realized the heat was coming from somewhere ahead of them.
Gradually, the blue ceiling lights faded into amber ones, soft and dim and glowing like the inside of a lantern.Thewalls changed too—the hard steel giving way to panels of some smooth, pale stone that looked almost like marble, though knowing theVisskous, it probably came from the compressed bones of some extinct reptile or something equally charming.
The smell changed as well.
The rest of the bunker smelled like metal, antiseptic, old air, and whatever strange herbs she had put into the stew.Buthere there was a different scent—warm minerals, faint spice, and something dry and dusty underneath.Notunpleasant exactly, but alien.Likeheated stone after rain,Cassiethought, except there was no rain down here and no sky for it to fall from.
At the very end of the hallway,Severinstopped in front of a wide, arched door.
“This is it,” he said.
Cassie eyed the door suspiciously.
“It looks…dramatic.”
“It is somewhat larger than the others,”Severinadmitted.
He touched the control panel beside the door.Fora moment nothing happened.Thenthe panel gave a low hum and the door slid open with a soft hiss.
Heat rolled out at once.
