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“Oh, thank you!” Melanie felt like her heart might overflow completely, it was so filled with joy. “Thank you so much, Doctor Liv!”
“I knew it, I knew it!” Sonja squealed and hugged her, practically dancing in her seat.
“I was hoping it was true but I didn’t know until now,” Melanie confessed. “Oh, you don’t know how much I’ve wanted kids,” she told Liv. “But my ex was such a bastard, he would never let us start a family. Now, I’m glad…” She sniffed and swiped tears of joy from her eyes. “So glad I never had a baby with him. I’m so happy that Clear and Strong are going to be the fathers of my children!”
Liv smiled widely.
“The Goddess knows what she’s doing when she puts people together. I know the three of you are going to make wonderful parents.”
“And normally you’d be freaking out about having twins, but with two daddies to help change the diapers and do the midnight feedings, you can relax!” Sonja pointed out. “It’s perfect.” She winked at Melanie. “And to think, it all started because you got my Secret Santa gift by accident!”
“Well that and the spiked punch,” Melanie pointed out. She frowned. “I just hope everybody affected by the punch had a happy ending like I did.”
“Actually…I’m afraid not everybody did,” Liv said soberly. She looked at Sonja. “Have you talked to Ellilah lately?”
“I’m afraid not.” Sonja shook her head. “I wanted to but the last time I went to the Sacred Grove, one of the priestesses told me she was in ‘seclusion’ whatever that means, and she couldn’t see anyone.”
“Oh dear!” Liv looked upset. “It sounds like they’re punishing her.”
“Which is totally unfair.” Sonja lifted her chin angrily. “I mean, it’s hardly her fault she was drugged and attacked!”
“Drugged and attacked? What? Who?” Melanie looked between her friend and the kind doctor. “This is the first I’m hearing about this—what are you talking about?”
“Oh that’s right—you were already down on Earth when we found out about the punch,” Sonja said. “Well, apparently the first person to be affected was this little priestess called Ellilah. She actually saw the guy who put the drug in the punch and then he made her drink some.”
“And then he dragged her into a storage closet and touched her.” Liv’s voice was grim.
“He didn’t rape her, did he?” Melanie put a hand to her mouth.
“No, not according to Ellilah,” Sonja said quickly. “She says he just kissed her and kind of…I guess touched her over her robe.”
“But she was so innocent,” Liv said sadly. “And the drug made her react to him in ways you wouldn’t normally react to an attacker.” She shook her head. “I’m just afraid this whole episode is going to scar her and if the priestesses are going to punish her for what happened, well…”
“Talk about blaming the victim,” Sonja said, frowning. She looked at Liv. “Somebody ought to stop that!”
“I agree.” Liv nodded. “I’ll ask Sylvan if he can talk to the head Priestess in his capacity as Head of the Kindred High Council.” She frowned. “Though I’m not sure if she’ll listen. They have a whole different hierarchy in the Sacred Grove and I don’t think they consider themselves to be under the High Council’s rule at all.”
“Well, it’s worth a try,” Sonja said. “And you’re right—she shouldn’t be punished for what happened to her. That’s barbaric.”
“I hope she’ll be okay.” Melanie felt ready to cry, thinking of the poor little priestess. “And I hope they catch the man who drugged the punch and hurt her!”
“They’re looking for him, believe me,” Liv said grimly. “Unfortunately, during the holidays some of the security measures are relaxed a little. So apparently he was able to slip in and out without leaving a record.”
“But why would he drug everybody at the party, anyway?” Melanie asked. “What possible benefit could it be to him?”
“Who knows?” Liv shrugged. “The thinking right now is that he was trying to cause some confusion so someone could attack the Mother Ship. But since the drug affected women way more than the Kindred warriors who drank it, the plot failed.”
“Thank goodness it didn’t affect them, then!” Sonja shivered.
“Thank the Goddess, you mean,” Liv said. She sighed. “I know that she has a plan for everyone’s life and that she works the events in our lives—good and bad—according to that plan. But sometimes I just can’t see where things are heading. Especially in cases like Ellilah’s.”
“That poor little priestess,” Melanie murmured. “She probably needs some therapy to get over what happened to her.”
“Or at least someone to talk to,” Sonja said. “I’m going to go see her today. I’ll give the excuse that I’m checking over the Sacred Grove for my upcoming Joining ceremony and sneak in to see if she’s okay.”
