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Shewas trying not to cry but the close call of almost being eaten by theMotherTree, plus the sharp pain in her hand meant tears were pricking at her eyelids despite her best efforts to keep them back.
“Letme see.”Holdexamined her hand, making sure the wrist and elbow joints were intact and then looked over her palm. “Itlooks like you put your hand down on a bundle of thorn canes,” he remarked at last. “Iimagine it stings, butIdon’t think there’s any permanent damage done.Istill have my smallest medical kit with me—Imanaged to save it when they took our clothes and weapons.SoIcan treat this for you once we get back to the dormitory.”
“Nopermanent damage except toCelia’snerves, you mean!”Fiercegrowled. “Lookat her,Brother—she’strembling.”Heput one long arm around her shoulders and squeezed comfortingly. “It’sall right,lelka—you’re safe now.”
“It…it almostateme!”Celiawished her voice wouldn’t shake so much. “Ibarely touched it and it started to suck me in!”
“Thismust be whatLa’ver’nameans when she talks about “feeding” theMotherTree,”Holdsaid grimly.Heput an arm aroundCelia’swaist from the other side and gave her a comforting squeeze.WithFierceon the other side, she felt surrounded by the two big warriors. “Whichmeans that all these carvings…” he gestured to the wall.
“Aren’tcarvings at all,”Celiawhispered. “They’reactualpeople.MadredeDios—these are people that theMotherTreeate.”
“Andit looks like it’s still fucking digesting them,”Fiercesaid. “Shit, this is fucking bad!”
“Wehave to get out of here!”Celiatried to blink back the tears of fear and pain that wanted to fall but a few slipped down her cheeks despite her best efforts. “Thisisn’t just some harmless sex cult—they’re fuckingmonstershere, feeding people to this…this horrible tree!” she said in a choked voice.
“Wecan’t leave yet—not until the ship is fixed,”Fiercesaid grimly. “Withoutit we’re stuck onJoCostaTwelveand theSisterhoodofPeaceowns the whole damn planet.Soas much asIfucking hate it, we’re going to have to wait it out.”
“Andin the meantime, we’re going to have to play along with them and do what they want,I’mafraid,”Holdmurmured. “Whichmeans doing our best to turn your nipples blue, my lady,” he said toCelia.
Celiachoked on a laugh that was more than half sob.
“Dios, that sounds so bizarre!”
“Notany more bizarre than getting eaten by a tree if we don’t succeed,”Fiercemuttered.
“Fornow what we need to do is get back down to the dormitory without anyone suspecting where we’ve been and what we’ve seen,”Holdpointed out. “Wecan worry about turningCelia’snipples blue later.”
Thetwo of them helped her to her feet and though she was a bit wobbly, she found that she could walk.
“Comeon,” she said. “Ijust want to get out of this horrible, creepy room!”
“Let’sget the fuck out of here,”Fierceagreed.
“Butquietly,”Holdadded. “Nobodycan know what we’ve seen or they’ll feed us to theMotherTreeimmediately.”
Justthe thought of that madeCeliabreak out into a cold sweat.Morethan anything she wanted to get out of here—away from the bizarre sex/death cult and back to where she belonged.
TheMotherShip,she thought with longing.IwishIwas back there withKat, helping to decorate and planning the bigChristmasparty!
Itdidn’t occur to her until later that she hadn’t even thought ofPeteror his family once when she was longing for home and the feeling of love and belonging…
36
CELIA
“Wherehave the three of you been?Everyoneelse has already had their nightly shower and are already in bed pleasuring each other!”Ger’thademanded, glaring at them as they finally walked in the door of the dormitory.
“We’revery sorry—we stayed behind to wash everyone’s dishes,”Holdsaid smoothly, taking the lead.Hewas certainly the best of them at sweet-talking people soCeliaandFiercehung back and let him.Celiawas also careful to keep her injured hand behind her back—she didn’t want to have to explain her wounded palm.
“Youdid, eh?”Theunicorn woman seemed skeptical of their explanation.
“Youcan askPriestessLa’ver’naif you want to verify it with her,”Holdsuggested. “Itwas on her orders that we stayed.”
“Well…”Ger’thastamped one hoof indecisively. “Allright,” she said at last. “Buthurry and take your showers—lights out is very soon.”
“Yes, of course we will.”Holdnodded. “Er, if you could point us in the direction of the shower room?”
“Inthere.”TheGuardianofRecruitspointed to a small door at the far end of the large dormitory. “Hurryyourselves up,” she added. “Andbe certain to stimulate your goddess’s breasts when you wash her.Isee that her nipplesstillhave not turned blue.”Andshe gaveCelia’sbreasts a disapproving look.
