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  A maid appeared with a tray of food and another carried a tea tray. They laid the food out in front of them and left as silently as they came in.

  Myka waited. It was rude to take food first.

  Elite D’hai spoke, “Please, break your fast.”

  “It is not polite to eat before you.”

  “Your need is greater. Please begin.” Again he said please, not a normal request for an Elite.

  Nodding her thanks, she washed her fingers in the nearby bowl, dried them and took a dumpling off the first tray. The scent of meat and spices made her mouth water before she had taken her first bite. She kept her eating to a slow and steady pace, chewing thoroughly between bites.

  When she had consumed three dumplings, she stopped. Cleaned her hands again and poured tea for them both, his cup first and then her own. The tea had a toasted flavour, a lovely blend that mixed well with the food on offer.

  She sipped her tea slowly and when Elite D’hai took up some food, she continued to fill her belly. They ate in companionable silence, broken only when a maid came in to refill their teapot and Elite D’hai gave her an order in Dremarai. She quickly returned with a carafe of water and two cups.

  “You were dehydrated. You need liquid as much as food.” Breaking with protocol, he poured a cup for her and held it to her until she took it with hastily cleaned fingertips.

  “Thank you.” He was right. If she was dehydrated and didn’t have enough liquid in her to help digest, things would end up badly. She had enough Healer training to figure that out. “That was very thoughtful.”

  “You needed to relax before you would take any advice.”

  His lips twitched again. He didn’t quite smile, but it was lurking under his surface. Myka found this fascinating—she hadn’t heard of Dremarai having an obvious sense of humour. They were known for their isolationist tendencies, social formalities and nothing else. They were an enigma in the Alliance, a planet in the centre of a busy transport lane protected by a barrier of force, which defied even the most vicious of attacks.

  Ten years ago, they made their first contact with the Alliance in twelve centuries. They requested a Healer to assist their dwindling population and the Alliance jumped at the chance to place an operative on the surface to assess the population and identify species peculiarities. The first two Healers had simply shaken their heads and declined to comment aside from saying that the population was exceptionally healthy and only seemed to need their assistance with birthing and broken bones. The rest could and would be treated easily by the Healers that they had trained amongst their own people.

  As Myka ate, it came to her again that she was simply here as a courtesy to the Alliance. A way for the Dremarai to get back in touch with their roots and to keep in touch with what was going on in the space around them. For all she knew, she was being pumped for current information more than acquiring it.

  She finished her meal and washed her hands before laying them serenely in her lap. The instant that she stopped eating, so did he. A servant came and removed the remaining items while she refreshed the tea.

  “So, Myka. How many worlds have you been to?” He once again poured tea for both of them, breaking protocol, again. As the lower ranking member of their gathering, she should have been the one pouring.

  “Including my home world, I have set foot on seven planets and nine orbital stations.” She sipped lightly at her tea and breathed in the rising steam.

  “Ah. That sounds like a lot of travel. Have you been tempted to stay on any of the worlds you have visited?”

  “The Citadel assigns me for finite periods and then moves me to my next assignment. I really have no say in the matter. We are trained to not wait for more.” She shrugged and sipped again at her tea.

  “Really? You are content to be shipped from planet to planet?” He quirked a dark brow at her, his silver eyes gleaming.

  She placed her tea firmly on the table and bowed from the waist. “I did not say that, Elite D’hai. I merely said that we were trained not to want more, it doesn’t mean we don’t dream of it.”

  She yawned suddenly and covered her mouth hastily. Her body was giving in to exhaustion.

  “We can speak more tomorrow. I am eager to hear of your world. Please follow the servant to your rooms. We will be together for some time and I will try and pace our conversations.”

  She tried to stand, but was thwarted—her legs did not want to support her weight. She looked to the servant for help, but Elite D’hai got there before she did. He easily lifted her into his arms and nodded for the servant to show the way to her rooms.

  Embarrassed, Myka kept her eyes down and her body as rigid as possible so that she would not have her body pressed against his in an impolite way.

  His whisper in her ear set her slightly at ease. “Don’t worry about it, Healer Myka. You have had a rough few days. Sleep well and your official etiquette lessons will begin while you are meeting your patients in the morning.”

  The servant opened a door and her rescuer carried her inside, leaving her on the low futon with a soft caress against her jaw. The touch surprised her and she jerked her head up to meet his silver gaze. The wink that he gave her as he left shocked her so much, she didn’t even notice when the servants started to peel her clothing off.

  Completely bemused, she stood, swaying as the women removed her outfit and draped her in a sleeping robe. She was tucked into bed and the lamps were turned off as the servants left her alone and all she could think about was that small caress.

  Why had he touched me at all?

  Chapter Three

  “You may touch her belly after you purify your hands.” Elite D’hai was behind a curtain for the sake of formality. The men who brought their wives in to see her swore that they were honoured that he was there, but D’hai insisted on the curtain for the comfort of the women. He was giving her etiquette instruction through the fabric.

  “Welcome, Healer. I will be giving birth in the next season and am hoping that you will be back for the delivery.” The woman was djinn by descent, deep blue skin with black-red hair and dark gold eyes. Her good humour sparkled in her gaze. She was wearing a tunic that was cut to expose her swollen abdomen and the swirls that Myka now knew denoted magic.

  “Thank you, Lokaik. I hope that I will be making the rounds again by then, but who knows what the future will hold?” After washing and carefully drying her hands, she began her examination of the woman.

  The baby kicked hard and Myka smiled. Lokaik looked surprised. “She doesn’t normally kick for strangers.”

  “Babies like me. Apparently, this one likes me before she sees me.” Their topic of conversation surprised her. “You know she is a girl?”

  “I am a seer. But only for three months ahead.” She shrugged in a self-deprecating manner.

  Myka continued her examination under the watchful eyes of Lokaik’s husband. “Impressive.”

  “Not really. There are several women here who can see ten years into the future.” When Myka looked up at her, she smiled encouragingly. “You have gentle hands. Much better than your predecessor.”

  Myka washed her hands again and patted them dry. “You seem in excellent health as is your child. Do you have any concerns that you wish to discuss?”

  Lokaik looked at her husband and the curtain.

  Myka took the hint and said, “I have a few questions for Lokaik that only another woman should be privy to regarding the handling of my personal cycle. If you gentlemen will leave us for a few minutes, I will be able to ask the questions without embarrassment to myself or you.” She looked into the red eyes of Lokaik’s husband and he broke eye contact and made his way to the door with dignity. Elite D’hai looked at her with a quizzical eye as he left, but soon the ladies were alone.

  Lokaik gave her a deep bow from the waist, no mean feat in her condition. “Thank you for embarrassing yourself for my sake. What I wanted to ask you was is it normal for me to crave my husband’s attention du
ring this time?”

  “Oh.” That explained the embarrassment. “Yes. Many species, including my own, have a spike in hormones that makes us crave sex during gestation. It varies from woman to woman. Have you been having such urges?”

  She blushed a becoming navy blue. “Yes. My husband does not understand. He does not wish to injure the babe and his mother has convinced him that he is forcing himself on me. I have no way of convincing him otherwise.”

  “You can’t speak to him about this?”

  “It is rather embarrassing. He chose me for my maidenly reserve, to tell him that I want him every waking moment of the day would be the height of humiliation for both of us.”

  “If I could find a way to speak to him without you having to say a word, how would you feel about it?”

  Her eyes positively sparkled. “I would be honoured for you to intervene on my behalf. You are the health professional.” She hopped off the table and hugged Myka. The baby kicked in response. “Thank you, Healer.”

  “Wait until your husband rubs your back and you have to reciprocate. What is his name by the way?”

  “Naru. We have been wed three years and he is the best of husbands aside from this moment.” Lokaik smiled and went to the door where her husband was waiting for her.

  He took his wife’s arm to escort her out and Myka took the opportunity to call him in.

  “Naru, will you please come in for a moment? A servant will keep Lokaik company while I speak to you.” She didn’t know how he would react, but behind him, D’hai’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Naru stepped into the room and slid the door shut. “Is there something wrong, Healer?”

  “Nothing drastic. I merely want to bring to you some concerns about Lokaik’s mental well-being.”

  She gestured for him to sit and she took a seat across from him. To be polite, she poured him a cup of tea and sat back while he took a sip. “Are you aware that as a woman progresses in her pregnancy, she begins to have doubts as to her appeal to her spouse?”

  “No. I was not aware of that. Lokaik is lovely and becomes more beautiful with every passing day.”

  “One of my skills as a Healer is to assess the mental situation of my patient. Lokaik is beginning to feel insecure about her figure and she needs you to help her.” Myka took a sip of her tea and watched Naru swallow convulsively at his own.

  “How can I help her? I tell her she is beautiful.”

  Myka sighed and smiled. “Her feelings are spurred by a physical change. She needs a physical solution. She needs to be touched, often. It will strengthen her connection to you and when her confidence improves, the baby’s happiness will also improve.”

  He looked abashed, but finally asked, “Can’t I, you know, hurt her?”

  “Nothing that you could do before the pregnancy will harm the baby. She is the same woman with the same needs and the same generous heart. Cherish her physically as well as emotionally and all will be well.”

  Naru rubbed at his neck. “My mother said that I should not be imposing on Lokaik at this time. She wished me to go to the village concubines.”

  “All women are different. Your mother may have wished to be solitary during her pregnancies, but Lokaik is a warm woman who wishes nothing more than to be with her husband.”

  Naru nodded sharply, a relief burning in his red eyes. “I did not wish to go to the public women, but it was becoming an urgent matter.”

  “I understand. As long as you also remember that rubbing and touching in the last month are beneficial to both the woman and the child. Keeping her relaxed and stress free are your duties as the one who planted the seed.”

  Myka grinned at him and she was relieved to have him grin back.

  “Thank you for this conversation. I know that Lokaik would never have mentioned it herself.”

  Myka chuckled. “My job as a Healer is complete here then. Be well and I hope to see you when I return to the village.”

  “I look forward to it. You are a bold woman. Sometimes we need to be told what to do.” Naru went to the door and bowed out.

  Lokaik gave her a small wave as they left. Myka gave her a thumbs up, but it only confused her. Laughing at herself, Myka moved to slide the door closed when it was stopped by a masculine hand.

  “Healer Myka, may I ask what you discussed with Naru?”

  D’hai backed her into the room and she retreated to the table, sitting on the floor and pouring him a fresh cup of tea. He sank gracefully across from her and took up the cup she proffered him.

  “It was a matter of healer-patient privilege. He needed a few details on Lokaik’s current condition that she was not going to share with him.”

  “Why would a wife not share everything with her husband?” D’hai was genuinely perplexed. “It is in the vows that they take when they wed.”

  Myka lost the trail of his comment for a moment. The scent of his pheromones hit her right in the libido. Everything about him was a tease to her senses. She blinked and shook her head a little, trying to clear her mind. It was as if Lokaik’s horniness had transferred to her.

  “Myka, is something wrong?”

  “No, Elite D’hai. I am sorry. Lokaik was shy about the changes in her body. I just had to speak to Naru about it without saying what she told me.”

  “And you were able to do this?” He raised one eyebrow and sipped the tea. Even the raising of his hand caused a wave of his scent to wash over her.

  “Um. Yes, I was. It is part of Healer training. I also have enough empathy to get to the heart of most matters.”

  He seemed oblivious to her hormonal discomfort, so she wallowed in her personal misery.

  “You seem competent enough with our ways, I will leave you for the afternoon and we will take the evening meal together.”

  He bowed and rose to his feet. She bowed from her position on the floor, afraid that if she rose, the scent from her arousal would hit him between the eyes.

  Without another word, he left her alone in the hotel with the few patients who came to her door.

  Even after one day, part of her missed him and it was a part that wasn’t supposed to be making a play for the High Prefect’s son.

  Chapter Four

  “Ask him for Hospitality.” Myka’s fifth patient of the day, Berengit, gave her the whispered advice when her husband decided to stay on the other side of the door during the exam.

  “What?” Myka was confused.

  “Elite D’hai Bosun. Ask him for the Hospitality of his body. He is not able to refuse you.”

  Oh, lord. It was that obvious. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Yes. You two are vibrating in a compatible harmony. Attraction is to be expected.”

  That was a new one. “You can see us vibrating?”

  “It’s my talent. I am a matchmaker.” Berengit smiled and patted Myka’s hand. “It’s how I ended up in this condition.” She patted her belly fondly.

  “Well, you are fine, healthy and also in labour.” Myka smiled at her.

  “I assumed as much. I will tell Mashu and you can come to our home for the birth. We have been preparing for weeks.”

  “Are you sure that you want to walk? You are almost fully dilated.” Myka had never seen a woman this calm this far in labour.

  “I really want to walk—it is a requirement for me.”

  Myka helped her down off the table and walked her to the door, one didn’t argue with a pregnant mother in labour. Mashu was waiting in the hall.

  “Please assist your wife in walking back to your home. I will be there in a few minutes.”

  His eyes went wide, “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Your baby is making its entrance into the world. Go and make the necessary arrangements.” She bowed him out and he bowed in return.

  The instant that no one could see her, she blasted air out of her mouth and cursed silently. Myka had not been expecting to deliver a baby this soon. She had nowhere near enough data for her to bring a baby out of a Dremar
ai confidently.

  She grabbed her robe and wore it over her tunic and skirt, then headed out after Berengit and her husband. The pregnant woman had not made excellent time and Myka was able to overtake them and hold onto Berengit’s arm as she grunted with the contractions.

  Fortunately, their home was not far and Mashu fetched the birthing chair. He was just in time as Berengit sat, pulled up her skirt and began to bear down.

  Myka was frantic, she needed to wash her hands, but there was no time to leave the soon-to-be mother alone before catching the child. The head was already crowning.

  Agitated and frustrated, she held her hands in front of her face and concentrated. Blue flames burned across her skin, taking all traces of blood from her last exam of the birthing woman away in a flicker of ash.

  Her fingers ceased to flare in a moment and she was just in time to catch the small blue infant who slid out of his mother and into Myka’s waiting hands.

  “Wow. It’s a boy.” She wrapped the child in a length of fabric given to her by a servant, handed the child to his mother’s waiting hands and dealt with the umbilical cord and the afterbirth. This was the critical time for the Dremarai. Haemorrhage was the most common reason for death amongst this race.

  Myka reached out with her mind and touched the danger spots while her hands massaged Berengit’s belly to start the contraction of the uterus. Her mind sealed and seared the blood vessels that were persisting in remaining open.

  It was a strange speciality, but it was the reason that she was here and not another Healer. Under her ministrations, Berengit ceased bleeding and her body started healing from the delivery. Exhausted but pleased, Myka washed her hands in the bowl that the servant presented and patted them dry. The small rituals comforted her and for the first time, she started to understand the formality of the Dremarai. The rituals gave them boundaries, rules to live by. Myka was going to find that same comfort in them while she lived here.

  But what the hell were those flames on my hands?

  She puzzled that out while the servants took the afterbirth to the market to display. It was an odd ritual, but in a world with so many birthing fatalities, the sign of afterbirth with no dead body was reason for celebration.