***
“Daemionis told you to stay put,” Creteloc said as she appeared at Kyrin’s side. “He’s been looking for you since you left Paragoy two weeks ago.”
“Not now, Creteloc,” Kyrin said angrily, and then hung her head over a log to throw up.
Creteloc studied her. “I thought you weren’t going to let him touch you.”
“What was I supposed to do? I was afraid he would go to Azimeth.”
“Yes, well, then this serves you right.”
Kyrin was finally able to turn around and sit down against an old tree. “You told me to do what I had to, to keep him happy.”
“I didn’t mean for you to give in to the man’s whims.”
“Well that makes him happy!”
“I know. He’s a man. If you had to get pregnant though, you should have let a shadow elf do it.”
“Why’s that?”
“You wouldn’t be sick.”
Kyrin sighed. “What?”
“Humans and shadow elves… when they mate, the woman doesn’t get sick. Of course, they are also instantly killed.”
“Well I didn’t have to get pregnant!”
“Come back to my house then. Let’s take care of it.”
Kyrin nodded and then stood up with a lot of effort. She’d been throwing up for almost a week straight and wanted nothing more than to lie down.
Creteloc’s house wasn’t far from where they were. They made it within just an hour, and Kyrin collapsed onto her bed.
Creteloc started adding ingredients into a cauldron on the fire. “This will hurt.”
“I don’t care.”
“It’s still odd how quickly he’s ready to get rid of you.”
“I know, okay?!”
“You must be hard to live with.”
Kyrin draped her arm over her eyes and took deep breaths to try to calm her stomach.
“Running was a bad thing, Kyrin. Now you left that royal elf in his hands. I bet he’s already married her.”
“Just give me the damned poison.”
“It takes time to make. I used my last batch on that dim-wit running things in Windolfo Dimension.”
“Hurry up then.”
“It takes days to get it right,” Creteloc said, adjusting the flame. “You wouldn’t need this if you hadn’t let that worthless king touch you.”
Creteloc sighed when Kyrin leaned over and started to get sick again. She went and sat down to wait out the latest bout of morning sickness, and then smiled when Kyrin laid back.
“I never thought you would ever be pregnant.”
“Me either,” Kyrin said weakly.
“I thought I taught you better than that.”
“You taught me nothing about that!”
“I taught you not to let yourself go to feelings,” Creteloc said, disinterested.
“Do you have to lecture me right now?”
“Yes, I do. You need to remember why not to let this happen again.”
“I didn’t let this happen,” Kyrin snapped. “You act like I did this on purpose.”
“You didn’t stop it. That’s the same thing.”
“I am trying to keep my husband.”
“Well getting pregnant is doing the opposite of that. As soon as he finds out, he’ll dump you on your ass.”
“Great”
“Daemionis will then lose his stronghold in Paragoy…”
“… stop.”
Creteloc shrugged. “We’ll end it. I’m sure that’s what he’d want.”
“Ask him if you aren’t sure. I don’t need to tick him off.”
“He’s busy right now and isn’t to be disturbed.”
“Doing what?”
“He found another wife.”
“Ugh, another one? That’s ten since I joined him.”
“Yes, well, they keep dying.”