Something happened then—a heated stare, a tickling of awareness across her skin, a bloom of musk and sweat and earthy herbs. A blush rushed up her body. She inhaled deeply. He did the same, but when he exhaled, it was with more of his steam. His eyes were no longer dark or demonic, but they were something else, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, and it made her nervous, made her sex leak anew.
Calavia breathed in his smoke; it pooled down in her own stomach and settled hot and heavy.Heavy?She narrowed her eyes and looked down at her belly, placing her hand atop it again.
Astegur settled his hand over hers and pulled it away, pushing her down on the linens in the process. “That is the second time you have put your hand there this night. Are you hurt?”
“You gave me your seed,” she whispered.
His eyes shot to hers, inflamed with the light of the fire. “Do you seek more?”
“I feel heavy… I may be with child?” She did not know for certain, only that mating resulted in children. Her mother often spoke of the act as a terrible thing, having devoted her life to the sun, and had tried to make her fear it due to her own experience. But terrible was not what Calavia would describe what she felt with Astegur…
Suddenly, he snatched his hand away from her and rose up, a snarl on his lips. Her brow furrowed when steam poured from his nostrils, and he turned away.
“Are you upset?” she asked, standing with him.
He sheathed his weapon and grabbed the wood and stakes. Her confusion grew as he stormed toward the exit. He stopped right before he entered the shadows.
“War is coming. Whether you’re heavy or not, it does not matter, and there is much to do before the centaurs arrive. I suggest you rest while you can. I know human eyes cannot see through the dark.” Then he was gone.
She stood still, startled before the hearth.
Calavia didn’t know how long she stood there, listening to the heavy clops of him moving away, of the sounds of her thralls working beyond her sight, but she brought her hand back to her stomach, her emotions moving in and out of her as the mist was inhaled and exhaled.
He’s right. It does not matter.Yet, it mattered more than anything.
She reached for one of the candles and lit it, unable to expel the thoughts from her head.
It was time to find her mother.
* * *
Once she wascertain Astegur was gone, Calavia began her search. She checked every shadowed corner, every cubby and broken hole in the walls, and under the thickest patches of vilevines—which she was careful not to anger—as she entered each room. Her candle pushed back the darkness, but only a little, and without her humanity out in the open, the mist remained fairly thick around her person.
With every room she searched, every corner she unearthed, it became apparent that her mother was not hidden anywhere in the temple. And as her frustration and unease grew, knowing that she needed her mother’s protection to keep her secrets buried, Calavia realized that her mother was somewhere outside, beyond Astegur and his watchful gaze.
She gave up her search and made her way through the main corridor toward the old bath to wash herself. Just as she stepped into the room, a figure emerged out of the shadows and rushed by her side, throwing her deeper into the room.
“Mother?” she called out startled, dropping her candle and stumbling forward, trying to catch herself. Her foot caught against something along the ground. She fell face-first into the water with a great splash.
Water enclosed around her, shocking her into action. She flapped her arms and pressed her foot down to touch the muddy bottom, thrusting herself upward. With a deep inhalation of air, she sputtered and coughed, opening her eyes.
A terrible darkness filled them.
She felt around for the edge and pulled herself up, bending over and hacking out the rest of the water she’d accidentally swallowed. Minutes passed by as she struggled to catch her breath and reassure herself that she was fine. She pressed a hand to her chest where her heart pounded hard beneath her palm.
When she began to calm, she lowered her hands and searched for her candle. But instead of her candle, she found the thing that had tripped her—a growth of reeds that had sprouted out from the side of the pool.
The reeds…
An idea formed.
Chapter Eleven
The night dragged on, and the work was grueling. Astegur had left Calavia many hours before, and he itched to return to her, speak with her, and taste her body. But her talk about carrying a child stalled him. Her body could very well be using his seed now, warming it inside her cunt and creating a bull.
A child.
He could not think of it without glee, without uneasiness. He did not think mating her would bring such a gift, because a minotaur child had not been brought into the world since his younger brothers, Hinekur and Thyrius, were born. Though back then, Astegur had been far too young to realize their miracle...albeit a final one.
