“How long?” Sage asks quietly.
“Left? Two years, at most.”
“Katem doesn’t know.” It’s not a question. “Were you going to tell him?”
“Eventually. I just wanted to pretend for a little while longer that my life is normal. I don’t want things to change between us or for him to treat me differently. I don’t want everyone staring at me with pity.”
Sage nods. “I understand.”
I study her. She has the look of someone who’s seen things and wishes she hadn’t.
“I’m not sure if we have any remedies that might ease any symptoms or help with any pain you might have, but if you want to come see me, I’m happy to look.”
“Thank you.”
Sage stands. “Do you want me to have Katem come back in?”
As much as I’m not ready to face him, I’m sure he’s going out of his mind out there. “Will you keep this to yourself a little longer? Just until I’m ready to tell him myself.”
She hesitates.
“Please?”
“Okay, but he needs to know so he can take care of you. He’ll blame himself if—when—it gets worse and he wasn’t able to bethere for you. That’s all they really want. To be there for and protect their mates.”
“Except he can’t protect me. Not from this anyway.”
Sage studies me a moment longer and then leaves the tent. Barely a second passes before Katem rushes back inside. He practically shoves the water at me and kneels at my feet, gripping my free hand tightly in his.
“What happened? Are you well?” The fear is evident in his tone as well as in his eyes.
From a distance, I wasn’t sure how expressive the Tavikhi’s eyes were. But, up close their emotions are easy to read. Katem’s are, at least.
“It’s just an infection in my lungs. Sometimes, it acts up—like today.” I take several long sips.
“This infection causes bleeding when you cough?” He gapes.
“On occasion.”
“You are sure it is nothing more than this? Not that I do not trust Healer Sage, but perhaps Kyler should examine you as well. Just to be certain.”
I set down the cup and cradle his face. “I’ve been seen by a couple Earth doctors already, so I’m certain of what it is. While I’m sure Sage and Kyler are perfectly good healers, I don’t really like being seen by one.”
Katem scans my face, and I remain still and unblinking while he does. “If this infection gets worse, you will tell me right away, please?”
“I’ll tell you if it gets worse.”
We kiss, and then he grips my hand. “Come, let us take the evening meal with the others. We will have our swimming lesson the next turn to give your body time to heal.”
The coughing spell took far more out of me than I want to admit, so as much as I don’t want to postpone starting, it’s probably for the best.
We exit the potter’s tent—that’s what I’m calling it—and walk through the village toward the central fire. It’s a pleasant evening with a nice breeze. Over the regular scents I’ve come to associate with being here, there’s also the hints of florals in the air along with the delicious forest odors that make up Katem’s scent.
The Tavikhi village is far more alive than the human settlement. I’d been surprised to discover there’s a number of residents who came from the upper tier: people who left in disgrace for things like going bankrupt or for corporate crimes like embezzlement. The rest are made up of those of us from the bottom tier who came here hoping—expecting—a better life.
Yet, almost every single person back at the settlement continues living as if they’re still in the bottom tier. Everyone is depressed and the atmosphere is solemn and morose. As I observe the tribe members—Tavikhi and humans alike—and how they interact with each other, the more I’m confident in my decision to move here. No matter that I’m afraid to admit to Katem how limited our time together is, I want to spend what’s left of it with him.
We reach the fire and I come to an abrupt halt. I can feel Katem’s eyes on me, but I can’t look away from the enormous greenish-black alien standing there talking to the shefir. He’s terrifying from head to toe with his thick rope-like hair, beady black eyes, and the two large tusks that bracket the vertical slit that is hismouth. I take in every visible scar—and there are so many—and tremble at the sight of the axe strapped to his back that could probably cleave me in half with a single strike.
