She'd texted him about the appointment last night instead of calling. Chickened out, really. It had taken her forever to type the words on the small screen, her fingers constantly missing the tiny squares with letters that were arranged all wrong. But it had still been easier than hearing his voice and having to deal with the emotions coming through the line.
His response had come back within seconds.I'll be there. Though I wish it were Bridget doing it instead of Julian.
Evidently Tony could type much faster than she could. Not that it was surprising. He hadn't been buried under a rock his entire life. He'd been exposed to all the modern devices and knew how to use them, while she was still learning.
Tula wanted to type back that she would have preferred Bridget as well, but it required too much effort.
Julian wasn't as experienced as his mother, but he would have to do because Bridget was at the keep, taking care of Navuh.
Of course she was.
Because even as a prisoner, Navuh commanded the best care, the most attention, so the clan's top physician was dedicating herself to his recovery.
Life just wasn't fair.
Some people always got more of everything. More attention, more power, more respect, more resources. They commanded it without even trying, as if the universe itself bent to their will.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Wonder pulled out a chair and sat across from her. She brought two fresh cups of coffee, setting one in front of Tula and taking a sip from the other. "You look like you've sucked on a lemon. Aren't you excited to see your baby?"
"Of course, I am. But I was thinking."
"About what?"
Tula sighed. "About cosmic injustice. I wish it were Bridget who was doing the ultrasound. Julian is a nice guy, but it's awkward having a man I barely know examining me. I've never been touched so intimately by anyone who wasn't my lover."
Wonder's expression softened. "For what it's worth, Julian is mated to his truelove, so he is guaranteed to be perfectly clinical with you."
"How much experience does he have with pregnancies? I know he's young."
Wonder scrunched her nose. "None, I guess. Bridget is the one who takes care of the few pregnancies we get here. Mostly it's the Kra-ell and the humans. Immortals, as you know, are not as fertile."
Tula picked up the fresh coffee Wonder had brought. "Figures that I would be stuck with the inexperienced doctor while Bridget takes care of Navuh. The lord always comes before the servants, even when he's the enemy."
Wonder smiled. "Your pregnancy is normal and healthy. It doesn't require expert care. Navuh has broken every bone in his body and shredded his internal organs. I think he needs a little more attention than you do."
"I know." Tula felt guilty about her resentment. "I'm just cranky, and antsy, and annoyed, and before you accuse me of always being like that, I will let you know that I'm not."
"Why are you antsy?"
Tula shrugged. "It must be the pregnancy."
It wasn't, but she wasn't ready to share the real reason with Wonder. Not yet. They were sisters, but in many ways, they were still strangers. She didn't feel comfortable telling Wonder that she was needy and that she hadn't seen any action between the sheets in far too long.
The weeks leading up to the rescue had been a whirlwind of guilt, sorrow, and impossible hope, and she hadn't been in the right state of mind to be intimate with Tony or anyone else.
Now that she was free and no longer devastated by guilt and grief, her body remembered that it had needs.
"You could see Merlin," Wonder said. "He has much more experience than Julian. He's the fertility specialist around here." Wonder's lips quirked. "Though he's a little kooky."
"Kooky?"
"You'd have to meet him to understand. He prepares these custom-made potions for couples who are trying to conceive, and he's kind of eccentric, but nice. I like him. He has a nutty professor vibe."
"Do the potions work?" Tula asked.
Wonder shrugged. "Who knows? Syssi and Kian took them and got Allegra. Bridget and Turner took them, and now Bridget's pregnant. But correlation isn't causation, you know? They might have conceived anyway."
"Or the potions actually work, and he's really good at what he does."
