Her head began to pound and she closed her eyes, trying to calm down.It was too much, especially in her tired state.
However, she knew that she didn’t have much time to figure out the mess in her head either.They would be leaving to return to the Golden City soon, in a couple more days.
Would she know what she wanted by then?
TWENTY-ONE
“Sessela?” Rixavox called when he entered their dwelling.He shook the silver ice off his furs before shrugging them off.He slung them over the cushions in the central hub, so they would dry by the fire in time for their journey to theRilliraxthat night.
He strode across the floor and went down the hallway leading to their quarters, wondering if she was sleeping.She’d seemed tired the span before and Rixavox told himself that he would let her rest that night, to keep his hands off her so she could recover.It would be difficult, but he would do it for her sake.She was still healing, after all, and she needed her strength for their journey back to the Golden City.
His body relaxed when he scented her in their sleeping platform.She was huddled under the furs and when he approached and scooted in beside her, she jolted from sleep.
“Hi,” she whispered, blinking slowly, her voice scratchy.
“Rest,” he murmured, smoothing his hand through her hair.“I did not mean to wake you.”
But then Rixavox’s palm grazed her forehead and he frowned.Her skin was damp and felt warmer than it usually did.
“Luxiva,” he murmured, worried, “Are you ill?”
“Luxiva,” she whispered, before moving to sit up in their furs.“I need to know something.”
“Sessela, I think we should run another scan,” Rixavox said lowly.The healer had said the scan from last night had been normal, that thehellixaxavahadn’t progressed.Was this something else?“I should summon Kirzalla.She can—”
Sessela cut him off, drawing her knees up to her chest, clarity returning to her sleepy gaze.“I want you to answer something for me first.”
Rixavox blew out an impatient breath, but then said, “Ask, female.”
“What’s the real reason why you don’t want to have sex?”
Rixavox went still, furrowing his brow.What in the Fates had prompted this question?
“That is not important right now, Sessela,” Rixavox growled.He ran his hand over her flesh, not liking how hot her skin was.“I need to get the scanner.”
He made a move to get off the sleeping platform, but her words stopped him.“It’s a simple question, Rixavox.I just want to know why.I want you to tell me.”
“It is not a simple question, female,” he growled in frustration, looking towards the hallway.He’d left the scanner near the Coms.“It is one of the more complicated questions you have asked of me.”
“Just tell me,” she pleaded softly.Rixavox turned to her, kneeling on the platform.Her eyes were glassy but he didn’t know if it was because of the fever that raged through her body or because she seemed sad.
Rixavox cupped her soft cheek in his palm.“Sessela.We will have this conversation when you are well.Right now, there is something wrong.I feel it.”
He turned from her and strode out of the quarters quickly, heading for the Coms in the central hub.He prayed to the Fates that Privanax was available.
Sessela was quick on his heels.He almost reached the scanner lying on the silver platform where the Coms were situated, but she grabbed his arm before he could reach it.
Rixavox whirled to face her, panic surging in his chest when he saw that her face looked leeched of color and that she was sweating, despite the chill in the air from the ice storm.
“Luxiva…” he said, reaching out to steady her when she wobbled.“Vrax!”
Quickly, he put in an emergency summons into the Coms for Kirzalla,Velraxa’sprime healer.His female needed immediate attention.Privanax could wait.
Nix, nix, nix.It didn’t make sense.TheRilliraxwas supposed to help heal her, not make her worse.
Fear imbedded itself in his chest like a dagger.What if their treatments did not work on her?What would happen to his female?
“Rixavox, please listen to me,” she said softly.
