“Please, don’t kill him,” I plead.
The lines on Teo’s face scrunch up.
“What? My star, I would never do that. I’m awake becausehe started crying.” As if to emphasize his point, he turns and then scoops up the whining child. Something new pings inside my chest. It was what I felt the first time I saw him holding Sama in the caves.
My eyes widen as he presses the baby to his chest and begins to gently pat its back. I realize he’s been caring for it while I slept.
“You… have a tender space in your heart for the enemy,” I say. Gods, that is just like Teo.
He nods. “I’m afraid I do.”
I think of what I discovered about Sama—that Teo wanted to care for him, too, but thought it best to give him to a mated pair.
The child burps and makes a contented coo that causes my heart to squeeze again. And then, the voice of reason inside of me reminds me that the babe is helpless. It knows nothing of the giants or their cruelty.
“Do you think me mad for wanting to raise a giant in an Enduar family?” Teo asks, softly.
“I’ve… raised a half-giant baby before. What’s a fully giant one?” I say softly. “But… giant lords will come for him.”
The thought of putting the Enduares in danger again feels like peeling my skin from my bones.
Teo looks up at me. “I don’t think we need to worry about the giants for a long while. We destroyed their court.”
We are interrupted by a knock on the door. Then, the door swings open anyway.
Liana strides in, and her nose curls up. “Gods, the stench in here is unbearable.”
Behind her, Svanna, Iryth, Vann, Arlet, Joso and Ulla follow.
My face brightens, and then I attempt to hide becauseI am utterly filthy.
“None of that,” Arlet says. “We’ve all seen worse these last three days.”
“Three days?” I repeat.
Liana nods. “Yes. You all have been sleeping, and it’s now time to air out the room, scrub you clean, and fill those bellies up with food.”
Svanna comes over and begins to extricate Mikal from me. I look at her, thinking of the way she hacked through her enemies.
“Were you wounded?” I ask.
She grins. “I broke my arm. But, thanks to Ulla and Liana, I’m all healed up.” I watch in awe as she picks up my enormous sibling like he weighs nothing. I feel a little jealous.
“I’ll take the big stinky half-giant,” she says proudly, and then takes Mikal to the tub in the corner.
Joso follows her over.
“Let me clean him,” he insists. “He’s nearly a man. He doesn’t want to wake to a woman washing his bits. Especially one inexperienced with male anatomy.”
Svanna rolls her eyes. “I have a son, remember.” But she concedes.
“Why hasn’t he woke yet?” I ask no one in particular.
Liana looks at me. “He’s still very wounded. His giant blood helps, but the process is slow.”
My brows furrow. “Why haven’t you put a Fuegorra in him?”
Arlet and Liana share a look.
