Page 32 of Tempting Fate

My head swam, her words catching me off guard and stealing my equilibrium.

“Please,” I said, at the same time Grilahki spat, “Absolutely not.”

The two shaa’ith stood motionless, Imani between them, her face set in stone.

After too many heartbeats, Daiytak let out a loud snort, and went to lead them both from the room.

Imani darted forward and placed her hand on my shoulder. Her eyes locked onto mine, and in them I saw a promise, a truth. “I’ll come back.”

Fate.

She followed Daiytak from the room, leaving me with warmth in my bones—and the relentless pressure of kalidi.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It won't take long

Imani

I STOPPED A few paces outside Airida’s door, hands on my hips as I glared up at Daiytak. “One of my best friends risked his life to bring this guy back here, and he’s not happy. What the hell is going on?”

The women towered above me as all shaa’ith did, but determination burned in my chest, and I refused to feel small.

“I told you, it’s no concern of—”

“Grilahki, maybe you should go for now.” Daiytak’s voice was light, but her tone brooked no argument.

Damn right. Leave him alone.

Grilahki cast me a sour look before she stomped away.

“She’s right, you know,” Daiytak said. “This is shaa’ith business.”

So what if it was? I wasn’t about to stand back and let this go. “Airida wants me here.”

At that, Daiytak let out a sigh, her brows smoothing in a more friendly manner. “He wants more than I think you know. And you may not wish to help when I tell you. Come.” She gestured down one of the paths that wound around the village. “Walk with me.”

“Talk like that doesn’t intimidate me,” I said as she led me under the trees and out past the ornamental garden.

Daiytak watched a pale grey bird hopping down the path as she spoke, its pink-capped head bobbing and its odd little tail weaving from side to side. “Did anyone tell you about what we go through when we leave Orith?”

I shook my head. Everyone was friendly enough, but nobody told me anything that mattered. And I got it; shaa’ith were a tight-knit group with a unique collective trauma, of course they would keep much of it to themselves. “I know he’s going through a drug withdrawal, is that right?”

Daiytak nodded. “The medication suppresses sexual function. When we go through withdrawal, that function catches up quickly and painfully.”

“Painfully?”

Her jaw tightened. “We do not normally talk about it with others. The body condenses what should have been years of sexual responses into a short span of time, causing pain and fatigue until it has run its course.”

A flurry of emotions rifled through me as she elaborated. Compassion for his pain. Anger for his treatment. Worry for whether I could help.

“One person is assigned as a newcomer’s kalidi attendant. Their primary role is to give him relief, as those in kalidi are too weak to do it themselves.”

I stumbled over a stone and nearly fell. Relief? The help he needed was to make him come?

“We have a strict way of doing things, so there’s never any question of impropriety or favouritism. Grilahki is the next attendant in line after Orukem. We have never considered any other way.” Her headspines twitched. She turned to face me, a low sound rumbling in her chest. “But he has asked for you. Do not feel you have to—”

“I’ll do it. I’ll help.” My heart pounded against my ribcage, the loudest, strongest drum. Airida was lying in bed, in pain, needing relief, and distressed by the current arrangement. It wasn’t like I didn’t indulge in casual sex from time to time—and this wasn’t even that, not really. More like medical care.