A Lost Kitten (34 page)

John quickly understood what he meant. He met Andros’s stony scowl. “Andros, I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean anything by that. You’re a smart guy. I—”

“Maybe I do hate you.”

John stood from his seat. “Man, I’m really, really sorry. I meant no insult. You have to believe me.” Not knowing what else to say, he stopped talking. When Andros continued to glare at him without saying a word, John pointed to the door and said, “I’d better go check on Jasira.” He bowed his head and hurried out of the room, leaving the computer job to Andros.

In the corridor, John paused beside the closed door. He thought of Andros and Sirius. He needed to be more cautious, patient, and humble around them. Being away from the Mages for two years seemed to be causing him to forget his lessons. His adoptive uncles Gillian and Derek would not approve.

Switching his thoughts to his other problem, John tilted his head back and sniffed the stuffy, stale air. Jasira’s scent reached his nose within seconds. He followed the lingering trail of vanilla through the castle. It seemed Asher had found a bedroom on the same level, but in the second building.

John entered the room unannounced to find Asher placing a wet cloth on Jasira’s forehead.

Asher spared him a quick look. “Luckily we came when we did. Jasira threw up her breakfast.” He smoothed out the cloth over her forehead.

Jasira released a long, anguished moan.

John gently sat beside her on the bed. During the peaks of her sickness, Jasira hated it when the bed moved too much. He gently stroked her cheek with his left index finger. “How do you feel?”

Jasira released another long moan.

Asher placed his fists on his hips. “Does that answer your question?”

John observed Asher’s angry countenance. It appeared that the Medlothian had a soft spot for Jasira. He wondered where it stemmed from.

“You and I need to speak outside,” Asher said. “But first, Jasira has something to tell you.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” she said.

John heard how weak his wife’s voice sounded. His worries intensified.

“Jasira, he needs to know.” Asher addressed John. “I will wait outside.” He left the room.

John studied Jasira’s face. She seemed paler, if that was possible. Her cheekbones were more pronounced. There were small cracks on her ashen lips. Faint dark circles were apparent under her eyes. Perhaps Asher was right. Jasira did need a doctor. If only his warriors were there. Jasira would get modern medical care at its best. Alas, it will take them six and a half months to reach Oceanica traveling at hyperspeed. He would have to do his best to care for her until then. He will not subject his wife to the Oceanans’ prejudice.

“What is Asher talking about?”

Jasira took a deep breath. “After I threw up, I collapsed in the bathroom. Asher touched my stomach as he lifted me and placed me in bed. He said airsickness was not my only problem.”

“What do you mean?”

She was slow in responding. “It seems that twice
is
enough.”

John tried to understand what she meant, but she was not making any sense to him. “What are you talking about?”

Peeking from underneath her lashes, Jasira reached for John’s hand and placed it on her belly. John’s heart stopped beating.

He shook his head, refusing to hope. “I’m not getting you.”

Jasira closed her eyes. “I’m pregnuhnt, John.” She placed the towel over her eyelids.

John quickly eyed Jasira’s stomach. “What? That’s not possible. You’ve been too sick for us to be together.”

Jasira lifted a corner of the rag and opened her left eye. “John, really—was it that forgettable?” She raised her left hand and gestured to her legs. “I bear marks here.”

“But…that was three months ago.” He gently passed his hand around Jasira’s belly. “You’re not showing. And you’ve lost weight. You can’t be pregnant.”

“According to Asher, I am.” She closed her eye and lowered the towel.

“He’s wrong.”

Jasira inhaled. “John, you can walk through walls and breathe underwater. Asher is a Medlothian. He has his special gifts, too.”

“Such as? He’s not psychic, is he?”

Jasira used her left hand to shoo John away from her. “Go speak to him about it. Talking is making me nauseous again.”

“But, Jasira…” Jasira’s hand shooed him away more insistently. “Alright, I’ll go.” He gently leaned toward her so he could kiss her nose. “Go to sleep. I’ll check on you later.” John saw her give him a thumbs-up. He eased off the bed and went to speak to Asher.

He found Asher leaning against the wall, to the right of the door.

“Sirius just contacted me on my voice comm. He wants us to meet him in Council Room three.”

“Where’s that?

“First floor. But first, I want to talk to you about Jasira. Did she tell you?”

“That you said she was pregnant?”

Asher nodded.

“Yeah, she did.” He shook his head. “She can’t be pregnant. If she was pregnant, that means she’s three months. She lost weight and she’s not showing. You’re wrong.”

Asher regarded John silently.

John lifted his hands, palms upward. “Well, don’t you have anything to say?”

“How much do you know about Medlothians?”

“I know enough to know that you’re not psychic.”

“I don’t need to be one to know when a womman is carrying a cild.”

“A cild?”

Asher pressed his lips together. It seemed he was unwilling to explain.

John smoothed back his hair. “Okay. Listen, don’t get me wrong. If Jasira was pregnant, I would be overjoyed.” John pointed to himself. “I really want that.” He gestured to the room. “But you’ve seen her. Does she look pregnant to you?
And
she’s been too sick.”

“She concipere the day you placed your soulscar on her. Not every womman shows physical signs that she’s with cild. Jasira lost weight because of her airsickness. Being parturient is keeping her from getting better, stronger. Even if you stay off a ship, she will continue to be ill, unless her weak body adjusts to the neonate. If not, serious complications can arise. You can’t stay here alone with her without a medical fisicien.”

“Concipere? Parturient? Fisicien? What the hell are you saying?”

Asher bolted off the wall. “Put your translator on!” His voice rose in anger. “Jasira’s weak! And she’s dehydrated! If she continues on this path she will die! You will lose both your wif and firstborn! What will you do then?” Asher paused. He looked away, inhaled deep, and resumed speaking more calmly. “I have contacted the ship. A fisicien is on his way to check on her. I suggest you reconsider avoiding the Oceanans.” He walked off. “It’s time to meet Sirius.”

John eyed the bedroom door. How could Jasira be pregnant? He followed Asher without saying a word to him. The felines back home all showed by two months—granted, they were carrying multiples—but still, they showed. Jasira was thinner, paler. She had no pregnancy glow about her. She was miserable, whereas the women he had been around were all smiles and looking forward to holding their babies.

The two men entered the elevator without looking at each other. John focused on the floor. Asher watched the numbers above the door change.

“She can’t be pregnant,” John mumbled.

Number one appeared above the door. A bell rang. The door swooshed open.

“She is.” Asher exited, turned right, and walked halfway down the corridor to the conference room. He paused beside the door. “Sirius and Andros are inside. I am going to escort the fisicien to Jasira’s room.” He walked off without another word.

John watched Asher walk back the way they came, past the elevator, to the main entrance. Maybe he
should
put his translator back on. The Medlothian’s version of Earthlish was more difficult to understand than the Surrealan’s. Cild. Parturient. Fisicien. It seems he would be adding some new words to his vocabulary once he learned their meaning.

He raked his fingers through his hair. He refused to believe the Medlothian was right. If Asher was a Mage, then John could believe him. But he was not. He was a Medlothian. John would have to ask the ship’s doctor to reexamine Jasira and see what he finds.

.

Chapter 18

John entered the conference room and viewed the room in one sweep. The room was twenty by twenty feet of silver steel with no decorations. It contained an oval table and ten chairs, all made of solid cherry. At one side of the table sat Sirius and Andros. Opposite them sat two human-looking exotic women and a muscular, well-tanned, bare-chested man.

Sirius stood from his seat. He walked several steps forward and lifted his right hand, motioning for John to approach them. “John, come in. You would have to put on your translator. They don’t speak Earthlish.”

John nodded and fished his translator out of his pocket.

Sirius switched to the Amgarean language as soon as he saw that John was ready. “I would like you to meet the Amgareans. This is Marina, Sonja, and Vitchu.” The Amgareans inclined their heads in greeting. “This is Seacat John McCall.”

“Seacat?” The one named Vitchu quickly looked at his female companions, then at Sirius. “He is no Seacat, Guardian Sirius.”

John eyed the half-naked man closer. He wore a thick, gold bangle around each tanned bicep. He had neck-length wavy, raven hair, and dark blue eyes that turned icy when he noticed John observing him.

“You know the Seacats,” added the woman named Sonja. “They are all felines.”

John switched his focus to the redhead. Her long hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail. She had pale skin, high cheekbones, and small lips. Her green orbs were as cold and stoic as the man’s beside her.

“The Seacats you know are Oceanans. I am from the Sea-anan Empire.”

“Is there a difference?”

John’s attention jumped to Marina. Her dark brown eyes showed nothing of what she was thinking. Her ash brown shoulder-length hair enhanced her thin eyebrows, slim nose, and well-formed lips. These women were very beautiful, John thought, but very frigid.

Andros quickly lifted a hand. “Trust us when we tell you, Marina, there is.”

Marina’s cold eyes defrosted when she addressed Andros. “We trust you, Guardian Andros.” They froze over when her sights return to John. “But we do not trust him.”

“Why are you here?” clipped John, annoyed by their attitude.

Sirius answered for the Amgareans. “Their village is an hour’s walk from the castle. They saw our ships fly overhead and thought perhaps Sev had returned.”

John continued to scrutinize the Amgareans. “What do you want with Sev?”

“That does not involve you,” said Vitchu, his voice filled with disgust.

“Then leave,” John snapped.

“Calm down everyone,” spoke Sirius. “I know you are all strangers, but you have nothing to worry about. We are on the same side.”

“You think?” John was not so sure. He was not pleased by how the Amgareans were challenging him in his cousin’s home. Since Oren, his family never liked anyone entering their domain and acting like they were the boss. It never ended well.

“That is the only thing we agree on,” Marina said. “Why is he here?” she asked Sirius.

John shifted his weight onto both legs. His patience was wearing thin. He agonized over his family and friends in the war and worried about Jasira’s deteriorating health every day. Additionally, arriving on Oceanica made him concerned about what the Oceanans’ attitudes would be once they found out he was back, and he dreaded Sev’s reaction to him being in his house. The last thing John needed or wanted was trouble from three half-naked, backwoods natives.

“Because I am. If you don’t like it,” he motioned to the door with his head, “get out.”

The women sat straighter in their chairs. Vitchu bolted out of his seat. His hand reached for the handle of the long blade he wore at his hip. John growled and braced for a fight.

Sirius grabbed John’s arm. “Stop!”

“Don’t!” Andros jumped out of his seat. He hurried to stand between Vitchu and John. He addressed John, then the Amgareans. “These are friends of Sev. He is Sev’s kin.”

“Kin!” all three exclaimed.

John wished Andros had not disclosed his relation to Sev. It was uncertain if Sev would welcome him back, let alone accept him as a member of his clan, especially after what had happened the last time they saw each other.

“You lie!” Sonja accused the Guardian.

John did not miss Andros’s slight jolt.

Andros attention latched on to the daring redhead. “What reason do I have for lying?”

John could tell Andros was insulted, even though the Medlothian managed to keep it from sounding in his voice.

Marina pointed at John. “He looks nothing like Sev.”

John snarled.

“It matters not. They are related,” returned Andros.

Sirius tugged on John’s arm, placing the Seacat to his left, further away from the Amgareans. “We thank you for looking out for Sev’s home, but you have nothing to worry about.”

“John has every right to be here. And he will remain here until it’s time for him to leave,” stated Andros.

John looked at Andros. It seemed Andros understood where his actions stemmed from. He felt the camaraderie between him and Andros growing stronger.

Sirius pointed to the chairs around the table. “Now, if we can all sit down, I will like to hear what you know about Sev and the war.”

Andros returned to his seat. Sonja reached for Vitchu’s arm. When he turned to her, she motioned for him to have a seat. He grudgingly did. John opted to sit between Andros and Sirius.

Sonja began. “All we know is that one day Sev arrived at our village looking for female clothing. He said an unexpected visitor arrived here at the castle, and she was much smaller than Uma and Serena.”

“Why he did not go to his citizens’ village to get these clothes, we never asked,” continued Marina. “Kari happily gave him several of her items. He thanked her and left.”

Vitchu jumped in. “Next, Hundra arrived, telling us that Sev was departing with aliens to fight against a tyrant bent on ruling the universe. And she has decided to join forces with him. She then handpicked several of our best warriors and left with these aliens in their black ships.”