Orc’s Forbidden Claim (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss #33)

35. Saylor

35

SAYLOR

“ H e didn’t have a choice,” I argue.

My blood pressure is rising. It’s so high it feels like my eyes might pop out of my head. My temples are throbbing as I argue with Rosalind. Me. Fighting with Rosalind. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined this happening.

“No choice?” Rosalind says.

She doesn’t raise her voice, but she doesn’t have to. She hits this tone that makes me feel like an idiot without her having to say it. Her fingers drum a steady rhythm on the desk in front of her. The Zmaj she’s mated to, Visidion I think? Whatever, he is standing at her side watching with an unreadably passive, calm look on his face.

“No, there wasn’t. If he didn’t go, then Sek’su would die.”

“You’re a medic?” she asks, arching one eyebrow.

She was leaning onto the desk, but now she straightens and bends partially backward, stretching her back. Her belly is impossibly huge. She’s not a big woman but the way her stomach distends it looks like she’s about to burst.

I know we say that often about pregnant women who are near the end of their terms, but this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. She’s huge. Bigger than huge. Massive? I’m not being mean, Rosalind is a lithe, fit woman, especially for her age, but wow, her belly is swollen and all out of shape. It’s a miracle she can even stand upright.

She has both hands on the small of her back and Visidion has one of his on her lower back and the other between her shoulders to give her more support. She has her eyes closed and groans loudly then the groan becomes a cry that is clearly one of pain.

“Are you okay?” I ask, actually concerned.

She bends forward, leaning onto the desk with both hands. She looks pale and sweat is beading on her forehead.

“No, I am not ‘okay’,” she snaps. “Far from it, and now I have this to deal with.”

She slams her fist onto the desk making me jump and at the same time, she lets out a long, low groan. I take two steps toward the door.

“Uhm, I can… come back….”

The glare she gives freezes me in place. I’ve never directly interacted with Rosalind before and I’m wishing I wasn’t right now. I’ve always thought she was intimidating even from afar, but now it feels like there’s ice-water running through my veins.

“No,” she says, gasping every couple of words as she pushes through the pain. “Tell me, again. Why, he’s out, there.”

“He said he knew something that would counteract the poison,” I repeat what I’ve already told her.

She nods, staring at the desk over which she has resumed her hunched position. Her face contorts and sweat is beading.

“Ros,” Visidion says. “You need the healer.”

“What I need…” she says through gritted teeth, panting between syllables now, not just words, “is for everyone in this damn compound to quit causing me problems.”

Something liquid splashes onto the floor. My stomach drops as my eyes widen. There is no doubt in my mind what just happened. I look at Visidion, and if the look on my face mirrors his, which it feels like it does, we’re both shocked.

“No, Rosalind, we are going,” he says and all she does is give out a long, loud groan.

He lifts her, huge belly and all, into his arms. She’s drenched in sweat and looks like a wringing wet rag doll draped across him. He nods at the door which is just enough of a nudge to break me free of the paralysis gripping me. I rush over and pull the heavy leather aside. He turns and ducks to get her out of the office while avoiding bonking her head.

There’s another one of the leather doors to the outer chamber so I rush past him and get it too. He gives me an acknowledging nod. Not knowing what else to do and feeling wrong to leave without being dismissed or something, I trail along after him.

We’re making our way through the compound. It’s early evening and the passages are full of people, humans, and Zmaj. Visidion issues orders in his deep, commanding voice telling them to make way. Most people jump to obey, and a few stand and stare in confused disbelief. Those, I grab and pull to the side, so he doesn’t have to slow.

Rosalind is groaning non-stop. Visidion is moving at an almost run, fast enough it’s hard to keep up with him. I am running to not fall too far behind. We emerge from the warren of office rooms onto the arena floor where pairs of Zmaj are training. They almost always are, but as we rush onto the dirt they pause to look.

“Do you need help?” one of them calls.

“Find Addison,” Visidion yells. “And Tsi’tel.”

Four Zmaj take off in different directions to find the healers. Visidion and I continue toward the healer's quarters. Right as he steps off the dirt there is a low, long rumbling sound. I look around trying to figure out where it’s coming from when the ground beneath my foot bucks.

“Ach!” I yelp as I’m tossed into the air.