Mika is right, says a warm voice, chiding the Russian. And the girl does like him. You should not tell her of his trade. It is not your place.
Kat snorts. I am educating her. What does she think he's doing with Ullysa right now?
Don’t be silly, says another. He’s wounded.
He is never that wounded!
Another roll of laughter twangs strings of light, this one warmer, more genuine. I blink, try to focus my eyes.
The mature-sounding voice returns. My head turns; I can almost distinguish them now. An African-looking woman stands in the back, smiling at me with dark eyes.
Retract your claws, Kat. She’s only a cub.
She wants to know...look at her!
She doesn’t want to know. You are angering her, Kat...and you are jealous.
Jealous? Of what? Why would he play with a half worm, when there is no money in it?
He wants anything with a pulse, a male voice laughs. And her soul may look like an old man, but she is beautiful...her light pulls. Of course he wants her...I want her. The paradox alone is intriguing, even without those eyes...
I am exhausted. I’m fighting to stay awake when another presence enters the room. The others fall silent, and it is a schoolyard silence, children caught tormenting a wounded animal.
Even Kat steps back, looking defensive.
“What is going on in here?” Ullysa says.
I am standing. When had I gotten to my feet?
Just having a little fun, big sis, Kat sends.
I look at Kat, and the woman’s eyes pulse, more schoolyard politics, this time a warning from the head bully to remain silent. But I don’t even care anymore. I feel sick, more tired than I can remember feeling. I want to go home, make sure my mother’s all right, and Jon...and Cass. To hell with these people.
Now that Revik is okay maybe they’ll just let me leave.
“You cannot leave, sister.” Ullysa’s eyes reflect alarm, maybe at my thoughts, or maybe at something she sees in my face. “There is no home to which you could return. I am sorry. Did you not watch the feeds?”
I shake my head, but I can’t let myself think about her words. Putting out a hand like a zombie, I lean my weight on a chair.
Fuck it. If they wanted to screw with my head, or rape me or whatever, there wasn’t a hell of a lot I could do about it. Maybe I wouldn’t even remember.
When I glanced up, Ullysa was staring at me again. Then her eyes turned to glass, reminding me of Revik’s before they swiveled to face the rest of the room.
Her anger flared, a red streak in the dark.
She was begging for it! Kat said, before Ullysa could speak. Her sad, human eyes on our brother's ass...
Ullysa fury pulsed higher. “Do you know who this is? Do you have any idea what you are doing right now?”
Stepping towards me, she ignored my flinch and took my arm.
I stood there, feeling like some kind of poster child, and not liking that much, either. She spoke quietly though, warmly, and at each word, I felt a little less strung out.
“I am very sorry to have left you alone, Esteemed sister,” she said. She glared around at the seers filling the rest of the room. “...I would never have done so, if I knew my own people would shame me in such a way.”
Her eyes returned to mine, and softened.
“I wanted only to look at the nature of his wounds. Right now, more than anything he requires sleep, and that is better done in pairs.” She glanced at Kat. “...He asked for you,” she added pointedly.
I didn’t know which of us she meant, and at that point I didn’t much care.
When she looked at me that time, Ullysa smiled. A flicker of relief shone in her violet-tinged eyes as they met mine. “He is very weak. Did you feed him at all, sister?”
I had to think about this. I shook my head. “No. I stole some stuff. He wouldn’t eat it...” I trailed, hearing the prostitutes snicker.
Ullysa’s voice remained gentle. “Sister...I meant light. Did you give him any of your light?”
I blinked, trying again to think.
Finally, I could only shake my head.
“I don’t understand.”
Kat broke out, “You see? She acts like one of them. Thinks like one of them!”
Ullysa’s eyes flashed fire. “She is only recently awakened, and you should know why that is! You are embarrassing me, Kat!” She turned to me, her fire dimming back to that warm ember. “I will show you, sister. Please come with me.”
I followed her, giving a last glance at Kat, who was staring at me, her brown eyes glowing in anger. I turned away from her once I saw the fury reflected there, and pushed it from my mind a second later, focusing on the hallway itself.
Plush, dark-green carpet cushioned my bare feet, feeling heavenly after walking over and around sharp stones, trash and glass on the cement sidewalks. Hanging on the corridor walls, tapestries depicted colorful dragons belching fire, people in Asian-looking costumes floating or riding on clouds, fantastical-looking animals that may have been lions with curling blue and green hair. I touched the face of a giant white dog with bared teeth.