The Healer's Garden

by Nina Pierce

  The herbal tea Attika poured into their cups was bitter. Jahara knew it wouldn't have the energy boosting effects of the rich brew Merenith usually made for them in the morning, but it was hot and helped wash down the dry multi-grain pastries.

  "...so anyway, I got to try both of them.” Attika spoke around a mouthful of fruit. “My Dame will be so pleased. She hoped I'd find a breeder with Ennessy ancestry. You can't imagine how happy I was when there was not one, but two, standing there among the men. Kylie must have seen my confusion because she came right over and suggested we all go into one of the private rooms. I didn't have to pick, but I could see if I wanted one or both as a mate.” Tipping back her cup, Attika drained the liquid.

  "It was amazing, the whole thing. The breeders were wonderful really. It's just incredible how well trained they are. I was so nervous about that first mating, but the men touched and stroked me until I was begging them to mate.” She popped a strawberry into her mouth. “Kylie and her breeder made it look sort of ... I don't know...” she lifted her shoulder, red flags coloring her cheeks, “boring. But it's not is it?"

  Staring into the amber liquid, Jahara swiveled the cup in her hands, sending the dark sediments churning. Jahara couldn't tell this child she had vomited twice before realizing she just couldn't go through with the mating.

  "In the end, I chose Zenick. You should see him. My birth-sisters had told me about Ennessy men's...” pausing, she waved her fingers over her lap, “Well you know. Huge. That's all I can say. Zenick was so much larger than the other breeder. I thought I wouldn't be able to take all of him inside me, but that first time he entered so slowly.” Attika fell back against the seat, her head resting on the high back of the chair. A look of ecstasy relaxed her normally intense features. “It was painful and exhilarating and I climaxed several times."

  Leaning forward on her elbows, she leaned in conspiratorially. “I felt sort of bad for the other breeder when I didn't pick him. He did look disappointed, but really, they know the women choose. It's not like there's any emotional attachment. He'll get over it. Right?” Attika stopped talking and stared at Jahara, her features morphing from elation to confusion. “Jahara, are you all right? You look ill. You've hardly touched your breakfast."

  "No, I'm fine, what were you saying?” Jahara continued to stare into her cup, her appetite for the food in front of her dissipating with each sentence Attika spoke.

  She lifted a shoulder. “Just that men understand, or at least I think they do. Who knows what they're capable of comprehending. It's not like they've been gifted with any amount of intelligence. Zenick and I barely spoke yesterday.” Her voice trailed away.

  Jahara stared at her. She realized her revulsion was written in the lines on around her eyes and mouth. Attika's brow creased with perplexity, her eyes mere slits as she pierced Jahara with a probing stare.

  "I lost track of you yesterday. Did you choose a breeder?"

  "Actually, no.” Jahara wondered how much to tell her. “There were so many men, I couldn't decide on one.” But that wasn't the truth. She'd been too frightened to take advantage of the private rooms where many of her breeding sisters had no doubt suffered through their first copulation. Attika made it sound almost bearable. But what did the child know of a woman's love? Jahara couldn't stand the thought of a man touching her, let alone being so intimate with her body. “So, no, I didn't mate yesterday,” she said in quiet embarrassment.

  "But I thought everyone chose yesterday and mated. I just assumed you had mated and were planning on having multiple breeders since they gave you such a large apartment."

  Jahara watched the blush rise straight up Attika's neck, until the color of her skin matched the short stubble of hair. Attika's gaze dropped to the plate of food on the table. “How stupid of me. Someone with your status would be given lavish living arrangements regardless of how many breeders you chose. I'm sure you have your pick of the breeding stock. I've made a fool of myself again."

  Reaching across the table, Jahara's hand was dwarfed as she laid in on Attika's. “Stop putting yourself down, Attika. It wasn't a foolish assumption. I wondered myself why they gave me such a large living space. Especially since I'm the only one here."

  Attika's jaw dropped. “What? You mean you have no men? I mean Zenick and I mated all night and again this morning. I just can't get enough sex. I just assumed the same thing had happened with you and that's why you weren't dressed."

  "Why would you assume that? If someone else were here, they'd be eating with us."

  "Another woman yes, but not a breeder.” Disgust rippled down her back. “As much as I enjoyed copulating with them, I would not have a man at my table. They have been taught manners, it's true. But animals don't feast with women."

  "Attika!” The name exploded out of Jahara's mouth as she shot to her feet. The wooden chair toppled loudly on the tiled floor. “I will not have you talk about breeders like that in my house.” Leaning forward on her hands, Jahara caught Attika in her steely gaze. “They are not animals. They are humans like you and me. Conceived and born just the same as females. They aren't trained to do tricks at your beckoning.” She wasn't sure why she reacted this way. She didn't know any men. Why did she think she should defend them? For some inexplicable reason, it seemed the right thing to do.

  The declarations slammed Attika back into her chair. The trembling hand covering her gaping mouth could not hold back her gasp of disbelief.

  Jahara had gone too far.

  * * * *

  Jahara shifted again in the back of the vehicle. Sometimes she wished she hadn't been raised to speak her opinions so freely. Attika had obviously been offended by her outburst. There was nothing she could say to smooth over the feathers she'd just ruffled.

  "So, shall we share a ride back together this afternoon?” Jahara kept her tone light and cheerful.

  "I'm probably not staying the whole day. Zenick mentioned he'd like to take me on a tour of the Garden. There's a lake in the agricultural section on the far side of the Garden that's supposed to be quite lovely and secluded.” Attika kept her eyes averted to the side, watching the breeding apartments flash by as they drove. “Today is only an orientation for me anyway. They won't need me to delve into the reams of numbers for a couple of days. Statistics don't take much of my time. Pretty straight forward to keep the Garden census. I'll only be working a couple days a week anyway.” She carelessly lifted her shoulder. “I'll let you know which day I'll be going back in.” She turned back to Jahara, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Perhaps we'll ride in together on another day."

  That was the total sum of their exchange.

  As they passed the little shops, Jahara stared mutely at the women choosing fresh produce and clothing. Their hands fluttered in animated conversations. She wished she could do something to bridge the fissure her words had dug between her and Attika.

  When they pulled up to the healing complex, Attika jumped out of the vehicle, mumbling only a cursory farewell. Jahara's heart sank. No Merenith, and now she'd alienated the one woman who had reached out to befriend her. Loneliness was a heavy burden.

  The driver delivered Jahara to a separate entrance around the back of the large structure. Had she not seen the dome of the Garden from the outside, she could have believed she was at the healing facility in Lexington. Trees shimmied in a light breeze and clouds skittered in a cerulean sky overhead. There were even live birds flitting about in the flowering shrubbery.

  "This is where they told me to leave you, Dr. Hriznek. It has been my honor to transport you this morning.” The pregnant woman smiled over her shoulder. Consulting a clipboard on the seat next to her, she read from the instructions. “You are to meet Dr. Gabriella Bresilee, the medical director and head of the Garden. Her office is directly through there and on the left.” She pointed to the doors, the only visible opening in the building. Jahara thought it unusual there were no windows in a building this large.

  Striding up the cement walk from th
e street, Jahara felt the prickly itch of eyes on her. Nonchalantly, she looked for cameras, but saw none. Perhaps she was already becoming paranoid. There was no reason for anyone to be watching her.

  She entered a reception area rich with mahogany paneling. Jahara stepped to the large desk dominating the space, manned by a woman whose midnight hair was cut asymmetrically. “May I help you?” the receptionist asked. Her yellow tunic glowed against the deep ebony of her full breasts and prominent belly.

  "I'm Jahara Hriznek. I'm here to meet with Dr. Bresilee."

  "Of course, forgive me. We've been expecting you.” The woman bumped her knee as she rushed to stand. She bowed before reaching her hands out to the one Jahara extended. “It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Hriznek. I've heard only wonderful things about your healing gifts. We've all been awaiting your arrival. I would be honored if you delivered my offspring.” She rubbed her hand over her stomach, her lashes fluttering flirtatiously.

  "Jacinta.” The harsh voice came from a willowy woman who seemed to have materialized from the wall behind the desk. “Dr. Hriznek hasn't even had a chance to get oriented to the Garden and you're asking her to perform duties?” Walking up behind the receptionist, she possessively ran her hand up her stomach, wrapping her fingers around her breast. She leaned into her neck and Jacinta melted in her arms.

  "It is weeks still before you deliver, love.” Her hand continued to knead the weighty flesh, her thumb and forefinger pinching the steepled nipple. “Patience.” The young woman all but purred as the tall women ran her hand back down Jacinta's stomach before stepping around the desk to stand in front of Jahara.

  She looked like a bird with her tiny, gold eyes squinting. Over a foot taller, the woman inclined a head perched on a long, thin neck and looked down her nose before speaking. “Dr. Hriznek. I am so pleased you have agreed to work at our clinic while you are here to breed.” She emphasized the last word as if it were a curse. “It truly is an honor. Your reputation is well known throughout the territory. I am Gabriella Bresilee, medical director of the hospital here at the Garden,” she said as she reached out a hand as icy as the words she'd just spoken.

  Caught off guard by the condescending reception and the intimate scene she had just witnessed, Jahara had difficulty making her mouth work. “Please just call me Jahara. I'm glad to be here as well.” That was a lie. She really wanted to be home with Merenith where sex and love were not something one exhibited in public. She shot a look at the young woman staring at them with eyes glazed over in lust or admiration.

  The older woman did not acknowledge Jahara's visible unease. “Then please, call me Gabriella. Won't you come in to my office where we can talk a little more privately?” The warm expression became shadowed with disapproval as she turned back to the receptionist. “Jacinta, please have Camille bring some refreshments to my office. And hold all of my calls."

  Jacinta pulled her tunic around her middle, her eyes flitting to the computer screen. “Yes, Dr. Bresilee. I'll have them send something from the dining commons right away."

  They walked to the office, the door automatically closing behind them. With it shut, there was no evidence the opening existed. No wonder Jahara thought the woman had materialized out of thin air. Jahara suddenly felt caught in the web of a black widow. She inhaled deeply.

  "Please, make yourself comfortable.” Gabriella waved her long fingers at the couch in the corner of her office. Though the office was paneled with the same mahogany wood as the foyer, the two walls of one-way windows made the space exceedingly bright. From the vantage point behind her desk, Dr. Bresilee had an unhindered view of the walkway.

  It must have been Gabriella's watchful stare she'd sensed upon entering the building. The thought churned Jahara's meager breakfast. Was there no end to the spying that went on here?

  Gabriella settled her lanky frame in one of the chairs across from Jahara. The yellow suit she wore covered every inch of her alabaster skin, save for her face, hands and feet. Tucking stray wisps of auburn hair back into the braided bun at the top of her head, Gabriella's mouth curved in a predatory grimace. “Please forgive Jacinta. She is young. They are sending us children these days. She has been with us for a mere nine months. The poor girl got impregnated at her first mating. She still has so much to learn."

  A bell rang. With a flick of Gabriella's wrist, the wall opened. “Refreshments have arrived."

  Was she telekinetic and a healer? How unusual to be granted two gifts. Jahara schooled her features, hoping her face communicated pleasure at being in this woman's company, not the trepidation that continued to mount with each passing moment.

  Perhaps it was simply her uncomfortable feeling with the Garden philosophy in general rather than a specific problem with Gabriella. The women was, after all, an esteemed colleague. Either way, she'd keep her thoughts to herself. Apparently, not all women appreciated her candor.

  "Thank you, Camille. Wheel the tray over and let me see how you are doing,” she said, in a tone that left no question of her authority.

  Bending her naked torso near Gabriella, Camille let the healer run her hands over her body. Starting at her face, Gabriella smoothed the skin on her cheeks, then down her neck, boldly moving over her petite breasts, stopping to massage her nipples into tiny, pink points, before splaying her fingers over her belly and rotating them under the waistband of the low-slung breeches until her hands cupped the girl's pubic bone. Jahara watched in horror as Gabriella flexed her fingers, stimulating the sensitive folds of skin between the girl's thighs. All the while, her eyes remained locked on Camille's.

  Jahara could not see the young girl's face, but her tension arced away from her like lightening.

  "I'm sorry, Camille. You are not with child yet.” Gabriella slid her hands back up to the young woman's breasts. “Your menstruation begins next week, yes?” Gabriella massaged the fleshy protrusions of Camille's chest as if they held the answer to her question.

  Camille nodded her head, but moved no other part of her body.

  "Leave the breeding apartments today and join me at my home,” she said, dropping her hands. “Of course, only if that would please you?” Gabriella's teeth flashed at Camille like fangs on a wolf.

  Pulling herself erect, Camille focused her eyes out the window. “I would be pleased to be taken in to learn from the most honorable Healer Bresilee.” She bowed. “Thank you for bestowing that privilege upon me. I will, as always, be available to you.” Backing out of the room, Camille continued to bow until the wall closed her from their view.

  "Poor thing. She truly detests the mating process. But until such time as we have figured something else out, it is a necessary evil they must endure.” She waved a graceful hand in the air. “I allow some of the younger women a two week respite from the insatiable sexual appetites of the breeders by offering them refuge in my home. There is no sense enduring the messiness of copulation if you know it isn't going to produce offspring. Don't you agree?"

  "Absolutely."

  Gabriella poured them both a cup of tea.

  Jahara accepted the cup extended to her, wondering how she would ever endure the cruelties the government had heaped upon her.

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  Chapter Five

  Slumping against the seat of the open-air vehicle transporting her back to her residence, Jahara inhaled the aroma of the flowers filling the spaces between the buildings. Her day had begun so badly and though she hadn't thought it possible after the incidents at Gabriella's office, it had gotten worse.

  Gabriella had abandoned her shortly into their tour of the facility to perform emergency surgery on a woman who was losing her fetus a mere ten weeks into her pregnancy. Jahara had been turned over to Mykilai Solodon, an apprentice healer. The woman had nothing but praise for Gabriella Bresilee, who apparently, in this woman's eyes, could do everything but walk on water.

  Every hall the apprentice healer had taken her had been filled with women who knew of Jahara. She wanted t
o believe it had more to do with her Dame being the administrator of the territory than her own healing talents. Whatever the cause, the accolades had been so overwhelming she'd ditched her tour guide and found a quiet spot in a secluded courtyard to simply meditate in peace. But even that respite had been short lived.

  Gabriella had found Jahara and taken her to the quick care clinic, another section of the hospital where no males were allowed. Jahara had spent her day healing women with broken bones and repairing torn skin from accidents that happened, for the most part, out in the agricultural section of the Garden. Not only were the tasks tedious, they required a great deal of her healing energy. Normally, no one was asked to work several hours in a clinic like that alone.

  As her light had poured forth so had the venerations, until the whole clinic seemed to have filled with Garden employees who wanted nothing more than to see Jahara work. She had never experienced anything so draining in all her life.

  Now, all she wanted was to return to her temporary home, shower off the feeling of all those people, call Merenith and tumble into a deep slumber. Unfortunately, that wasn't all that would be expected of her. There was still the issue of her breeding guide and her first copulation. None of the day's chaos had erased that thought.

  She slogged up the walkway to her apartment. Her hand missed the pad several times before she connected and saw the light of the fingerprint scanner illuminate her palm. The tumblers clicked, the door slid open and the spicy scent of cooking food assaulted her nose.

  Someone had been in her house.

  As she peered into the oven, she wondered again why they bothered with any type of security measures. No one had mentioned the cooking service, but then again, it seemed there were many secrets the Garden kept to itself.