Of Blood and Angels (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 3)

by J. Naomi Ay

  My eyes adjusted as I watched him pacing and pacing. I sat down on the sofa, nervous about my reception, wondering if he would throw me out as I had thrown him out of the sickbay a week ago.

  The conversation continued a while longer and from the few references I understood about hospitals, it became clear to me that it concerned SdK business.

  I considered leaving; going upstairs to bed, to try to sleep, but my breasts were heavy and aching. They would probably keep me awake no matter how exhausted I felt. I had fed Steven about an hour ago, right after we arrived home, and already I was filled up again, able to feed a dozen more babies. My nipples were raw and bleeding, my incision ached and suddenly, I was very overwhelmed by everything.

  Finally, Senya thanked the men on the vids and ended the call. The room darkened again for just a moment and then I was bathed in the silver light.

  “Hi honey, I'm home,” I offered meekly.

  “Are you?”

  I took a deep breath and spoke slowly. “I forgive you for what you did and I'm sorry for sending you away.”

  The light dimmed. He was standing with his back to the windows, behind his desk, but he didn’t stand still. He was antsy, nervous, like he was almost ready to blow.

  “I deserved it,” he said after a moment, and then began pacing again.

  “Well, yeah,” I agreed. “But still. Damn!” My t-shirt was getting soaked.

  “What's the matter?”

  “Oh, just over producing.” I tried to laugh though I felt like crying. “My body thinks I just delivered quadruplets or something. I've got enough to set up my own dairy farm with these two bowling balls strapped to my chest.”

  “How long has it been like this?”

  “It started yesterday. Is there something wrong with me?” I turned on a small table lamp and looked around for a towel. There used to be rags in the lab which wasn’t a lab anymore.

  “No,” he said. “It’s perfectly normal.” He rubbed his temples and pressed his eyes.

  “You've got another migraine?”

  “Mhm, continuously.” There was a bandage around his right wrist. The cut had to be fresh and still he looked like he was on the verge of a seizure.

  “I'll make you a deal. You find me a towel and I'll rub your neck.”

  “Here,” he agreed and there was now a towel in his hand. He crossed the room to bring it to me and I pulled off my stinky soaked t-shirt and nursing bra. I was leaking even as I stood there.

  Instead of handing me the towel, he put his warm hands on my breasts. The pressure abated as the flood gates opened.

  “You must have worked on a dairy farm in your previous life,” I joked unsuccessfully. “Too bad you didn’t bring a bucket.”

  He held the towel to my chest and then knelt down in front of me.

  “May I?” he said.

  “May you what?” He put his mouth on my breast, pulling me tight against him.

  “What does it taste like?”

  “Watery shit,” he replied and healed my sore, chapped nipples with his tongue. He put his hand on my abdomen and the cramping eased.

  “You’re a hell of a doctor,” I sighed.

  “Go to sleep now. You must stay in bed for a few more days. Let your servants wait on you.”

  “Ok.” I nodded, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over me. I thought I could sleep now that my aches and pains had subsided and my breasts had shrunk to a normal size for a while. “What about you? You look on the verge of collapse.” I put my hand in his messy, long hair and stroked his beard with my other hand.

  “I don’t have time,” he replied and started to rise to his feet.

  “Senya, what about your migraine? Don’t you want me to give you a massage?”

  “No. It won’t help.”

  Kinar’s voice erupted in the room. “Sir, I’ve got Lord Dickon and Lord Berkan on the line. Do you wish to speak with them?”

  “Yes, Kinar,” Senya replied and the vid lit up with the lord’s faces.

  Quickly, I pulled my stinky t-shirt back on. Senya switched to his lilting Mishnese and I had a difficult time following the conversation. Senya’s accent was different from Luci’s and Berkan’s or even Kinar’s for that matter and it took some getting used to. The conversation was not relevant to me anyway, I supposed, so I tiptoed out the door.

  “Goodnight, Madame,” Kinar called as I left the office.

  “Goodnight Kinar,” I replied and made my way back upstairs to bed. I climbed in and fell blissfully and soundly asleep until Tilia with an impatient and hungry Steven woke me a few hours later.

  Chapter 17

  Berkan

  “Wow,” Leesa said. “It's beautiful.”

  “It is,” I agreed. “Although large portions of the planet are still suffering the ravages of nuclear winter.”

  “You can't tell here.” She whistled through her teeth. “It is a tropical paradise. Hard to believe that this is where we all came from.”

  The limo touched down to the drive and then the garage panel slid open. We descended into the cool, shady recesses of the parking area beneath the house. Next to the lift was Senya's black Porsche and beside that, Katie's white Lexus. The rest of the garage was filled with staff cars and another limo like this one bearing the SdK Rozari logo.

  “So we're going to stay in their house?” Leesa asked as we debarked the car and walked toward the far bank of lifts. “Not out at the campus in Kalika-hahr?”

  “We will stay in the staff buildings,” I replied. “Luci and I have a flat here that I regularly use. I prefer it to the Kalika-hahr campus. I thought it might be a treat for you to stay here for a few days.”

  Adjacent to the main house now were two more buildings of staff and guest apartments. The top floor of the first building, which had views of the bay or the jungle, were reserved for senior staff or nobility, of which I was both. Luci had lived here during her lying in time with Katie, before the Makani ran off to space. Leesa had been given a flat on the second floor of the second building. She made a face when the butler guided her away.

  “I'll meet you in half an hour in the Korelesk Conference Room,” I called after her. “Second floor, this building.” I liked this conference room in particular. It had my portrait on the wall being that I was the Earl of Korelesk.

  “Ok,” she pouted. Her bottom wiggled as she walked away in those tall heels.

  I wondered how she managed to stay atop them and not topple over with each step. Her breasts bounced beneath her filmy blouse. She was a smart woman, she knew finance, she understood money, but today she was dressed like an expensive whore. I wondered if it was me whom she was seeking to entice. Despite myself, her wiggling and flouncing aroused me. I quickly stepped into my apartment and took off my suit coat. It had been a long time and I had no reason to be ashamed. I told myself this as I took a quick shower. The shower stall was encased in marble, the spigot and handles, solid gold. The apartments here were as beautiful as any in the Palace. The water was cool and the soap was lavender from Mishnah stamped with the Eagle Crest.

  Petya was nearly four months old now and Marik, five years. Luci was tired all the time and had lost none of her pregnancy weight. She had no desire for me and blamed it on breastfeeding Petya. Was it so wrong for me to desire Leesa? I was an Earl now. Surely I was entitled to take pleasure in a woman if I so wanted. Yet Senya had a very specific rule against consorting with employees. Even as an Earl, this line I could not cross. Luci was my devoted wife and I did love her, I reminded myself. I must be patient and wait for her. I turned the shower water colder still.

  Chapter 18

  Leesa

  Meetings, meetings, meetings. All we had were endless meetings with all our associates in the Rozarian company. All day long, we discussed transferring these funds this way and selling those products back and forth to each other that way.

  Dutifully, I followed the conversation and answered the questions and determined our transfer pricing and tax effec
ts with my counterpart, a dull, geeky Rozarian fellow with ears too big, a beaky nose and eyes that could not lift themselves higher than my chin.

  At least someone was appreciating my boobs, even if it was only that zero. Oh, I caught Lord Berkan, as we now were instructed to call him, glancing down my blouse every so often too. His exhausted wife tending to two babies had no time for him anymore. I could tell he wanted me but wouldn’t give in to temptation. His wife would probably bite off his head if he did. Lady Berkan was undoubtedly an orange haired Praying Mantis. I didn’t care. I was not after him anyway. I had bigger plans. Someone else was dealing with an exhausted, post-partum wife and a cock that hadn’t gotten any attention in a while. This was why I had insisted that I needed to be present at this meeting. This was why I had insisted the meetings take place on Rozari.

  After more than four years of working for SdK, the last one as the CFO, I had only been in the same room with him once and that was with a room full of other people too.

  Sure, I rang him, left him purely professional voicemail updates, emailed him and texted him. I never got a response beyond ‘thank you’. I tried to chat. I tried to be friendly. Nothing. Now was my opportunity and I was going to take full advantage of it.

  I went and found where his office was while Lord Berkan was taking a nap.

  “Can I help you, Miss?” the secretary asked. His name plate said, Kinar, and his eyes couldn’t lift themselves above my chest too. I almost laughed.

  “I'm Leesa,” I said professionally. “CFO of the Rehnorian company. Is he in?” I pointed at the closed door of the back office and nodded. I showed Kinar my attaché with a stack of files that required the Big Man’s attention. Then, I curled a loose wisp of my long chestnut hair suggestively behind my ear and raised my eyebrows at Kinar.

  “Sorry, Leesa,” Kinar replied. “I don't have you in the calendar.”

  “Oh, I'm sure I'm not,” I said and leaned forward on Kinar's desk so he could get a better view of my assets. “But I've got some really important issues that I need to discuss with him.”

  Kinar cleared his throat. His face turned bright red.

  “Again, I'm terribly sorry, Leesa,” he said. “I have no appointment time available for you. Perhaps Lord Berkan will be able to..uh, resolve your issues?”

  “Could you make time for me, Kinar?” I asked coyly, coming around behind him and running my hand along his arm and up to his shoulder. “I really only need a few tiny minutes. I'll be so grateful if you do.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned forward so he could feel my boobs against the back of his head.

  “Really, Miss Leesa.” His voice climbed octaves higher. “I can't. I'm terribly sorry.” A huge slightly blue tinged guy came in from the hallway. “Fruph? Could you please escort Miss Leesa back to her flat in Staff Building Two?”

  “Fuck you,” I said to Kinar and flipped him off. “I can find the way myself.”

  Chapter 19

  Berkan

  We had been in Takira-hahr for five days now and it had been a vacation for me. Granted I had to work every day in endless meetings with Thad and the Rozarian company leadership team, but I had slept soundly at night. Not once was I awakened by a crying baby or a crying Luci. What a pleasure and what guilt I had for feeling such pleasure.

  Leesa was acting strange though. She continued to dress like a whore. Her attention was lacking and her attitude toward everyone, even the very likeable Thad, was defiant. Our final meeting had ended and Thad and I were walking back to the main house.

  “What's gotten into her?” he asked.

  “I don't know.”

  “You may have to get rid of her,” Thad replied. “I'm not sure she's the right image for that role in this company.”

  “She's very bright,” I said.

  “Well, she's not acting like it,” Thad muttered. “Or dressing like it.”

  We entered Kinar's office. He smiled broadly at us.

  “I'm so glad it's you guys,” he said. “I was afraid it was that witch you brought from New Mishnah again.”

  “Leesa?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he sighed. “She's desperate to get in with him.” Kinar nodded toward the inner office. “He's not even here but she keeps trying. Three times now, I've had to call Fruph in to walk her out.”

  Thad started to laugh. “Oh ho, that explains it.”

  “It does, doesn't it?” I remarked. “She obviously doesn't know he's blind.”

  “He is?” Thad said. “Oh wait, I knew that.”

  “Kinar, does he still have us in for late tonight?”

  “Indeed, Lord Berkan,” Kinar replied, pulling up the calendar. “He's scheduled to return from Engineering at 7PM, then in a telecon with Lord Dickon until 8PM, and then with you two after that. He asked me to order in some food and beer for you all as well.”

  “Awesome!” Thad cried and clapped me on the back. “Lions - Ravens pre-season game. Make sure we get some hot wings, pizza and those awesome little egg rolls you got for us the last time Berkie here was in town. You loved them, right buddy?”

  “I did,” I agreed.

  “I'm going home to placate the wife for a few minutes, but I'll be back around 8PM.”

  He clapped me on the back again and left me with an aching back.

  “Do you want to be in on the call with Lord Dickon, sir?” Kinar asked.

  “No,” I replied. “I'd really rather take a bit of nap instead.”

  I woke up at 7:30PM after being dead to the world for nearly three hours. Quickly, I dressed, but casually, and then took the skybridge back to the main house. I was about to enter Kinar's office when I saw Katie strolling towards me. In her arms, she carried Shika, who was now about four weeks.

  “Hello Berkan,” she said. “I didn't realize you were in town.”

  “Madame,” I replied and bowed from the waist.

  Katie looked good. She had lost all her pregnancy weight and I found myself admiring the view of her strong legs beneath the short pants she was wearing. Her breasts were full and quite fetching beneath a t-shirt with a picture of an Allied Starship called the S/S Discovery. When she turned from me for a moment, I saw on the back, there were printed the words Cap'n Katie. Her hair was bright gold, bleached by the Rozarian sun, and her eyes were as blue and vivid as before, although there was a hint of dark circles beneath them.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked and silently chastised myself for taking such pleasure in observing my lord’s wife.

  “Alright,” she shrugged. “We have our good days and bad days.” She smiled down at the bundle in her arms. His eyes were closed and his long brown lashes lay gracefully on his pink cheeks.

  “He is indeed a beautiful baby,” I said. “You know my son, Petya is only two months older.”

  “I remember,” she smiled. “Luci and Marik came to stay with me for a few months.”

  "Ah, right," I sighed and recalled how Katie had run off right before she was due to return to Mishnah. Surprisingly to all of us, Senya was quite nonchalant when she did that. Even to King Yokaa, he refused to say where she had gone and neither did he make any attempt to retrieve her. His inaction effectively removed Prince Shika from the succession. I realized right then that this was probably Senya’s intention all along. "I apologize, Madame. So much has happened since then, I quite forgot about that."

  “No worries, Berk,” she laughed. "I think we all want to forget that time. Please, I am still just Katie to you. I really don’t like being called Madame." She winked at me and then turned and called to an Andorian servant, handing her the sleeping baby. "How is Luci feeling? I really need to ring her sometime."

  "She is tired, of course, but she will be thrilled to speak with you, I am certain."

  “Are you going to see Senya?” she said, walking with me into Kinar's empty office. Even Kinar was allowed to sleep occasionally.

  “Yes Madame, sorry, Katie. We're going to watch the football game. Will you join us?”

&n
bsp; “Maybe.” She entered the security code to the inner office.

  The door swung open to reveal Senya leaning back in his chair with his bare feet up on his desk. He had a cigarette in one hand, a bottle of beer in the other and suspended above him on the vid was the face of Lord Dickon. The room was dark except for the light shining from the vid and the glow of the moon as it reflected across the bay. It was always a bit unnerving to me to see only one moon, having spent my entire life on a planet where two moons chased each other across the night sky.

  “Oh, for heaven's sake,” Katie scolded quietly as she entered the office and proceeded to turn on the lights. “You're such a pig!”

  She walked on tiptoes around the room, picking up Senya's shoes, socks and a coat from the floor when her cell buzzed. Faintly, I heard a voice and the sound of a baby’s cry.

  “I'll be right back,” she waved to me and ran out the door. A moment later, my own cell buzzed.

  “Hey, Berk, can you come down to the kitchen and help me carry up this stuff?” Thad asked. “I told the staff we'd take care of it.”

  “Sure,” I replied and left Senya alone, still conversing with Lord Dickon. I did not think to shut or lock the door on my way out.

  Ten minutes later, as Thad and I returned, armed with food trays and a case of beer, we nearly dropped everything upon entering Senya's office. There standing right in front of his desk, without a stitch of clothing on, was Leesa. Senya, who was not at the moment wearing his glasses, was still deep in conversation with Lord Dickon.

  “What the..?” Thad laughed.

  “Leesa!” I snapped.

  “Go away, you guys!” She turned on me. “It's my turn now!”