Naked (8 page)

“They are already packed. Come on. New world, new life, new city.” He lifted her chin on two knuckles and kissed her sweetly.

“Good. I am already packed. The bags are in the bedroom.”

He grinned. “You knew what I was going to say?”

“Sebach offered it a month ago. I have packed the bags every day just in case.” She blushed and smiled.

“Then, what are we waiting for? You can sleep and get some rest instead of tossing and turning.”

She grinned and he got the bags.

The rest of the pregnancy was uneventful, and the birth was a normal procedure in which the father-to-be knew just what to do and the Avatar of the world held Cierra’s hand.

They had grown closer in the intervening time, and there was no longer a threat in Sebach’s need for a new Avatar. It was incredibly trying for Sebach to have to use the body of Seera when the soul that had made them such a good match was gone.

Cierra breathed, pushed, and after twelve hours of labour, the N’ga-Sebach midwife caught the little girl and examined her swiftly before cutting the cord and wrapping her up.

“Strong, healthy and with a bright set of lungs on her. Her skin tone should settle in a few days, and you will know who she takes after at that point.”

Cierra took her daughter and blinked in surprise. A fuzzy shock of blue hair stuck out on her slightly pointed skull. Her eyes were vivid purple and there was a pink tinge to her rainbow-coloured skin. She was made of cuddly pink quartz.

Sebach looked at her and smiled. “She is beautiful.”

Urion was kneeling next to the bed, and he stroked the soft head of his little girl. He was grinning foolishly and looking into the baby’s eyes. “A little girl.”

Cierra sighed happily. “A little girl.”

Urion helped the midwife to attend to her, and when she was wrapped and ready for visitors, the N’ga-Sebach started to file in.

Food, wine, clothing, toys, all were put on a table laid out for the purpose, and every woman touched the baby’s hand or foot.

One month later, the celebration was held to welcome Ninya Ahierra into the family.

Cierra sat and had some tea while Sebach waltzed Ninya around the square.

Her mother-in-law was sitting with her. “Don’t you worry about Sebach taking her?”

Cierra shook her head. “No. There is nowhere that she could take her that I couldn’t find her, besides, we have an arrangement.”

“I don’t understand why you allow her to get so close.”

“When I was little, I was left at the hospital and handed around as a ward of the state. Unlike many in my position, I got out without being molested, but I never felt loved. I was cold, focused only on making myself secure. Then, I ended up on Xerat and tried to do the same thing. We all know how that turned out. Here is a new world, and I chose banishment over being rejected again. I know how it feels to have the little you can love and trust taken from you, and I know how much a little love fills a huge void.”

Her mother-in-law blinked. “I didn’t know.”

“It is hard to explain. Now that Ninya is in my life, I want her exposed to as much love as comes her way. You can never have too much, but you can have too little.”

“How did you live without anyone to support you?”

“I learned to support myself, and I insulated myself against those who would try and reduce my efforts to nothing. I earned one thing, and then, I earned the next. It was a slow progress, but it worked.”

Evlynia Sapket was listening intently. She nodded and reached for Cierra’s hand. “Will you accept love from me?”

Cierra smiled. “I will accept friendship. I make no pressure for folk to love me. I love and that is enough.”

Ahket got the baby away from Sebach, and he was now dancing with her in the square.

“What will you do next?”

“Well, once we have a decent feed crop generated, I will make a list of animals that can survive on Sebach, with her help. In another year, there will be wildlife on the surface, though it may take some getting used to. Gaining an entire predator-prey population will be hard to manage.”

“Somehow, I think you will manage just fine, daughter.” She squeezed Cierra’s hand, and they watched Sapya step in to grab the baby for his turn around the dance floor.

“I suppose I will have to rescue her soon.”

Ninya began to scream in endless wails.

Laughing, Cierra went to retrieve the infant that quieted the moment she touched it. “Or she can save herself. Well done, Ninya.”

The baby gurgled and raised her hands. The lights in the square went off and then came back on again.

In baby talk, near Ninya’s ear, she whispered, “And we will deal with that, too.”

Ahket came over and took his daughter again now that she was soothed, and the music continued long into the small hours.

It was a great way to get a welcome into a community. Cierra just wished that control over electricity hadn’t been part of it. It was a bit of a buzz kill, but having a daughter with power was better than having her be worried about the larger, stronger N’ga-Sebach all her life.

Cierra would call it a draw.

Book went weird. No excuses. Sorry.

Next time…
Neutral
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Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

Listening to readers has gotten her this far, and with her 300th short story looming before the end of 2014, she will continue to listen in the future.