and bringing his hands up to crush his palms into his temples. “Stopstopstop, I can't... can't ....” His eyes were squeezed tight and his muscles were rigid beneath Umeia's grasp.
Malick got the better of Joori quickly, flipping him over to his back on the mattress, knee pressing into his stomach and one arm pinned, grabbing for the other one. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he grated, snapping his head to the side to avoid a clumsy swipe of Joori's curled fist.
"He's paid enough !” Joori shouted back at him. “He's not some kind of—"
"Oh, for fuck's sake!” Samin thundered from the door. “Are you bloody kidding me?” Yori stood beside him, shaking her head in consternation, steaming basin and Umeia's satchel in hand. Caidi and Morin stared, wide-eyed, behind them.
Fen's gaze shot up at Samin's outburst, plummeting right down into desolate when he saw his brother and sister. “Get them out of here,” he wheezed. “Get them out, get them out, get them out !"
"Yori, take the children down for a bath,” Umeia snapped, relieved when, yet again, Yori did exactly as she was told, settling the bag and the basin to the clothespress beside the door then hustling the children away.
The surprise and pause in action was just long enough for Malick to get hold of Joori's other arm and slam it down to the mattress, pinning him completely but for his legs, which kept kicking wildly as he tried to buck Malick off him. “He's not your whore!” Joori seethed.
Fen was stiff and shaking against Umeia. Now he took hold of her sleeve with clawlike fingers. “Not now, not now , I can't... the noise, I...."
"Oh,” was Umeia's inane reply. The noise—too much of it, and too much pain. He was losing whatever control he usually managed right in front of her. Of course. She spun a helpless look around the room then settled it on Malick. “You're going to have to do something,” she told him.
Samin had deposited the tray he was carrying on the clothespress by Umeia's bag. His glance snapped over at Umeia's quiet command, then locked with Malick's. A quick look sparked between them, then Samin nodded and stalked across the room, square jaw set. Bracing himself to the side of the bed, he gave Malick a short nod, and when Malick broke quickly to his right, Samin swooped in, took hold of Joori—still cursing and spitting—and hauled him to his feet.
"You son of a bitch !” Joori snarled, but Malick seemed to hear only Fen's raspy little, “ Pleasepleaseplease ,” and he left Samin to deal with Joori while he rushed over and wedged himself under Fen's arm again. Murmuring things Umeia couldn't hear beneath all the other noise, Malick took Fen's weight from Umeia just as Fen went boneless, gasping, allowing Malick to draw him in and push his face into the hollow between Malick's chin and chest.
Umeia used the opportunity to hustle over and retrieve the tea and her bag. Quickly, she threw a sleeping powder in—xsinzaua, because it worked damned fast, and getting Fen to pass out seemed like a very good idea right now. In fact, she wouldn't mind if every damned one of them lost consciousness. She added some painkiller, not even bothering with spices to soothe the bitter taste, and carried it over.
" Fuck ,” Fen wheezed, muffled by Malick's still-wet tunic. “I can't... can't listen now, I can't... they can't ask it of me, not... it's not fair ."
"Shh,” Malick soothed. He shot a sharp scowl over at Joori and began carefully leading Fen back over to the bed. “It's not, and you don't have to, not now. I'll keep it quiet for you, all right?"
"Quiet.” Fen choked on a groan. “I don't want him here,” he whispered. “ Please. ” With a shudder, he buried his face in Malick's shoulder as they sank to the mattress, burrowed close in a way that was almost touching, but mostly unnerving. It was so un- Fen -like.
"Here, drink this,” Umeia said, then she held the bowl to Fen's lips until he turned his head,
Malick got the better of Joori quickly, flipping him over to his back on the mattress, knee pressing into his stomach and one arm pinned, grabbing for the other one. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he grated, snapping his head to the side to avoid a clumsy swipe of Joori's curled fist.
"He's paid enough !” Joori shouted back at him. “He's not some kind of—"
"Oh, for fuck's sake!” Samin thundered from the door. “Are you bloody kidding me?” Yori stood beside him, shaking her head in consternation, steaming basin and Umeia's satchel in hand. Caidi and Morin stared, wide-eyed, behind them.
Fen's gaze shot up at Samin's outburst, plummeting right down into desolate when he saw his brother and sister. “Get them out of here,” he wheezed. “Get them out, get them out, get them out !"
"Yori, take the children down for a bath,” Umeia snapped, relieved when, yet again, Yori did exactly as she was told, settling the bag and the basin to the clothespress beside the door then hustling the children away.
The surprise and pause in action was just long enough for Malick to get hold of Joori's other arm and slam it down to the mattress, pinning him completely but for his legs, which kept kicking wildly as he tried to buck Malick off him. “He's not your whore!” Joori seethed.
Fen was stiff and shaking against Umeia. Now he took hold of her sleeve with clawlike fingers. “Not now, not now , I can't... the noise, I...."
"Oh,” was Umeia's inane reply. The noise—too much of it, and too much pain. He was losing whatever control he usually managed right in front of her. Of course. She spun a helpless look around the room then settled it on Malick. “You're going to have to do something,” she told him.
Samin had deposited the tray he was carrying on the clothespress by Umeia's bag. His glance snapped over at Umeia's quiet command, then locked with Malick's. A quick look sparked between them, then Samin nodded and stalked across the room, square jaw set. Bracing himself to the side of the bed, he gave Malick a short nod, and when Malick broke quickly to his right, Samin swooped in, took hold of Joori—still cursing and spitting—and hauled him to his feet.
"You son of a bitch !” Joori snarled, but Malick seemed to hear only Fen's raspy little, “ Pleasepleaseplease ,” and he left Samin to deal with Joori while he rushed over and wedged himself under Fen's arm again. Murmuring things Umeia couldn't hear beneath all the other noise, Malick took Fen's weight from Umeia just as Fen went boneless, gasping, allowing Malick to draw him in and push his face into the hollow between Malick's chin and chest.
Umeia used the opportunity to hustle over and retrieve the tea and her bag. Quickly, she threw a sleeping powder in—xsinzaua, because it worked damned fast, and getting Fen to pass out seemed like a very good idea right now. In fact, she wouldn't mind if every damned one of them lost consciousness. She added some painkiller, not even bothering with spices to soothe the bitter taste, and carried it over.
" Fuck ,” Fen wheezed, muffled by Malick's still-wet tunic. “I can't... can't listen now, I can't... they can't ask it of me, not... it's not fair ."
"Shh,” Malick soothed. He shot a sharp scowl over at Joori and began carefully leading Fen back over to the bed. “It's not, and you don't have to, not now. I'll keep it quiet for you, all right?"
"Quiet.” Fen choked on a groan. “I don't want him here,” he whispered. “ Please. ” With a shudder, he buried his face in Malick's shoulder as they sank to the mattress, burrowed close in a way that was almost touching, but mostly unnerving. It was so un- Fen -like.
"Here, drink this,” Umeia said, then she held the bowl to Fen's lips until he turned his head,
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