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Lilah’s aunt Darla wasn’t a real aunt by blood, but as most from the original settlers worked side by side, it just sort of turned out that way.

She was gentle though, and not as old as Escott’s parents. She was just twenty-four when she married an imp over twenty years ago.

Unlike other imp to human couples who had children after children, Darla never conceived. She still looked young, though—about thirty or so. That was an advantage of being involved with an Elemental, or even a false one like an imp.

But twenty plus years of watching others have children—helping others have children while never having her own. And in that twenty years, this was the first time her man hibernated. It was also the first time the imp leader, Jerret, hibernated.

And Darla was pregnant, she had been, without her imp husband knowing. And Darla’d lost the baby...without her imp husband knowing.

Lilah took no pleasure in their suffering, but she couldn’t look away from them despite sitting in the pen.

Darla hurried around and brought warm, wet towels after towels to rub against her imp-husband’s leg.

“I’ve got some sweet milk, too,” one of the Newbreeds said.

Maraton, resting on his stomach, tried to reach for it, but Darla boxed his hand aside. “Don’t you dare. Not after such a deep sleep.” She instructed the enforcer to put it on a nearby desk.

By far, the worst was Jerret who could barely stand. His wife and adopted Yule daughter tended to him.

“Daddy, you have to tilt your head back,” the medic instructed. “If you don’t, you’re going to get a nosebleed.”

Her bronze features contrasted starkly with Jerret’s green skin as he stretched on the chair and did as he was told.

“And you needed the rest, too,” his wife complained.

“How long now?” Jerret asked. “I cannot communicate with them yet. How long now?”

The Chief stepped out of the small crowd. “Since yesterday during the rain.”

Jerret tried to sit up again, but his daughter shoved him right back down in his chair.

The atrophy was the worst. Smaller imps scurried by, but the bigger ones struggled.

When Jerret turned and palmed his wife’s stomach, Darla made a sound.

“You were fit,” Jerret complained. “Our first and you didn’t even tell me? I might have missed it.” He sat up, slower. “At least that is some good news to come back to.”

Darla stared at them so long that her husband nudged her.

“Why do you stop?”

She got back to work, rubbing life back into his limbs again. Maraton eyed that cup of sweet milk and his wife warned, “Try it and I’m knocking you in your back.”

“I was just looking at it.”

“It’s a disgusting habit,” Darla muttered. “One that I hate.”

“I can get drunk off other things if that’s your worry,” Maraton offered.

“The birth is soon,” Jerret observed. “Should you walk around so much?” He sat up on his own finally. “Wait...that means you did know of this before I went to sleep?”

His wife’s color deepened. “At my age...at my age, I wasn’t sure.”

Jerret held her stomach again. “It will be fine. It kicks strong.” He asked Maraton, “Will you help with the preparations? I do not know how.”

“No.” “Yes.”

Darla and Maraton traded a glance. Finally, she said, “We’ll be too busy with this situation.”

Maraton politely ignored her and told his leader. “We’ve always helped before. Of course, we’ll help this time.”

“Good. It will cheer everyone up after we have such bad news.”

While Jerret and his wife touched foreheads, Darla got an earful from her husband.

“Do not be so selfish and petty. Saying no because you’re jealous is childish.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Darla swallowed down her response. Her hands trembled.

Jerret’s wife seemed ready to say something, but Darla shook her head, her eyes pleading for the woman to shut up.

Lilah didn’t know what to make of it. Darla even stood and walked to shake Jerret and his wife’s hand, congratulating them on the pending birth. The pain in her voice might have been lost on others, but Lilah heard it clearly. She wondered when Darla would break down and tell her husband what the matter was and why she couldn’t help them.

Darla didn’t. She held her head high, stood by her husband’s side, touched her own stomach now and then as if in sad remembrance, and she kept her mouth shut.

Tears stung Lilah’s eyes and she had to look away. Each smile Darla faked—almost perfectly—each quiet chide her husband gave her about smiling more to show support cut through Lilah much like it had to have cut through Darla, too.

But Darla nodded, and Lilah listened when Darla made up with her imp, and Lilah hugged herself when Darla offered to bring the mother-to-be another blanket and tea since the HQ was frigid this time of year.

The tear that Lilah wiped back was hers alone to deal with, but she made the mistake of glancing at the other side of the pen to find Escott watching her. He seemed ready to get up and come by.

He did stand, but instead, he went to the door and yelled out. “Get her the hell outta here. Get her outta here now, old man. Or I swear....”

The wiring of the pen shook under Escott’s grip.

“I mean it.”

Jan hurried to them. “Essy. Keep it down, please. We’re meeting about the Guardian’s body. Please.” She caught sight of Lilah and said, “I know how you feel, but her badge was black. We’re working as fast as we can. I’m sorry.”

Escott might have carried on with his cussing if not for one of the children waking up crying.

The bald prisoner who tended to them rushed to the child but had little success in quieting the boy.

Due to Escott’s gentle nature, it came as no surprise that the boy reached for him and calmed once Escott picked him up.

“They’re filthy,” Escott said, “we can ask for a bath for them. How can they be expected to sleep in these rags?”

But the lights dimmed before he had time to make his demands. It wasn’t dark but dark enough to remind them that night had come. Lilah didn’t worry too much, because like Escott, she was allowed to keep her gun. She wasn’t an official prisoner yet, only detained.

The way everyone was acting made her curious.

“Well look at that,” one of the older prisoners said, “didn’t know we get to have more women in here. Kinda lonely with just the one. Now there’s two.”

Without glancing in the bastard’s direction, Lilah held out her hand and allowed a flame to form. She needed it for a warning to them not to try anything.

Rather than repel people, it made them curious. More and more men gathered. One even sat down beside her, tugging on her hair as he smelled it.

“Well look at that. An Elemental? Figured you lot were too privileged to get thrown in here with the likes of us.”

“Touch her again, and I’m taking that thumb,” Escott said. He sounded gruffer than usual. “And if there’s anyone in here who’s privileged, it’d be me. Because I’m not only a Newbreed and therefore a minority, I’m the Chief enforcer’s son.” A silence fell around the room and he pointed at them, the child still resting in his embrace. “So that means I could literally kill each and every one of you assholes and barely make it out of this with a slap on the hand. If you want to find out, then try it. Touch her again. Just try it.”

One man stood, then another and within seconds, Lilah sat alone once more. She didn’t know what to make of it. Escott was just like that. He’d save his own killer if it came down to it. She cringed at the analogy—she was that likely killer.

Even now, he was coming to her rescue when he shouldn’t.

Hell, he was even coming to the rescue of that bald woman and those children, too. That was typical of Escott. He should have learned to butt out.

No sooner had she thought that, he lumbered toward her and offered up his blanket.

“Here.”

Lilah refused to take it, to even look at him. She leaned against the wall in an effort to find slumber. Bad enough he’d called her broken, and he was probably right, now with this.... When they figured out that she was the one to poison this imp...Escott would only fight for her and end up shamed, too.

Eventually, Escott walked away—him and his damn blanket. The children were restless all night, but that woman...Arma and even Escott were fast to tend to them. Lilah liked seeing Escott demand milk for the boys, though. They really loved the drink.

At breakfast, she sifted through her tray and was caught off guard when the boy who cried the most, approached her with some food. She thought to refuse, but he insisted so she took the bread from him.

The child scurried away. One glance at Escott’s tray showed it bare of bread. He didn’t smile at her, but he seemed satisfied with her action. Lilah decided to eat it rather than let it go to waste.

People came and went out of the pen, but it was getting emptier. Escott didn’t seem to mind. He got a huge basin of water upon requesting it and went to the task of cleaning all the children. It wasn’t easy; the younger ones left the water so dirty that the older boys refused to enter.

Maybe Escott was showing his power, but the request for clothes was a bit much. He got them, though, not surprising due to his status and at night, he requested another basin for the two older boys.

It was strange seeing Escott in motion. He came from a big...never ending family. That was a scare, because although Lilah wanted a family someday, she hadn’t looked forward to ‘breeding’ quite like most imp to human couples had.

Arma moved so daintily that she seemed weak one minute and strong the next. And although Arma acted standoffish, she was impressed by Escott’s power.

After the boys went to bed, Escott sat down on Lilah’s left.

“Are you okay? Nobody hurt you, right?”

Of course, nobody did. Arma sat, a sleeping baby in her arm, watching them unabashed. Lilah felt small under that scrutiny. She was more than a little curious if Escott revealed Lilah’s betrayal to the woman.

“Escott....” Arma said, “He won’t sleep. Could you?”

Escott seemed intent on refusing but when the child stirred, he rushed to intercept them.

“I got you.” Escott walked with the child, patting his back. “Essy’s got you.”

Taking care of them came so naturally to Escott—it fit him so well. Lilah’s gut burned with jealousy. She wasn’t sure that was what it was at first, but...it was jealousy. That would never be them, Escott caring for their child. It would never be them. Not now.

“Escott,” someone called. “We’re going in for one more scan. We’re ready for you.”

Escott met eyes with Arma and reluctantly handed the boy over. The child held on but not for too long.

“I’ll come back and check on you even if I get cleared, I promise.”

As Escott walked out, Lander lumbered in. “Essy....”

“Lander?” The enforcers put an arm under Escott’s and practically carried him away.

Lander flopped down.

Beyond the bars, several enforcers checked out for the night, leaving Darla to handle the night shift. No sooner had the final enforcer left that Darla wiped her eyes.

Others in the pen whispered and joked but for Lilah, and even Lander who also stared on, no one was suffering quite as much as Darla.