Jade

JADE

I presume Drekkan isn’t in trouble. I’m well aware he thinks he’s trouble and he plays up to it, but in the last few weeks, he’s generally behaved himself.

Although I didn’t know the band around his neck made a noise. That is definitely a new thing. I pick at the food we have left on the table (not an awful lot because…Drekkan), but he doesn’t return. Snow is falling thick and fast outside, and the market is emptying, plus it’s been a long day and I’m tired.

Whatever the mayor had to discuss with Drekkan, presumably it’s important enough to be keeping him.

“Hi.” I wave to the Bosszanto who served us. “I need to leave. How much do I owe?”

“Nothing, mistress. The Sarkarnii provided the credits.” He smiles at me.

“Oh, okay.” I purse my lips. “If he comes back, can you tell him I’ve gone home?”

“If you wait, I can get someone to go with you,” the server says kindly, taking in my pregnancy bump.

“It’s fine, I’m close by.” I smile. “Please just let Drekkan know where I’ve gone.”

“Of course, mistress,” the Bosszanto says and hurries away to continue the clear-up.

I heave myself out of the booth and pull on my coat, hat, and gloves before heading out into the snow. It squeaks under my boots but otherwise sound is deafened by the blanket of white. It is quite magical, and I wish Drekkan was here to share it with me.

Since his…or her…I’m not as confident as Drekkan is about the baby’s sex, kick earlier, they’re much more lively, and struggling through the snow isn’t helping. Every step seems to take an age to get closer to my home, and I very nearly both cheer and burst into tears when the building comes into view.

I’m just about to walk through the door when there is a deep booming noise followed by all the streetlights dimming and then winking out, plunging everything into a gloom which is alleviated by the whiteness of the snow lit by starlight as Kitchik doesn’t have a moon.

Slowly, lights come back on inside the dwellings around me, as presumably some sort of backup power supply kicks in, but the whole thing has unsettled me, so I quickly go inside and shut the door, activating the locking mechanism for anyone who isn’t pre-programmed to enter.

That way Drekkan can get back in when he finally returns. I curse him a little under my breath, but I can’t complain too much, given it was the mayor wanting to speak with him.

Although, if the mayor had ale wine, I have a theory Drekkan might stay a while, given how much he was enjoying the tipple with dinner.

I smile to myself as I get ready for bed, exhaustion overtaking me. Blynda did warn me this would happen as I got closer to giving birth, even if she wasn’t able to say exactly when it would occur. The uncertainty is annoying, especially as I seem to be getting bigger by the day. I stop by the nursery and look in for a while, imagining what it will be like when there is a little person in there.

It’s quite surreal and I wish, again, Drekkan was here with me.

A noise out in the atrium startles me. It has to be my big, probably drunk, Sarkarnii. It’ll be interesting to see what he’s like with his guard down.

“What time do you call this?” I call out cheerfully as I enter the atrium.

The snow is kept out by some sort of forcefield covering the seemingly open space above, so the area is filled with the scent of the plants and warmed by the water from the pool. All of Kitchik’s heating is created by underground hot springs. However, instead of a worse for wear Drekkan, there is Qrow, flanked by two large armored guards, covered in furs and snow.

“What’s going on?”

“Is Drekkan here?” Qrow says hesitantly, his head shaking slightly.

“I thought he was with the mayor,” I reply.

“So, he’s not here?” Qrow’s voice wavers.

“No, he’s not been back.”

“We will search,” one of the guards says, stomping off.

“Hey! No, you can’t do that!” I take a step forward as the other guard follows. “Qrow, what’s going on? They can’t just search without my permission!”

Qrow wrings one pair of his hands together, his other two arms waving in the air.

“I’m so sorry, ,” he says, his voice stuttering. “The mayor needs to find Drekkan. He’s stolen the main power transformer for the Sol celebrations in the square and without it they can’t go ahead.”

I purse my lips. “I know Drekkan can be grumpy, and he likes to think he’s trouble, but why would he do something like that? We were enjoying the celebrations together a few hours ago.”

Qrow wrings his hands even more, his face twisting.

“If there’s something I need to know, tell me,” I demand.

“Drekkan swore revenge on the mayor after he collared him. He said he was going to spoil the celebrations however he could.”

“What? What’s a collar?”

“A control collar,” Qrow wails. “It stopped him from shifting and causing any damage. It would shock him if he tried.”

I feel my knees go from under me, and Qrow reaches out to steady me. I shrug him off and make it to a small stone bench.

“Drekkan had a control collar ?”

“The mayor closed the spaceport for the celebrations, like he does every turn, but Drekkan wanted to look through a consignment of parts. When the mayor refused, Drekkan said he would cause trouble, so he got collared.”

“I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing.” I shake my head. “Drekkan said he would stop the celebrations?”

“Yes, but that was before he met you. The mayor was very impressed with his behavior. He took the collar off, and then the power transformer was stolen.”

My heart plummets in a way I didn’t think was possible. I can’t concentrate on what Qrow is saying. It’s as if someone has scooped out my insides, leaving only a hollow shell. I didn’t feel like this when I was abducted from Earth, nor since or when I found out I was pregnant by god knows what.

Drekkan can’t have done what they say he has because it means he was using me all along.