5 Chapter 5

Tuxtax loomed over him awkwardly, wanting to say something but unable to form words. Finally, he picked up the corded mass of dark flesh beside them and presented it to his friend.

“What is it?”

“This is afterbirth. I see it—a different color than its mother. Rixa, your child was born! He may still be alive!”

“Where?! Use your aura reading abilities to track it—we need to find my—our—Rhea’s—our child.”

A muffled whimper emanated from behind a crate of cheeses. Lunging for the sound, Tuxtax pulled the crate away to find a young woman cowering in the corner.

“Please don’t hurt me!” she wept. “Please have mercy!”

Tuxtax grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to Rixa.

Rixa lashed out at the woman, rising to his feet menacingly. “Your men did this! Your men slew my mate.”

The woman wept. “Please. We had no food. We were starving. They made me put her in the stew.”

“She was pregnant! She was pregnant and they butchered her!” Rixa spat.