Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 61: brought to you by Moses

Because doing real writer work, like querying agents and publishers, is for suckers (and those of strong morale), Parker delivers letter to Neara and the Shay Gang set out into the night for the promise land. DELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVER USSSSSSSSSSS!!!

When the sun neared the horizon, it became too cold for the lightly dressed Shay and her temperature-sensitive snakes, so they cautiously returned inside. By then, Parker had returned after searching the entire Tiger Castle for her and then getting kicked out by an irate Winston. Shay apologized profusely to him, though after hearing what had occurred he too seemed more concerned with her than the fact he'd played a few hours of rugby and then got dragged out by the nape by an irritated tiger. Harvey returned as well and, though pained to say it, verified that what Curtis had said about his knowledge of baby snake health was true.

"Ryan is more likely to know something than I," said Harvey, his hands jerking up as though to reach for her, then jerking back down into his lap as he thought better of it.

Ryan just shook his head. "My mother didn't train me. I only know what I picked up from collecting medicine ingredients for her."

Harvey walked her to the door and stopped, obviously wanting to follow her inside. Parker got as far as the threshold before Ryan turned to bare his teeth.

"Let him in," said Shay.

Perhaps it was her wan expression and pallor, but Ryan didn't argue, gently pushing baby snakes aside to set her down on the nest.

"I'll cook you food," he said.

"Let me," said Parker. "I've picked up some herbivore recipes from Orson. She's been saying she's been craving more plants." He glanced over his shoulder at the lone figure of Harvey in the dying evening light. "Did you gather anything she'd want to eat?"

"Of course!" Harvey jumped into action, returning with a respectfully bowed head and a satchel full of roots and leaves. Only after getting permission from Ryan did he approach Shay and offer her a handful of green leaves.

Shay, who had thought nothing could convince her to eat, felt her mouth water. "Spinach?"

"I don't know what it's called. I only know the females of the ape tribe love it."

She accepted the spinach as happily as she could, given the circumstances, and devoured it. The leaves, which once tasted slightly bitter to her, now hit all the right spots.

The baby snakes watched on curiously.

"You wouldn't like this," she told them.

They seemed to believe her, as they went back to curling around her.

Parker managed to whip up a wonderful stir fry which she ate second then third helpings of, earning him a smile of approval from Ryan. Because Harvey and Parker had managed to get so much food into Shay, even with her constantly sniffing and looking to the bedroom doorway, he allowed them to curl up in the corner of the main room for the night, though he still made sure to lay on the side of her which faced them, blocking her from their view.

She didn't sleep for a long time, despite her exhaustion and the comforting feel of Ryan's furry heat on her back and baby snakes to her front.

But the next thing she knew, she was being woken by a loud cry. A child's cry, perhaps even a baby.

Every mama nerve in her body went haywire. The cells leftover dredged up horror clips echoing with a disembodied baby crying. When her mind caught up to her she was already standing, heart pumping, focused in on the bedroom door. She didn't hear the various curses and exclamations of the other men in the room.