Family

Chapter Eight

“You were going to say or something worse but he’s my baby.” I whispered looking away.

“You think Helushka should be in here.” She nodded.

“Yes. If this is our child and has something to do with him being a vampire then Helushka should be in here. He’s Chief now anyway with as important as it apparently is everybody’s waiting for us to bring him in.”

“They’ll expect a lot more connections now that one of the Medicine Women is married to the Chief.” She nodded, “Get Chief Helushka.” I ran to the flap and stepped outside.

“We need you to come.” I whispered to him he nodded and followed me into the tipi still holding Ciqala. I reached for Ciqala and Helushka handed him to me but pulled me over into his arms.

“Now what’s going on?” he asked me.

“Shimasani hasn’t had a vision of Ciqala.” I whispered.

“What do you mean?” I felt his arms tighten around me everybody knew what it normally meant your baby would die.

“You’ve got to understand Helushka I didn’t find out Aponi was pregnant my normal way I didn’t even get a vision then.” Shimasani assured him, “I have no idea why Hania is blocked from my sight.”

“She thinks it might be the fact that you were changing when he was born.” I whispered.

“Is there any way to make it where you can see him?” Helushka asked calmer now that he knew Ciqala wasn’t dying.

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head, “We’ll just have to hope that when Aponi is feeling better she can see him.”

“Then I’m going to take both of them to the tent to rest. We can discuss this more after they are asleep.” He nodded.

“You can stay in here.” I whispered, “I’ll just feed Ciqala and give him to Posala.”

“Then get some sleep yourself.” He warned.

“I’ll be fine. I can come back in here and help.”

“You need rest.”

“Honey, we don’t need your help right now. In fact Helushka can go with you I want to try and meditate some on the problem. You need to rest and get better for your son.” Shimasani said hugging me.

“Are you sure?” Helushka asked suddenly not as up for the idea.

“Yes go help your wife rest.”

“Thank you.” He promised kissing her cheek as we left, “Have a good meditation and come get me when you are done.”

“I will Chief Helushka.” She nodded. Helushka led me back to our tipi and then started to put Ciqala up.

“He’ll cry all nap.” I shook my head holding my arms out but feeling like they’d break if I held them out any longer.

“You’re too tired.” He shook his head.

“You can’t very well feed him though, Helushka.” I smiled through the pain I felt but the closer that Helushka was to me the better I felt. Finally after a couple more times of him going in and out I just asked, “Will you just stay by me?”

“Why?”

“Your mind reminds me of that perfect mind.”

“You really just don’t feel good do you?” He asked picking up on the obvious confusing lie.

“No.” I admitted shaking my head and holding out my hand to him while making sure that Ciqala was in a position he wouldn’t fall and could still eat.

“Let me have Hania he has eaten enough.” Helushka whispered.

“He’s still hungry.” I protested.

“But I have a feeling with as weak as you are your milk isn’t helping his appetite go all the way away.” He told me gently and I nodded ashamed. “Don’t be ashamed, Aponi. Our child is a special child. I have sent people to get me and Hania some blood. He will probably need both blood and human nutrition to survive.”

“So it’s not just me?” I whispered.

“No, Nayeli, never.” He promised, “Now please will you let me lay here with you while you take a nap?” he asked when he got back from putting Hania in his makeshift child crib.

“Gladly,” I smiled rolling over into his arms. I felt him tense though and looked up.

“Just… how bad are you feeling?” he asked and I realized my mistake I hadn’t tried to convince him to just let me skip my nap. I had just agreed to take a nap without any complaint.

“I’m fine I just missed you and it gives me an excuse to be closer to you.” I whispered trying to fix my mistake.

“We both know that I’m not going to believe it.” He shook his head but his arms tightened and he just held me close as I drifted away into sleep.

“Aponi!” I heard Abedabun’s voice in the tipi.

“What is it she’s resting?” Helushka asked and I realized there was sweat covering me.

“It’s fine.” I shook my head starting to get up but he pushed me down.

“You’re obviously sick, Aponi. You’re staying in here until you’re better and Posala is taking care of Hania for you.”

“No Ciqala needs me.” I shook my head.

“He needs you well.” Helushka argued and I laid back down in the bed exhausted already. I felt worse than when I had went to bed. “Please tell everybody to take their needs to Nadie for now.” He told Abedabun.

“Okay.” She nodded hugging him, “You are a good husband, Gahege, and Nosh.”

“Thank you, Shima.” He promised as he closed the flap and then he came back over to me pulling me out of the ball and turning me so my face was in his chest.

“What did Shimasani say was wrong with me?” I whispered the next night. He’d made me stay in bed all day but it was obvious it hadn’t been because he’d thought I might still be sick but it also wasn’t because he thought I was perfect either. We’d spent the day holding onto each other and he’d told me about his time away and even let Posala bring in Hania for a little bit.

“She doesn’t know.” He shrugged.

“Your worry…” I whispered, “When I had Ciqala she failed to mention her sight failed for me too.”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“I love you, Helushka.” I whispered having been trying to just keep it in until we were able to truly enjoy the moment.

“I love you too, Nayeli.” He sighed when he pulled away from my lips but he’d gotten the message and moved his lips to my neck making me sigh this time. I’d missed the feel of his lips traveling along my skin so much. I held onto him when he started to pull away and he got the point that I just wanted to kiss him for a little while longer if he could do everything while never moving his lips from my body I’d be ecstatic but since he couldn’t for now I wanted them there. “Please Nayeli.” He begged me and I realized that the more I’d kissed him the more wrapped around his body I’d become. I pulled my lips away from his and he smiled pulling off his shirt kissing me between each thing of his and then he took off mine before just letting me run the show.

I let my hands run along his body late that night not sleeping too eager to sleep. When my hand got to his lower back, though, his hand reached for it and pulled it up over me as he rolled over on top of me. He didn’t have to speak he just kissed me eagerly and I felt the pull to keep it going so I kissed him each time he pulled away. Neither of us spoke we just let our bodies do the talking for us in our hands and in our kisses the words were clear.

“How do you feel?” Nosh asked as we sat down between them and Heammawihio’s family.

“Better.” I smiled at him as I held Hania. “Tell them, Ciqala, we’re just glad to be back in Mommy’s arms.”

“I was talking about you it’s obvious by his not crying he’s better.” Nosh laughed.

“I’m better too now that I’ve got my Shima’s boy in my arms.” I smiled happily and then looked at Helushka.

“I know you aren’t going to let him become a bad warrior.” He nodded letting the tribe know there would be no bad blood in our family because his firstborn was more attached to his Shima than his Nosh.

“Then you may hold him while I eat.” I smiled.

“Okay.” He laughed but then we realized the whole tried was watching. “She was joking.” He told them but looked at me with sad eyes knowing he’d have to punish me now for it. He had two choices he could slap me or send me to the tipi for the day. “Go to the tipi, Aponi.” He ordered and I nodded letting him know with my eyes I wasn’t letting myself be upset with him. I walked into the tent and sat knowing he’d also had to take Ciqala away for the day.