57

"I stole it's water," Mama says. "I didn't want to die, I swear. I just stole it's water. I walked into its pond to bath. I was hurt."
Mama's black blood would limit the beast’s abilities. Every time Black Shuck drinks the dirty water she'd become weaker and weaker until she's too sick to heal herself. And if the Black Shuck had stopped drinking the water she'd be as dehydrated as she is now. In order to sustain itself the beast has to drink ten liters of water each hour.
"Hurt?" I ask, feeling a prickling tension all over my body, like I've just touched electric wires. "There's only one thing that could hurt ya enough for ya not to heal yerself. What were ya doing in the forest anyway? How did ya and the werewolf come in contact?"
"I'm sorry." For a moment, before looking down, Mama turns to the Black Shuck, to me, and I think I see something flicker in her eyes. But then she turns back to Kaseke and continues trying to wake him up.
"Sorry for what?" I ask. "Nothing makes sense. If ya weren't trying to kill yerself, why did ya hang yerself? The pills? Slitting yer wrist, what was all that."
"I don't know." Her voice lowers in shame.
"Attention? Papa?" I ask.
Her eyes lower still. It is not Papa's attention Mama seeks.
I feel as though I’ve just been splashed with ice water.
Mama has a life mate. Someone she can't be with. Is he married? Who's this mystery man?
I don’t have time to dwell on that, the Black Shuck is shaking. I ask the guards for water. They bring me a dish and ten liters of it. The beast laps at it.
For hours I watch over it. Giving it water and some cooked chidukey. Chidukey is an animal found in Noddon that has the head of a chicken, body of a duck and Turkey feet.
Before it leaves, the beast licks my hand, healing me at once. "They'll be fresh water in yer pond when ya return," I tell the beast.
Papa looks at me as though I’ve grown mad. Whether he looks at me this way because I'm speaking to a beast as though it were human or whether it's because I actually saved its life, is unclear.
The beast's black saliva filled tongue flattens against my cheek. When it's done, even my hair drips and I smell worse than the dead.
My mother darts out of the room. I run after her. Papa follows me, he grabs my arm and pulls me to him. I rip myself away from him.
"Imani, ya can chit chat with yer mother later but getting the beast out of here is more important."
I hesitate, watching my mother disappear down the corridor.
"Yer duty is to put the safety of these people first." He looks me in the eye. "Do that now. Ya refused to have me kill it. Ya can't leave us to die for some gossip. People are scared."
I decide I'll give it at least two days until I mine the answers out of her.
Back in my bedroom D'ziko is pacing the length of it. I find him crazy with worry. I'm in his arms the second he sees me. My heart hammers wildly.
"I was so worried,” D'ziko says, his voice strained. "I'm glad ya're okay."
He places his lips on my forehead.
For a long time we are both silent. He looks at me, and I stare back, trying to keep my face expressionless.
"Ew. ya stink." he laughs.
I gape at him. "Ew yerself.” I smile. "ya kissed the same spot the Black Shuck licked."