Jao.
Russia, continued. Melissa, your word on this?
Jao slept uneasily and lightly, although she did not dream. Strange noises, not quite loud enough to wake her, made her stir in her sleep, frowning. Katerina stood with a considering look on her face, her head tipped, one hand on her hip. With the fingers of the other, she lightly tapped her lips.
“She does not look well,” she remarked in an undertone. “I do not remember her being so thin, or her manner so lifeless. She does not look as if she wishes to wake. Why bring this poor hurting creature to me, Semya? Bareshka has little comfort to offer - they call me бездушный, heartless, for a reason.”
Catkin sighed. “She doesn’t wish to wake, and I can’t let her sleep. She woke me twice in the night on the way here, with her screaming. My sister - well. She goes through the same thing, she says. When Jao went out from Xiané, Duenna was days from sleeping in the room with her, to try and keep her calm. But for another minute more, while we talk -
“If I had any other option, Katerina, believe me, I would be taking it. But the fact remains that I’m out of options. Her own gang would kill her. Dyëlie - well, Annie wouldn’t kill her, but she might drive Jao right over the edge. They hate each other; there’s old rivalry there. Leschasseurs and Abeyla have already flat-out told me that she’s too much of a liability - ”
“Surely her own family…?”
“No. They’re the other reason Z’koi and Pantera won’t let her near. Old World Xiané’s practically in control of the Europe hunter-gangs now, and they’re afraid to offend Sianne. No - that’s not true. They’re afraid to offend Joesi, and Joesi has already made her feelings about Jao quite clear. She’s no longer welcome. Upper and Lower Tirnu she’s been to already - Ali has turned tyrannical and Somer…” she shook her head. “That one almost worked. But Johannesburg is such an easy city for people to come to and get away with things, that none of us were comfortable with her there.”
“Could you not bring her home to you? Haashi is an open gang, and you have no second in command to argue with - ”
“We’re in Suffolk. It’s just too close to London. Of course, in this case, anything in England would be. So you see, ‘Rina? Short of letting her lose herself somewhere among the Heart-of-Darkness Tribes, you’re my last hope. I don’t want her to die - ! She’s my cousin, and damned if I’ll see Duenna broken by her death, or have to face her mother at the final Reckoning!” She stopped, swallowed, pulled herself together. Katerina watched, impassive. “Look. I know that no one will dare harm her here. You’re too - you frighten everyone too much. You even frighten - never mind. Please.”
“Peace, Semya. I’ll mind her until you tell me otherwise. I will do what I can to keep her safe - although if she killed in the hunt it is to be no fault of mine.”
“Fair enough. But ‘Rina, if she’s going out with you… watch her. I think - I think she might put herself in danger. She won’t kill herself, she’s got too much spirit even when it’s almost broken, but I wouldn’t put it past her to ‘accidentally’ forget to shield herself on a run and end herself like that. She’s hurting - ”
Jao stirred in her sleep, and moaned softly, her face growing troubled. “Dammit,” whispered Catkin, and stopped Katerina as she moved to wake the sleeping young woman. “No. Let me do it. You’re a stranger to her, and she’s armed. I didn’t dare take her knives away…” the bronze-haired mercenary stepped forward and knelt by the sofa, laying a hand softly on her cousin’s back. “Jao? Dearheart? Wake up. You’re dreaming.”
Jao drew in her breath so swiftly it was almost a gasp, and opened her eyes to stare wildly at the other woman. For a moment the only thing visible in them was terror, and then her expression calmed, and she took another shuddering breath.
Jao slept uneasily and lightly, although she did not dream. Strange noises, not quite loud enough to wake her, made her stir in her sleep, frowning. Katerina stood with a considering look on her face, her head tipped, one hand on her hip. With the fingers of the other, she lightly tapped her lips.
“She does not look well,” she remarked in an undertone. “I do not remember her being so thin, or her manner so lifeless. She does not look as if she wishes to wake. Why bring this poor hurting creature to me, Semya? Bareshka has little comfort to offer - they call me бездушный, heartless, for a reason.”
Catkin sighed. “She doesn’t wish to wake, and I can’t let her sleep. She woke me twice in the night on the way here, with her screaming. My sister - well. She goes through the same thing, she says. When Jao went out from Xiané, Duenna was days from sleeping in the room with her, to try and keep her calm. But for another minute more, while we talk -
“If I had any other option, Katerina, believe me, I would be taking it. But the fact remains that I’m out of options. Her own gang would kill her. Dyëlie - well, Annie wouldn’t kill her, but she might drive Jao right over the edge. They hate each other; there’s old rivalry there. Leschasseurs and Abeyla have already flat-out told me that she’s too much of a liability - ”
“Surely her own family…?”
“No. They’re the other reason Z’koi and Pantera won’t let her near. Old World Xiané’s practically in control of the Europe hunter-gangs now, and they’re afraid to offend Sianne. No - that’s not true. They’re afraid to offend Joesi, and Joesi has already made her feelings about Jao quite clear. She’s no longer welcome. Upper and Lower Tirnu she’s been to already - Ali has turned tyrannical and Somer…” she shook her head. “That one almost worked. But Johannesburg is such an easy city for people to come to and get away with things, that none of us were comfortable with her there.”
“Could you not bring her home to you? Haashi is an open gang, and you have no second in command to argue with - ”
“We’re in Suffolk. It’s just too close to London. Of course, in this case, anything in England would be. So you see, ‘Rina? Short of letting her lose herself somewhere among the Heart-of-Darkness Tribes, you’re my last hope. I don’t want her to die - ! She’s my cousin, and damned if I’ll see Duenna broken by her death, or have to face her mother at the final Reckoning!” She stopped, swallowed, pulled herself together. Katerina watched, impassive. “Look. I know that no one will dare harm her here. You’re too - you frighten everyone too much. You even frighten - never mind. Please.”
“Peace, Semya. I’ll mind her until you tell me otherwise. I will do what I can to keep her safe - although if she killed in the hunt it is to be no fault of mine.”
“Fair enough. But ‘Rina, if she’s going out with you… watch her. I think - I think she might put herself in danger. She won’t kill herself, she’s got too much spirit even when it’s almost broken, but I wouldn’t put it past her to ‘accidentally’ forget to shield herself on a run and end herself like that. She’s hurting - ”
Jao stirred in her sleep, and moaned softly, her face growing troubled. “Dammit,” whispered Catkin, and stopped Katerina as she moved to wake the sleeping young woman. “No. Let me do it. You’re a stranger to her, and she’s armed. I didn’t dare take her knives away…” the bronze-haired mercenary stepped forward and knelt by the sofa, laying a hand softly on her cousin’s back. “Jao? Dearheart? Wake up. You’re dreaming.”
Jao drew in her breath so swiftly it was almost a gasp, and opened her eyes to stare wildly at the other woman. For a moment the only thing visible in them was terror, and then her expression calmed, and she took another shuddering breath.