His Human Vessel (Zandian Masters 5)
“I made dorkling eggs for you.”
She had no idea what dorkling eggs were, but the food he placed in front of her smelled heavenly. “Thank you so much.” She took a bite and chewed, moaning with pleasure at the explosion of flavor in her mouth.
Chef Barr beamed.
She swallowed the food and pasted on her brightest smile. “Chef Barr, you have access to Earth-based herbs, do you not?”
“Yes,” he said. “What would you like?”
“Do you have parsley? Or cinnamon bark?” She kept her expression innocent and cheerful, hoping he had no idea how the herbs were used medicinally.
“I have fresh parsley. Lady Lamira grows it here. I do not have fresh cinnamon, but I have it in powder form. Would you like some parsley in your eggs?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you could make me a big batch of tea with it? Or I can make it,” she added, realizing she might be out of line asking him for any favors. “It’s really good for a human female’s reproductive organs,” she lied, letting her hand slip down to cover her belly. “I’d love to sip it all planet rotation today. I want to be the perfect vessel for Doctor Daneth’s experiment.” She took another bite to hide her guilt at the deception, but the eggs no longer tasted delicious. In fact, her breakfast sat in her stomach like a stone.
She choked down the rest while Chef Barr put a huge pot of water on to boil and left the kitchen.
Not sure of the appropriate protocol for handling dishes, she washed hers in the sink, dried it, and hunted through the cabinets until she found where to put it away.
Chef Barr returned as the water began to boil, a huge bunch of freshly cut parsley in his hand. He rinsed it and tossed it into the pot. “How long should I steep it?”
She nibbled her lip, guilt twisting in her gut. “I’m not sure. Until it turns bright green, if I remember right.” She’d learned this trick from Sara, one of the midwives who tended to their births. Parsley could discourage implantation and possibly bring on a female’s menstrual cycle, especially when used with other herbs. Of course, they hadn’t had access to parsley on the fertility farm, but Sara had suggested it for times when they would be rented out to wealthy Ocretions for breeding. It was not a sure-fire way to end a pregnancy, but when used early and often enough, might encourage miscarriage. Sara had learned it from the midwife before her, and she’d passed on the information to all of them, since most would become midwives to the younger slaves when they were no longer of breeding age.
Bayla had loved midwifery, wishing she could somehow make herself barren and skip straight to that part of her designated life. She’d assisted Sara any time she could, learning about the herbs, about babies, how positioning during childbirth could ease labor pains.
She stood and watched the simmering tea, hoping Daneth wouldn’t come in and grow jealous at finding her shoulder to shoulder with the elderly chef. Not that she didn’t love his jealousy. She replayed the memory of his fury when she’d flashed her bare breasts at the guards. The pleasure at being coveted matched the satisfaction of having this power over a male. She’d never had power over any being before. It made her feel alive, and sexy. Vital and youthful. It was almost as if her life had begun the day she came to the Zandian palatial pod. Everything that had come before was a bad dream. A rehearsal for what real living would be like.
“That looks good,” she said when the water turned a beautiful shade of green.
Chef Barr ladled some into a mug for her, and she blew on the top. “May I take the whole pot to Doctor Daneth’s chamber?”
“I’ll send it to you. Do you prefer it hot or cold?”
She took a cautious sip of the hot liquid. Not delicious. “Maybe cold would be better.”
Chef Barr bowed. “Very well. I will chill it for you.”
She curtsied back at him. “Thank you, Master Barr. You’re so unbelievably kind to me.” She leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek, which made his face darken in purple.
He gave an embarrassed throat-clear and waved her away.
She walked slowly back to Daneth’s chamber, stopping to sip the hot liquid every few steps.
She hoped Daneth wouldn’t know about parsley. She doubted he would. The herb was an old human midwives’ secret.
Why, then, was her heart jumping out of her chest, her nerves scraped raw over what she was attempting?
She hoped if something should go wrong with the implantation, Daneth would never know the cause, and she’d be free to stay here with him as his slave, learning to serve him, to satisfy him. Learning to use her body to command his.
~.~
In an hour, Chef Barr himself delivered a pitcher of chilled parsley tea to Daneth’s chamber. Daneth opened the door for him, but he’d been wrapped up in his research all morning, and he simply mumbled a brief thanks to Chef Barr before turning back to it.
“Thank you so much, Master Barr,” she said, dipping into a curtsy but watching that she didn’t gush too much in front of the doctor for fear her still-sore bottom would become a target for his hand again.
He poured the green tea into a glass and handed it to her. “It is my pleasure to assist in this way.” Oh sweet mother Earth. Please don’t let him say what the tea is for. “I brought some to Lamira as well.”
Bombs of terror went off in her face and chest. “Oh, that was kind of you.” Had her voice wobbled?