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Aly didn't say a word, though her lips trembled.

He smiled at her, and her stomach twisted. "Shy, are you? No matter." His fingers pressed lightly against her, and it took all her will not to draw her hand back.

Another nillium man, paler and smaller than the others, came over and pulled at a lock of her hair. "Ugly, if you ask me. I don't like their stubbed noses. Though this one has nice hair...and eyes."

"Zyr, you would bed one whether it had two noses and a scaly face," laughed another nillium beside Korzien.

Zyr snorted. "Hardly."

Korzien did not look away from her as his smile widened. "I think she's rather lovely." His fingers slipped from her wrist to press at her palm. "And she has delicate little hands, do you see? I'll bet they are delicate in their touch as well." His thumb stroked her hand, and this time, Aly couldn't take it. She pulled her hand away.

"Oh, she's feisty," said another man nearby. "Better watch yourself, Korzien, or she might bite."

Korzien's smile only slipped slightly, but his eyes never fell from hers. And Aly dared not look away.

"I agree with Zyr," said a female in a black hooded dress. "They are ugly. Don't bother yourself with them, Korzien, surely."

Korzien's eyes narrowed, but his smile never faltered. "No. I like this one." He took her hand again, gentle but firm. "And we can't blame them for being skittish, can we? Now," his hand tightened considerably around her, "what is your name, girl?"

She hissed in pain. "Aly," she whispered.

"Aly? Hm, not a very pretty name, but it’s not your fault. Well, Aly, we are here to celebrate. Would you like something to eat? To drink?" He released her hand and made a gesture, and immediately, a pair of hooded servants (not oracles, Aly noted), with faces hidden under the thin cloth of their shawls, approached, though he promptly ignored them. "Sit down, the lot of you."

Aly and the others were pushed down into seats, with hers closest to Korzien. She could hear Jamie beginning to weep silently beside her, but none even looked at her. Cilia argued that she didn't want to sit and threw a few profanities their way, until she was slapped hard across the face and forced into silence. Though tears streamed down her cheeks, Kate kept her composure.

"Please, we just want to go home," Kate said, trying to use her most diplomatic voice. "We mean no trouble. It was a mistake that we found ourselves here."

"There is no mistake," Korzien said. "It is by Nihl's doing that you have been given to us. This is your home now. So." He gestured again to the servants. "Let us celebrate."

The servants came around and placed a glass in each of their hands, filled with some sort of yellow liquid. Korzien took one for himself, and the others around him followed suit.

"Let us drink to this historic occasion. An odd but needed gift from Nihl, who has answered our prayers." He began to raise his glass then lowered it. "Ah, but we are missing one, aren’t we? Marzin, bring the other one down."

Marzin seemed to hesitate. "She may be resting..."

Korzien waved him off. "I think she will be happy to join us."

Marzin left, with another little bow of his head. As they waited, Korzien asked the others for their names. Kate spoke hers in a whisper that turned into a choked sob and neither Cilia nor Jamie felt compelled to answer.

"Maybe we should give them Nihl-appropraite names," said Zyr. "This one"—he pointed to Cilia—" can be called Sazia. Bull-faced. And this one"—he pointed to Jamie—" can be called Fila. For a simpering little—"

"Enough, Zyr," Korzien said, dismissing him. "Your words are irritating. Leave them be."

Aly had remained rigid beside him, silently battling with whether or not to confess in front of all of them that she knew his brother and that Ryziel would return home and show him what a mistake he was making. But in the end, she knew she couldn't risk it. Not when Ryziel was still stuck on Lethe Maws and could still get caught. She had to wait, knowing he would come.

Marzin returned, and behind him entered a small, hooded figure, another woman by her dress, holding a bundle in her arms. They stopped before the group and the hooded figure gasped, throwing back her hood.

Aly stared and so did the others, as Sarah, their lost crew member, stared back at them.

"You’re really here," she said, her voice shaking, and the bundle in her arms began to cry.

***

They all sat quietly now, huddled close together, close to Sarah, who clutched tight to the child in her arms, returned to its slumbering state. There had been a sort of eruption, a break of emotions at the sight of her, each of them bursting into tears, reaching for her, pulling her to the ground with them, until they were quelled by the nillium guards, forced back into obedient silence. They listened to Korzien speak then drank the sickly-sweet wine offered to them, but their focus only lay on their lost crewmember and the child. A child who looked more nillium than human save for its faded color and softer skin.

"What did they do?" Kate whispered, clutching Sarah's arm. "What the hell did they do?"

"A little experiment," Korzien answered. "Thanks to Marzin." He nodded toward him. "What do you think? Would you make another?"