Page 60 of Phoenix's Fire

"We'll help," Brielle promised. "Meri, we're all going to keep you safe, take good care of you, and show you how to live up here. That includes everything you never thought you'd need help with. You're safe now."

"And no more bad meals," Jeera said.

Which was too much for Lessa. "Di nat ruhmond her!" My brow creased because that almost sounded like English. Thankfully, Lessa rephrased it in Vestrian. "That girl doesn't need to be reminded of the horrors she's endured, Jeera! Just look at her! She can't weigh more than a hundred pounds - and that's with the baby. If you stress her out..."

"She's strong," I countered.

Lessa just turned to me. "You don't have a clue what she's going through. Pregnancy isn't easy, Ayla. And in her state?"

"Lessa..." Naomi warned.

Lessa pushed out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, Naomi."

"I know you're trying to be protective," Naomi told her, "but your anger is pointed at the wrong person. Ayla's the only one who can understand what Meri's been through. Meri needs to know what's coming, and it makes sense for her to do it here, where we can give Meri the medication she needs."

"But - "

"No!" Brielle snapped. "Just because you think Ayla stole Zasen from you - "

"I didn't!" I insisted.

Which made Lessa's head snap over to me. "What?"

"He told me about you and him," I explained. "I just wanted to learn how to speak Vestrian and read a book. I don't want to marry him, Lessa! I definitely don't want to dothatwith him!"

Jeera groaned. "Fuck. Mama? The Moles think sex hurts."

"What?" Lessa asked.

Brielle reached up to rub her brow, but Naomi leaned back against the counter and started chuckling. "Okay, well, that certainly explains a lot. I'm also sure it does." She jerked her chin at Brielle. "Translate for Meri, if you would?" Then she looked at me. "Ayla, sex should never hurt. Rape often does."

"But I still don't want to," I insisted.

"And you don't have to," Naomi assured me. "But it does not hurt. It never should, and if it does, you should see me - if you ever decide to try it." She looked at Meri, making sure she understood that as well. "Ladies, in this building, we can talk about such things. That's what this place is for. It's where women can safely get help with all those things that are too embarrassing to talk about - but this isn't theonlyplace."

Lessa shifted closer to me, then leaned in and dropped her voice. "You're not with Zasen?"

"I'm not with anyone," I assured her. "They hung me on a tree, and just when I got the chain off, the Dragons were there. I tried to run, but Zasen caught me and brought me here. I'm glad he did, but I didn't ask him to, and I certainly wouldnevertake someone's intended!"

"We don't exactly do that," Jeera reminded me. "No betrothals, no 'intendeds,' and marriages can end. Often, Ayla, they end because of 'cheating,' which is when someone has an affair with a person their partner doesn't approve of or doesn't know about."

"I wouldn't!" I swore. "Meri wouldn't either! That's not how women take care of each other, and helping our friends get the best man possible is one of the few things wecando."

"Could," Lessa said softly. "You can do a lot more than that now."

"Yeah."

On the bed, Meri was nodding as Brielle translated all of that to English for her. But against the counter, Naomi sighed again, slowly shaking her head.

"Okay, girls. You know what I think?" She gestured at all of us. "This needs to happen, but I have patients out there, and others need both me and Brielle right now. So! What do you think about lunch at my place in a few days?"

"Like the cookout we did for Ayla," Brielle said, nodding to show she approved before translating that to Meri.

"What's a cookout?" Meri asked in English.

So I changed to that language. "It's a meal where everyone prepares it, and we eat outside, spending time with friends. People come together to catch up on things, talk a lot, and do stuff that's fun. It's also a very good way to meet people. It's how I met my sister."

"We should invite her too," Naomi decided, speaking in Vestrian. "Ayla, you letSaveah know. She'll bring the kids. Zasen, Kanik, and Rymar can come too. Meri needs to get to know them. Irrik and Lansin are staying with me, so the men can cook, we women can talk about all of these things, and Brielle? You and Jeera will make sure Meri knows it's okay to have conversations in mixed company."