To Sofia's surprise, Rainy obeyed, though he sat across the room and stared at her. She curled up in a chair, afraid to move too quickly under the tense Guardian's gaze. A doctor emerged soon after, hesitating as his gaze swept over the room full of massive, bristling men, until Linda came forward.
"Are you next of kin?" he asked.
"More or less," she said with a smile.
"Come with me."
"Sofia." Linda waved her over. Rainy started to his feet as she rose, and she stopped.
"Dude, chill," Lon said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Pierre drew nearer, and Linda waved her forward again. Sofia went, trailing them down a hall with antiseptic-laced air to an open bay with beds separated by curtains. Traci was alone at the far end of the bay.
"She'll be all right. We had a scare there, but she pulled through. We've stopped the bleeding. She'll have to remain here for a couple of days."
"Thank God," Linda breathed. "And … uh, her babies are okay?"
"She's in the early stages of pregnancy, no more than eight weeks. We'll be watching for signs of trauma. It'll be another two weeks before I'll feel comfortable imaging her uterus to see the fetus."
Sofia listened as she approached Traci's bed and gazed down at the unconscious woman. The woman was hooked to a ventilator and IVs, her battered face clean and pale. The doctor left, and Linda joined her.
"Czerno is a monster," Sofia whispered.
"He is," Linda said. "Lon-my husband-has had his own run-in with Czerno."
"So have I," she said. She felt Linda's gaze.
"It's why they do what they do, to protect humanity from that fate."
At her curious look, Linda continued.
"Their war, it's been going on for thousands of years. Damian is their leader. Lon says he's not … normal, if you'd call any of them normal. I guess D is something less normal than my Lon. Anyway, the war between Czerno and D is for the fate of us puny humans," Linda explained.
"Why would creatures like them bother?" Sofia asked.
"I don't know, but I'm glad they do. I've only met Damian once, when he saved Lon's life after Czerno chewed him up and spit him out. His men worship him. He's helped all of them somehow, though he terrified me the time I did meet him."
"He has that effect on people," Sofia said dryly.
"Are you one of the Naturals, like Traci?"
"Not really."
"Is she having boys?" Linda asked.
"Girls, two of them."
"Rainy with two girls? No way! He'll be inconsolable," Linda said with a delighted laugh.