She didn't know how long she had been lying there, or when she finally fell asleep. The gel had numbed the worst of the pain into a distant, constant throb.
She was woken up by a splash of cold water on her face. She flinched, and the sudden movement sent a sharp sting across her back. A servant she didn't recognize, a young wolf-girl with a pinched expression, stood over her with an empty basin.
"Get up," the girl said, her tone bored. "Master Fenris is asking for you. He's in his chambers."
Jinx pushed herself up slowly, her body stiff and sore. But a flicker of that old, desperate hope sparked inside her. He was asking for her. This was her chance. Maybe he was sorry. Maybe he wanted to make things right. She couldn't mess this up.
She walked out of her small, plain room and into the main hallway. The difference was like stepping into another world. The walls here were paneled with dark, polished wood, and glowing light-strips ran along the ceiling.
She walked toward the east wing, the family wing, her bare feet quiet on the cold floor. She reached the double doors to his personal bedroom. Two wolf-beastmen stood guard. They looked at her, at her simple sleep clothes and her tired face, with clear contempt. One of them opened the door without a word.
The room was huge and modern. A wide window looked out on a star-filled sky. Fenris was lounging on a massive bed, being fed pieces of fruit by Silvia. Jinx immediately went to her knees on the floor, her head bowed.
"Please," she whispered, her voice rough from sleep and crying. "Mercy. I... I can't be flogged again. I'm sorry."
Fenris chuckled. He looked at Silvia. "See? I told you she would come begging."
He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood today. And just like your name implies, Jinx, you shouldn't jinx it for me. Understand?"
"Yes," she said quickly, nodding. "I understand."
"Good," Fenris said. He stood and walked over to her. "It has come to my attention that there are some clauses in your inheritance. Stupid legal tricks your mother added. It seems I don't have access to all of it. Can you believe that? After all I've done for you, the wealth I got was just a... a spark. A piece. When did you become so greedy and selfish, hiding the rest from me?"
Jinx looked up, confused. "I... I wasn't aware. I didn't know. I swear."
Silvia spoke from the bed, her voice sweet and sharp. "It's strange, isn't it? Why would the Fox Clan give so much wealth to a barren woman? What a waste."
Fenris waved a hand, dismissing her comment. "It doesn't matter why. What matters is fixing it." He looked down at Jinx. He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek that she hadn't even felt falling. "You will go on a journey. Back to your clan. You will find a way to remove those clauses. You will give me what is rightfully mine."
He saw the fear in her eyes and his voice softened, just a little. It was the voice he used when he wanted something. "Do this for me, and you will have a handsome reward. I will bring in the best interstellar doctors. The ones who can cure your barrenness once and for all. And i would love you completely. Would you like that?"
Jinx's breath caught. A cure for her barrenness. If she could give him a child... everything would change. She would have a real place here. A purpose. Her hope blazed back to life, warm and blinding.
"Yes," she said, her voice stronger now. "I will do it. I'll fix it."
He smiled, a thin, satisfied smile. He leaned down and gave her a quick, dry peck on the cheek. "Good girl. Now, go and get ready."
Jinx stood, her heart pounding with a painful mix of dread and new hope. She hurried out of the room, clutching the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her.
The moment the door shut behind her, Fenris turned back to Silvia. He picked up a cloth from a side table and wiped his lips thoroughly. He tossed the cloth aside with a look of pure disgust.
"Disgusting," he muttered.
Silvia laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "Couldn't you even pretend for a few moments? And can't you give her till tomorrow for her to live?"
"I can't wait that long," Fenris said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone as he sat back on the edge of the bed. All pretense was gone now. "And we shouldn't wait. The sooner she's dead on that journey, the better. The inheritance clauses only matter while she's alive. If she dies… all of it becomes mine, automatically."
He looked at Silvia, his eyes calculating. "The road back to the Fox Clan territories is dangerous. Rogue beasts, bandits, faulty skimmer engines… accidents happen every day."
A slow, pleased smile spread across Silvia's face. She reached out and traced a finger down his chest. "You're doing this for us. For our future. It makes me feel… special."
Fenris captured her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of her palm. "You are carrying my child. Of course you are special. You are everything." He leaned in, nuzzling her neck, his voice a murmur against her skin. "Once that barren fool is out of the way, all her wealth will fund our dynasty. Our son will want for nothing."
As he kissed her neck, lost in his own plans, he didn't see the glint in Silvia's eyes. He was so focused on dragging down her fabric to suck out the living daylights of her succulent boobs. It was something sharper, colder.
She held him close, her fingers curling into his shirt, but her gaze was distant, fixed on some victory only she could see.