a thin line. “There is no antidote.” It turned to leave.
“There has to be something,” I said, with nothing much but blind faith to keep pushing. “How did you find out the mushrooms were poisonous in the first place?”
“We obtained that information from the ship that delivered the spores.”
Delivered. As if it was an order, voluntarily fulfilled.
“Has anyone poisoned themselves with their juice before?”
“Yes.” Malahki walked away, and I rushed after it.
“Has anyone died?”
“Also, yes.”
I grabbed its arm, yanking the damirian to a stop.
“He can’t die.”
“Who is he?” Malahki didn’t sound annoyed at my insisting. Though its detached tone of voice didn’t offer much hope for help, either.
“Vrateus has been poisoned. I need to counteract the effects before it’s too late.”
If it wasn’t too late already...
I shoved the terrifying thought away. Losing all hope and my mind along with it wouldn’t help anyone.
“Make him retch,” Malahki suggested with the same calm aloofness that proved extremely irritating right now.
“I did. Would that be enough to save him?”
“No.”
Now, I really felt like punching the damirian, to knock off its serene composure.
“I need something more effective,” I insisted, grabbing its arm again.
Malahki glanced at me, worrying its bottom lip with its teeth, as if hesitating.
“There is something, isn’t there?” I stepped in front of it. Hope and determination vibrated through me, making my hands shake. “I know you have nothing in common with the savages out there. You don’t participate in the fights. I haven’t seen you in the mess hall, either. How do you spend your time? Pruning and seeding, sure, but there must be something else. Unlike all of them here, you’ve been raised and educated outside of the Dark Anomaly. You’re smart. Mushrooms would present a challenge for your mind. Please tell me you’ve experimented with their fascinating qualities. For medicinal purposes, if nothing else?”
The damirian remained silent, looking like it was about to turn away from me again.
“Malahki, please,” I exhaled a whispered plea.
“Knowledge is the only asset, the only advantage I have over ‘the savages out there’,” it replied, flexing its jaw. “I work hard to gain it, and I’m not obligated to share it with anyone. No one cares about me here. Why should I care about anyone?”
“Do you think I care about this place, about any of them? I don’t care about Vrateus, either.” Something pinched uneasily inside me at these words, but I kept going, “But I don’t want him to die. What do you think will happen if he dies? To you? And to me?”
“Someone else will take his place.”
“Who? You are a smart—” I stopped myself before saying “man.” “You’re a smart individual, Malahki. Surely, you can see that there is no one even remotely as capable as Vrateus to keep this place going the way he has. If he dies, anarchy will prevail. Neither you, nor I will be safe.”
“Most of the species here respond to female pheromones in their lust. They have been leaving me alone.” It shrugged.
“So, you’ll be okay with me potentially being raped, without Vrateus’s protection?” I fisted my hands at my side, stopping myself from saying more. As outraged as I was by the damirian’s indifference, I knew that an argument with this person would bring me nothing.
“No, of course not.” It frowned.
“Then help me, please,” I begged. “Besides, it wouldn’t be just rape that we would have to worry about. If Vrateus is gone, none of his laws will stay. The cannibalism will return. Your genderlessness won’t protect you from being eaten. Neither you nor I are strong enough to fight them.”
Malahki’s chest rose with a sigh. “That is true. I am not strong enough to fight any one of them.” Its facial muscles twitched. “What will I get if I save the captain’s life?” it asked, narrowing its eyes at me calculatingly.
I suppressed a breath of relief. This wasn’t over yet.
“What do you want?”
Malahki gave me a long, measuring look. It was unnerving in its intensity, as if the damirian had just truly seen me for the first time. “I’ll need a favor from the captain.”
“We’ll have to hurry,” I snapped, losing my patience. “Otherwise, there won’t be a captain to grant a favor.”
“Fine,” it relented. “I want you to promise the captain will hear me out once he is well and able.”
“If he is well and able.” I bounced on my heels. “Hurry, please.”
Malahki demonstratively folded its arms across its chest. “I’m waiting for your promise.”
“I promise,” I rushed the words out. “I will