skin.
“Surrender now, Sonia, or you will share my fate.” He sounded horrible and looked worse, his right hand shaking as it held the knife up. His left hand was spread across the right side of his chest, stained with dark blue blood.
“I will never—” She cut herself off and froze when the edge of the blade nearly scraped her cheekbone. “Fine, Orlen. You have made your point—”
“I have only begun.” He took in a ragged breath, more blood leaking through his fingers. “The lab will be dismantled, the experiments discontinued. And you will be brought before the Council of the First, for crimes against other species.”
She screamed in outrage, and Orlen raised the dagger. Anji covered her mouth, waiting for him to stab her. He drove the blade down—and pinned her braid to the floor, the dagger sinking into the water softened mortar between the slabs of stone.
The mansion door flew open, at least a dozen uniformed T’An running into the room. Lili appeared behind them, and flashed a smile at Anji, nodding. The cavalry had shown. Better late than not at all.
Orlen let out a ragged breath, and started to slump sideways.
“Whoa—” Anji caught him with her good arm and eased him to the floor. “Lili—I need more of the antidote here!”
“Too late,” he whispered.
“Don’t you dare.” His eyes opened, the green depths dark with pain. “Don’t you dare die on me. I’m just starting to like you.”
“The feeling is—reciprocated, Anji.” He swallowed, trembling against her. “I have moved too much. The poison—”
“Can be thwarted.” Lili knelt next to him, the bowl on her hand. “Hold still, now. You know this is going to hurt you.”
He nodded, let her ease his hand away. She scooped up a huge glob of the oily herb mixture and dug her fingers into his wound. He arched off the floor.
Anji pushed down on his left shoulder, her heart pounding. A shadow spread over Orlen and she looked up, tears blurring her eyes when she saw Kiele. He crouched next to her, cringing at the movement. But he didn’t have that desperate look anymore, some of the color back in his face.
“Let him go, now, t’anling . You should not be expending your energy.” He laid his hand on Orlen’s shoulder and held him down, nodding to a T’An wearing a white lab coat. “She is your first patient, Dr. Calen.”
“I can see that.” He set his bag on the floor and reached for her left arm. “This will hurt, my dear girl.” He lifted her shoe-impaled arm and she nearly passed out. “I want them all taken to the clinic, immediately.”
They were surrounded by uniforms, the strong hands that lifted Anji gentle but supportive. She didn’t have time to thank her personal guard before the pain dragged her under.
Eight
“I will not have her disturbed for this, Father.”
Kiele’s deep, quiet voice filtered into Anji’s half-doze. He sounded strong and healthy, not at all like the injured, broken man she had found in the underwater city. Another, unfamiliar voice pulled her closer to the surface.
“She saw the lab, Kiele, is witness to the atrocities committed there. Too many on the Council are inclined to be lenient with Sonia, and that I will not tolerate. As your mate, and a human, her words will carry more weight with them.”
Now she heard disapproval, and she wanted to wake up so she could defend Kiele. It took some effort, but she managed to open her eyes. Kiele bent over her, taking her right hand.
“Good evening, t’anling . I am sorry we disturbed your rest.”
“Okay,” she whispered. Why did she feel like she’d been beaten with a stick?
Kiele studied her, his voice gentle when he spoke. “Your arm became infected. Whatever was on the bottom of Sonia’s heel had been driven into your wound. She also cracked the bone.”
Anji finally looked down at her left arm. One of the portable healing chambers surrounded it, light pulsing from both ends. She couldn’t feel her arm,
“Surrender now, Sonia, or you will share my fate.” He sounded horrible and looked worse, his right hand shaking as it held the knife up. His left hand was spread across the right side of his chest, stained with dark blue blood.
“I will never—” She cut herself off and froze when the edge of the blade nearly scraped her cheekbone. “Fine, Orlen. You have made your point—”
“I have only begun.” He took in a ragged breath, more blood leaking through his fingers. “The lab will be dismantled, the experiments discontinued. And you will be brought before the Council of the First, for crimes against other species.”
She screamed in outrage, and Orlen raised the dagger. Anji covered her mouth, waiting for him to stab her. He drove the blade down—and pinned her braid to the floor, the dagger sinking into the water softened mortar between the slabs of stone.
The mansion door flew open, at least a dozen uniformed T’An running into the room. Lili appeared behind them, and flashed a smile at Anji, nodding. The cavalry had shown. Better late than not at all.
Orlen let out a ragged breath, and started to slump sideways.
“Whoa—” Anji caught him with her good arm and eased him to the floor. “Lili—I need more of the antidote here!”
“Too late,” he whispered.
“Don’t you dare.” His eyes opened, the green depths dark with pain. “Don’t you dare die on me. I’m just starting to like you.”
“The feeling is—reciprocated, Anji.” He swallowed, trembling against her. “I have moved too much. The poison—”
“Can be thwarted.” Lili knelt next to him, the bowl on her hand. “Hold still, now. You know this is going to hurt you.”
He nodded, let her ease his hand away. She scooped up a huge glob of the oily herb mixture and dug her fingers into his wound. He arched off the floor.
Anji pushed down on his left shoulder, her heart pounding. A shadow spread over Orlen and she looked up, tears blurring her eyes when she saw Kiele. He crouched next to her, cringing at the movement. But he didn’t have that desperate look anymore, some of the color back in his face.
“Let him go, now, t’anling . You should not be expending your energy.” He laid his hand on Orlen’s shoulder and held him down, nodding to a T’An wearing a white lab coat. “She is your first patient, Dr. Calen.”
“I can see that.” He set his bag on the floor and reached for her left arm. “This will hurt, my dear girl.” He lifted her shoe-impaled arm and she nearly passed out. “I want them all taken to the clinic, immediately.”
They were surrounded by uniforms, the strong hands that lifted Anji gentle but supportive. She didn’t have time to thank her personal guard before the pain dragged her under.
Eight
“I will not have her disturbed for this, Father.”
Kiele’s deep, quiet voice filtered into Anji’s half-doze. He sounded strong and healthy, not at all like the injured, broken man she had found in the underwater city. Another, unfamiliar voice pulled her closer to the surface.
“She saw the lab, Kiele, is witness to the atrocities committed there. Too many on the Council are inclined to be lenient with Sonia, and that I will not tolerate. As your mate, and a human, her words will carry more weight with them.”
Now she heard disapproval, and she wanted to wake up so she could defend Kiele. It took some effort, but she managed to open her eyes. Kiele bent over her, taking her right hand.
“Good evening, t’anling . I am sorry we disturbed your rest.”
“Okay,” she whispered. Why did she feel like she’d been beaten with a stick?
Kiele studied her, his voice gentle when he spoke. “Your arm became infected. Whatever was on the bottom of Sonia’s heel had been driven into your wound. She also cracked the bone.”
Anji finally looked down at her left arm. One of the portable healing chambers surrounded it, light pulsing from both ends. She couldn’t feel her arm,
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