responsibility.”
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility for her. I’m just asking you to keep her safe when I have to go before the elders.” His trial could take several days, and his punishment even longer, depending on how creative the elders wanted to get. During that time, he wouldn’t be allowed to see Charlotte, and he needed to know she was protected. “Xavian, she’s my familiar.”
A long string of curses followed his confession. “Fine,” Xavian said at the end. “You have my word. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Thank you. One day, I hope I can return the favor.” Vane stopped walking and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Hey, where are you anyway?”
“My quarters. I thought I’d grab a shower and a change of clothes before I meet you back in the medical bay.”
Vane slowed as he neared the sliding doors of the underground hospital. “I’m here now, so I’ll see you in a few.” Then he disconnected the call and held his badge up to the laser scanner.
“ Welcome, Lieutenant Schiva .” The same robotic voice that had connected his call greeted him from the overhead speakers as the pressurized doors slid open. “ Are you in need of medical attention? ”
“No, I’m here to see to see a patient, Charlotte Rousseau.”
A strip of blue, blinking triangles illuminated on the wall to his left. “ Thank you. Please follow the arrows to your destination .”
The flashing lights led him to a room at the end of the hall in the critical care unit where he found Charlotte sitting up in bed with the mossy green blanket pulled up to her chin.
“Hello, Charlotte.”
Dark circles shadowed the skin under her eyes, and she still looked sickly pale, but a brilliant smile lit her face when she saw him. “Hello, stranger. Where have you been hiding?”
“Having my ass handed to me by my commander.” Crossing the stark-white room in three strides, he settled into the beige recliner beside the bed and took Charlotte’s hand between both of his own. “How do you feel?”
“Tired, and I still don’t feel like eating, but the doctor said I’ll be good as new in a few days.” She tucked a pillow under hip as she rolled on her side to face him. “What happened back there? Where are we? Was I poisoned? Are you okay? No one will tell me anything.”
“Easy, calm down, or they’ll kick me out of here.” In truth, he’d missed her adorable rambling, and a part of him had feared he’d never hear it again. “Yes, you were poisoned. I told you eating fungi was a bad idea.” Vane smirked when she rolled her eyes. “As for where you are, you’re in the med bay, like a military hospital, beneath Pandora.” He didn’t know where to start or how he’d ever explain everything she needed to know. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. I couldn’t let you die.”
Bringing their joined hands to her mouth, Charlotte brushed her lips against his knuckles and breathed deeply through her nose. “Thank you, Vane.” Then she popped her head up and gasped “What about the Morph? Is he here? Did he follow us?”
“Shh, no, no, no, he’s not here.” Shifting to the edge of his seat, he smoothed Charlotte’s hair back from her face and cupped her cheek. “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again.”
Seemingly soothed by his vow, Charlotte sighed and rubbed her cheek against his palm. “I don’t want to be alone.”
She’d been forced to give up everything when he’d brought her to his world, more than she’d probably even realized yet. The next couple of weeks would be overwhelming and probably frightening for her. If Vane could give her a measure of comfort during the transition, he’d find a way to make it happen.
“I’ll have to ask Doc Breccan, but if he allows it, I’ll stay with you for as long as I can.”
“I can’t go back, can I?” Her bottom lip trembled, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “I can’t ever go home.”
“The mushrooms
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility for her. I’m just asking you to keep her safe when I have to go before the elders.” His trial could take several days, and his punishment even longer, depending on how creative the elders wanted to get. During that time, he wouldn’t be allowed to see Charlotte, and he needed to know she was protected. “Xavian, she’s my familiar.”
A long string of curses followed his confession. “Fine,” Xavian said at the end. “You have my word. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Thank you. One day, I hope I can return the favor.” Vane stopped walking and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Hey, where are you anyway?”
“My quarters. I thought I’d grab a shower and a change of clothes before I meet you back in the medical bay.”
Vane slowed as he neared the sliding doors of the underground hospital. “I’m here now, so I’ll see you in a few.” Then he disconnected the call and held his badge up to the laser scanner.
“ Welcome, Lieutenant Schiva .” The same robotic voice that had connected his call greeted him from the overhead speakers as the pressurized doors slid open. “ Are you in need of medical attention? ”
“No, I’m here to see to see a patient, Charlotte Rousseau.”
A strip of blue, blinking triangles illuminated on the wall to his left. “ Thank you. Please follow the arrows to your destination .”
The flashing lights led him to a room at the end of the hall in the critical care unit where he found Charlotte sitting up in bed with the mossy green blanket pulled up to her chin.
“Hello, Charlotte.”
Dark circles shadowed the skin under her eyes, and she still looked sickly pale, but a brilliant smile lit her face when she saw him. “Hello, stranger. Where have you been hiding?”
“Having my ass handed to me by my commander.” Crossing the stark-white room in three strides, he settled into the beige recliner beside the bed and took Charlotte’s hand between both of his own. “How do you feel?”
“Tired, and I still don’t feel like eating, but the doctor said I’ll be good as new in a few days.” She tucked a pillow under hip as she rolled on her side to face him. “What happened back there? Where are we? Was I poisoned? Are you okay? No one will tell me anything.”
“Easy, calm down, or they’ll kick me out of here.” In truth, he’d missed her adorable rambling, and a part of him had feared he’d never hear it again. “Yes, you were poisoned. I told you eating fungi was a bad idea.” Vane smirked when she rolled her eyes. “As for where you are, you’re in the med bay, like a military hospital, beneath Pandora.” He didn’t know where to start or how he’d ever explain everything she needed to know. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. I couldn’t let you die.”
Bringing their joined hands to her mouth, Charlotte brushed her lips against his knuckles and breathed deeply through her nose. “Thank you, Vane.” Then she popped her head up and gasped “What about the Morph? Is he here? Did he follow us?”
“Shh, no, no, no, he’s not here.” Shifting to the edge of his seat, he smoothed Charlotte’s hair back from her face and cupped her cheek. “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again.”
Seemingly soothed by his vow, Charlotte sighed and rubbed her cheek against his palm. “I don’t want to be alone.”
She’d been forced to give up everything when he’d brought her to his world, more than she’d probably even realized yet. The next couple of weeks would be overwhelming and probably frightening for her. If Vane could give her a measure of comfort during the transition, he’d find a way to make it happen.
“I’ll have to ask Doc Breccan, but if he allows it, I’ll stay with you for as long as I can.”
“I can’t go back, can I?” Her bottom lip trembled, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “I can’t ever go home.”
“The mushrooms
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