Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“I don’t think so!” a familiar voice growled. “Come at me then, if you’re so eager to fight.”
Looking up, she saw Davrik standing on the other side of the stasis frame, taunting the enraged Nate. As the big human lunged at the Kindred warrior, stepping through the frame to get to him, Davrik reached out and slapped the controls, once more engaging the stasis field.
Nate froze abruptly, his hands still upraised to fight and his features twisted into a rictus of rage. Lan’ara could feel his fury, now muted by the field, but most definitely still there. But at least now the intensely negative emotion wasn’t being shoved down her throat like a river of lava.
“Are you all right?” Davrik rushed over and knelt beside her, an anxious look on his face.
“I…I’m fine,” Lan’ara tried to reassure him. But the words came out in a squeezed whisper. She winced and put her fingers to her throat. “Think…my windpipe might be bruised,” she husked out.
He frowned.
“You’re damn lucky it’s not crushed! Come on—sit on the couch while I dig out my med kit.”
He got her settled on the low leather couch and Lan’ara sank gratefully into the cushions. She touched her wounded throat again and winced. There was going to be swelling and bruising for sure. She hoped that Davrik had something to heal it.
The big warrior came back shortly with a flat silver case in one hand. He popped it open and took out a small golden canister of spray.
“Here,” he said, handing it to Lan’ara. “Spray that down your throat—it should help with the swelling so your airway doesn’t shut.”
She opened her mouth and squeezed several long sprays of the stuff—which tasted faintly minty—towards the back of her mouth. To her intense relief, she could feel the medicated spray working at once. The pain lessened considerably and she was able to breathe more freely.
“Thank you,” she said. While her voice was still hoarse, at least she could now speak above a whisper.
“Here—wrap this around your throat,” Davrik said, handing her a wide, white bandage. “It should help with the bruising, though it won’t erase it completely.”
Lan’ara did as he said, wrapping the wide bandage around her throat—she wore it like a choker necklace, rather than a scarf. Once it settled against her skin, she felt a healing warmth coming from it. It was almost as soothing as the cool, minty spray, though in a different way.
“Thank you,” she said again. “I should have listened to you. I didn’t realize…” She coughed and winced at the jagged little pain it caused. “Didn’t realize how completely blind with fury he would be.”
To his credit, Davrik didn’t say “I told you so.” But he shook his head gravely as they both studied Nate’s rage-distorted features.
“He…he tried to kill me,” Lan’ara whispered, as the fact began to sink in. “If you hadn’t come back when you did—”
“He must have been through a lot—he didn’t recognize you,” Davrik said in a low voice. “You need to take him someplace that has the facilities to handle him.” He frowned. “I don’t suppose there’s anyplace like that on Yonnie Six, where Sonya was sold?”
Lan’ara shook her head.
“Yonnie Six is a planet owned and run exclusively by males and ruled by a male council called ‘The Sacred Eight.’ They buy and sell a lot of slaves—almost all female—but I don’t know that they have any special facilities for taking care of them. Especially disturbed ones, like Nate,” she added.
Davrik gave her a surprised look.
“Really? In my universe Yonnie Six is a planet owned and dominated by females who keep male slaves exclusively. “It’s ruled by a council called The Sacred Seven.’ But here you say it’s owned by males?”
Lan’ara nodded and winced as the small gesture sent a bolt of pain up her neck.
“Yes—we Kindred leave it strictly alone for that reason. Since most of us are female, it’s not a safe place.”
“No, I imagine not.” He frowned and Lan’ara knew he was thinking of his mate—of Sonya.
“Did you find out any more about where she’s located?” she asked. “From the slaver, I mean?”
He shook his head.
“Not much. All I know is that ‘The House of a Thousand Flowers’ where she was taken is located in the Pleasure District of Opulex—the capital city of Yonnie Six.” He frowned. “That’s stayed the same, at least.”
“I know you’re extremely anxious to get to Sonya—and I don’t blame you,” Lan’ara said. “But if you could drop me and Nate off at Careesa Prime, I’d really appreciate it. It’s on the way to Yonnie Six.”
“Careesa Prime?” Davrik frowned. “I don’t know if we have that planet in my universe.”
“It’s the home world of the Empath Kindred,” Lan’ara told him. “The Careesans had three males for every female so when the Kindred proposed a genetic trade, they were eager to take us up on it. It’s where we get our empathic powers.”