“Rose?”
Am I imagining voices right now?This is impossible. But then I hear footsteps approaching rapidly, and with enormous effort, I turn my head to look up.
Caspian the robot stands above me, his perfect features etched with concern in the dim light.
CHAPTER SIX
ROSE
Caspian drops to one knee beside me, his hand hovering over my injured shoulder.
“Rose,” he says again, his voice unnaturally soft and deep at the same time. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
A hysterical laugh bubbles up through my tears.
“My shoulder,” I whisper. “I think it’s dislocated. It hurts so bad. Carjackers took my car and threw me out.”
His expression darkens, something fierce and protective flashing across his face. Without warning, he slides one arm beneath my knees and the other carefully behind my back, avoiding my injured shoulder.
“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he says, his voice dropping to a growl that sounds almost...angry? How is that possible?
Before I can protest, he lifts me as if I weigh nothing, rising to his feet in one smooth motion. Even through my pain, I’m shocked by the impossible strength in his movements, like I weighed nothing at all.
The shift in position sends fresh agony through my shoulder, and I cry out, unable to contain it. “God, it feels like fire. It’s burning me from the inside.”
“I know,” Caspian says, his voice gentler now. “The hospital isn’t far. Do you remember what the carjackers looked like?”
“Not really, it was all a blur,” I gasp.
He begins running with me cradled against his chest. His stride is smooth and steady despite how fast he’s running, which doesn’t jostle my shoulder at all. Each breath he takes sounds perfectly measured, rhythmic in a way that seems calculated rather than natural. His chest is solid beneath my cheek, radiating warmth that seeps into my cold skin.
“They will pay. I will find a way to find them.”
“How did you find me?” I ask the question, pushing through the fog of pain. “How did you know where I was?”
Caspian doesn’t break his stride as he answers, “I wanted to check on you. After what happened with Daniel, I was concerned.”
His explanation makes no sense. Caspian is Daniel’s robot, Daniel’s property. He should be at home, taking care of Daniel’s needs, not running through the night with me in his arms.
“But why?” I press, my voice weak. “You belong to Daniel.”
Something shifts in Caspian’s expression. There’s a tightening around his eyes, a subtle change I might have missed if I weren’t pressed so close to him.
“My primary function is to ensure the well-being of household members,” he says after a pause. “You are still a household member, regardless of your current physical location.”
It sounds like a programmed response, the kind of thing a robot would say. But there’s an undercurrent to his words that feels too personal, too charged with emotion to be purely algorithmic.
His breathing doesn’t change despite the exertion of carrying me while running. It remains steady and even, almost too perfect. I can feel the rise and fall of his chest against my side,the simulation of human breathing. It’s strangely comforting even though it’s a useless function for a machine.
The hard planes of his chest press against me as he runs, his muscles shifting beneath his clothing with each step. I’ve never been this close to him before, never had the chance to really feel the inhuman perfection of his design.
His skin, where my fingers grip his shoulder, feels warm and slightly textured. I can’t even tell the difference between him and a human.
None of this makes sense. Did Daniel program his humanoid robot to watch me? Why does Caspian seem so genuinely concerned about me?
These questions swirl in my mind, but the pain in my shoulder makes it impossible to focus on any of them for long. Each heartbeat sends another wave of agony through the joint.
I press my face against Caspian’s chest, trying to ground myself against the pain.
