Page 43 of Forge the Blade

Lisa sagged, as if all his strings were cut. His arms came in, close to his ribs, almost covering himself. “You shouldn’t have been kind, master, just to send me back. You broke me. You woke me, and broke me, and then you sent me back.”

Alexi leaned forward, tears in his own eyes. He wiped the moisture from Lisa’s cheeks. “My precious boy, my wild fox.”

Lisa flinched, but he stayed where he was.

“Why attack Jonathan?” Alexi coaxed.

Lisa closed his eyes. “You said I was yours. But then you gave me to Master Sevastyan, and then . . .” Lisa ran out of words. He swayed.

“Did he eat or drink anything last night?” Sevastyan murmured. The picture was coming and it had all the texture of a jagged wound.

“I had Jonathan put water and food down,” Alexi whispered. He sat up straighter and cupped Lisa’s chin again. “Did you eat or drink, little fox?”

Lisa gave Alexi a look of pure loathing.

“Medication?” Sevastyan murmured.

“Answer.” Alexi held Lisa’s chin firmly.

Lisa cast a glance towards Sevastyan. “How could I?” He swayed, his ribs hitting Alexi’s knee. For a moment, his eyes went wide with pain and then they unfocused.

“Alexi,” Sevastyan said sharply, as Lisa went weak, his head falling forward and legs giving out. Alexi caught Lisa’s falling body and got him to the floor.

He blinked up at Alexi, eyes glassy. “Hate you. Made me love you. Hate . . .”

His eyes closed, his frame going loose and slack in what could only be a faint.

“I can get IV liquids,” Sevastyan said into the silence.

“Jonathan!” Alexi called.

His assistant appeared, carrying coffee. “Sir?”

“Did you give Lisa food and water last night?”

“Yes, sir. I put it in a bowl, because he didn’t have his hands. He didn’t want me to hand feed him.”

“And was the bowl empty after?”

“Yes, sir.”

Alexi stared at Jonathan a long time, then sighed. “You’re fortunate that I’ve been trusting you with my slaves for so long. He must have gotten rid of it. What about his medication?”

“It was in the bowl.”

Alexi grimaced. He looked down at Lisa and back at Sevastyan, switching to English again. “I should take him back to Russia. We’ll have to start over at the beginning. Something happened in Morocco, something more than what he’s saying.”

Sevastyan looked down at Lisa. There was a place to which the conversation needed to move. The question was whether or not Alexi’s pride would get tangled up. “You didn’t make him a slave, Alexi. You made him yours, your pet.”

Alexi sighed, shoulders slumping. “Like a dog that’s only tame for one hand.”

Sevastyan nodded.

Between them, on the floor. Lisa stirred. He pulled himself to his knees still swaying, but he turned to face Alexi and dropped into a full bow, forehead to the floor between Alexi’s feet, palms flat on the carpet.

“Jonathan, water,” Alexi ordered.

Jonathan hurried in with a cup. Alexi nudged Lisa upright and held the water to his mouth. Lisa took it, swallowing dutifully until it was half gone.