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Once I have her settled on the bed, I withdraw the vial of Haxinth from my pocket and show her. “This will make you fall into a deep sleep. You will not feel a thing,” I assure her. “Do you trust me, lilapetal?”
She nods and her eyes grow teary again. Her fingers wrap around my wrist, gripping me tightly despite her overall weakness. “Calix…” Her nose turns pink and she sniffles. “There’s something you should know.”
I pull her grip from my wrist and bring her palm to my chest. “I know, my mate. My heart beats for you as yours does mine. It will continue to beat, in unison, for many revolutions to come. This solar, you will remain by my side. Just like every solar from here on out.”
“Oh, Calix,” she chokes out. “That’s a declaration of love if I’ve ever heard one. I love you too. But…”
I frown at her words. “What is it, Emery?”
“There are things you don’t know about me. Things I need you to know. It’s unfair to you.”
“Go on,” I urge. “Whatever it is, I am sure it is fine.”
She closes her eyes and squeezes out a couple of tears. “That ship…the one we were taken from…”
“Yes?”
“I remember. I know why I was there. I was a prisoner,” she whispers. “I…I wasn’t kidnapped. It was legitimate.” A sob escapes her. “Calix, I’m a criminal. Aria, the others, we’re all criminals.”
I search my knowledge bank for the meaning of her words. “Clarify.”
“I’m not sure what the other girls were there for, but me…I was there because I’m a thief.” She lets out a ragged sigh that has me worrying over her lungs. “I stole valuable items from my employer so I could sell them for money. It was wrong, but my medical bills were piling up. And I needed my medications.” She swipes away her tears. “I was to do fifteen years, er fifteen revolutions, on a prison planet. Behind bars. Like in one of your reform cells.”
It all clicks into place and anger swells up inside me. The sub-bones in my spine crack as I rise to my full, intimidating height. She shrinks away from me, curling into herself on the bed.
“How dare they,” I snarl.
She blinks at me in confusion. “W-What?”
“How dare they imprison you for trying to extend your life? Where was their compassion?” I curl my lip up in disgust. “This planet you aliens came from is despicable. It was written in the stars that you ended up here. Where you are safe from those beasts.”
A crazed giggle erupts from her. “Y-You’re not disgusted with me?”
Leaning forward, I brush away some hair from her face with my claws. “Never. You are the most beautiful and precious thing in this universe. And you are mine.”
We kiss once more and then I regretfully break away from her to call Lox back in. He assists me in attaching many different machines to her to monitor her vitals. I ready a needle with the Haxinth.
“I love you, Calix,” Emery whispers. “Always remember that.”
I hear the finality in her voice. She is not dying this solar.
“I love you, my mate. Sleep now. I will see you soon.”
She nods and I waste no time administering the Haxinth. Her eyes grow heavy and then she is asleep a few moments later.
Lox and I move quickly. He suits up in a protective layer before dragging the table over to where she lies still. Living corpse. I despise that description, but it is fitting. Besides her breathing, she remains unmoving. It reminds me of when she was in the pod sleeping for all those solars before Aria woke her.
“You make the incision when I say,” I instruct Lox. “I will ready the surgical bot.”
His nog bobs wildly. “Yes, Phalix.”
“Calix,” I correct.
He ignores me and I let out a frustrated breath of air. It is a real possibility that I may need to kick him out of the room and do it all by myself. It’s what I prepared for since I didn’t expect him to be here anyway. At the first sign he cannot perform as needed, I will take that action. I will not sacrifice her health.
I sit at the surgical bot machine control panel. The notes my father made were clear and concise. I am able to easily breeze through the workings of it. The arm of the machine groans as it stretches across the room to where my living corpse lies. Through the monitor, I am awarded a close-up view of Emery.
“Draw down the gown. The incision needs to be vertical and between the breasts,” I instruct.
“I remember from last time, Phalix,” Lox grumbles, irritation in his tone.
With my face pressed against the forehead cushion, I watch with utmost clarity through the monitor as he pulls down her gown. A growl of possessiveness rumbles through me no matter how much I try to retain it. Now is not the time to worry about her virtue. Lox is only trying to help. He lifts a carpal knife and it glints under the light.
