Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
At last I managed to get what I wanted. I was feeling a good deal calmer as I finally pulled the plate holding the wraps out of one of the Synthesizer’s doors and went back to the sleeping chamber.
I would heal her first and we would deal with everything else afterwards.
TWENTY
ELLI
I watched Sir warily as he came back into the room. He was holding a silver plate that had what appeared to be some white bandages folded on it. I thought maybe his face looked calmer as he sat beside me on the bed and beckoned for me.
“Sit up, little one. Let me apply these healing wraps.”
I just lay there, frozen to the spot. Ever since he had told me he knew “everything” about my escape attempt, I had been wondering if I ought to hide under the bed. Only knowing that his arms were quite long enough to pull me out kept me from trying to get away.
“Well?” Sir frowned. “Are you afraid to approach me now?”
“Can you blame me?” I whispered through numb lips. “After all that stuff I just saw you do with your mind? You’re like a cross between an X-man and a Sith Lord! Of course I’m freaking scared of you.”
Sir sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, producing a scratchy sound when his fingers ran over the stubble on his jaw.
“Listen to me, little one—I don’t normally use my abilities in that fashion. I should not have done so but seeing you lying on the ground, obviously hurt, frightened and enraged me.” He shook his head. “All I could think of was getting to you…and punishing the bastard who had hurt you.” He looked at me directly. “But I would never…never use my abilities to harm you. You have my word on that.” His voice dropped to a gentler tone. “Now please…let me heal you.”
“Um…okay.” Cautiously, I sat up and scooted a little closer to him, though I wasn’t sure I should. “So…how do you do all that? I mean, manipulate things with your mind?” I asked curiously.
“It’s a talent most HighBorn Korrigans are born with,” he said. Cupping my wounded left cheek in one big hand, he looked at me with concern. “Poor little one…your sweet face…”
“I’ll be okay,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I would. If Shadrack had really cracked my cheekbone, wouldn’t I need some kind of surgery for that? I had no idea but it really hurt—the whole left side of my face was throbbing like a rotten tooth.
“You will be after I use the healing wraps on you,” Sir assured me.
Unfolding one of the white bandages from the silver plate, he began applying it delicately to my face. The bandage felt slightly damp and stuck to my skin like glue.
“Don’t play with them,” Sir ordered, when I reached up to touch the one over my cheekbone hesitantly. “They’ll fall off once they’ve done their job.”
I wondered if a bandage—even a fancy alien one—could really heal a cracked bone in my cheek—but I decided to give it a chance and see.
“Are you mad at me?” I asked instead, and then hated myself for asking. “Do you understand why I had to at least try and get away?” I amended instead, lifting my chin.
Sir gave me a level look from those full-black eyes of his.
“I understand that I shouldn’t have given you the chance. I trusted you, little one—I won’t make that mistake again.”
His words stung more than I liked. He was acting like I had betrayed him by running away when he was the one who had kidnapped me and stolen me away from my home planet!
“Listen to me,” I snapped, glaring at him. “I had to at least try to get back home. Do you have any idea how worried my mom probably is about me by now? We lost my dad suddenly—he died of a cardiac arrest—just dropped dead in our driveway when he went out to get the mail one day when I was only ten. Ever since, she needs to talk to me and my sister every single day to make sure we’re okay. You took me away from the people I love—the people who love me! And you have the nerve to be angry when I try to get back to them? I don’t think so, you gaslighting bastard!”
I was breathing hard by this time and glaring up at him.
Sir was frozen with a bandage in his hands, his eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth thin with obvious anger. For a minute I was sure he was going to strike me down with his crazy mind powers but he only shook his head and spoke in a low, terse voice.
“Do you know why I took you as my pet, little one? Because it wasn’t just for my own personal gratification or my wish to have a pet.”