Afternoon light wafted in the open window, carrying with it the sounds and smells of nature as well as the faint whispers of male voices somewhere near. Ella opened her eyes, cognizant enough from her nap to remembernotto stretch as was her usual instinct. Instead, she lay still.
It felt totally wrong, but as she became aware of her body’s various pains once more as she fully woke, the decision was an easy one to abide.
She had initially been sliding in and out of consciousness as her body fought to mend. To survive. But she was past the worst of it. Ella would live. Now she simply had to deal with the next ordeal on her very short list.
She had to fight off the excruciating boredom of bedrest.
A number of men came to care for her, checking in throughout the day. No women, though. And the men tended to talkather, nottoher. As if she was some sort of object rather than a person. Treating her as not just another patient, but almost something less, if that made sense. She had no idea why, but that was what it felt like, and, frankly, it kind of gave her the ick.
But while others came and went from morning to night, it was the man who had saved her who was her lone constant.
Draikis fed her. He wiped her lips if she struggled to swallow a drink. He patiently sat with her when she sobbed, overwhelmed by the incredible stress of the whole situation, gently stroking her hair and speaking quietly, or just sitting still and listening silently if he sensed that was what she needed. Somehow, he seemed to intuitively know what she wanted. A man who actually paid attention.
The medical professionals among the staff handled the changing of dressings, and Draikis, though he’d seen every inch of her when he rescued her from the crashed ship, her clothing burned away in the conflagration, nevertheless turned away when they did, averting his male gaze if not outright leaving the room.
It all led to Ella developing a level of comfort with him that she found surprising. He was safe. Kind. And, much to her delight given the many hours they were now spending in each other’s company, he was a lovely person to just sit and talk to about all manner of things.
Things Ella found amazing. Amazing and informative.
Some were also potentially deadly.
Even in her diminished state, she realized that if she didn’t watch what she said, she might find herself in an even worse predicament, crazy as it might sound. He was no ordinary man, and this Norvalian Brotherhood of the High Dotharian Sect was not just some random group of alien men living in a compound. They were apparently part of a kind of interstellar order that ruled not just worlds but solar systems. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. And while each society was different, all of them followed the same core tenets of their ruling body.
The Dotharian Conglomerate.
Their laws. Core to them all, the runes that all citizens within their realm were required to possess by law. Faking confusion from the trauma of her accident, Ella had managed to play up a fuzziness of mind, then “remember” things, with the help of her handsome caregiver.
“Of course. The runes. Right. On the body. And, uh, my skin was so burned that there’s no trace of them on me?” Ella asked, feigning concern though she already knew the answer.
“I’m afraid not. I know this will be difficult to hear, but not even your Infala remains. Only the translation rune behind your ear, though it was damaged as well.”
“They won’t kill me, will they? The Dotharians, I mean,” she asked, genuine fear in her question, no acting required.
Draikis had mentioned in passing far too casually that failure to have the required runes was a capital offense. This was a non-negotiable among their kind. But as a human, she obviously didn’t have them, though she wasn’t about to tell him that. She knew better than to call any attention to her otherness.
His silver eyes sparkled at her worry, and he gently rested his hand on hers. “Ella, this was not your doing. Your violent arrival was witnessed not only by me, but other brothers in the order as well. You were the victim of a terrible crash. That you survived the flames in and of itself is a miracle, and you will not face repercussions. Rest easy, I will vouch for the origin, severity, and nature of your injuries. The incident robbed you of your runes against your will. You will not be punished for that.
Ella had to look away a moment as the realization that he’d seen her body in its entirety, quite naked, though also suffering what must have been horrifying-looking burns, hit her again. Sure, she knew already, but it was still such an odd thing. This unbelievably handsome man. Thisalien. He’d seen more of her than some boyfriends, but, incredibly, he never once seemed flustered by it. Even on the occasions when he was asked by themedical team to help change a dressing or two. No gawking. No lingering stares. Just kind, professional hands hard at work.
“I am impressed by your stoic reaction to the loss of your runes. Not many would handle it as well as you.”
“Life happens. We can make all the plans we want, but in the end, we’re just leaves in the wind, right? No sense getting upset over things we can’t change.”
“Well said. Your situation is odd, though.”
“How so?”
“I would have expected to find at least some trace of your runes even with the burns. Most unusual. What sort of pigment was used?”
“Oh, just the standard stuff. I can’t think of the exact kind right now.”
“Really?”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’ve been through a lot. How is the pain?”
“Manageable. My skin is itching like hell though.”
