“Protection for his runes,” the guard now at her side replied without even a glance. “The runes are sacred, and punishment must not damage them.”
“That seems a bit hypocritical.”
“How dare you,” he growled. “We are nothing of the sort.”
“But don’t you damage them by applying blocking pigment to your Infalas?”
At that the man turned to her, an angry fire in his eyes. “Do not question our ways, outsider. Now be silent and respect what my brother endures on your account.”
The first crack of the whip punctuated his words. Ella jumped. She’d been distracted by the argument with her keeper and hadn’t noticed the unassuming man who had walked to several paces behind Draikis. She was not distracted anymore.
Blow after blow landed, the whip leaving bloody gashes on her lover’s back. But Draikis somehow did not cry out. Against all odds and incredible pain, he remained unbowed. But Ella couldfeelhis body react. His agony. It wasn’t as intense as when their pleasure merged, but their connection was as strong as ever. Moreso, perhaps.
The twenty lashes took longer than expected, lasting several minutes, the crowd utterly silent for the punishment. Whether it was to afford the punished time to reflect on what they’d done wrong between blows, or to drag it out for the onlookers’ benefit was anyone’s guess. But at the end, Draikis remained standing, though Ella could feel it took most of his strength to do so. ElderSoparo stepped forward as the assistants released Draikis from his restraints.
He turned, masking the pain as best he could, his eyes searching for his love.
I’m here. I’m with you,she said silently, the message carried to him by their bond, his gaze locking on her as if drawn by a powerful magnetic force. Despite his injuries now being dressed by the aides, a smile creased his lips, confusing his punishers, but warming his partner’s heart beyond measure. He was going to be okay.
Elder Soparo stepped forward to address the crowd. “As prescribed, the punishment has been administered. Brother Draikis will now be returned to his cell to await the next stage of the adjudication. He and the female with whom he was engaged will be afforded the opportunity to defend themselves, as is written in?—”
“Wait! We must continue the hearings at once!”
Heads turned. There, at the back of the crowd, Totaxxis stood, a triumphant expression on his face.
“You were absent these past days, Brother,” the elder noted. “And yet now you feel you may interrupt the proceedings? You may be the head of security, but that does not grant you the clout it seems you believe it does.”
Totaxxis actually chuckled, his eyes on Ella. “Normally, I would agree, Elder. But I have an explanation for my absence, as well as my request for immediate resumption of the hearing.”
“Go on.”
Totaxxis strode toward the raised platform upon which Soparo stood. “I have been away these past days, you are correct. But the reasoning was sound. And now the results prove my actions justified.”
“Continue,” Soparo said, watching the man approach with such confidence.
“I traveled far and wide using the fastest of our vessels. I visited every Norvalian outpost, relay station, and even the Dotharian overseers of multiple sectors.”
“To what end, Totaxxis? This is highly unusual.”
“It is. But so is having an outsider in our midst.”
“You know her provenance.”
“Yes. But did any of you think to confirm her story?”
Ella felt her stomach drop.Oh, shit.
Draikis shook off his pain, flashing an angry look at the man. “What of it? She survived the Raxxians, and only barely at that.”
Totaxxis laughed. “Yes, that much is true, Brother. But the rest of her tale? It is precisely that. A tale. A fabrication.”
Draikis’s eyes darted to his mate for a split-second before returning to the accuser. “What do you mean by that?”
“What I mean is I have inquired. Extensively. I have called in favors and dug deep, and the truth of the matter is this. No one has ever heard of Earth, nor this human race. The interloper and her kind are not in the Dotharian Conglomerate.”
“Impossible! She came to us with the remnants of runes!” Draikis protested, but in his heart, he somehow always knew this was the truth.
“She was taken by Raxxians, who are known to apply translation runes to their livestock to better control them. And it does seem that others of her kind did survive, landing elsewhere on the planet, and their tales were all consistent. None possessed any other runes. The only reason this one slipped past is because of her burns. She was afforded the benefit of the doubt, which she did not deserve.”
