I have to listen as they casually discuss her as if she's an animal. I have never felt so angry. I bite the inside of my cheek so strongly that my own blood fills my mouth, but I must do it to keep myself from doing something stupid.
Finally, Jin Kol nods. “Thirty minutes has passed. The review is complete. Owners may provide aftercare as specified in Section Twelve. I'll be in the library reviewing my notes."
He leaves and our father follows, murmuring something about dinner preparations.
The moment the door closes, Rafe lifts Eve carefully while I call in Dr. Veil.
“What barbarians you all are,” she admonishes us. “Move away from her so I can heal these wounds.”
"I survived,” Eve says almost proudly, and it breaks my heart.
“I’m sorry.” My hands shake as I hold her upright as Dr. Veil applies a fast-healing gel to her back.
"But I survived. And I'll survive the next one. And the next one after that." She catches my hand. "I need you to be okay with that. This isour normalnow."
“No,” Rafe says strongly. “This isnotour new normal. You endured, Eve, because you’re braver than any of us. This was all a test, aperformance, and we have given it to the galaxy and you, the star. But the galaxy has yet to see what the true cost of it was, and what you will demand, my beautiful little rebel.”
I know Eve is too tired to take in the entire meaning of Rafe’s words, but I understand. He is going to make the IGC pay for this for the rest of his life.
I already felt that kind of rage, but for him, it took him witnessing this monstrosity to understand how angry he really is, and the lengths he will now go to until he feels justice has been served. People always assume that I am the more dangerous of the two of us, but it’s actually Rafe, and it always has been.
“It was a crossing,” I say to acknowledge his statement, and he nods.
“Goddesses, help us,” Dr. Veil says, also understanding.
As I watch Dr. Veil continue to heal Eve’s wounds, I think about what my mother would say if she could see us now. In the Empire, they teach us that women temper men's violence. But what happens when the violence is mandated by law?
We have one year to change her sentence, I think as I take Eve’s small hand in mine. One year to stop this madness. And if we can’t, I will burn down the galaxy before Ieverdo this again.
“This isnotour new normal,” I say quietly to Eve as a promise.
69
AND THEN DINNER, RAFE
At dinner,Jin Kol watches Eve, making notes.
"Remarkable recovery," he observes. "The subject maintains composure despite her recent correction. Excellent training, Commander Gai."
"Thank you, Tribune. I find consistency is key."
I only half listen as my father and Jin Kol discuss her like she's an animal instead of a woman.
I tear a piece of bread from my roll, letting my hand drop to my side. Eve takes it carefully from my fingers, and something in me breaks at having to feed her under the table like this. But I'd rather break into a million pieces than let her eat pet food while I’m here.
"Such a tender gesture," Jin Kol notes. "Do you often hand-feed her?"
"When permitted," Lorian says, offering her a morsel of meat. "The behavioral guidelines suggest positive reinforcement between corrections."
"Indeed."
I pass more food down to her throughout the meal, my heart bleeding more fiercely each time her small fingers brush mine. I remind myself, she's eating, she’s alive, but I know I’m just a few more tragedies away from breaking completely and going insane. This is all too much. But if she can survive it, I must survive it too.
After the meal, Jin Kol announces, "The transport departs in five minutes. I trust the next review will show continued improvement. Thank you, Commander Gai."
I promised myself I wouldn’t cry when we said our goodbyes. I've never been one for public emotion; that's Lorian's domain. But as we walk past her, I let my fingers brush against hers, trying to communicate everything I can't say. That this was the last timethiswill ever happen now that Zira of House Serath has agreed to help. And explain how Zira is a galactic force that will change the status of humans in the galaxy.
But I don’t say anything. I can’t, because I can’t trust myself not to break down and beg her forgiveness for everything I have put her through. Lorian has his whip in the shrine to alleviate his guilt; I only have my work, and it’s not enough. Not when I see her like this, naked and collared. I did this to her. And I don’t even have the strength to tell her what I’m doing to rectify the situation. I just give her one final touch and look into her human brown eyes and hope that she understands that I am so sorry.
