He made another incision, and the tissue split apart in an upside-down V.
“Because of our past, we are now able to cure most diseases and failures in the body with the right tools.”
Lafontaine gave the artery a delicate push, revealing three flaps, oddly discolored and refusing to close all the way. Blood, Nik knew, should only flow in one direction, but this little breakage allowed it to trickle backward. As Lafontaine had said, it looked like rot.
Lafontaine connected two tubes from the machine to the body. Next, he pressed a needle into the meat of the heart. Clear fluid flushed into the muscle, and it beat slower, and slower, and slower… until it stopped.
The machine awoke, keeping the patient alive.
Lafontaine sliced the deteriorated bits out of the valve.
The whole thing was… beautiful.
Elara had moved this way last night. Maybe not in grace, but in determination and focus.
“It is like painting, no?” Lafontaine glanced over the glasses that magnified his vision. “With a few tools, I will help give this woman a new lease on life.”
Lafontaine used forceps to pick up a polished white circle. He placed it in the aortic tube, then used a minuscule needle to sew it in place.
“It is a delicate balance, Nikolas. One wrong move, a singular cut or poke of the needle in exactly the wrong place, and our patient dies.”
In one swift jab, Lafontaine punctured the heart, leaving the needle embedded.
Nik jolted only to find Lafontaine staring up at him, all gentleness gone.
“Your chefcannotupset that balance,” Lafontaine warned.
Shame flooded his spine like ice. He was afoolto let his guard down. To believe that Lafontaine would ever show mercy or an interest in Nik’s future. This was another lesson, one where lives were at risk.Elara’slife was at risk.
“She didn’t know what she was doing,” Nik said quietly.
“Then she is more dangerous for it. Imagine if I had no idea what I was doing now.” He plucked the needle out and slammed it back in. The machine whirred louder. “Does that excuse the damage I’ve caused?”
“No,” Nik sputtered. “No. No. Of course not.”
“Then there are no excuses for Auclair. Keep her subdued.”
If he told his father about Elara now, what would he do? Would he kill her and be done with it? Would he send Nik back to the Restes with nothing?
He couldn’t risk it.
But there had to be more to life than this. More than submitting.
“Couldn’t you use her power?” he blurted. “Her spirit?”
“I thought the same of Plouffe, but her death only shows to the elite that Restes and rebels can’t be trusted.” Lafontaine reached for anothertool. “And what kind of message does it send to the Restes if one of their own could be so powerful?”
“They’d want to follow her,” he replied dully. “But isn’t that what we want? To level the playing field for them?”
“We make themfeelequal, Nikolas! That doesn’t mean theyare!”
This wasnotwhat they’d agreed upon when this journey began. Lafontaine was meant to establish himself as Grand Souverain so he could make changes to keep the peace in the Restes. He was meant to be an ally, not… whatever this was.
Nik had been too much like his softhearted mother. He’d followed along the same path without question, forgetting he could change direction whenever he wanted. He just had to make a different choice.
“This is what it takes to keep Anespérer safe.” Lafontaine motioned to the body clinging to life. “If I brought this unfortunate soul back right now, the valvewouldwork, but those cuts? They would bleed, the heart would contract, and in seconds she would die.Thisis what’s happening in the Restes. Now, imagine if they had a fraction of Auclair’s power. There would be no peace,” he spat. “There would be anarchy and death.”
It was true. The pieces were already falling into place, and his father would soon ignite the city into full panic with his lies about Plouffe’s death.
