Chapter 17

 

A hand brushed her cheek. Liora turned toward the palm and kissed it. The scars and calluses were as familiar to her as the knives she wore. She opened her eyes and smiled up at Tariq.

“Shouldn’t you be tending to someone in the medical wing?” she teased.

He smiled down at her, his black hair hanging around his face, highlighting his light blue eyes.

“Don’t you have people to kill and battles to win?”

Liora nodded. “Always.”

Tariq chuckled and pulled her into his arms. She settled against his chest. It was her favorite place. She could hear his heart beat beneath her ear and his fingers traced soft patterns along her arm.

“Liora, they’re counting on you.”

“Who?” she asked.

The voice in the back of Liora’s mind whispered words she didn’t want to hear.

“All of them,” Tariq said. His lips brushed her hair when he spoke.

A suspicion rose in Liora’s mind no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She wanted to be right where she was, comfortable, happy, away from pain.

That thought caught her. Why did pain matter so much?

“Why do they need me?” she asked, keeping her tone light.

“Because you are you,” Tariq replied. “And that is important.”

Something about his tone brought tears to Liora’s eyes. There was a sadness there, a finality. She didn’t want to hear it.

“It’s not important,” she replied. “Nothing is except being with you.”

Tariq let out a breath that tickled her cheek. “That is the least important of all.”

Liora shook her head.

Tariq rolled gently out from under her and rose on one elbow to gaze down at her.

“Liora, look at me.”

She closed her eyes tight. A tear leaked free and slid down her cheek.

“If I don’t, can we just stay here and pretend that everything is alright?”

Tariq leaned down and kissed her cheek. He followed the tear track, erasing it with kisses softer than the wings of a Venus whisp.

“It’s time, Liora.”

“I don’t want to go back,” she replied, her voice tight.

His hand touched her cheek. “Liora, wake up.”

She shook her head.

“Liora, you’ve got to. Wake up!” he said, his voice louder.

“There’s a hole in my heart that used to be you,” she said.

She opened her eyes to see tears trailing down his cheeks.

“I know, my love. I’m so sorry.”

He looked up as though he heard something. His eyebrows pulled together and he met her gaze.

“You’ve got to go. Wake up, now!”

“Liora, wake up!”

“Come on, Liora! Don’t let go!”

Pain surfaced on every bit of Liora’s body. It brought tears to her eyes and she fought to breathe.

“Liora, wake up!”

The voice had changed from Tariq’s to that of Brandis. Desperation filled her brother’s words.

“There’s so much blood,” a softer voice said.

“We’re losing her,” a gruff voice answered.

“Liora!”

She opened her eyes. Agony filled her vision.

“Her eyes are open,” Brandis called out. “Liora!”

“Give her more blood,” Susa directed.

Pain pierced her arm. She was on her stomach on a hard table. There was pressure on her back.

“She’s losing blood as quickly as her body can take it,” Rist said. “We have to stitch the wounds.”

“There’s not enough whole flesh left to stitch together,” Susa replied.

“What other choice do we have?” Rist asked.

“Burn it.”

Silence fell over the room.

“What did you say?” Brandis asked.

Rist knelt in front of the table. “Liora?”

She saw the concern in his eyes. “Rist, you have to burn it. It’ll keep bleeding if there’s nothing to stop it.”

“You want us to burn your back?”

She nodded despite the incredulity of his expression. “I want to live.”

“There’s a compound I’ve used before in small quantities,” Susa said. He walked around the table into Liora’s view. “I’ve only had experience with it for use with smaller wounds, but there was no infection following. It’ll hurt, though.” He looked at her back. “It’ll hurt a great deal.”

Liora nodded.

“Do it.”

The silver-haired woman’s soft words spurred everyone in the room to action. Liora realized they were no long in the woman’s quarters where she had lain on the soft carpet feeling her life blood leave her body.

She was in a medical room with strange instruments hanging from the ceiling. The image reminded her of Colonel Lefkin’s torture room. Several women in gray suits rushed around. The smell of caustic chemicals tangled in Liora’s nose.

“I need everyone who doesn’t absolutely need to be here to leave the room,” Susa said. His gaze moved past Liora. “Including Your Grace.”

A gentle hand touched Liora’s head.

“Be strong, Liora, my dear. Your story still has chapters left to write.”

Liora felt her muscles relax at the woman’s soothing tones. She realized with a start that the woman was pushing at her. She lifted her head and met the woman’s gaze.

The silver-haired woman nodded as if she knew exactly what Liora was thinking.

“We’ll talk when you’re stronger,” she promised.

Liora was filled with soothing energy. She closed her eyes.

“Do you want me to stay?” Brandis asked.

As relaxed as Liora felt, she knew the next few moments were going to be a true challenge.

“I don’t need you to see this,” she replied without opening her eyes. “I’d rather see you if I make it through.”

“Are you sure?” Brandis asked. “I don’t want to leave you.”

Liora nodded and opened her eyes. “I’m sure. This is what I want”

Brandis squeezed her hand. “Fine. I will see you when you make it through.”

The door shut, leaving only Susa, Rist, and herself in the room.

“This will be the most pain you have ever experienced in your life,” Susa said. “I don’t know if your body can handle it at this point.”

“Do we have any other options?” Rist asked. There was uncertainty on his face at what they were about to do.

Liora felt a pang of empathy for the Creetian. He wasn’t even a true medic, and now here he was, about to watch her flesh be burned for the mere chance at survival. It definitely wasn’t what he had signed up for.

“None,” Susa replied. “At the rate she’s bleeding, she’ll be gone in the next few minutes.” His small eyes met hers. “I don’t know how you’re still breathing. Maybe that’s why you’re going to make it through.”

Liora knew better than to risk catching her tongue and biting it. She gritted her teeth and said through them, “Do it.”

Chemicals were mixed and the air filled with the scent of sulfur. Liora pushed away flashbacks of a red rock cavern and Tariq fighting at her side. Her back had been shredded in that dome. She wished she would have known she would leave her heart there as well.

“Here we go,” Susa said quietly.

Pain laced across Liora’s tattered back so raw and searing Liora bit her tongue regardless of her precautions. She had vowed not to scream, but the sound tore from her throat in a ragged, gasping cry. Her hands scrambled for something to hold onto.

“Hold her down!” Susa commanded.

A hand slipped into hers. She felt the scales on the back of them when she gripped it tight.

A second wave followed, then a third. Liora yelled until her voice broke, then she sobbed with gasping breaths as the smell of burned flesh filled the air.

“Stay with us,” Susa said. “Push through the shock. Don’t let it win. You’re almost through this, Liora. Don’t give up now.”

Liora’s heart stuttered. She fought to fill her lungs with air. Her nerves were on fire, blinding, raw. Another wave was poured across her back. Liora felt numbness flooding through her body. It felt as though she was pulled into the depths of Gliese again, a water planet without an end, drawn to the core where the cold took over from the heat and all sound faded away in the muffled deep.