Stolen by the Zandian - Renee Rose Page 0,22

I contradict him.

“Speak to me. What’s wrong?”

I suck in air. The world is full of static. The feel of his warm hands grounds me, and I swim back to reality. I tremble and lean into his body, trying to forget every last image in my mind.

After a few seconds, I force myself to take a slow breath. “I’m fine now.” Although the feel of his body is fortifying, I sit up straight. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We can’t get those flowers until you do.” His voice is kind but firm. “I lost you for a moment. I need to understand what happened.”

His arms are gentle around me as I process my emotions. I need those flowers; therefore, I must comply with his request. If I think of it in a dispassionate way I can tell him.

“Every inoculation I’ve ever received was a muscular numbing agent.” I don’t look at his face. Instead, I stare out at the flickers of color outside the port window. “The Kraa often did enhancements on me while I was paraylzed but not asleep. They didn't care if I felt pain because they needed me to be alert, so they could check my brain activity to see if their procedures were successful. If I’d been a good slave recently, they might add a bit of a numbing agent, but not much.”

I bite my lip. “When I saw the needle, it brought me right back there. My mind knew it was different, but my body didn’t.” My voice breaks. The panic grows again, so I take a deep breath, then another.

“I did not know.” His voice seems full of pain. “I am sorry.”

I point across the room. “I’m strong enough. I can withstand any human virus, anyway. I don’t need it.” I blink. “Please, put it out of my sight. I’ll be fine on the planet. It was a momentary panic. That is all.”

“Kailani.” He sighs. “The bacteria on this planet are different from a virus. They can still make you very ill. I’m immune to it, but if I brought it back, I could kill you.”

Chapter 6

Khrys

Veck. This complication, unexpected and intense, could prevent us from getting her flower supply before I need to get her back to Zandia. This detour alone—which may take over a solar rotation, will waste precious time in which the halflings back on Zandia get sicker. We simply don’t have time to wait even more time for her to master her panic.

But beyond that, seeing her in such distress affects me physically. Now I understand why they say humans bring out emotions in my normally stoic species. The need for me to protect her from her pain overwhelms me.

I sit on the bench and pull her down onto my lap.

“You’re stronger than you think.” I turn her, so I can look into her face. “You can do this.”

“I—I really don’t think I can.” She shakes her head. Her whole demeanor is downcast and tense.

“You’ve survived this long.” I touch her cheek. “I know you can handle one inoculation more because you’re strong. You helped us escape. You’re brilliant. You’ve got perseverance and bravery.”

She blinks, her eyes wide. “Wow. Do you really mean those things?”

“Has no being told you this before?” I curse the universe for putting this incredible human into such a horrible situation.

“I’m appreciated by the Kraa for my functionality. Not for myself.” She frowns. “I am a tool to them. I just inconveniently happen to be alive with thoughts and feelings.”

If I could, I’d kill every last Kraa that exists just to give her a sense of closure. “I meant every word.” I pause and choose my next words with care. “What if you sit here, just like this, and I give you the inoculation? You can tell me when to do it. Or you could even give it to yourself.”

She shivers but doesn’t say no. She looks again to the window, and I know what she’s thinking.

“The weather is going to turn. If we don’t get the flowers soon, the rains will come and ruin the pollen for this season. We have a very short window of opportunity.”

She sighs and looks back at me. “All right. You do it.”

“Good.” I fetch the device from the console.

Her whole body goes still as I take her back into my arms.

“I can’t look.” She clears her throat and taps her food rapidly on the smooth floor of the cabin.

“I’m readying it now. It will make a noise, and you’ll