by Cheree Alsop
As if on command, the door on the other side of the chamber flew open. Ludow and a man as wide as he was tall hurried through. When Ludow saw Liora kneeling in front of the woman, rage twisted his features.
“That was your fault, heathen!” he shouted. “You brought them here!”
Liora didn’t have the strength left to protest. The thought of the effort it would take to rise back to her feet to defend herself was exhausting enough. Her chin fell forward to her chest as the purple-skinned man continued to vent.
“You endangered everyone on the Council!” he shouted as he charged across the room. “Because of you, many are dead!”
He hit Liora with the strength of a raging Calypsan. She landed on her battered back on the white carpet. The pain stole her breath. She opened her eyes just enough to see Ludow’s thick fist barreling toward her face.
“Stop.”
Liora had no idea how the woman’s soft voice could halt an attack of such wrath, yet the beefy purple hand stopped millimeters from her jaw.
“She saved my life.”
Liora’s gaze shifted to the silver-haired woman. The medic, Susa, was busy checking the woman’s wounds to assess which he should work on first. It was clear by his tightly clenched jaw that he had not been prepared to find her in such a condition.
The woman’s eyes didn’t leave Liora’s face.
“Help her up.”
Liora wanted to say that she would rather keep lying on the soft carpet, but Ludow grabbed her arm and yanked her roughly to her feet. Liora’s knees gave out and she sank back down, her back hunched so that her elbows rested on her knees and her head on the backs of her bloody arms. She knew the position should hurt with her wounds, but instead she felt only exhaustion as the remainder of her strength seeped from her limbs.
“She’s sliced to ribbons.”
The horror in the woman’s voice made Liora want to hide her mangled carcass, but she couldn’t move.
“Susa, help her before she dies in my chambers. Whatever care you would give to me, give to her.”
“Your Grace, you are bleeding and—”
The woman spoke the first harsh words Liora had heard depart her lips. “Her life is worth more than a few scars on my skin. Help her or I’ll turn you out to the mercy of the Ketulans.”
“She has another medic.” Ludow spoke with a hint of shame that echoed in the cavern of Liora’s thoughts.
“Who?” the woman demanded.
“Rist; he’s a Creetian.”
“Get him,” the woman replied. “The more help she has, the better.”
Liora settled into a numb haze that cradled her until it was broken by the sound of her brother’s voice.
“Where is she?”
“Do not approach Her Grace,” Ludow commanded.
“Liora’s my sister!” Brandis shouted.
“Let him pass,” the woman’s soft voice replied.
Hands touched Liora’s shoulders. She wondered when she had been helped to her stomach. The cloth that had been spread across her back was lifted.
“It’s so much worse.” Rist’s tone was one of sorrow.
“You knew about this?” Brandis demanded.
“Her back was sliced before, but nothing like this,” Rist replied.
Liora opened her eyes just enough to see his webbed fingers open and close with helplessness as though he didn’t know where to start.
She let out an accepting breath. Pain was inevitable. It hadn’t killed her before, as much as she would have welcomed it. She would choose to endure it again.
“Start from the outside and work your way in.”
Brandis crouched next to Liora. “I-I’m not sure what to do. There’s so much blood.” His voice broke when he said, “Liora, you saved everyone in there.”
“After endangering them in the first place,” Ludow replied.
“General Ludow, you are relieved of your duties.”
Silence fell across the room at the sound of the woman’s voice.
“B-but Your Grace. You need protection. I can’t leave you alone with this…this…miscreant. What if—”
“General, now.”
The counterbalance of her soft words made his sound abnormally loud as his argument died away. A moment later, Liora heard the slow drag of his feet to the door. It closed behind him to leave the atmosphere in the room a bit lighter.
“Susa, Rist, do whatever Liora needs. My quarters are yours to use. Please make her as comfortable as possible.” The woman paused. There was a question in her voice. It lingered in the air.
Liora realized at that moment how truly bad her wounds were. The woman wasn’t sure if she could survive them. The hands that worked quickly on her back were merely placing bandages instead of stitching the huge shreds of skin.
“I’m not sure what to do.” Brandis’ words were filled with heartbreak. “She came for me.”
“You said she is strong.” The lilting voice matched Rist’s accent. Liora pictured Malie standing beside her brother in the white chamber.
She could let go. Brandis had someone. Live together or die together. Tariq had promised her he wouldn’t leave her, yet he had. The pain in her heart matched the throbbing ache of her back. It made it hard to breathe, and she debated whether she should just give in to the promise of sweet release.
Die, little Damaclan. Just let go. Run away. Leave this Macrocosm to those who know what to do with it.
Liora’s heart stuttered and her breath caught. She pushed, daring to use what little strength she had.
Who are you?
Laughter filled her mind. It was dark and she felt tainted for feeling it.
You’re so busy fighting mere insects that you don’t know who the real enemy is. Go to sleep, Liora, darling. Let go of the pain. Forget about love and loss, put away memory and what you thought was joy. Clear the way for me, for with you gone there is no one else to bar the way.
An image flashed in her mind. It showed planets being blasted apart, galaxies filled with exploding stars. The screams of trillions filled her thoughts with deafening terror.
Give in, Liora. You’ve been through too much. Follow your love to the beyond. Let the Macrocosm fend for itself. Let go, weary warrior. Give up.
The voice was filled with sarcastic tenderness. The words taunted her, mocking her weakness, knowing how close she was to slipping away.
I won’t, she replied.
The humor in the voice deepened and carried with it a challenge.
You think you can survive this? I’ve seen less than this take far stronger warriors than you. Your mother, for example.
That caught Liora’s attention.
You know nothing about my mother, she shot back.
Did your Damaclan mother tell you about your abilities? Did she warn you about the consequences of unbalancing the Cosmos? Liora, dear, your birth caused far more than Obruo’s justified hatred. You made a rift, a stone dropped in a pond, a beam, rocks on one end and the other in the air. The balance must be attained.
I don’t have that impact on the Macrocosm, Liora said. The conversation was taking its toll. She could feel her thoughts blurring. It took a great effort to concentrate on what was said.
Tell yourself that, innocent girl. Give up now and fade away in naive belief if it makes things easier on you.
He was mocking her again. He was egging her on, making her use her precious strength.
Liora was done with games.
I will find you, she vowed. I will find you and I will stop you.
His laughter filled her mind again. I will be waiting.
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, d
rawn to the core where the cold took over from the heat and all sound faded away in the muffled deep.
***
The moment awareness came back to Liora, she knew the price she had paid to be there. Every breath pulled at the skin on her back. Each movement, no matter how small, sent answering pain through the seared flesh. Air caught in her throat and she sucked in a gasp. A groan escaped her lips at the agony that followed.
“You’re on a long road to recovery. They say it’s amazing you’ve survived this far. I told them they don’t know my sister very well.”
Liora opened her eyes to see Brandis sitting next to her bed. The room looked familiar. She lay face-down on the bed in the silver-haired woman’s quarters. Liora noticed the white carpet had been covered, no doubt to hide the fact that it was soaked in her blood which probably didn’t wash out well.
Brandis caught her questioning look. “She gave you her quarters before she left. She said it was to let you have the time you needed to recover.”
The thought that the silver-haired woman was gone bothered Liora. She formed the words, but her mouth was too dry to ask the question she wanted to.
Brandis grabbed a cup from the table and held the straw to Liora’s lips.
As thirsty as she was, she could barely drink two swallows before her throat refused to take anymore.
“W-who is she?” she asked.
Brandis shook his head. “I don’t know, and neither does Dad. Everyone here calls her ‘The Grace’, or ‘Her Grace’, but no name or anything. Nobody can even tell me why she’s a ‘Grace’ or what that even means.”
His words caught Liora’s attention. “Dad?”
Brandis nodded. “He’s worried about you, Liora. He wanted to come here, but I told him there was nothing he could do.” He paused, then said, “I hope that was alright. Would you have preferred him to be here?”
She shook her head. The movement hurt her back. She closed her eyes and reminded herself not to move at all. It wasn’t something she was used to.
“I should let you rest,” Brandis said, his voice filled with compassion. “I just didn’t want you to wake up alone in a strange place.”
That touched Liora. She opened her eyes and said, “Thank you, Brandis.”
He smiled in reply and took a step toward the door, then paused. “Um, Liora?”
