by Lily Anton
As if by magic, Debirs appeared beside her, disarming Krase and holding him in place as Ezon rushed forward, his hands running over her face and neck, frantically looking her over.
“I’m fine.” she insisted, a shaky hand moving to squeeze his arm. She would not cry. She would not cry.
Krase on the other hand, was as close to crying as Debirs were capable of, kneeling on the floor and pleading for understanding.
“Please, I beg of you! It was for the good of our people! The Baza were willing to-”
Leila was immediately moved behind Ezon, the commander stepping forward until he was looming over the former Chief Steward.
The once arrogant Debir curled in on himself, and it only made Ezon angrier. “You were a fool to think the Baza would ever agree to such terms!”
“Please! Your Highness, I beg-”
She heard several intakes of breath from the Debir around her, all of them giving her the distinct impression that that had been a huge no-no.
Sure enough, Ezon growled inches from Krase’s face, the Debir’s skin going unbelievably pale.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Nelo stepped forward to take a stand beside his brother. “Krase, on your feet.”
Nelo and three of his men took care of restraining their prisoner, although as they passed, she caught Ezon’s brother glancing her way, shooting her a relieved look.
She mouthed a thank you, not sure if he’d understand, but the look on her face must have said it well enough that he gently squeezed her arm as he passed.
It was hard tearing her gaze away from Krase, if only to make sure he was as far away from her as possible.
Within seconds of seeing the Baza, she had known they weren’t exactly the stick-to-their-word type so the fact that he had somehow thought they would honor whatever deal he’d made with them was unbelievable.
“Leila…”
Ezon was staring down at her now, his thumb tracing a curve under her eye as he brushed the side of her face. Just the feel of his touch had her swallowing back the landslide of emotions trying to pour out of her.
She gripped his hand, scared he’d disappear and leave her, and it was so silly and stupid but she didn’t know what she’d do if he pulled his hand away.
Her whole body was shaking, not enough to be seen but enough for him to immediately pull her towards him, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her against him as if to shield her.
Leila could feel his lips on the crown of her head. “You came.”
Ezon’s breath faltered. “Always,” he whispered, sealing the promise with a kiss to her hair.
He probably had a million things to do in terms of damage control but he stood there, a quiet, unyielding comfort, and allowed her to slowly pull away when she was ready.
“I-” she spoke, only to be cut off as he immediately twirled her around, his body jerking as he let out a pained grunt.
Ezon’s tall frame doubled-over, causing her to stumble backward to brace his weight as best she could. “Ezon?! What’s wrong?! What-”
A single red eye appeared behind him as he crumpled to the floor and almost took Leila with him.
“No!” Leila yelled, seeing the vermillion blade meant for her slide out of Ezon’s back with horrifying ease, green blood dripping from its point.
“I knew you smelled familiar, human…” he hissed, smiling and baring his teeth before his head promptly exploded, and what was left of his body dropped to the ground.
“Ezon!” Leila fell to her knees, trying to hold him upright as Debirs rushed them from all sides.
His breathing was ragged and wet, a trail of green dribbling down the side of his mouth.
“Stay with me, okay?” she pleaded, trying to keep him conscious and ignoring how his skin grew paler and his eyes struggled to stay open.
Anger burned hot within her now. It would not end this way. She could not fucking lose him.
“You are not allowed to leave me,” she hissed, tears rolling down her face.
He kept trying to say something, and it was as if she had been stabbed along with him as he tried to reach for her before his arm fell limp by his side.
Someone was speaking next to her, and it wasn’t until she felt herself being pulled away from him that she realized they were trying to separate them. She attempted to shrug out of their grasp to no avail, refusing to leave him.
“Come,” someone said softly beside her. Leila wanted to tell them to fuck off, and how could they sound so calm when Ezon was being rolled over onto his stomach, a flurry of activity around him.
She knew she was in the way and that her desire to be with him was selfish right now, but she couldn’t move.
What scared her more than anything was the melody in her head was dimming and she refused to think about what that meant.
“Leila…” An arm was gently wrapping itself around her shoulders and she looked up at the familiar voice.
Atens was kneeling beside her, trying to coax her to get up.
“They will take care of him,” he assured, helping her rise to her feet and keeping up a steady stream of comforting words as they watched someone they both cared for be placed on a hover stretcher and swiftly moved out of sight.
“He’s a stubborn one.” Atens walked her slowly in the same direction.
Leila could only nod, the Calling in her head weak, but still present. It was the only thing she had to hold on to.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ezon
Ezon’s eyes opened slowly; not with the heavy lids of sleep, but with forced effort of misuse.
He was familiar with the feeling, and while rare, it was borne of being unconscious for long stretches of time. It was luck he had less than a handful of experiences to compare it to.
Attempts to remember when he’d last been conscious were met with heavy resistance, and so he chose to analyze his current situation. With his eyes slowly adjusting, he realized several things: first, that the lightsource in the room was emitting a pink glow that barely illuminated his surroundings; second, the ceiling -with its intricate moulding throughout- was extremely familiar; and third, he was undeniably thirsty.
The sound of padded footsteps coming closer had him stirring, and the weight that had been covering his body revealed itself to be a thick comforter that he tried to push away.
Lifting his hand took much more effort than it should have, and the footsteps sounded hurried as they came closer.
“Ezon?”
The sound of Leila’s voice was a welcome relief to his ears. As if by magic, the cool feel of her hand on his face caused a pleased hum to escape his lips, only for it to crack as he began to cough. The action quickly made him realize there was soreness in his lower back, making him wince in displeasure.
A glass with a straw was being lifted towards his lips, Leila holding it in one hand while her other gently tried to lift his head. His desire to speak with her was only beaten by his need for water, and he attempted to do as instructed when she warned him to simply take small sips for now.
Somehow he managed to take just enough sips to get his mouth working again, although it was a struggle not to down the whole glass and ask for more.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice husky from disuse.
Ezon felt a warm puff of air across his face, Leila shaking her head. “I’m fine. I should be asking you that. How do you feel?”
The memories did not slam into him like most would be led to believe; instead, they came in fragments: bits and pieces floating to the surface. The Baza, the weapon that had been aimed at Leila, the sound of her voice fading as he struggled not to collapse. It was interspersed with quiet murmurings of people talking around him, the sounds of countless scans, Nelo speaking to him about something and being unable to respond in any way. For some reason even his parent’s voices became part of his jumbled recollection.
“Ezon...you still with me?”
He hummed in sleepy acknowledgement, realizing hi
s eyes had closed of their own accord. How could he be so tired when he had just woken up?
“Sleep with me,” he murmured. Perhaps this was all just a dream?
His last thought was of the warmth he felt stir within him as he sensed her presence beside him; a small hand coming to rest on his chest. There was no more perfect a way to be lulled back to blissful nothingness.
∆∆∆
The next time he opened his eyes it was to sunlight streaming through the large beveled windows off to his side, one of them slightly ajar allowing the sounds of bird song into the ornately decorated space.
His mind was much quicker to catch up with his current situation now, and it didn’t take any guesswork to know he had been brought back to Debiraan and was within the confines of his wing of the royal palace. While momentarily surprised to find himself home, he was very much aware of the fact that he would not be here unless his injury had been severe.
Based on the way the sun’s rays filtered the room, Ezon knew it was early morning, the light tinted softly by the few colored glass panes set into the windows.
The warmth by his side stirred, and despite being burrowed underneath the covers, he couldn’t help but peel them back so he could confirm with his own eyes whose body was against his.
Leila’s smaller form was tucked in beside him, and he could not stop himself from carding his fingers through her hair, watching her quiet breaths as she remained peacefully asleep. Now that he was more aware of his surroundings, the Calling was almost incessant with its pull, and the fact that she was here, on his planet and in his home, was more than he could have ever wished for.
As if sensing his thoughts, she stirred again, her arm sliding lower on his abdomen. He sucked in a breath, feeling himself stirring beneath the sheets, his body wishing her hand went lower. Unfortunately, it also made him acutely aware of the fact that his body had other needs at the moment.
Reluctant to leave the warm confines of his bed, he pushed himself to do so, frustrated when he had to force himself to take his time and ensure he was able to stand and walk without difficulty.
He spotted a large glass of water and immediately gulped it down despite knowing it was not wise to do so, and it only made him more aware of how sickly his mouth tasted.
Considering the size of his bedroom, the number of steps needed to reach his destination were daunting, but he somehow managed to shuffle over without the need to rest, taking his time to see to his body’s needs, including a thorough cleaning of his teeth and mouth.
The mirror revealed a slightly paler grey complexion than was normal, although his skin seemed unmarred by any injury. The stab wound he’d received on his back could not be felt as he ran a hand behind him, although he knew the effort it had taken to ensure there’d been no evidence of having been hurt at all.
He had no idea how long he had been unconscious for; certainly a few days at least considering the trip back to Debiraan, and a bath seemed very tempting, but Leila’s sleeping form called to him.
After a couple of minutes, he braced himself for the return trip.
Despite the smooth stone floor beneath his feet, he stumbled halfway back to bed, bracing himself for the embarrassing impact, but none came. Arms that were somehow stronger than they looked helped him stay upright, Leila slowly helping him back to bed.
“You should have woken me up,” she gently admonished, standing in front of him now that he was seated.
They were near eye-level this way, and it gave him a chance to take in her appearance. The light cascaded softly around her form, her disheveled appearance endearing and soft as she stood there in one of his shirts once again.
Seeing her like this once more...he was powerless to stop himself from reaching out to her, hiding his pleased surprise as she willingly allowed herself to be pulled towards him, her hands resting on his bare shoulders.
And then, because he could, he wrapped his arms around her body and nuzzled her neck, inhaling audibly and savouring her scent. The press of her against his chest had him growling appreciatively.
Apparently there was nothing like almost dying to make one forget about boundaries. Although, from the way he felt her shudder in his arms, she clearly felt the same.
Ezon slowly slipped his hands underneath her (or rather, ‘his’) shirt, pulling his head back to look at her as he did so. He sensed her hesitation and paused, the smooth expanse of skin underneath the flat of hand a treasured feeling.
Leila looked uncertain even though he could smell her growing arousal but he immediately moved to withdraw his hands.
“I apologize, I did not-”
She shook her head quickly. “No, it’s not that. I just…” Her words stuck in her throat, and Ezon was helpless as she took in a shaking breath. “You almost died…”
Ezon’s heart lurched in his chest at the obvious anguish in her voice. He never wished to cause her any pain. “I am here.”
“I know, but...it was bad…” she whispered. “It’s been almost a week that you’ve been unconscious. They kept saying it would take time but I-”
Her whole body was shaking now, and the need to protect struck him hard and fierce. Despite the countless questions he had, his priority was her and he only had one question for her.
“I am here,” he repeated softly. “And so are you it seems…”
Leila nodded, her head leaning against his shoulder. “I could have gone back with the others but I couldn’t leave you...I just...couldn’t.”
Ezon kissed her neck. “Thank you...for staying.”
She huffed a warm laugh against his skin. “Thank you for not dying.”
To have her here in his arms made everything that had happened merely a stepping stone to this moment. The Calling was strong now, and he knew that she could feel it too.
“We barely know each other…” He heard her whisper, obviously having similar thoughts running through her own mind.
“I know.”
“I’m...You’re royalty here…” she argued softly, drawing his attention more as he leaned back again.
Did that concern her? He had not thought to tell her beforehand. It had always been a very clear underlying rule on the ship among his people: he was Commander Ezon, a title he had earned. Unlike the title of Prince, which was never to be used or acknowledged on board.
“I apologize for not making that known to you…”
Leila gently caressed his nose with her own, an action that was more impactful than anything else she could have done in that moment. “Please don’t apologize for that. That doesn’t matter...I just, despite the Calling...I want it to be a choice…”
The thought of the drastic difference in their lifespans came to mind, one that he was not sure she was aware of. No matter how much this was no longer a choice for him, he would not take away hers. “As a Debir...we have very long lives…”
His eyes widened as she nodded. She knew?
“It’s one of the first things I found out about your people...and I...it didn’t make sense how it would be fair for this Calling to think us perfect…” she trailed off, laughing at herself. “I’m sorry. This is not the time for me to be saying any of this. I’m just happy you’re alive and up, and we should probably let Nelo and your parents know that-”
“My parents.” Ezon wasn’t sure why he hadn’t put things together. “You’ve met my parents.”
Of course she had; she was here in the palace. The thought was rather horrifying. Not because he thought they wouldn’t like her. Oh no, it was worse than that…
“Please do not tell me they started planning a joining ceremony…” He groaned in embarrassment at her hesitation to answer, but spotted the faint smirk on her lips. “I apologize on their behalf.”
Leila chuckled. “I like your parents. I’m not sure what I expected but they have been more welcoming than I ever thought they would be. Elzi has been especially good at forcing me outside.”
Ezon’s head snapped up. Of course his mot
her was attempting to make a connection with her potential daughter-in-bond. His father was probably being even more embarrassing.
“Do not let them push you into-”
