by Alana Khan
“You’re getting better every day, Braxxus,” I tell him cheerfully.
Despite all my efforts, it seems obvious to me that Braxxus is dying. He’s been comatose since he’s been on board, and he doesn’t seem to be improving. Even though he’s not aware of my presence on a conscious level, I believe in my heart I’m giving him comfort on a deeper level. I spend long minutes massaging every square inch of skin that isn’t damaged. Perhaps my touch will wake up his muscles, or at least keep them from atrophying.
“I know you’ve missed your brother. Axxios is on this vessel, waiting to talk to you.”
I roll him onto his back and massage his front, paying special attention to his face and scalp. When I’m done, I turn him onto his side.
“You’re clean and relaxed. Now would be a great time to open those eyes and wake up.”
I don’t know how long he can live in this state, halfway between life and death. His body’s so debilitated, and he’s not getting any better.
When Axxios first asked me to sit with his brother, I had no idea I’d be alone in medbay with him indefinitely. Axx was desperate that I watch his twin, insistent that I be the first person he sees if he wakes up. I’m not sure why, but it seemed urgent and important to him, so I agreed.
I can’t keep sleeping in a chair near his bedside. I don’t know why I didn’t deal with this days ago. After rolling in the bed from the other exam room, I slide it next to his. It smells of sex, of Axx mixed with me, so I tear off the sheets and put on clean ones.
This room is tiny. In order for me to have full access to him from one side, I have to butt the two beds together against the far wall. My mattress barely fits under the two metal medbot arms that attach to the wall. In the middle of the night, I’ll have to remember they’re right over my head or I’ll crack my skull open. It will be worth it though, having this bed will allow me to get a decent night’s sleep from now on.
I consider asking Zar, the captain, to organize a rotation of the others so they can relieve me, but discard that idea. As angry as I am at Axx, he seemed so worried about anyone other than me and Dr. Drayke caring for his precious gem; I’ll hang in with my duties.
I found some ancient books from Aeon II that are pretty interesting. The translation program on the pad works fairly well. After grabbing a nutrition bar for dinner, I read for a while, then fall asleep.
The next morning I slide off the foot of the bed, fill Braxx’s nutrition reservoir, and turn him over before Grace brings my breakfast. She’s a pretty blonde who’s always in a happy mood lately. She’s Tyree’s truemate now. They’re such a great couple, he treats her like she’s the most important thing in his world. He looks at her the way I wish Axxios would look at me. Oh well, that ship has sailed.
“Do you want me to watch him for a while Brie? You barely leave this room.”
“That would be great. Did you have breakfast already?” She nods. “Mind hanging with me while I eat? Then I’ll go to my cabin and be back in half an hour.”
“You’ve been cooped up in here taking care of Braxxus for days. I’ll fill you in on all the gossip while you eat, then wait for you to take a shower. No rush.”
“What have we got today?” I ask, eyeing the plate she brought.
She glances at the ceiling, trying to remember the fancy name that Maddie made up for today’s breakfast. “Mornu franque and blanchette creme...or is it mornu creme and blanchette franque? I can’t remember. It’s all still mystery food to me but I especially liked the lighter-colored stuff.”
The food always tastes good. Maddie was a sous chef at Spago before she was kidnapped from Earth. And even better luck than that? She loves cooking for us. So we usually get three great meals a day, all made out of ingredients we’ve never encountered before. Maddie gives everything exotic names to help us enjoy it.
While I eat, Grace fills me in on how happy she and Tyree are. She informs me she’s planning a talent show and wonders if I have any hidden skills.
“Not unless giving massages is considered a talent,” I inform her as I take my last bite of the golden-colored mound of food that tasted a bit like curry-flavored scrambled eggs. Not my favorite thing she’s prepared, but it was better than the bars we were fed when we were all captives in the belly of this ship.
When I return an hour later, I thank Grace, then turn Braxxus one more time.
I crawl back in bed and I'm half reading, half dozing when I sense something shift. I glance over and see Braxxus is awake—and staring at me. His eyes are the same gorgeous shade of turquoise as his brother’s—they just look startlingly different set against his silver skin as opposed to his brother’s gold.
“Angel,” he croaks through a dry throat.
“You’re not dead,” I explain, “and I’m no angel.” I scramble off the bed and get him some water. After raising the head of his bed, I hold the glass to his lips and help him drink. He doesn’t take his eyes off me, even as he gulps down every drop of the water.
“Angel.” He reaches out, curls a finger around a strand of my hair, and smiles. “The painting had you perfect. Down to the smallest detail.” He takes a deep, calm breath, a close-lipped smile still on his face, and falls asleep.
Chapter Four
Brianna
I comm the doc and Axxios. They both make an appearance, but there’s nothing for either of them to do. Dr. Drayke assures us this is great news; Braxx’s vitals are stronger than they’ve been. I’m given the all-clear to feed him broth if he wakes again.
“I’ll call you if...when he wakes again,” I tell Axxios after the doctor rushes off to his new mate. “I’m sure you’d like time with him. I’ll leave and you can feed him.”
“I can feel the twin bond for the first time since we were separated an annum ago. This is a blessing.” The big male is calmer than I’ve ever seen him. His shoulders are relaxed, and the tension in his face has softened. He must be feeling optimistic for the first time in a year.
I didn’t mention the whole “angel” thing. No one really needs to know what Braxx said when he wasn’t lucid.
~.~
A few hours later, I’m reading at his bedside when Braxxus opens those gorgeous baby blues again. I help him drink another glass of water, then smooth his shiny silver hair off his forehead.
He gives me a killer smile, then calls me Angel again.
“Let me call Axxios. He’ll come sit with you. He’ll explain everything.”
“Axx is dead, too?” His smile evaporates, his forehead wrinkles as he frowns. “I’d hoped he lived.”
“You’re both alive. He’s piloting the ship we’re in. We rescued you from Aeon II. You’re a free male among friends.” I give him an amiable grin and comm Axxios. He’ll be thrilled to talk to his brother after such a long separation.
“If I’m alive, how does that explain you?” His eyes narrow in suspicion.
“I was kidnapped from Earth. Axxios and I were prisoners together. There are twenty-four freed slaves on this ship. Plus you.”
He rubs his chin with his hand and looks around the room for the first time.
“You’re in medbay. You almost died. You’ve been in a coma for about a week.” I give him an easy smile. “Looks like you’re going to recover.”
His brow wrinkles as he looks me up and down again. “That explains everything but you.” Then his face brightens and he nods. “There are folklore tales about ahnseek angels. They’re said to guard over those in need of assistance. You must be an ahnseek angel. My ahnseek angel.” He nods calmly, happy, as if he just unlocked the secrets of the universe.
Axxios barges in and immediately notices his brother is sitting up in bed, eyes wide open. My Lord, that male looks gorgeous when his face is lit in happiness. As he rushes to Braxx’s side I murmur, “I’ll have someone bring broth,” and leave the two brothers alone.
Axxios
Thank the Gods. Braxxus is awake. And smiling! I reach down and hug him around the neck, my cheek
touching his.
“Braxx, you’re going to make it.” I sit down in the little chair, still warm from where Brianna sat. I clasp his hand as if I’m trying to boost our connection. I feel his emotions through our twinlink. He’s confused.
“Are we dead or alive, Axx?” he frowns a bit, truly bewildered.
“Alive brother, why do you ask?”
“I...I thought I saw an angel. Our angel.”
“No, you’re among the living. You almost died, but you’re getting better now.” I’m smiling like a crazy person.
Maddie comes in to personally deliver a tray with a bowl, a spoon, and a small pot of steaming broth. “Hellooo, I’m Maddie,” she says to Braxx. She always half sings her sentences; she’s always happy.
“Braxxus,” he says. “Salutations.”
“Salutations, huh? He must be the brother who got the looks and the manners,” she jokes. She gets serious and looks straight at him, “You’re safe here, Braxxus. We all want to meet you and get to know you, but we’ll give you time to get your strength back before we bombard you with good wishes.
“Promise you’ll contact me if you need anything. Day or night, I’ll cook you up whatever you’re hungry for. We’ll put some meat back on your bones.”
She breezes out as quickly as she came in. I try to put a spoonful of soup in Braxx’s mouth, but he’s having none of that. He grabs the spoon and feeds himself.
He motions for me to pour more soup into his bowl, then asks, “Where are we, gem?” This is the name we use to refer to each other. It carries the deepest affection.
I explain that I was captured, trained as a gladiator, and was being transported on this ship to be sold. “On the way, they picked up ten Earth women as breeders—Maddie’s one of them. We overthrew them and now we’re on the run. As soon as you’re on the mend, I’m going to ask you to give me a hand on the bridge. We need another competent pilot.”
“Who’s flying this craft now?”
“Tyree, but he’s a trainee. We could use you.”
I glance away for a moment, and when I turn back, his spoon has fallen onto the bed and he’s soundly asleep.
I lower the back of his bed so it’s flat and comfortable, then pull his covers up. Touching the middle of my chest with my fist, I feel the complete connection with my twin; the first time it’s been at this strength in over an annum. I feel whole for the first time since we were separated. Now I have to figure out how to cobble the pieces of my life together and somehow find happiness.
Braxxus
I must have fallen asleep; Axx is gone. I have no idea how much time has passed, but my angel is here. I know I’ll be safe.
“You tricked me for a moment, Angel. I thought I was dead. But you’re a guardian angel. Thanks for your protection.”
She laughs. Gods, she’s even more beautiful when she’s happy.
“I thought it was myth, but angels are real. And the stories about how beautiful angels are were true, too.”
For some reason, she scowls at me.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone about you. I’ll keep your secret.”
“I’m not a secret, and I’m not an angel. I’m human. Just a plain old human female.”
“I met Maddie. She’s a human female. She’s attractive in her own way, but she’s not a beautiful angel like you.” I wonder why she’s trying to fool me. Her existence is easy enough to prove. “Axx didn’t acknowledge you when he came in. That’s because he didn’t see you. You’re an angel. My angel.”
“Axxios certainly did see me, he was just so happy to see you that he walked by me to get to you.”
“I won’t argue; I don’t want you to disappear. Will you stay with me until I’m well, my beautiful ahnseek angel?”
“You’re stuck with me Braxxus. We’re all stuck in this little box, hurtling through space on our way to...I don’t know where. I’ve been tasked with watching over you, and I will do that until you’re well.”
“All I have to do is stay sick to keep you around?”
“I don’t know about the angels on your planet, Braxx, but on my planet flirting with one wouldn’t be allowed.”
“So you admit you’re an angel?” My voice is strong and full of energy. When she’s around it’s like I’m not ill at all.
“Stop it!” she scolds, but she’s smiling.
Maddie comes in with another pot of soup and sets it down near my bed. “I brought bread. The doc said you could have it if you dip it in the broth. Here’s a mug, it will be easier to eat that way, so no one has to feed you. Will you be okay?”
“Thanks, Maddie. I’ll be fine.”
“I have to run, I need to set dinner out for everyone.”
“She didn’t see you, either,” I gloat after she leaves.
“She was just in a hurry to serve dinner to everyone else.”
I shrug. “Either everyone on this vessel is being rude to you, or you’re my angel. You can’t fool me. I’ve known what you look like since we moved into the governors’ mansion when we were five.”
Brianna
“Governor’s mansion?” This should be good. I’ve known his brother for several months. I’d think at some point he would have mentioned living in a governor’s mansion FFS.
“Yes. Are you trying to trick me, Angel? You should know all of this.”
“Indulge me, Braxxus.”
“My fathers acted in tandem to govern one of the provinces of Mythros. They sit on the High Council of the planet as well.”
“Fathers?” my voice sounds strangled even to my own ears. I shared a bed, and sex, and bodily fluids with his twin for months and this is the first mention I’ve heard of fathers—plural. Either he’s delusional, or his brother is an even bigger ass than I’d thought.
“I’d always thought that angels, if such things were real, only attended people on my planet. I guess they do good works all over the galaxy. That would be the only reason you wouldn’t know these things.”
“Let’s pretend I know nothing about your planet or your culture, Braxxus. Edify me.”
“Mythrian males are always born twins. We’re called grays until we reach puberty.”
“Grays?”
“We’re born that color.” He points to the spoon on the bedside table. I’d call it a dull pewter.
“Go on.”
“Whichever twin reaches puberty first becomes the golden one, the other turns silver. But I think you’re teasing me, Angel. You have to know all of this.”
“Brianna. My name’s Brianna.” And yeah, my tone is snippy as hell because if Axxios was here right now I’d try to freaking strangle him. Why did he never explain any of this?
I glance over at Braxxus to see his eyes wide and bright. If I didn’t assume he was a hard-ass like his brother, I’d think this male was about to cry.
“What did I say?”
He’s fiddling with the bedrail, frantically trying to get it down. His eyes now downcast. He finally fumbles out of bed, despite my pleas for him to stop, and gets on his knees in front of me.
“Stop it, Braxxus. Whatever is going on, stop it right now. You’re going to hurt yourself. Please, stop!”
He’s prostrating himself at my feet. I can’t even pay attention to the fact that I’m mortified at this act, I’m so worried something is going to tear loose in his already-destroyed back.
“Get back in bed right this minute!” I use my drill sergeant voice. “Now!”
He does, then leans heavily against his pillows. He clearly over-exerted himself.
“What were you trying to do?”
“You know what I was doing,” his voice is a whisper. “When an angel tells you its name, you become its servant on mortal soil. You’ve honored me.”
“That’s it!” I bark. First I motion for him to turn toward the back wall. Just as I suspected, his little slave-on-the-floor routine broke something loose. I see blood pooling underneath the clear containment of the plas-film.
I hit my comm, “Dr. Drayke, get to medbay now!” I don’t care if he’s balls deep in his new mate, I need him here immediately.
“Axxios, get your ass here on the double.” It would serve him right if I give him a freaking heart attack because he thinks his twin is dying. Enough is enough.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think Axxios teleported here because he arrives in seconds, out of breath and panicked. “What’s wrong?” his voice has the shrill tone of abject fear.