“Yes, I am a male. My name is Votul.”
“Where are your horns?”
The beast turned his back on her, but she could still hear his answer. “Only the Orgoran have the privilege of keeping their horns.”
“The what? Orgoran? What’s an Orgoran?”
A yawn interrupted any further questions. She realized there had been a sleeping agent in the drink.
The physician turned around to face her as her mind started to go fuzzy on her. “An Orgoran is a Law Keeper like you, though he doesn’t have any powers other than his training and skills.”
A Law Keeper. The Ellinod police. A vague memory told her they were judge and jury all rolled into one. Like her, they had the right to detain and punish. Unlike her, they also had the right to obliterate.
She wanted to know more, but the drug was quickly shutting down this brief moment of reality. She grasped one last thought so tightly it surely would be the first thing she’d remember when she woke up.
Safan.
Chapter Sixteen
Safan.
Safan.
He stood a few feet away. Green eyes bored into her, searching for proof that she was recovering. Needing a sign that her psyche was restored.
“Safan.”
His face went gray. “Maurra, how do you feel?”
Physically she felt stronger. Mentally…
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to find two Ellinod staring at her from the foot of the bed. She had been dreaming of Safan.
Both visitors looked like strangers, as far as she could tell. And since neither creature had horns, she was at a loss as to whether they were male or female.
Did it really matter?
“Safan?”
“You’ve been dreaming,” one of them told her.
“What’s the verdict?” Her throat felt scratchy, but if she asked for something to drink, it might be spiked like the last one.
“We want to run a few more tests to make sure you’ve recovered enough for us to release you,” the one on the right said.
Sweet planets, they even sounded like physicians. It was wonderful, but something was…off. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but—
They sounded? As her memory returned, she shot a hand to her back and gave them a questioning stare. The Ellinod on the left nodded.
“We were able to remove the translation device. Unfortunately, you’ll bear a scar there for the rest of your life. We apologize.”
That explained what had alerted her. It was the removal that was different. The tingling sensation to warn her was gone. The lack almost left her light-headed. “It’s all right. You got the fucking—excuse me—you got it out of me. Is there any residual damage as a result?”
“That’s what we were hoping you would tell us,” the other physician replied. He gestured toward the wall beside her. “Can you focus your powers on the wall?”
She turned her head and concentrated. A warm sun burst into existence inside her head. Blue light washed over the stone wall.
“And not a smidge of pain.” Maurra grinned. Oh, dearest heavens, it felt wonderful! She looked back at the two physicians. “I’m cured!”
“Well, not exactly,” the physician to her left said. “You’re still weak. Another day or two of solid bed rest, and you’ll be free to go. But you’ll need at least another week before reporting back to duty.”
Something nudged her memory.
“Wait. If you took the translation device off me, how am I able to understand you?”
“The ID strip on your arm,” Left Physician indicated.
A tiny, jewellike sparkle on top of her wrist, next to the bone. “There’s a translator inside?” Instead of the low echo of their voices below the digital broadcast in her brain, there was now an almost fluid translation that seemed to emerge directly from their mouths. The difference was phenomenal.
“If the Kronners had placed the device anywhere else on you other than your spine, we believe you would not have been barred from using your powers,” Left Physician added. “The device was designed to plug directly into the synaptic nerve endings in your brain. It’s very possible they knew exactly what kind of reaction it would cause if you tried to use your psi powers after it was integrated.”
The physicians had mentioned the Kronners, which meant they must know the story of what had happened to her and Safan. A cold wind blew through her. That might explain why the Ellinods were keeping their distance from her. At first she had thought they were acting a bit standoffish because they knew she was a JoJo. It was a typical reaction from civilians, and one she was accustomed to.
Unfortunately, these last few days as a prisoner of the Kronners were a whole different matter. She felt the smile slide off her face. Had they seen any of the vids?
“Where’s Safan?”
“That’s restricted information,” Right Physician finally told her. Maurra grimaced. The Ellinod had gone on the defensive.
“I’m a JoJo. Ellinod is within my jurisdiction. If you won’t tell me, I can hold you in contempt.” She hated to pull rank on them, especially after all they had done to save her life, but she owed her life to Safan too. “I want to thank him for saving me. It’s the least I can do before I leave here. Please tell me how I can see him.”
Strange, how the lie tripped off her tongue as though it was the actual truth. Well, she did want to thank him for saving her life. But more than that, they needed to have an honest and open, nonrestricted conversation with him about what had happened. Just her and him.
And then, maybe afterward, they might…
She gripped the blanket covering her. Across the room the two physicians glanced at each other. Almost a full minute passed before Left Physician said, “We will let the Neris Orgoran know of your request. It will be his decision whether or not to let you see the prisoner.”
Left Physician nodded as the Right Physician said, “You need to eat. We need to get you off intravenous feeding and get some real nourishment into your body. We’ll have a tray delivered if you feel you can handle it.”
At the mention of food, she had visions of a brown, lumpy substance. There was no telling what the Ellinods would send for her to eat, but anything had to be better than the tasteless crap the Kronners had given her.
She forced a small smile. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until you mentioned food. Can I have some water first before you go?”
Right Physician left the room, leaving Left Physician to bring her a carafe from a small alcove she hadn’t known existed. A small table appeared by her side and the Ellinod set the carafe there.
“If you need us for anything, speak into the translator and an assistant will notify us.”
The physician gave her a slight nod and left the room. Maurra counted to ten, then raised the translator strip to her lips.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d bring me something I can wear. It can be anything, but if you want me to get my strength back, I need to exercise. Like maybe take a few laps around the hospital. But before I can do that, I need some clothes.”
She waited to hear a response, but she heard nothing. Not from the room or from the strip.
Now that she had a moment to herself, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Once her psyche was calm, she sent a mental probe through her body, looking for internal wounds or injuries. Looking for…
She took a deep breath. Her womb was clean. She wasn’t pregnant. Relief was sweet.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she waited to see what would happen next, placing bets on whether she’d see her dinner, some clothes or the Neris Orgoran.
Right now the odds were even, but her newly revived psionic powers started to lean toward the Neris. Some things never changed, no matter what planet or solar system she was in, and one of them was that administration always cut to the front of the line.
Chapter Seventeen
She lost her bet. Or maybe it was because of proximity that h
er food arrived moments before there came a loud knock on her hospital door. Maurra gave the stuff in the bowl another dubious look. “Come in! I’m awake!”
The Ellinod that strolled in radiated arrogance, elitism and disdain. At first glance she would have pegged him for Safan’s twin, except for the slightly longer horns and the dark eyes. He wore the same uniform Safan had been wearing when the Kronners attacked him. She pointed to the contents of the bowl sitting in front of her. “Please tell me what this is.”
The Neris Orgoran raised an eyebrow in surprise but tilted his head slightly and looked at the contents. “It’s joolis.”
“Is that vegetable or animal matter?”
“It’s derived from the jajool plant. It’s quite good.”
“All right. I’ll take your word for it.” She dug in with her two-tined utensil, shoved some of the blue-green stuff into her mouth and paused to let her taste buds vote. Give the Neris food critic a pat on the back. “You’re right. It’s tasty. Sooo, I take it you’re the Neris Orgoran?”
The Ellinod resumed his stance. “I’m here strictly as a courtesy, Joramansu.”
She continued to plow into her bowl of joolis but remained acutely aware of everything the Ellinod did or said, including the fact that he used her official calling and status. Or thought he did. The beast intended to follow the letter of the law by obeying rank. If that was the way he wanted to play, so be it.
“I’m not a Joramansu, Neris. I’m a Jurasu Roja. That trumps your Orgoran.”
The Ellinod’s eyes widened at her announcement. For a moment she got a whiff of the beast’s shock. She also sensed his commitment to his position. But there was something else. Something diseased. Something dirty. No, not dirty. Stained. Permanently stained and beyond redemption.
She finished eating and set the bowl to the side. Might as well get to the bone of the matter. “I want to see Safan.”
From the black scowl reappearing on the Neris’s face, she could tell he was prepared for this argument. What the poor fool didn’t realize was that she would eventually win. She always won.
“The Orgoran is currently awaiting deportation and is not allowed visitors.”
“Why not?”
A tiny smile came over the beast’s face at her surprise. “Safan broke Law Thirteen. His title has been stripped of him and he is awaiting word of further punishment.”
“What’s Law Thirteen?” As soon as she asked, she knew.
“Fornication with another species.”
“We were prisoners.” She almost yelled him. Almost. At the last second, she sat up in bed and glared at him. “Our lives were at stake. We were punished if we refused. Didn’t you see the vids?”
The creature’s face went pasty gray. Apparently he had. She wondered if the Ellinod had been a subscriber or if Vol Brod had deliberately beamed a feed to the planet just for the purpose of degrading Safan.
For that matter, had he beamed one to Headquarters too?
No, she couldn’t think about that now.
She tried to reason with him. “What would you have done in that instance?”
“He should have refused.”
“He did refuse! And he nearly died.”
“Then he would have died.”
Maurra gave the beast an incredulous look as another sensation of something impure wafted over to her. A spark went off in her head. The Ellinod was thinking of her. Of her and Safan. They were now considered the unclean ones, no longer fit to mingle with the rest of the populace. Because of what they’d done, what they’d been forced to do, they had become pariahs.
“Our credo is to save lives, not take them! Yes, I know that my job obligates me to sacrifice myself to save others if there’s no other solution, but you can’t tell me that he should have let himself be killed over a simple fuck!”
The Neris’s face went a shade paler but he remained resolute. “The law states—”
“What? That law says what? That you kill yourself before you fuck another species?”
“You don’t understand our ways.” He growled in frustration.
“Apparently your ways have no regard for the sanctity of life.”
The Neris turned and started to depart. He was silently declaring an end to the conversation, but she wasn’t ready for him to go. Not yet.
“I demand to see Safan, and I demand the opportunity to approach those who would pronounce judgment on him.”
The Ellinod paused near the doorway and glanced back at her, waiting.
“By my right as an interstellar council, and by right of the treaty that recognizes my status as a Jurasu Roja, I so will it, and you must obey.” His gaze moved upward, then back down to her face. Her psi powers had begun to glow. As her strength returned, so did her abilities. “If you have doubt as to my authority, you can contact—”
“I do not question your status, Jurasu. I will inform the Tribunal of your request.” Giving her a deferential nod, he left.
Seconds passed as she calmed herself and soothed her power back into invisibility. She opened her fists to release her death grip on the blanket. She’d won this battle. At least for now.
One thing, however, was very certain. There would be no leeway for Safan. No mercy. No quarter. He would be punished. How they would punish him remained to be seen. All she could hope for was that he’d be allowed to live. If he lived, her own sacrifice would be worth it.
A wave of weariness swept over her, and she lay back down. I have to rest. The next battle will be here soon.
Good advice, but it wouldn’t keep her from worrying about him.
Chapter Eighteen
The next time she woke, Maurra found a pile of clothing sitting at the foot of the bed. Moving slowly, she managed to swing her legs over the side and scoot forward until her feet were flat on the cold floor. The wave of dizziness she expected never came. “So far, so good.” Standing up, however, was another problem. Her legs wouldn’t support her, and she fell back onto the bed. “All right. I take it back. Time for a little rejuvenation.”
She hadn’t used her powers to revive herself since she’d tried to fry the Kronners. Closing her eyes, she reached inside her psychic core. Her psi energy greeted her with the bounding enthusiasm of a loving pet. It was ready to be released, and more than eager to help.
The power surged through her body with the force of a tidal wave crashing onto a beach. Maurra gasped from the intensity as she fell across the bed, unable to move, unable to think, unable to do anything until the power receded into the center of her being. As it drained away, she could feel her toes and fingertips tingling. Her head felt clearer, her vision brightened and the aftertaste of the joolis teased her tongue.
She sat up. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”
On her second try, her legs remained strong, her balance unwavering. She grabbed the clothes to discover they were the simple drab brown pants and top worn by the average Ellinod. A bit too big for her, but that couldn’t be helped. At least they provided her with some modesty. She ripped a piece of cloth from the bottom of one pants legs and used it to tie back her hair.
“All right. If the moon won’t come to the planet, let’s see if the planet can go to the star.”
She expected resistance, but no one tried to stop her as she walked out of her room and down the corridor. There was a small hub located at the end of the hallway. Two Ellinods looked up from where they stood behind a counter and blanched when they saw her. Their eyes remained locked on the gyrating sparkle sitting in the middle of her forehead.
“Where do you hold your prisoners?” She asked politely, as if it was something every patient asked at some point during her stay.
One beast finally managed to stammer, “Th-there’s a guard at the main doors. H-he can show you.”
She thanked them and followed the path pointed out to her. The other Ellinods who passed her gave her a wide berth or ducked into doorways until she’d passed. None of them challenged her.
The uniformed guard outside was expecting her. He’d probably been notified by the terrified beasts at the counter. “Take me to see Safan,” she ordered. By now it would be a safe bet that all the planet was aware of Safan’s transgression, just as they also knew who and what she was.
Nodding, the Ellinod spoke into his cuff. “This is Abrin. Leaving my post to escort the JoJo to the Consulate.” Without waiting for a reply, he gestured for her to follow him.
She had never been on Ellinod before. After having dealt with only two or three of the beasts in the past, she had formed her own opinion about the species without any further investigation. But now, after the hours she had spent with Safan, and her visit to the planet, she was stunned to discover how misguided her original conceptions had been.
These people weren’t only miners and jewelers. Their buildings were carved monuments of beauty, sculpted out of enormous slabs of stone. Everywhere she turned, statues and life-size figures graced doorways and facades. Glowing gemstones studded the ground, and along the high borders surrounding each building, polished rocks gleamed with dark colors.
As she expected, those who spotted her became instantly wary and shied away from her. Even the guard struggled to maintain a discreet distance.
Overhead, Elto Norod, a medium-sized yellow sun, blazed midway between the horizon and directly overhead. Not too far away, she caught a glimpse of one of the planet’s several moons, still visible and enormous due to its proximity. The air was still, the temperature pleasant. If it weren’t for the circumstances surrounding her visit, Ellinod would have been a very nice place to spend some time.
The stones beneath her bare feet were worn smooth. Smooth and warm and fit so perfectly together that there was no need for mortar. The more she observed, the more she noticed little details about the place. It was immaculate. There wasn’t even a pebble or chunk of rock for her to cut her feet on.
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