Page 49 of Indentured Companion
“Dynast. Cas, I need him.” Another wave of spasms and the feeling of my blood boiling behind my eyes is the last thing I feel, before passing out in my sister’s arms.
“VALERIE!”
Chapter 35
The Lawyer delivers
Vrajan.
I am sat in a prison cell. It’s within the bowels of the council building. Maximum security, with two guards outside my cell, and an army down the hall. I know this, as I was dragged past them shortly after being dragged out of the armoured truck crash. At the time I thought I was being rescued, only to be further restrained. I have the same magnetised handcuffs on, but there is now a muzzle around my face. My crown is gone, but they have left me with my veil and headdress. A round cage sits around my head and is held in place by a collar around my neck.
As they fixed it to me, I saw across the roadwhythey felt the need to do so. There was a human woman, a redhead, with a neck wound, and she squawked loudly for all to hear how I bit her. She said she came to offer assistance after the crash, opened the door to the truck, and I bit her like a rabid animal. Her blood is on my veil, but I can’t taste it in my mouth. I did not drink from her, nor did I wish to. I was not crazed at the time, nor would I feed from anyone but Valerie, unless I was starved into desperation. I was not at that stage, and I did not feed from that woman, but no one would listen to me. I was placed in this head cage, and then forced into this prison cell. I have been arrested for assault, and for breaking the peace treaty between the Theskian Empire and the Hive.
I have been set up, and left here to starve and suffer. The only thing theydidafford me, was one call. So I made it to my mother. This didn’t alarm anyone, until they realised my mother was the Hive Queen for all the Korvis. She took one look at me in a glorified muzzle, and screeched so loudly that her veil tussled around her face, and even I would have covered my ears if I could reach them.
My mother will be mounting a rescue mission, and she might rescue me in time, but not Valerie. I explained to her that simply demanding that I am handed over will not save my beloved. I must remain, and be reunited with her as soon as possible. In the mean time, she can use her position to put pressure on the Empire to find Valerie, and not to allow me to wither away. In the mean time, my mother had the sense to demand that this woman who claims I have fed from her has blood samples taken by an independent source for analysis.Iknow why she’s insisted on this, but the Theskians don’t.
Good. Whoever their insider is, we can’t afford to let them know what we’re hoping to prove with this test. Not by what is in her blood, but by whatisn’tin it.
I have vomited most of the Synth-Red I try to ingest. This does not bode well for my appearance. The toilet in here is stained red, as is my veil and head cage, since they won’t remove it. I can reach in to tug my veil up and down, but that’s it. Ha! I must look just like how their horror movies portray the Korvis, with the way the guards pale and cower from me.
I can see from the wall clock that it’s been nearly 24 hours since I last fed. My pain is crippling, and my hunger is unbearable. I told them to get me some Synth-Red from my ship, which they did, but it has barely taken the edge off. I can hardly stomach it. If this is howIam feeling, my poor Valerie must be well into withdrawal right now.
“-client has been treated atrociously.” I am huddled on the little cot bed in here and shake with pain. Who is that? “And wewillbe suing you for his prejudicial treatment. At every turn, the Dynast has followed every instruction and ridiculous procedure you have put him through. Your treatment of my client is criminal, and I’ll see your organisation answer for it in court.” A woman’s voice buzzes ahead of her, and her tarsus click against the floor.
“Ma’am, I’m just doing my job, and I’m telling you, don’t go in there.”
“I amperfectlysafe, now open it.” My neck hurts in the head cage as I lift it to look at the newcomer. She is Qeknian, which I wasn’t expecting, but Iwastold I would be appointed a willing lawyer, since no Korvis without a feeding partner is allowed into Theskian space. Much to the frustration of my mother, when she tried to send one of my cousins to defend me.
“A Councillor to his entire race has been tied up and muzzled like a mad dog. You should beashamedof yourself.” She buzzes angrily. She’s young, short, and plucky. She has a yellowish exoskeleton, black markings across her eyes and chin, which compliment a black suit dress she’s wearing. She has black fuzz on her head, like hair, and she has a pair of clear glasses over her large yellow eyes, which are made of lots of smaller eyes. Interesting? She isn’t hiding hers, like Ninthor does.
“Like I said? Just doing my job Ma’am.” A human peacekeeper hovers his hand over the door release. “Are you sure about-”
“I am not accustomed to repeating myself.” She buzzes angrily up at him and her yellow wings shimmer behind her. “And you had better have a key with you as well to unlock his restraints.”
“No way.” He shook his head and his voice wobbled nervously. I groan and push myself up to sit to appear less incapacitated than I feel. My bones ache in protest, but I ignore them.
“You will not come to any harm. I am too weak to do much more than talk.” The guard unlocks the cell door, and the Qeknian holds her hand out with expectation.
“If you won’t do it, I will. Give me the key.” She is rather brave. I will have to get her name. If she’s about to tell me I’m free to go, I’ll hire her on retainer. “Thank you.” She sasses the guard and clinks her way into the cell with me. “Apologies for your treatment, Councillor Dynast. We’re going to sue the pants off them all, don’t worry.” Her two eye bundles take in the blood on my veil, and she seems to pale, but hides it well. “I have good news.”
“You’ve found Miss Stone?” She frowns and my heart sinks. She reaches behind me and I hiss with pain and relief as my wrists are freed. I rub them on my lap and shake off the dizziness to focus on her. “Very little else will be good news, I’m afraid. Is there no sign of her?”
“I have a lot to tell you, but not here.” She brings the key fob to the side of my head cage, and pauses. “I…amsafe to release you, Councillor?”
“Yes.” I croak. As plucky as this lawyer is, she still felt the need to check I wouldn’t attack her. “Like I said? I am very weak.”
“The Hive Queen is demanding your return so your doctors can treat you.” She sighs and presses the key fob to the cage. She catches the frame and eases it away from my neck. “Oh, and I brought this.” She lifts a leather case from her side and opens it like a present for me. “It won’t do you any justice being seen in a bloody veil. I know it’s not green, but I had to improvise.” I look at the black fabric and my hands shake as I reach for it. She watches me as I place itovermy bloody veil to hide it. “Oh, I thought you’d change it over?”
“No one but my Mother and my feeding companion can see my face.” I take much longer than usual to attach the fabric in place with the hooks of my headdress.
“I would look away?”
“The cameras would not.” And it’s bad enough they may have caught a glimpse of my mouth as I vomited Synth-Red. “Thank you for this. Miss?”
“Xetolota.” She nods with a smile and offers me her hand. “I am your lawyer.”
“Yes, I ascertained as much.” I am so weak now that I struggle to stand. She sways under the strain to help me. She must only be 5ft 4, and I am 7ft. She insists on holding onto my left forearm to steady me as we walk. She tries to hold my hand, but I curl it into a fist. Only Valerie holds my hand. “Please, bring me up to speed Miss Xetolota.”
