Page 39 of Infala: Her Alien Protector
“Yes. It will be delicate work, but I see a rather elegant solution that should have your runes powered up in no time.”
“Powered up?” Maria asked. “What do you mean?”
Heydar fixed his eyes on hers, the gravity of what was done to her making him deadly serious. “You were intentionally given a handicap. Something to prevent you from performing at your best in the games. It is a crime that makes my blood boil.”
“But the powering up thing?”
“That is part of it. The Infala is crucial to the connection of our runes, and when it is done properly, it allows all the other runes on our bodies to enhance the extremities and muscle groups upon which they are placed. There are additional specialty runes as well, such as my men and I possess, but that is a different circumstance that doesn’t apply to your situation. Suffice it to say, you were competing at a disadvantage.”
“Wow, that’s bullshit. But the odds of me winning were so slim, why bother?”
“Ah,” the imposing man said, shaking his head. “That is where their plan truly becomes nefarious. The incomplete Infala meant you would be handicapped, but it also ensured that once you lost you would remain indentured.”
“I don’t follow.”
Shalia interrupted, knowing quite a lot about this particular subject. “What he’s saying is if you and your partner become Infala bonded, all indentures are voided, all crimes forgiven. Essentially, it is such a momentous and rare occurrence that the two experiencing it are given a one-time clean slate. It’s Dotharian law that supersedes all others. No matter their claim upon you as a servant, if your Infala were to somehow meet its match, they would have to free you, and they clearly did not want that to happen no matter how unlikely it might be.”
Maria was shell-shocked. “They actually did that to me?”
Heydar nodded. “Yes, and it is highly illegal. It was quite a risk they took, but those responsible had no reason to think anyone would ever be allowed close enough to you to notice.”
“And then I was busted out of there.”
“Yes. And I would wager they areveryanxious for your recovery. But do not fear. I will personally repair what they did, and I will use the most powerful pigments in the village.”
“Thank you. So, what now?”
“Now? Now you eat, rest, and get settled. You must be relaxed for the process to work the best. Then first thing in the morning I will right this wrong inflicted upon you.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
While Maria was meeting with her fellow humans and their mates, Zepharos was giving a much more in-depth accounting of what happened during the games, what he had done, and what in the world possessed him to take such a risk.
“I had no choice,” he explained. “I know the human plight and how they arrived on our world. We have two under our care already. How could I just let this injustice play out?”
Rohanna shook her head and sighed. “So, you thought it wise to break into a secure holding facility and steal a prisoner? From an elite? And Chancellor Vinchi, no less?”
“It was that or let her become a slave.”
“Risky, Zepharos. Very risky. And what if you’d been caught in the act? Did you even consider what they would have done to you?”
“She was the first disqualified, and as such she was under minimal guard. It was the best opportunity I would be presented, and I do recall a lesson I was taught as a young boy. One about recognizing opportunity and seizing it without hesitation.”
Tikanna laughed. “He’s got you there, Rohanna. Using your own words against you.”
The Oraku leader shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose between her eyes as she let out an even more exaggerated sigh. “Zepharos, I did not teach you that with this sort of thing in mind.”
“But the lesson holds true all the same, does it not?”
“It does.”
“Then, so far as I see it, I did the right thing.”
Rohanna knew better than to argue the point. Much as she cared for their village’s most rambunctious member, she was simply not in the mood for a protracted back and forth.
“There is no sense discussing it further. What is done is done. Now, please fetch Maria. I would like to speak with her before dinner.”
“I’ll get her at once,” he replied, leaving the two women to talk about him and what he’d done in his absence.
