Page 65 of Neverwylde 6
The physician looked surprised, but quickly recovered. “Kyber Nau is out on the patio. We were notified you were removing him from our care. He is able to leave when you are ready.” The man pointed to a doorway on the other side of the building. Through the semi-transparent walls she spotted the amphitheater.
“Before I go, how is he doing? Can you give me an update as to his health?”
Unlike Ambrun Goolith, this one gave her a cold stare. “Kyber Nau is able to leave when you are ready,” he repeated. It was quickly becoming obvious that these people wanted Kyber and herself gone from the facility as soon as possible.
Thanking him, she turned to head for the door.
The knots in her stomach tightened with every step she took. Her throat was dry, and her head was starting to pound. These next few minutes were crucial. Would Kyber remember her? If he did, would he ever want to have anything to do with her anymore? She had no idea what she’d find when she exited into the amphitheater. Would he blame her for what had happened to him?
A deeper, darker possibility rose like a sickening shadow. What if there was little left of the man? What if all she found was a shell? A beaten, defeated shell? She had no idea how badly he’d been beaten. He could have sustained serious brain injuries, leaving him a vegetable.
Curling her hands into fists, she stepped through the doorway and paused to scan the area for sight of a black figure.
There, a scant dozen meters away, the man she loved sat hunched over on one of the tiers. His arms were wrapped around his middle, his head bowed. From this angle she could tell he was much thinner. There were still bald patches all over his body where his fur had been ripped away.
Slowly, she walked toward him, waiting to see if he’d look up at her as she approached him. She got within a couple of meters when she stopped. He seemed to be dozing, completely oblivious to her presence. Kelen opened her mouth to call his name, when he finally lifted his head to stare straight at her. A bright blue sterile patch covered the socket where his eye had once been. His face had healed, but the attack had left several thickly ridged scars across his cheeks, nose, and forehead.
“K-Kelen?”
Tears burst into her eyes. Sobbing, she rushed over to him and threw her arms around his frail body as he struggled to his feet.
“Kelen, my one.” His arms wrapped around her and he buried his face in her neck.
She clutched him as she wept, as he wept. How long they stood there in a tight embrace, she had no idea. She was with him. They were together. And together they would remain for as long as they lived.
