Page 55 of Rhuyin

The tall blond man moved up behind Elex and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Stand down, kitty kat. He’s a Soma. He would never harm a Mageia.”

The stormy blue eyes blinked at me for a moment, then he slowly released his hold on me and stalked to the other side of the bed, his eyes still glaring daggers at me.

I saw him murmuring something to his brother, but I couldn’t make out what he said.

You okay?I saw Dag sign. I nodded. Elex hadn’t hurt me, just startled me.

“I’m Helios,” the tall blond man introduced himself. As he turned, his scars on his face stood in stark relief to the light of the infirmary. I must have made some kind of reaction, because his face that moments before had been open suddenly shuttered.

“I’m Rhuyin, this is my friend, Dagan,” I said hastily, feeling like shit that I was the cause of the change. I knew what it was like to deal with an invisible disability in our society. Helios would have had it a hundred times worse.

“Dagan? Are you the one who matched with Deliah?”

Dag nodded excitedly. The two started talking, but my eyes were drawn back to Luke.

I moved closer to the bedside.

“He’s going to be okay,” I said, trying to reassure Elex. “The medics said he just overdid it getting us out of the building.”

I saw Elex speak, but with him turned away from me I couldn’t understand what he said.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand what you said.”

He turned his glare back on me.

“I said, he’d better be, or I’ll be taking it out of your hide.”

I swallowed hard. The ferocity in his gaze made it clear he was deadly serious.

“What was he doing in the Administrative wing?” Helios asked. “Wasn’t he at the Touchpoint?”

I paused before speaking, reluctant to share Luke’s fear that I had smelled so heavily in the air as we talked. It had replaced the delicious cinnamon smell I’d followed with one acrid and slightly burned-smelling.

“Touchpoints can be overwhelming,” Dag supplied for me after a moment.

The awkward moment was interrupted by my least favorite person in the world. Captain Kopanos entered the room, a harried looking Lottie Galanis following him.

“Ah! Elex! And this is Prince Lucien, is it?” Kopanos asked after looking at Lottie’s ever-present paperwork, an obsequious smile on his face. “The War Leader has instructed me to make sure you are all well taken care of. You are in good handsnow,” Kopanos said. He glanced down at where my hand was still entwined with Luke’s, and a look of utter contempt filled his face.

“Katastrofis. I should have known you’d be involved in this somehow. You can go now. We haverealSomas Prince Lucien matched with waiting to meet with him when he wakes. See if you can findsomeway to make yourself useful.”

I felt the familiar anger build as he dismissed me, then his words finally registered.PrinceLucien. Luke was aprince. A prince of Alexandria? Goddess, he was fuckingroyalty. There was no way in hell someone like him would be allowed to match with someone like me. Someone who was a liability. I stumbled to my feet and saluted. Despised or not, Kopanos was my superior officer.

“Yes, sir.”

I had to force myself to release Luke’s hand, the warmth of his magic running over my hand fading away, somehow leaving me colder and more tired than I’d been before. Without a backward glance I left the room, Dag close on my heels. I refused to turn and speak to him as I made my ordered departure. I needed to get the hell out of there.

I didn’t run, but it was a near thing. Dag followed me from the infirmary, but hung back for about a block outside the hospital before his patience ran out and he grabbed my arm.

“Rhuyin.”

I tried to pull away, but he refused to release me.

You have to fight for this, he signed emphatically.You can’t let Captain Jerkface steal this from you.

I shrugged; the taste of bile was thick at the back of my throat.