Alien General's Bride (Brion Brides 3)(43)

A few Elders left, off to give lessons in healing centers or on the other side of Briolina. All according to who they’d been in the public part of their lives, the Elders returned to pass on their wisdom and listen in turn, to return to meditate upon the matters of the world later. Diego was certain that Faren at least felt the same dread of once becoming an Elder as he. But that was not an issue for long, long years, and with the lives they led, they could both be dead by that time.

A few Elders made for the senators’ palace. Diego, Faren and Atren kept watching the screens calmly, unconcerned. Either they were proved to have been right or they were going to be declared traitors and hunted down without mercy. It was out of their hands, which meant it was no use worrying over. Instead, they watched their brothers and sisters listen to every word the Elders were saying in the huge arena before the temple, paying attention themselves as was proper.#p#分页标题#e#

It wasn’t that long after the former senator Elders had entered their old palace when the door to Diego’s rooms burst open. He turned, ready to punish the one who had intruded, only to find two messengers, both out of breath and clearly both bearing bad news.

“Report,” he commanded.

The messengers exchanged a look, hesitating. Then the braver began.

“Forgive me, General. I was told to inform you immediately. The Elders have confirmed that you were right to oppose Senator Eren.”

Diego had believed he was right, but he couldn’t have claimed he knew he was. His expression never changed, but relief washed over him in waves.

“I do not know what that other part means, General, but I was told to tell you and your brother generals that Senator Eren got through. They said to tell you ‘the GU knows’.”

And just like that, they had failed. Diego wondered if he had just ceased being grothan.

“And you?” he asked the other messenger.

“Senator Eleya sent me,” he said. “Forgive me too, General. It is your gesha, she – She’s been poisoned.”

Diego stood, unmoving, fearing what he might do if he did, in the ashes of everything he’d fought for. He had just failed the Brion people. Had he lost Isolde too?





CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Isolde



So far, Isolde Fenner was surprisingly okay with her space adventure. Sure, she’d been practically kidnapped and someone had tried to kill her, but she had found Diego and with her life suddenly having a center, the rest seemed to matter less with every passing hour.

It was, however, true that she could have lived without being poisoned.

When Isolde came to, she was in a familiar room aboard the Triumphant. She knew that by opening her eyes, taking in the contours of the room, and thinking: safe. It meant home. Distantly, she registered the presence of others with her, but while she drifted in and out of consciousness, Isolde could barely understand who they were. Her heart knew Diego was there, which was enough. Through voices and glimpses and scent, the picture on him formed in her mind – close, solid, strong. Angry?

The first face she finally saw was Urenya’s. The healer was standing by the bedside, checking the cannulas running into Isolde’s arms. Sleepily drawing conclusions, Isolde deduced that if the healer didn’t look too concerned, she was probably still alive, though her body seemed to be in slow motion.

“Diego,” she murmured.

Her general appeared so quickly from the other room Isolde’s sleepy eyes only took in a blur before he was sitting by her side, face contorted in fury and relief. He kissed her gently making her sigh happily at the taste of his lips on hers. That made Diego smile at last, even if only for a moment before his expression was stern once again.

“Is she in the clear now?” he demanded from Urenya, while Isolde was still trying to piece together what precisely was going on with her.

“I believe so,” the healer said. “Lucky and alive.”

Diego growled, making Isolde giggle for some reason. “Why… what happened?” she asked, her hand idly stroking Diego’s, almost without her conscious will.

“That…” Diego began, following with an array of Brionese words that Isolde couldn’t follow in her drugged state. She assumed they weren’t exactly polite expressions judging by Urenya’s face. Whatever they had given her made Isolde snicker again, causing Diego to stop and snarl, “Do not worry about her, she will not live long enough to regret this.”

Urenya took over. “Isolde,” she said, catching her attention, “you ingested a poison. Do you remember being on Briolina, with Eleya and Deliya?”

Things started to come back to Isolde. “Yes. We were celebrating… Diego’s victory,” she said. “Aneya was with us as well.”

“Yes,” Urenya said. “You drank alios, but yours was poisoned. You collapsed, do you remember that?”

Alios. So that’s what it’s called.

“I thought I had the flu,” Isolde said. “I fainted, I think. Eleya caught me.”

Urenya smiled. “Good,” she said. “It is good that you remember. That is a promising sign.”

Isolde felt Diego relax a fraction, though he still growled like a huge predator ready to jump at any provocation.

“Who – who poisoned me?” Isolde asked, sensing Diego immediately tense up again.#p#分页标题#e#

Her general seemed about to speak, but Urenya was faster. “A desperate person,” she said. “She is no danger to you anymore. You are on the Triumphant, safe, and Aneya will pay for her actions.”

Aneya. So Deliya was right after all, Isolde thought. She was too tired and mellow to properly conjure up any meaningful hate, but a part of her raged along with Diego. That bitch tried to kill me… On Terra, that would have been a horrible courting move. With the Brions, it might have been even worse, given how serious they were about their fated.

The next question was obvious. “Am I alright?” she asked. “What did Aneya give me?”

Urenya hesitated. “A sneaky little concoction. Practically undetectable even if you are familiar with it. If it had been in my cup, I might have smelled it, but even that is not certain. You thought you were with friends, or at least allies, and even if you had knowledge of such poisons, you were not watching out for them. At least you did not drink much.”

Diego was still making predatory noises, which Isolde found oddly charming, but clearly Urenya wasn’t in agreement.

“Could you leave us?” she asked.

Isolde wondered if anyone else would have dared to ask that of Diego, but she was slowly coming to the conclusion that Urenya took many liberties with her general that would have sent most others running scared. Diego glared.

“She is safe now,” Urenya continued. “I am sure you have a lot to discuss with the Elders and the remaining senators. My patient needs rest.”

“You saved her life,” Diego said seriously, standing up. “And you have been correct about many other things. But do not push it.”

He turned to her. “Rest, Isolde,” he said, much gentler. “I will return soon.”

Her name still sounded so song-like from his lips. Isolde couldn’t help but smile and nod. When he was gone, Urenya sighed.

“Warriors must always end everything in a threat,” she said, shrugging. “But given the circumstances, I think I can understand why he worries.”

“You saved my life,” Isolde said.

“I did,” Urenya agreed. “You were lucky I was close by, something which Aneya probably did not consider. I carry the antidotes to most known poisons with me at all times if possible. You got off very, very easily, but Diego still feels it is his fault.”

“It’s not,” Isolde said at once. “He wasn’t anywhere near.”

“That is what he feels guilty about, but no, it was not his fault,” Urenya agreed. “I do not honestly think it is anyone’s fault. That is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“About Diego?”

“About Aneya. Do you hate her, now that you know what she did?”

“I understand from your tone you want me to say I don’t, but she tried to kill me,” Isolde said, sitting up better. Other than her head hurting a bit, it didn’t seem as though she was sick any longer.

“She did. I wanted to explain to you why,” Urenya said. “I can just tell you what I think, not what I know to be true. Do you know what broken geshas are?”

That got through even Isolde’s drugged mind. “Yes,” she admitted. “A theory, as much as I know. The idea that sometimes the bond forms only one-sided. Mostly from the gesha. You think that was her?”

“It fits the profile, yes.”

“But it’s just a theory. I thought the whole bond functioned with both parties feeling the pull, only that women didn’t realize the moment.”

Urenya nodded, adjusting the level of a clear liquid flowing into Isolde’s veins.

“Antidote,” the healer said when she caught Isolde looking. “And theoretically yes, both parties of the bond are supposed to feel it. Some very strongly, some less so. But this is once again one of those things that are not made public since it is tragic for us. I gathered Eleya told you about the possibility of refusing the binding?”