Elise groaned. “Oh no, James…” Of course her fiancé was upset. He was probably missing his flight to Japan while he tried to track her down.
Sophie looked at her sympathetically. “You’d probably better go and explain about the trip to Rageron,” she said.
Elise groaned again and put a hand to her head. The trip to another planet—she’d almost forgotten about that. James was just going to love hearing that she was going light years away with another male—especially the one he thought had kidnapped her in the first place.
“I’ll come with you if you want,” Olivia offered. “For moral support.”
“Thanks.” Elise nodded gratefully. “That would help.” She had a sudden inspiration. “Um, do you think you could try to explain that I have to go, for medical reasons? Without telling him…”
“About the bond? Sure.” Olivia nodded understandingly. “Of course I can. I’ll do my best strict nurse routine for him. That should do the trick.”
“I hope so.” Elise sighed. “I really hope so.”
“Don’t worry.” Olivia struggled to her feet, helped by a gentle push from her sister. “We’ve got this. Let’s go.”
As expected, her fiancé was livid.
“Elise!” he exploded, the minute she and Olivia walked into the viewing room. “Do you realize I’m going to be late to my business conference because of this nonsense? What is going on?”
Elise opened her mouth, trying to think of an explanation that wouldn’t send the already angry James into the stratosphere, but Olivia beat her to it.
“Elise is very ill, Mr.…”
“Blaisdon,” he said impatiently. “And she looks perfectly fine to me.”
“Are you a medical professional?” Olivia snapped, her grey eyes flashing.
“Well, no…” James seemed taken aback by her attack. “But who are you?”
“I’m Elise’s nurse,” Olivia said frostily. “And I’m sorry to inform you that your fiancée has a very rare but serious illness called stasis sickness.”
“Really?” James looked genuinely distressed. “Darling, is this true?” he asked Elise.
“I’m afraid so.” Elise nodded, feeling guilty for not telling him the whole story. “I’m sorry, James.”
“It’s not your fault if you’re ill, darling.” He looked at Olivia. “What can be done for her? Is it curable?”
She nodded. “It is, but unfortunately we don’t have the necessary medicine here on the Mother Ship. Elise is going to have to visit Rageron, one of the other Kindred home worlds, to be cured.”
“What?” James began to look less worried and more displeased. “Are you seriously saying she has to go to an entirely different planet to be cured? That seems rather excessive.”
“Do you want her to be well in time for your wedding or not?” Olivia demanded, glaring at him.
“Well, yes, of course I do,” he protested, obviously caught off balance again. “I mean, it’s only a month away now.”
Just a month. Elise had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The date of the wedding had been set for ages but she’d somehow managed to forget it was quite that close. She’d taken care of the details months ago and then promptly put the whole thing to the back of her mind. The way I put James to the back of my mind. So far back I forgot him completely, she thought, another wave of guilt sweeping over her.
James looked at Olivia anxiously. “Will Elise be home in time for the wedding? It will mean a fearful amount of rescheduling if she isn’t.”
“Don’t worry about that,” a deep, familiar voice growled from behind them.
Elise turned with a start to see Merrick standing there, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Ah, so it’s you again.” James gave the big Kindred a most unwelcoming look. “Am I to take it that you will be accompanying my fiancé to this other planet for treatment?”
“That’s right.” Merrick nodded insolently. “But don’t worry, I’ll have her back in time for your joining ceremony.” He gave Elise an inscrutable look. “All healed up and good as new.”
“I don’t like this,” James blustered. “I don’t like it one bit. I insist on having a second opinion. And I think I should be the one to accompany Elise to this other planet.”
“You on Rageron?” Merrick barked laughter. “Sorry, buddy, but I don’t think you’d last very long in one of your own jungles on Earth, let alone the Deep Blue.”