Page 72 of Lies That Bind
Sixteen
Avoice said: “Her vitals are good. Skin is pink, but no more burns. She’s healing nicely.”
I felt like I was stuck under a hundred-pound blanket, trying to pull myself up out of a dream.
“Let me know when she wakes.” Elaine’s voice gave me the boost I needed to fully open my eyelids.
“Tell her yourself,” said an elderly male doctor wearing a white coat—the voice I had heard. He saluted me.
“Aisling!” Elaine threw herself over me, pulling me to her chest.
I was in a large medical room with the privacy curtains pulled shut and bright lights shining in my face. I tried to say something back to her, but my voice was a croak. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
“Let me examine her quickly, then I can give you privacy,” the doctor said.
Elaine stepped away from me, worry in her gaze. The doctor, who had a head of thinning silver hair, was barely holding on to a grin as he handed me a glass of water and helped me sit up.
“Immortality? Empress, it’s… amazing. You’re…amazing.” He sounded starry-eyed, and I wasn’t in the mood for it. Howmany people knew I could rebirth? Where was Kohen? How long had I been out?
“Liana?” I suddenly remembered my creature.
‘I’m outside waiting for you. Glad you made it, young one.’
“She’s fine—right outside,” Elaine told me.
The doctor held a stethoscope to my chest, and I batted him off. “I’m fine. You’re dismissed.”
He frowned. “Empress, I don’t think that’s wise?—”
“You’re dismissed,” I said again, this time more harshly.
He swallowed hard, nodding, and left the room.
Elaine released a shaky breath and opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
“How long have I been out? Did you find Kohen?”
“Three days. And no. But we’ve sent in a heavy contingent of soldiers looking for him. They’ve… met resistance, though.”
I barked out a laugh, standing slowly and gripping the corner of the bed rail as Elaine rushed to my side.
“Of course they have. Kohen killed my father, then he killed me, and now he’s trying to take back his country.”
Elaine growled. “Well then, we burn it to the ground.”
I nodded, glad she was thinking along the same lines as me. She helped me out of my gown and into clean clothes.
“Iniki found both you and Liana dead in the wilds. Creatures were circling your body. She held them off until we could get there.”
I’d have to thank Alek. Waking up from being reborn only to die again would have sucked. I wasn’t sure how many times I could fight that fire beast. It seemed stronger this time.
Elaine dragged a finger across my arm and the light pink skin there. It looked like I had a sunburn.
“Your entire skin was charred, Aisling. You looked—” Her voice caught. “But Tetra forced us to keep you in here. Said you would be… reborn. I wasn’t really sure what happened last time.We never talked about it in detail—” She was mumbling, and I placed my hands on her shoulders to steady her.
“I’m okay. You did everything right,” I told her.
Her mouth set into a grim line. “Aisling, I’ve raised you since you were little. You’re like a daughter to me. Seeing you… dead like that… was—” She stared off into space. “I never want to go through that again, but is this something that might happen again? Are you really immortal?”
