The nurse’s eyes went wide. “What? No. Who told you that? It’s toxic. It will kill you.”
I sat up and looked her in the eye. “No. It won’t. If you don’t believe me, go and ask my Digger, Daniel Javolo. If it wasn’t for the fact that there’s a thin atmosphere on the planet, he would be dead right now.”
I tried to keep my expression neutral, even as my words cut into my heart like a knife. I knew only too well how close he’d come to dying out there. I ignored the sting of tears. I didn’t want to cry in front of this woman.
Simona casually typed some notes on her Palm-pad, then looked up at me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Go visit Daniel. He’ll tell you everything. I could come with you and you can question us about it together. That way you could get all the information at the same time...”
Simona frowned. “No... I don’t think so,” she said slowly. “We have orders to keep you two apart.”
My spirits sank. “Why?”
“They didn’t tell us that bit.”
Of course they didn’t.
I was antsy. I couldn’t explain why I felt an overwhelming urge to find Daniel and just wrap my arms around him... And kiss him again... warmth spread across my chest at that thought.
Simona asked a few more questions about my general health and gasped as she looked down at the Palm-pad again.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“These readings can’t be right.”
“Why not?”
“It says you don’t have broken ribs.”
“I don’t. Not anymore.”
Her perfectly manicured eyebrows drew together. “What are you talking about?”
“The alien that healed Daniel? He was just here and he healed me too.”
I lifted my shirt and showed her my still-glowing side.
Simona gasped again. “It was in here?” She looked around nervously, as if she expected him to appear at any moment. “I have to go tell the doctors.”
She made a move to leave. “Oh, and there’s a Mr Dermid waiting to see you.”
I froze; my insides like ice. What was he doing here? What did he want?
“By himself?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“Yes. He shouldn’t be coming in here by himself. I have an RO out against him. They won’t keep him away altogether, but I told them I didn’t want to be alone with him. Just tell him to go away.”
Simona’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t want to see him?”
Didn’t you hear me? “Yes, that’s right,” I said. “I never want to see him again, but he’s part of this whole thing with my Talent and that means I have to put up with him ‘observing’ things. So, like I said, tell him to go away.”
Her eyes widened. “But Miss Callista. It’s Malvolio Dermid! He is the MIC at Galaxy Mech. You can’t tell him to just go away!”
I glared at her. “I can and I did...”
As I spoke, the door swished open.
There he was, holding a large bunch of flowers. Roses. Long-stemmed, red roses. His face moulded itself into a smile and he strode over to the bed, nodding to Simona. My heart pounded.
“Hello, Lennina, darling. It’s so good to see you,” he said warmly. “When I heard you were visited by one of those aliens, I was worried about you.”
Memories of the night he broke my ribs flashed through my mind.
I clenched my fists. “I’m not your darling. You’re not supposed to be near me without one of the doctors. I don’t want to see you. I want you to leave.”
Simona sucked in a breath.
Malvolio’s smile stayed in place. “Now, Lennina, my love, there must be some misunderstanding. I’ve come to ask you to come back.”
Simona fidgeted and got to her feet, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, I’ll leave you two to talk things out...”
She headed to the door.
“Wait!” I called. “Don’t go! He’s not my boyfriend anymore and I don’t want him back. He assaulted me.”
Simona’s face flushed red and a look of confusion spread across her features, but Malvolio assured her everything was fine. “She’s just upset after all that’s happened. She’ll be okay.”
I saw the way she looked at him. She actually liked him. Maybe she was infatuated. I wouldn’t be getting any help from her.
Malvolio ushered Simona out the door while I tried to convince her to stay or get security, then he waved a hand to close the door and turned back to me and smiled. My heart sped up.
“Lennina. I’ve missed you.”
I doubted it.
Being near him and hearing him say that seemed so much worse after spending time with Daniel and seeing how he genuinely cared about me. After feeling the warmth in his embrace. The desire in his kiss...
Malvolio stepped up to the side of the bed. “It’s all arranged.”
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Author's Note: This is the end of the free sample of POWER OF LIGHTNING. If you’re loving this story and want to find out what happens next, you can choose to pay for the entire story, pay by chapter (the story is 57 chapters and is complete), or you can subscribe to support me. Subscribers get access to all my paid content.
It will also give you access to all books in my TAMISAN series (https://www.penana.com/story/160731/tamisan-tamisan-book-1), the novelette, THE ALIEN (https://www.penana.com/story/151071/the-alien), (both sci-fi) and you can get early access to my current fantasy story, FIRE AND MAGIC (https://www.penana.com/story/151283/fire-and-magic-the-jadori-book-1), which is being released in weekly installments.
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