Page 26 of I Married Amreth

“What do you mean?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“We performed some tests on Sora. And guess what? Elias’s great discovery, SS12, actually came from her. He derived the serum from the antibodies she developed from surviving the disease that the human doctor passed on to her.”

“So it wasn’t the sedative that she negatively reacted to?” Amreth asked, surprised.

I shook my head. “No. It came from the bite, which caused her to swallow some of his blood. But the problem is that whatever she suffered from isn’t the same illness as what is killing the others. Had it been the case, we could have derived a quick cure for all of them. But something else happened.”

“You think Elias did something to their people?” Amreth asked, his expression darkening as suspicion filled his voice. “Could he have made them sick on purpose to further validate his serum?”

I hesitated. “Actually, no. I don’t think he made her sick on purpose. After all, from our analysis and their retelling of the events, it was purely unfortunate circumstances that she bit him and became infected with that disease. The problem is that as soon as he cured her, he left and never looked back. This is a grievous breach of the Prime Directive. The terrible fallout imperatively should have been reported. The Kreelar should have remained under discreet observation for at least five years to make sure that nothing resurfaced.”

“Why didn’t he? It wasn’t like he was at fault for those two foolish doctors breaking protocol.Theywould have faced the consequences. At worst, it would have been a slight blemish on his reputation, but it wouldn’t have been a devastating blow,” Amreth argued.

“And that’s the part that truly bothers me. The consequences now for being exposed are going to destroy his career. Why risk it? The incredible discovery of SS12 would have made the shame of this situation fade away in a heartbeat. This was ideal timing for him, however tragic as it had been for the victims. There’s something else we’re missing.”

“Aku mentioned that they had to be secretive about this because extremely powerful people would have made things even more tragic had they gone public with this instead of abducting you,” Amreth said pensively.

“He hinted at that as well,” I said with a frown. “Once we have saved these people, we need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Agreed,” Amreth said with a determination that almost made me smile.

He truly was the embodiment of the extreme law-abiding Obosian.

“It’s just frustrating that no one really prodded at some of his inconsistencies. First off, he labeled his discovery SS12, which stands for Simian Serum. Although the Sangoths have some verydistant links to apes, we mostly compare them to Yetis. Whereas the Kreelar clearly have simian traits. When asked to describe the species he derived the serum from, Elias gave some random explanation that the illness the creature suffered from acted like a virulent flesh-eating bacteria that not only consumed the flesh at an accelerated rate but also made it decompose much too quickly for them to have any viable tissue that would enable them to identify its species.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Amreth said, incredulous.

I snorted. “Tell me about it. But people were too busy raving about the serum and its applications to really dwell over its origins. And down here, all was well for nearly a year after their departure. And then, that illness came back. But it was different. No one bit anyone, and it wasn’t restricted to a specific subgroup like it had been with Sora and the young she breastfed. Random members of the tribe of all ages and genders started getting sick.”

“Some kind of virus?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. Whatever it is, it isn’t airborne, isn’t a blood borne pathogen, and isn’t physically transmissible via touch. It’s causing severe headaches and swelling in the brain. It’s almost like encephalitis with the headaches, fever, fatigue, joint pain, and eventually confusion and hallucinations. Both genders get it, but females who contract it after puberty rarely survive. The biggest problem is that it began happening in every other tribe, not just the people here in Bryst.”

“That doesn’t make sense. When Sora first got sick, did she infect a child from another tribe?”

“No. The illness exclusively struck here. So something else happened that is now spreading to other Kreelars, but not the Sangoths. But then, those two species don’t interact with each other. Over the past nine years since the sickness returned—or rather this version of it manifested itself—the Kreelar femaleshave been decimated. They now account for less than a third of their population. If we don’t find a cure quickly, they will become extinct. So as you can guess, we can’t leave. Wehaveto fix this.”

He nodded slowly, a deep frown creasing his brow. “Aku said you can solve it, but even faster with my aid.”

I perked up. “He did. They have some kind of seer who said you would come and that you would help. That first part was clearly accurate.”

“It was. Which means I must help. Whatever you need, it is yours.”

Although his words pleased me, for a reason I couldn’t explain, I felt the need to challenge his motivation.

“Would you still offer your aid if I wasn’t involved?” I asked.

He slightly recoiled and looked a bit offended.

“Yes, Ciara. I would still offer. I may have come here specifically for you, and as your soulmate it is indeed my duty to assist you in every way possible. But I also have a duty of conscience to do right by those in need. Obosians may come across as cold and rigid at times, but we are not heartless. We’re just… stuck up when it comes to upholding the law and following rules.”

“Then you might find having me as a mate quite problematic. I’m the rebellious type,” I challenged.

Although he narrowed his eyes at me, his lips stretched into a subtle smile laced with a hint of provocation.

“Are you now?” he asked in a dubious tone. “It sounds a bit contradictory for an epidemiologist.”

I shrugged. “Those rules, I follow. But others…” I waved a dismissive hand as my voice trailed off.

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