Page 72 of Heart’s Prisoner

"Sit." He nodded toward the bed.

Lana hesitated then put the robe on quickly and sat on the side of the bed, heat rising in her neck and face. She didn't look up at him but saw his movement from the corner of her eye. She tensed as he grasped her ankles and brought her around to the front of the bed then gestured for her to move back. Lana shifted up the bed, allowing her legs to stretch out on the mattress. She watched as Xerus picked up the case he had dropped on the ground and placed it on the bed next to her. He unlatched and opened it and took out several rolls of medical gauze and padding.

"Where did you get that?" Lana asked.

Xerus made a human-like shrug. "Around."

By around he likely meant found in one of the storage rooms. He pushed the case away and grasped one of her ankles again while his other hand went to the bottom of her robe. Lana pulled at her ankle and bent her knee, blocking his hand. "I can do it. I-is there any disinfectant?"

Xerus gave her what she could guess was a confused look. "Diisssin...?"

"Like alcohol? Er...is there anything in the case that says hydrogen peroxide?" She pointed to the case. Xerus turned it over so she could see. "Ah, here!" she picked up the clear bottle. "I'll just use this." Even though it was going to hurt like no tomorrow.

Before she could uncap it, Xerus took it out of her hands and sniffed at it. His face contorted and he growled. "No."

Lana frowned. "What do you mean ‘no’? This will help keep it clean." She went to grab for it but he kept it out of reach.

"Leesha vixos,"Better method,he said.

Lana let her arm drop. "What?"

Xerus tossed the bottle aside and quickly yanked up her robe before she could even react. Lana gasped as he bent his head down to her thigh and let his long tongue slip out between his teeth, the tip brushing against her burned skin. Lana cried out and struggled but he quickly pinned her in place, continuing his so-called 'better method'.

"How is that better?" Lana snapped.

"Heal...quicker," he said between licks.

Appalled, Lana groaned as his warm slick tongue grazed her skin, moving up her thigh to her waist. She clutched the robe to her tightly keeping it in place so nothing else could be exposed.

"How do I know your saliva won't just infect it more?" Lana said, eyeing him, heat rising and falling along her body mainly from embarrassment but also from something else she dared not think of.

Xerus lifted his head and licked his teeth, his mouth twitching. "Saliva is..." he seemed to think, trying to form the right words. "Is diissennfectint."

Lana wanted to laugh but could only stare at him. Dare she trust him anymore?

What choice did she have? And if he wanted her dead it was highly doubtful he would use this method to do so. Lana grimaced but didn't fight him, instead she laid back on the bed and gazed up at the ceiling, trying her best not to move as he finished "cleaning" her wounds.

"So the parasite..." Lana finally spoke, trying to distract herself and break the awkward moment. "That was your mission all along... to destroy it."

Xerus lifted his head to gaze down at her. "Yes."

Lana glanced at him then looked away. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have warned the others, I could have...I don't know...done something."

Xerus shifted beside her and, when she peered, back he was looking out at the fake window. " Couldn't...rissk.Veeris ni ix...infected."

Lana sat up. "You didn't know who was infected...but you knew Dr. Grimmer was. You could sense it."

"He was...far gone. Was essy to tell. Others...not so much. Had to be...clossir."

Lana frowned. "And you didn't know if those who were infected might be listening to our conversations...you had to make it seem like you were just a prisoner." She shivered. "You deliberately let yourself get captured so you could follow Spectre here to kill it."

Xerus turned back to her and bowed his head. "It was...almost gone. On the dark planet. Had it cornered."

"Then my kind came," Lana said, her throat tightening. She closed her eyes. "And now that we brought it here..."

"I must destroy it."

Lana opened her eyes. "Does everyone...have to die?"

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