Page 56 of Dark's Savior

He growled low then his mouth suddenly pressed against her neck. There was a slick heat as his tongue grazed her skin. Aly was too shocked to move.

"Hey, human, are you still there?" Nar’s voice rang out. "What happened?"

Aly didn't speak. She lifted her head up and swallowed hard, but she dared not speak. Ryziel lapped her again then opened his mouth and let his fangs slide along the soft skin not covered by her suit.

'He's going to bite me,' she thought. But as horrifying as that might seem, she wasn't completely afraid. The way he moved on her wasn't like an animal who was ready to devour a meal. This hunger was different.

He pressed his teeth against her skin, but he did not break it. Aly winced as he let up then pulled away.

His grip loosened on her wrists and his body bent forward, his head coming to rest on her shoulder. Aly remained motionless for another minute before attempting to pull away, gently pulling out of his grip.

"I'm here," Aly said aloud. "I think he's starting to relax."

There was a hiss from her techband. "Thank Nihl," Nar said. Cautiously, Aly drew away, allowing Ryziel to remain bent forward. Quickly, she went for the medical tool, clear bottle, and rag and came back to kneel before him. She looked over the wounds, noticing the ones also on his back. She moved around to his backside and uncapped the clear bottle then, with careful precision, began to pour the contents onto his back.

She braced herself, thinking he could rear up and roar, but to her shock and relief, he did not. What she presumed was disinfectant did not sting or burn. Feeling more confident, she let the liquid trickle down his back until the blood was washed away and his wound clean.

"Now what do I do?" Aly asked Nar.

"Turn on the surgical tool and place it as close to the wounded skin as you can without touching."

Aly moved closer, her legs almost touching his. She went to place her hand on Ryziel's back but froze. Something told her it was best not to touch him if she could. She shifted around behind him instead, to get a better position, then turned on the scanner-like tool. Its yellow light sparked in the darkness, and it made a soft whirring sound as she brought it down onto Ryziel's back.

As best she could, Aly tried to keep it from touching him and was thankful when he didn't move. She watched in silent awe as the slashes along his back closed up, mending into new skin before her very eyes. She was sure he would react then, but he didn't, and she wondered if it was the bluym now taking full effect.

When she finished, Aly stepped back to assess any more damage and was satisfied the back of him was fixed. She eyed the salve on the ground, knowing she was probably supposed to smear it over the mended skin to keep it from scarring, but, again, she was reluctant to touch him. Instead, she rose and moved to Ryziel's front where, now seeing her kneeling before him, Ryziel straightened so he could gaze at her.

They locked eyes, and Aly could see he was still not all there, but at least he was calm, and that was enough for now. Once more, she took up the clear bottle and poured the liquid along his chest and stomach. There were still a set of quills stuck in his skin, but Aly hesitated to touch them. She worked on the open wounds first, cleaning then sealing the skin. When she was through, her eyes settled back on the quills poking out of his chest.

She looked up at him. "I have to get these." She gestured to the quills. She had no idea if he heard her or even understood what she was saying for he didn't move, his expression never changing. Aly lifted her hand and reached out.

When her fingers grasped the first quill, Ryziel's hand shot out and once again wrapped around her wrist. Aly froze, watching him carefully, then began to pull.

It was then he reacted but only with a soft hiss. Blood gushed out from the opened wound where the quill once stuck, but Aly ignored it and went for the next. Ryziel didn't let go of her wrist nor did he look away from her as she pulled each one out. When the last one unlatched from his skin, Aly did the same cleaning routine with her free hand and sealed the skin. When she was through, her body went limp, forcing her to sit. Ryziel didn't let go of her wrist right away but that was okay, she just needed to breathe.

"It's finished, Nar," Aly eventually said.

Another soft click from her techband. "Great. Now just wait a few hours, and he should come around."

Aly's round eyes shot down at her techband. "A few hours?" she breathed. "You can't be serious."

"I am. Also, you should probably get away from him now. It might be a while before he is stable."

Aly pursed her lips as her eyes flitted over to Ryziel's hand, still gripping hers, and how close his body was. "And if he never is?" Aly asked, almost in a shrill voice.

"He will be. The bluym should help a little. Also, I've messaged Xilya. She won't be able to get to you until after her shift. So better to just wait."

Aly wiped another bead of sweat from her forehead. This was absolutely insane. Who knew how safe they were even now, let alone in a few hours? But she wouldn't leave Ryziel, not for any reason.

"If anything else happens, let me know," Nar continued. "I will check in and make sure everything is all right. Just let him do his thing. Leave him alone, but don't go far from his sight."

Aly wasn't exactly sure what 'let him do his thing' meant, but she guessed it involved his recovery, seeing as he had lost a lot of blood.

"The salve jar broke," Aly said before Nar clicked off.

"That's unfortunate. He probably won't be too happy to find a bunch of scars marring his skin, but I guess it can't be helped."

Aly glanced at the marks forming on Ryziel's chest where the wounds had been. She frowned. "Why does he care?" She knew she sounded a little indifferent but she only meant it out of curiosity.

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