Page 42 of Gladiator's Captive
Serena
The first thing that came back to me was the sensation of the skin melting from my face. Only it wasn’t melting, not really. No, it felt wet and vaguely mobile, like a second skin was holding on to it, sucking me like a kiss.
I winced in disgust at the sensation, but I didn’t move any more than that.
My body was stuck to whatever surface I was lying on and although I could feel every bit of it, I couldn’t move. It wasn’t as horrible as I would have thought it would be.
Maybe I was just dead and this was the afterlife. A perpetual waking paralysis under the lustful embrace of some form of amphibian God.
I shivered at the thought.
“She’s waking,” a female voice called, cold and controlled. Professional. “I need to monitor her vitals. Fetch me the nano-sensors.”
“I’m not under your orders, woman,” a male voice answered, gruff and discontent. “You seem to forget your status here.”
Strangers, both of them. I vaguely listened to them, barely interested. None of them were the one voice I wanted to hear above all else.
The sound of metallic objects clattering muffled the sharp exclamation of the male voice, then silence filled the room for a moment.
“That’s what I make of my status with Sayk and of your objections,” the female voice retorted, aggressive and sharp. “And if you’re not happy about it, tell that big brute to come deal with me himself.”
“I will, Doc,” the male voice said, low and angered. “You can count on it.”
A few well-placed curses followed, uttered by the female voice as the heavy sound of footsteps became distant and faint. I smiled internally.
I didn’t know her, but I liked her already.
Movements to my side and a radiating, comforting warmth told me that my new companion was coming closer.
“Go on, my dear.” Her tone was sharp, but falsely so. “Just a little push and you’ll be back to us.”
It took more effort to lift my eyelids than I had to give in my entire life, but I was rewarded by the sight of a pretty brown-haired woman, her rounded face sprinkled with freckles and her hazel eyes shining with intelligence.
“Well, hello there.” The woman smiled and it lifted her entire face. “You’ve given all of us a fright, did you know that? Especially that big hunk of yours. He’s been fretting over you so much, I had to ban him from my clinic.”
I chuckled at the thought of this woman, whoever she was, banning Rager from anywhere. My hilarity was short-lived, though, and pain racked my body as soon as I moved.
“Better not move yet, dear.” The woman disappeared from my vision as I shut my eyes against the pain. I heard her talk, but her words were muffled by something and I couldn’t make them out. “You’re going to be feeling much better in the next few hours, but for now, let me take that green junk away from you.”
I didn’t move or say anything, but she must have taken my silence for permission, because the next time she appeared above my face, she was peeling my skin away.
I blinked, shocked at the green, glutinous substance. She pulled and pulled, as I stared, horrified at the vision of it.
“This is just the bio-enhanced nano-fungus for your sunburns,” she said without losing her stride, like she could read the disgust in my eyes. “It’s not pretty and it smells like you’ve taken a bath in a tub full of frog piss, but you’ll thank me later.”
I soon breathed easier as the sensation of the wet, sticking skin was lifted from my body. The woman smiled at me, then her fingers ran along my limbs, deft and efficient.
“All better now.” She nodded to herself, seeming satisfied with her work. “And my sensor’s reading tells me your electrolytes levels are almost back to normal.”
Before she could speak more, she lifted her head sharply as two sets of heavy footsteps approached, fast. A shadow passed over her features and her jaw clenched as whoever entered the room approached.
“Ry tells me you’re still forgetting your place here.” A male voice heavy with a strange accent, deep and full of authority spoke. “Maybe it’s time I refreshed your memory. I remember well the last time I had to teach you a lesson.”
The woman’s cheeks reddened and her lips reduced to a thin, white line, but she didn’t answer. Her eyes were hard and dark as she held the gaze of whoever spoke.
“Ry is the one who’s forgetting his place. He wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for me.”
She bit her answer back, not giving an inch. Yep, I liked her more and more. The strange man grunted, words muttered under his breath in a tongue I didn’t recognize.
