Page 36 of I Married Kayog
“That pill you took the other day, is it to combat that noise?” she asked carefully.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “It’s called dipramine. It slows down my pineal gland, which in turn blocks part of my ability to feel people. Sadly, it’s not a full shutdown.”
Linsea stiffened, and she leveled an intense stare at me that had all my senses on high alert.
“You said your pineal gland, correct?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“It’s malfunctioning?” she insisted.
“Not exactly. It didn’t form properly.”
My mate’s sharp breath intake freaked me out, especially since her emotions appeared to be all over the place.
“What is it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “In a minute, I will tell you. But please answer one more question for me first. Have you tried psychic disruptors to shield you from people’s thoughts and emotions?”
I made a disdainful gesture. “I did. Every possible model out there, but none of them work. I produce excessive amounts of melatonin, but mine is… unusual. It’s melatonin, and yet it’s not.The doctors said it was abnormal, but they couldn’t quite explain how. Why do you ask?”
She took a long sip of her flavored water before answering.
“I asked my nan if she had any idea why a Temern doctor might want to harm you.”
My back immediately stiffened, and a sense of dread washed over me. Noticing my reaction, Linsea reached across the table to squeeze my hand in a reassuring fashion.
“Don’t worry, Kayog. My nan is absolutely trustworthy. She believes that you might be an Edal.”
I blinked. “What is that?”
She gave me a detailed description of everything her grandmother shared with her. Although there were undeniable similarities, the differences struck me as too significant for me to qualify.
I shook my head. “Those are fascinating revelations. However, that cannot be my case, if only for the fact that I grew to be this old.”
My mate nodded. “That stumped her, too. But there are too many signs pointing in that direction. Maybe the time you spent in that stasis pod played a role. Maybe your parents did something before they resorted to letting you go that helped you survive those first few critical days. There are too many unknowns for us to truly assess whether you somehow benefited from something the others didn’t, which saved you. Would you consent to a medical exam?”
“No,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Although she had expected that answer, I hated the disappointment that emanated from her. Despite that, the stubborn determination lurking underneath made it clear she wasn’t ready to give up. I didn’t quite know how I felt about that. A part of me loved that she clearly wanted to help me whilethe other dreaded that she would attempt to coerce me into something I wasn’t comfortable with.
“I understand your very valid concerns based on previous experiences,” Linsea said in a reasonable tone. “But there has to be a cure or a way to fix whatever is ailing you. For this, we need the assistance of top medical professionals.”
“I don’t trust them,” I said forcefully.
“Fair, but you could sense if they had ill intentions,” she countered.
“True, but by then it might already be too late for me. They could have me trapped and unable to escape whatever they have in store for me,” I argued, hating that I sounded excessively paranoid.
To my surprise, Linsea rose from her chair and circled around the table to come next to me. I slid my chair back and welcomed her when she settled in my lap. My chest instantly warmed, and the sense of peace I always felt in her presence cranked up a notch.
“Do you trust me, Kayog?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation.
“Then I need you to trust that I will never let anyone harm you, let alone a medical doctor. You say we are soulmates. Although I cannot perceive things the way you do, I cannot deny that there is a strong connection between us like I’ve never felt with anyone else before. If you’re mine, I will raze this world and any other to the ground before I let anyone take you from me. I refuse to let you continue to live at the edge of life because of something that could possibly be cured.”
A powerful emotion constricted my throat. I had to swallow hard a couple of times before I trusted myself enough to speak.
