Page 13 of Owned By Two

“Do you need to talk with her alone?” Blor asked.

“No. This concerns the both of you.”

I stepped to one side to let her through. I shut the door behind her. No doubt she could smell the after-effects of our earlier lovemaking but if she had an opinion, she didn’t share it.

“What’s wrong?” Blor said, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

The Assistant looked from me to him and back again. “I’m afraid it’s something of a… personal nature and involves your father.”

“My father?” I said, perplexed. “What is it?”

“Perhaps you would like to sit down?” the Assistant said.

I did as she suggested and Blor was there with his powerful arms to wrap around my shoulders.

“What is it?” I asked again.

“I’m afraid… I’m afraid he’s passed away.”

6

BLOR

I just stood there,frozen and stunned at what I had just heard.

Surely I must have misheard her? Surely she must have said something else, something that had been misinterpreted by my brain? Any second now, she could chuckle and admit it was a joke and that things would go back to normal. Or she would realize it wasn’t Lizzy’s father at all but one of the other females.

But judging by the look on the assistant’s face, I didn’t think she had made a mistake — not with how she had delivered it.

No. This was happening. This was really happening.

“Are… are you sure you have the right room?” I said.

“Certain,” the assistant said with a curt nod. “We don’t make mistakes such as this.”

And yet, you’re quite happy to make other mistakes, such as breaking the contract we had signed. We were not to be disturbed at any time, under any circumstances, for any reason…

And death, I assumed, was a reason. Wasn’t it?

I had found my perfect mate for Steyatt — the best mate I could imagine being with and that I had ever been with, and now I was supposed to just let her go?

My attention turned to Lizzy, who stood frozen in place, unmoving. The assistant likewise faced her, ready to usher her toward the door and out of the room.. and out of my life.

The shock played heavy on Lizzy. She hadn’t moved a muscle yet from hearing the news. “Are… are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” the assistant repeated. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Very sorry? Death was nothing to be sorry about. In the culture of the Elkik, death was simply another link in the chain between life and death, no more worthy of being feared than breathing.

Lizzy nodded and seemed to take some comfort in the assistant’s words. I realized then that the human attitude toward death was very different from that of the Elkik.

The assistant’s eyes drifted between Lizzy and me. “Would you… like me to leave you alone for a few moments?”

No, I thought. We don’t need to be alone. We don’t need to discuss anything. She wasn’t going to leave my side, not after the bond we had formed.

However, Lizzy surprised me when she said:

“Yes. Yes, I think that’s best.”

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