Chapter Fifteen
Dazed, and more than slightly confused by the events of the day—not the least of it the most unusual gynecological exam of her life—she didn’t complain when Kerr took her home to rest. But as she thought of what might be revealed by the tests, the orgasm fog wore off in a flash, and her damned anxiety remained. Earlier, when she told him it felt like she was coming out of her skin; it hadn’t been an exaggeration. A nap was impossible with her thoughts whirling a mile a minute.
When they walked into their fourth-floor residence, a better distraction awaited her—Aylan, and his mate.
“I’ve brought Neela to take you on an outing, Prima,” the big man boomed without bothering to offer a greeting.
Hesitant, Eva glanced at Kerr. She’d only met the woman once, and very briefly.
He brushed her hair off her shoulder and stroked the backs of his fingers along her jaw. “It’s up to you, anisa, if you feel up to it.”
“I couldn’t sleep if I tried.”
“Before you decide. It’s important to know Neela has a reputation for being on a first name basis with the most skilled and sought-after artisans on the planet.” He pinched her chin gently, his perceptive gaze holding hers. “It will be fun, sprite, and might otherwise occupy your mind.”
She nodded. “I think I’d like to go.”
The lively older woman clapped her hands with excitement. “First on the agenda: the bakery, then the street market, where you can find anything you could want.” She came up beside her and linked arms, adding in a loud whisper, “Mind you, I didn’t say need, I said want. What is your fancy, prima? Jewelry, dresses, shoes? Whatever catches your eye, rest assured the vendors will fawn over you to get to Kerr’s credits.”
She shook her head, never a big shopper. “Oh…I don’t know.” As an independent woman for the last decade, she wasn’t sure how she felt about spending his money.
“It’s fine, Eva,” he assured her, with a gentle smile. “You won’t break me with a single trip to the market.”
Neela laughed. “You couldn’t break him with daily trips to the market for an entire annum. His family owns a uladite mine, dear.”
A man of constant surprises, she blinked up at him before giving Neela a nod. Anything was better than fruitless introspection and nagging doubts.
As promised, they went first to a small bakery down the street. The heavenly scent of yeast bread, cinnamon, and cookies made her mouth water when they walked in. With her taste buds ready for a sticky bun or éclair, her face fell when she didn’t recognize a single thing in the glass cases. She let Neela choose, and they spent a whole time-cycle—which would always be an hour in her mind—sampling a variety of blue, pink, and yellow treats.
When she popped a white and yellow swirled confection into her mouth, the taste closely resembled the petite-fours her grandmother always set out at Christmas. The familiar flavor exploded in her mouth, her eyes rolling back while she moaned. “Chocolate. I thought I’d never taste it again.” She reached for another one. The only thing missing was something lemon. A teacake, lemon bar, or her favorite lemon meringue pie would do nicely. “Do you have citrus fruits?”
“I have no inkling, Prima.”
“Call me Eva, please.” She tapped a finger against her chin and wondered aloud, “How to explain citrus? They are succulent acidic fruits from trees and shrubs that grow in warm climates back on Earth. Some are sweet and others very sour, but they’re so luscious and full of flavor we squeeze them for their juice.”
“Wait, I think we might have something similar.”
Neela popped up and went to the counter. She returned with what looked like an orange tart. It wasn’t quite what she expected, tasting more like apricot. “It’s close,” Eva told her after she swallowed. “Maybe I’ll work with Aylan on trying to get it even closer.”
The next stop was an outdoor street market, much like they had at home, with row upon row of vendors hawking their wares. They spent hours browsing, Eva reluctant to buy, despite Neela’s prompting. Leaving her companion haggling with a weaver over the cost of a bolt of sapphire-blue material that looked and felt a lot like silk, she wandered to some of the other booths.
As she was admiring a string of luminous purple-hued stones, the merchant came up and began reciting his sales pitch. She glanced up with a smile, prepared to indulge him, but her breath caught at the sight of Kerr exiting a building behind the colorful row of tents. He was laughing, his brilliant smile lighting his face. She raised her hand to wave, stopping short of calling to him when a woman followed him out.
The trader noticed her distraction and turned to see what had drawn her attention.
“The Princep appears very happy these days, Prima. We have you to thank you, I believe.”
She sent him a dubious glance before shifting back to where Kerr spoke animatedly with the beautiful Primarian woman. In the two weeks she’d known him, he’d never laughed with her like that, nor smiled so full, making Eva even more doubtful having her as a mate was the source of his newfound happiness. While she watched, he angled his head and said something near her ear, prompting the woman to beam up at him and lay her hand on his chest.
They looked good together, both with midnight hair, deep golden skin, and gorgeous. The woman was the ideal height for Kerr’s tall frame, unlike Eva who was at least six inches shorter than the average Primarian female. He didn’t have to strain his neck to look down at her or to speak privately in her ear—or meet her lips with a kiss.
The image caused a pang of hurt in her chest.
“Who is the female with the Princep?” Eva tried to mask the sharpness in her tone. She didn’t quite pull it off, but the man didn’t seem to notice and was in a chatty mood.
He glanced where her gaze was fixed. “That is Zalina. Her mother was a childhood friend of Max Kerr’s mother. As children, the two of them were practically raised together. When they came of age, they were once hopeful of being mated, but it’s rumored they were a weak match, unlike you and our Princep. Ariad is abuzz over how near perfect you are for Max Kerr. It gives us hope the family line will continue.”
His words were almost as crushing as seeing Kerr catch the brunette’s wrist in his hand and hold it. As she’d suspected all along, their idea of mating was a mercenary business, the males having to settle for a mate based on biology, and duty to their people rather than following their heart.
Envious of the connection he shared with the woman from his past, she still saw the unfairness of it all and wondered what it had been like before the asteroid had changed life on Primaria. If not for the horrific whim of fate, would Kerr and Zalina be mates, matching percentages aside? She should feel bad for the ill-fated pair, but felt worse for herself, and couldn’t dismiss the nagging worry he longed for what might have been.
“What happens if an incompatible pair falls in love? Are no exceptions made when the heart is involved?”
“In days gone by, concessions were often made. But we cannot risk our survival on whims of the heart, Prima Eva.”
Dispirited, she watched as Kerr and Zalina strolled down the street, leisurely, as if in no hurry to be anywhere or to separate. When she clutched his arm to her breast and tossed her long gleaming hair over one shoulder while laughing at whatever he said like it was the most amusing thing she’d ever heard, Eva’s stomach clenched.
Travel the universe far and wide, and some things didn’t change; the woman was blatantly flirting with what in their world was essentially a married man. He didn’t seem to encourage her or return her touch, but then he flashed his winning smile, and she realized he didn’t have to. It was enough to melt any woman’s heart, herself included.
“Despite our surprise an off-worlder is a near-perfect match with one of our own, and our Princep at that, everyone is bursting with excitement you’ve been found, Prima.”
Her misery palpable, she watched them walk down the sidewalk together, conversing, their smiles interspersed with laughter.
“Word has spread you matched higher than 99.5%. Are you aware how incredibly rare that is, even for Primarians?”
The man continued talking, oblivious to Eva’s roiling emotions and the fact she hadn’t said a word in several moments.
Everything revolved around those damned tests, flawed as they were.
Suddenly, like someone had flipped a switch in her brain, the pieces fell into place. The number Jarlan had reported during her exam earlier and had made Kerr smile—no, beaming with delight was a better description—wasn’t her temperature as she’d presumed. Rather, it was a match rating, and evidently, she was off the charts.
“We are hopeful of an heir by this time next year.” The merchant lifted his chin toward the purple pearls she still held. “Those will look beautiful with your fair complexion, Prima. May I wrap them for you?”
“No, thank you,” she said absently.
Her excitement over the outing had evaporated. Vaguely, she heard him trying to lure her back to see another “lovely piece,” but she had already moved on down the row. She didn’t stop further, ignoring the cry of the barkers and the curious eyes as others became alerted to the Prima’s presence, clamoring for a good look.
Needing time alone to think, she stepped between two tents. Without waiting for Neela, she made her way quickly down the sidewalk toward home. She was up the stairs and inside the main corridor in no time. Near the main stairs, she spied Aylan speaking to Kerr and darted down a smaller secondary hallway out of sight. She wasn’t up to facing him yet, nor answering questions about why she’d returned alone.
Making her way through the maze of hallways on the hectic first floor, she found an empty alcove and collapsed on a bench. Out of the main flow of traffic, she took a few minutes to collect herself.
“Trouble in paradise?”
It was Eryn. She glanced down the hall, surprised her mate wasn’t following close behind. “You’re here alone?”
“Ram is nearby. He doesn’t trust me not to go apeshit crazy on him and his fellow slavers.”
“Yet you’re allowed out and about.” She looked at her throat, relieved when she didn’t see the awful silencing collar. “I’d say that’s progress, isn’t it?”
Eryn’s humorless laughter dashed her small glimmer of hope. “The only progress is I’ve duped him. He thinks he’s fucked me into submission.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m biding my time.”
“For what?”
“I’m not staying here. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going on with my mission.” Eryn sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly as she lowered her voice to an urgent whisper. “I want you to come with me, Eva. The rumor making the rounds is you haven’t transformed. Before you do, it’s your chance to get out.”
“How?”
“I can’t say, but I’ll come for you when it’s time.”
“Eryn.”
Their heads snapped up at the same time. Ram stood at the end of the short hallway. His lavender eyes narrowed with suspicion before shifting to Eva. “I hate to cut this short, Prima, but my mate and I must go. We can arrange another visit sometime soon, however.”
He held out his hand, and Eryn dutifully rose to her feet.
“I’d like that, Ram,” she said softly.
As Eryn walked to his side and took his hand, Eva marveled at the abrupt change in the woman’s demeanor. She didn’t know it was possible for Eryn to speak in a modulated tone, let alone do meek.
With a last meaningful glance from her shipmate, they were gone.
***
Eva went home and up to the garden. She tried to find solace in work, but her mind wouldn’t settle. Distracted, she kept knocking things over, making a mess, and doing nothing but harm to seedlings in need of a delicate touch during transplanting. After an hour of work she’d only end up doing all over again, she quit and made her way back to the residence.
She bypassed their room with the big bed and the bathing pool, places that reminded her too much of Kerr and all his promises, and curled up on a couch in the lounge, staring out at the mountains. Usually vivid, the colors seemed muted and somber, like her mood. Lost in thought, she lay there, quiet and unmoving, until she heard her name called from outside the door.
“I’m here.”
Kerr appeared immediately. He looked harried, his hair a dark tangle around his head as if he’d run his fingers through it. “There has been an explosion in one of the mines.” Before she could reply, he disappeared back down the hallway. She followed, finding him in the closet in their room.
Eva clutched the doorjamb, steadying herself. Her heart jumped in her chest, as she thought of another harrowing time long ago. The grim expression on his face, told her he was mired in memories of it, too. “Is anyone hurt?”
“The call just came in. I’ll know more when I get there.” Seated on one of the benches, he pulled on heavy boots and retrieved a pair of thick, sturdy-looking gloves from a shelf then he was up and striding to the door where she stood. He brushed a kiss against her temple. “I’ll probably be late.”
“Please, be careful,” she called after him as he rushed out.
Crossing to the windows, Eva stared out at the break in the mountains used to access several of the mines. She watched for signs of trouble; there were no flames or billowing smoke as she’d expected. Nothing looked unusually, just a typical cloudless day.
A sound in the hallway made her turn. Thinking it was Kerr returning, she hurried to meet him, shocked to see Eryn striding her way, flanked by Yolanda and Britha, two guards from the Odyssey. All of them were armed.
Eva stared at the new arrivals in utter amazement. “How are you here?” she choked out.
“They captured them,” Eryn stated plainly. “But instead of hunting them down and carrying them off like barbarians, your king sent a warship. They took control and brought the entire crew here to be mated. I keep telling you. They’re nothing more than slavers.”
Reeling from the news, she staggered back a few steps. “No,” she whispered as her back hit the wall. “He wouldn’t.” But as she stared first at Britha, who she’d known before signing on for the mission, she couldn’t deny the two women standing in front of her. Her knees gave way, and she slid to the floor.
“It’s true, Eva.” Britha crouched in front of her and gripped her hands. “They used a paralytic gas. We couldn’t move, let alone defend ourselves. Then they boarded us and took control of our ship.”
“And by doing so may have doomed our world,” Yolanda declared, rage in her voice, “which makes them murderers, too.”
“No,” she repeated.
“Yes,” Eryn hissed. “Think of the temptation we posed, Eva. These men need fertile women. We dropped into their laps like manna from heaven. Smaller, easily conquered, we’re compatible. Bonus, they find out some of us are submissive and like what they’re packing. Why settle for a measly eight females when you can have a starship full of three hundred young women of childbearing age, ripe for the picking?”
“How did you know about this? And how did you get weapons?”
“Instead of shackling me to his bed, which he tried in the beginning, in a futile attempt to make me compliant, Ram decided on a different method. He started taking me with him everywhere, thinking constant interaction would hasten the transformation. Along the way, I decided being joined at the hip with the big barbarian could work in my favor. I began watching, listening, the whole time faking submission. He was wary of the sudden change, but as you observed earlier, I can put on quite a show. Thinking me cowed, he let down his guard and underestimated me.”
Eva gasped, thinking the worst.
“I didn’t harm the brute, although he deserved a taste of his own medicine. I did acquire a lot of useful information though, like how to access his weapons store in his residence.”
“To what end?”
“Our escape. While Ram, your king, and most of the warriors are occupied in the mines, we’ll reclaim our ship.”
“He said there was an explosion… What did you do?”
“Just a small diversion.”
Eva glanced down the hall and out the window, seeing the mountains in the distance. Despite what she’d just learned, she had feelings for Kerr. After the past few weeks, how could she not?
“These are not good men, Eva. They’re ruthless, doing whatever it takes, no matter the cost.”
“Are we doing the same, Eryn? The sole goal of our mission is to save humanity.”
“We haven’t done the despicable things they have,” she shot back.
“Yet.” She’d had a similar discussion with Kerr, his cautionary words came back to her now. “To what lengths will we go when we run out of time, especially if faced with extinction?”
“Not this.”
“You’re very sure of yourself when you haven’t come to that bridge yet.”
“You’re defending them?” Eryn demanded, incredulous. Suddenly, her gaze softened. “What happens to you, Eva?”
“What do you mean?”
“When he gives up? When you don’t transform into his perfect mate and give the Princep his precious heir, what becomes of you?”
A horrible thought occurred to her, one she didn’t want to give credence. She asked anyway. “What does one have to do with the other?”
Eryn’s eyes widened. “He didn’t tell you? Lying bastard.”
“Tell me what?”
“Primarians can only breed with a transformed mate. Their seed isn’t viable unless the chemical reaction has taken place.”
Viable. Jarlan used the same term during their testing.
Oh. My. God!
A wave of nausea rolled through her as the truth hit her smack in the face; everything came back to breeding. She wrapped her arms around her waist and bent forward, breathing deep to keep from getting sick.
“You are worthless to him unless you become like him.” Eryn moved closer, pity in her eyes. “He lied to you, Eva; about the breeding and, by omission, about going after the Odyssey for more of us. Think what else he hasn’t told you?”
An image of Zalina wavered in front of her eyes.
“How long before he casts you aside,” Eryn whispered, “because you can’t bear his child?”
“He said they mate…for life.”
“You’re not truly bonded until you transform. It’s too late for the others, but we can still escape and save the rest of the crew from the same fate.”
“If we keep standing around yacking, it will be too late for us, too,” Yolanda hissed. “We need to go. Now.”
“Come with us, Eva,” Britha urged, adding her voice to Eryn’s plea.
Confused, grappling with indecision, she gazed out the window again. “The mine. Was anyone hurt?”
“An ally started a fire in a closed portion of the mine. It’s all smoke and mirrors to buy us time. No one was there to get hurt.”
At least she knew he would be all right. “How will we escape?”
“We?” Eryn glanced at the women accompanying her.
From the beginning, Eva had known something wasn’t right. She couldn’t stay. Her decision made, she swallowed painfully. “Yes. I’m coming with you.”
Eryn extended her hand to help her up. “We’ll explain on the way. Let’s go.”
***
They walked the streets of Ariad without incident, as if out for a Sunday stroll. Some of the people they passed waved in greeting, nodding respectfully to the Prima. Eva found it odd no one questioned why they were unescorted. Then she recalled she’d had no trouble earlier, at the market or the square, until Kerr’s grandfather came upon her, thinking her ill.
“Why aren’t they suspicious of us,” Eva wondered aloud, pitching her voice low as she smiled at two older women waving from across the street.
“Because women here are docile and mindless. And they think if they dress us like them and treat us the same way, we’ll be sheep, too. Mailynn, Thora, Lana, and the others have drunk the Kool-Aid,” Eryn sneered, her voice filled with disgust. “None of them would rebel against their men or dare to escape for fear of being beaten, so why worry?”
This made Eva frown. The women she’d met hadn’t seemed mindless. They also didn’t give the impression of being miserable. Kerr’s Aunt Neela had been bright, bubbly, and independent. In the marketplace, she’d watched her calculate discounts and haggle with the merchants like a pro, always getting the best deal for her credits. In fact, at least half of the shoppers had been women, going about their business without a man standing over them or holding their hand.
As far as being beaten, she hadn’t seen anyone bruised or cowering from their mates. Eva thought about the spankings she’d received from Kerr and the passion which had followed each time. Even the flogging had been more about pleasure than pain. She wouldn’t call them beatings, which was the answer she’d refused to give him a few days ago when he asked the exact same thing.
But she couldn’t justify what she’d received with the disturbing cries she’d heard from the woman in the square that morning. Her settlement for her crimes had been four strokes. Kerr had given her ten times as many, and she’d still come afterward. It didn’t make any sense to her—and with her leaving, probably never would.
A nagging pressure erupted behind Eva’s eyes. Everything about the events of the past few weeks was confusing, especially the state of her heart.
Kerr with Zalina came to mind. Seeing them together had been a factor in her impulsive decision to leave. Maybe she should have given him a chance to explain. But what explanation could he give for the pursuit and capture of the Odyssey?
Her steps slowed as they approached another small group of women. They smiled and nodded to the Prima when they passed, just like the others. Little did they suspect three of the four Earth females they’d greeted so cordially had lethal weapons strapped to their thighs beneath their flowing gauzy dresses.
Eryn noticed her lagging steps and waited for her. Wrapping a hand around her wrist, she urged her forward. “Come on, Lieutenant. Before one of the sheep becomes suspicious and tells one of the horny shepherds.”
Indecision still whirling in her aching head, she picked up the pace. After making it the few blocks to their destination without being stopped or questioned once, they entered a small building set off to the side of the landing port. Once inside, they rushed through the empty hallways to the transport room. As they entered, Eva was shocked to see two Primarian males manning the controls.
“Good, you convinced her.” This comment came from the Primarian female standing nearby. A brunette with a face Eva wasn’t likely to forget.
“Zalina.”
Her eyes widened—golden with flecks of brown, like Kerr’s. “You’ve heard of me. From the Princep, I imagine.” Her pleased smile was a bit too smug for Eva to stomach.
“No, he never mentioned you.” She enjoyed watching the other woman deflate. Her jealousy flared as she remembered how Zalina had flirted with Kerr that morning. She decided deflated wasn’t nearly enough; she wanted her flattened. “A merchant pointed you out, right before he told me how Kerr dumped you. An ‘inferior match’ is the term he used. Kerr needs a perfect mate, evidently.”
Twisted in anger, Zalina’s pretty face wasn’t quite so pretty.
Fists clenched, she stalked forward, her Primarian frame eclipsing her own above-average height.
“You’re pale, bland, uninspiring,” she hissed. “You aren’t woman enough for him.”
Eva stood her ground, unflinching. “Funny, I’ve been sharing his bed these past few weeks, and he hasn’t had any complaints.”
“You haven’t transformed,” Zalina spat. “Once you’re gone, he’ll come to me. No matter the numbers, better to mate with one of his own kind, a woman who wants him, rather than an alien bitch who fights him at every turn.”
“Enough,” Eryn barked. She looked at the man at the controls. “How many have gone up?”
“We sent the final wave remotely from the med bay only a few moments ago. You four are the last of the bunch. Take your places.”
The other two guards moved into the lighted chamber, followed by Eryn. When she stepped onto a lighted circle on the floor and faced forward, her eyes narrowed on Eva who hadn’t moved. “Get in the teleporter, Eva.”
She didn’t. Instead, she faced the two males at the console. “I understand why she is doing this.” Tilting her head to the side, she indicated Zalina without actually looking at her. “What’s in this for you?”
They stared back at her coolly, not deigning to reply. Zalina, however, was more than happy to jump in. “They are purists who don’t believe in interspecies breeding. They believe if it is His wish, the Maker will protect us from dying out.” Her eyes conveyed the animosity burning within her. “Some of us think it might be better if we did rather than taint the purity of our people. Eight of you was bad enough, three hundred is intolerable. We don’t need or want your kind here.”
Struck by the intensity of her hatred, Eva took a step back.
“We don’t have time for this,” Yolanda growled. “You’re either with them or with us. Come or stay. Choose, Eva, but do so, now.”
Indecision warred within her.
Go with Eryn and her teammates in a risky escape attempt fostered by a jealous woman and a group of xenophobic Primarian traditionalists. Eva had no reason to trust them, and if she did, this couldn’t possibly work. Even if they got off the planet and back to the Odyssey, which was a long shot, at best, Kerr and his warriors had captured them twice. What was to prevent them from coming after them and doing so again? And, if somehow, they made it, how could she live with herself having left Lana and the others behind?
Then there was Kerr, despite the fighting, constant battle for control, and the spankings—she couldn’t forget those—she had feelings for him. Leaving meant never feeling the warmth of his embrace, the gentle touch of his lips, or the hunger of his kisses, and that only touched the surface. She’d miss his deep throaty laugh, the flash of his engaging smile, and the way his golden eyes turned liquid with passion. And even though her mind reeled with doubts and suspicions of his underlying motivation, she couldn’t forget the times he’d held her in his arms and told her with unwavering conviction she was his, destined to be his, and fate had brought them together across the galaxies.
An image of Kerr took shape in her head while, at the same time, a wave of dizziness and intense anxiety overwhelmed her. Her heart fluttered painfully, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Then, like a flashfire, a familiar burning ache returned, scorching the back of her neck.
“Eva!”
She looked up, gaping at the weapon Eryn had pointed at her chest. “Are you going to force me to go?”
“He’s brainwashed you,” she insisted. “The Eva La Croix I know wouldn’t have hesitated. She’d do everything in her power to escape, return to her people, and fulfill her mission.”
“Something isn’t right, Eryn.” She glanced at the men at the console, and to Zalina.
Yolanda grimaced in disgust. “Leave her. She’s too far gone.”
“No,” Eryn barked. “No one is left behind.”
“Then stun her, and I’ll haul her ass over here myself.”
Eva stepped back.
“You’re not predestined to be his, Eva,” Eryn said, a flicker of some indefinable emotion in her eyes. Was it bitterness, sadness, or resignation? Perhaps a mix of all three? Eva wasn’t certain, and it was gone when she continued, her voice and expression flat. “You’re just a functional set of ovaries and a womb to them. If you don’t deliver on that promise, you’re nothing. We have people counting on us. Our people. This is your last chance to go voluntarily.”
“I need to…think.”
“I’m sorry, Eva. Time has run out.” It was Britha this time who raised her weapon.
“Wait! You’re taking my choice away, which makes you no different than them.”
“Wrong,” Yolanda snapped. “We won’t require you fuck us.”
Brimming with impatience, Zalina broke into their argument. “I require you get on with it because I’m bored out of my mind.”
Eva sensed movement behind her. When she turned, a searing pain engulfed her side. The agony was so intense her knees gave way. Time slowed to a crawl, and she never felt the impact with the floor. Instead, as if from a great distance, she heard the Primarian bitch’s malicious laughter, then there was nothing except blackness.
***
In a smoke-filled tunnel deep beneath the ground, Kerr dropped abruptly to his knees as a searing pain burned into his right side. It knifed into his chest with fiery heat. He clutched his chest as the air rushed from his lungs.
Eva’s image flashed in his head. With an overwhelming sense of foreboding, he knew something was very wrong. He felt it as surely as the nausea churning in his gut and the scorching heat along his neck and upper back.
“Max Kerr,” one of the men shouted, alerting the others who quickly rushed to his side.
“What is it, Kerr? Are you injured?” Trask demanded as he crouched by his side.
“Eva,” he rasped. “Send someone to her. Now.”
Blackness swirled before his eyes as he stretched his hand out to his most trusted warrior and closest friend. He felt hands upon him searching for the cause, but Kerr knew they wouldn’t find any visible wound. This went deeper.
With his strength rapidly fading, Kerr whispered, “Trask.”
“I’m here, my friend.”
“Protect her for me.” Then he knew no more as unconsciousness claimed him.