The Tyrant's Apprentice by Eric Fieldstone

Author:Eric Fieldstone [Fieldstone, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20: No Masks

Coffee, please! Somewhere in that small kitchen, there had to be a dose of precious, magical substance. Just a mug or two to keep her eyes open… and then four more!

“Shaddai has depleted your energy,” Henrik said from the entrance. He wore a gray undershirt that sat tight against his mouthwatering athletic physique. “And—don’t take this the wrong way—I did attack your body.”

Attack my body all you want, Inquisitor. Make me explode like you did to that demon.

“Check the bottom drawer. Adele kept the quality coffee in the back.”

“Did caffeine make her hyper-unemotional?”

Julie had to get on her knees to search the lower cabinet. She pushed and shoved items aside until her hand touched an aluminum can labeled, “Forbidden!!!” But when she turned back with a victorious grin, Henrik wasn’t there. Was it my joke?

She found him lying on his bunk bed with an arm over his eyes. His damaged black tunic hung from the wall. A medical scanner lay on the floor, displaying that there was no sign of organ damage or internal bleeding.

“Is there something you want?” the Inquisitor asked. She stopped tasting the sight of his body and moved closer.

“I’m sorry. The stress made me grumpy.”

“It’s fine.” He sighed. “I’m just drained. We can both use a rest.”

She looked at the hallway. The gleaming pearl sat in a wall compartment close to the middle of the shuttle. So far, it seemed to have deterred the chittering drones.

“Are we safe here?”

“Humans are never safe in Kadesh’Yam, but we gave that covetous Old One a proper pause.”

Julie liked the way he said, “we.”

“Do you miss her?”

She said it as fast as possible because the tiniest doubt would’ve been paralyzing.

“Very much so, my dear.”

The goes my poor heart—squeezing itself to premature death. Still, she was alone with the Inquisitor on the ship, and Ms. Tannenbaum wasn’t. Don’t act like a jealous goblin, be supportive! Julie moved to sit on the bed beside his feet.

“Will we see her again?”

Henrik shrugged. “She idolized the Feldmarschall, so I’m afraid that might be… tragic.”

“How’d you end up working for him?”

“I guess… my ideals blinded me.”

“Ideals?”

Henrik shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. The worst part is that I dragged her into this adventure. I delivered her into his hands.”

He’s opening up to me. Julie’s heart bounced against her rib cage. She swallowed and refocused.

“I wish I kept my parents off that freighter, but I couldn’t know—and neither did you.”

He dropped his arm and stared, seemingly testing her honesty.

“How kind of you.”

Julie returned a nervous grin. It dawned on her that he sacrificed a lot for her.

“You could’ve picked Adele and him over some girl you barely knew.”

Silence. Perhaps he regrets his decision; maybe I’ve angered him. Eventually, he smiled.

“I couldn’t bear to participate in such immorality any longer.”

Despite the tremendous risks, he protected me. Moved by this realization, Julie overcame her hesitation and held Henrik’s hand.

He squeezed it back.

“Did he make you wear that stupid helmet?”

“Stupid?!”

Henrik looked insulted; Julie put on a smug smirk.

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