“I’ve seen you somewhere,” Christine told her. “In the movies—or maybe on TV. You’re a star.”
“Hardly.” The silver-haired woman smiled. “But thank you—that’s a lovely compliment. I’m actually Emilia Oxley—Chief Commander Rarev’s wife. He and Commander Baird are the ones who brought you in and he wanted me to look in on you and see how you were doing. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, of course not! I’m so happy to meet you—you’re even more beautiful in person than you are on TV,” Christine told her.
She couldn’t help being a little bit star struck. According to all the celebrity gossip sites, Minister Emilia Oxley had gone on a wild space adventure before bonding with her husband, Rarev, the Monstrum Kindred commander. And now you saw her pictures everywhere, on the arm of her Monstrum husband.
Then, to her surprise, a warm, feminine voice whispered in her ear—“This is the one who will help you, daughter.”
At once, her dream of the night before came rushing back—the warm, comforting presence, the knowledge that she would be given a chance to save the one she loved if only she was brave enough—and the realization that Minister Emilia Oxley was the one the Kindred Goddess had sent to aid her in her dangerous mission.
It all happened in a second—so fast it didn’t even make a break in the conversation.
“Well, thank you for the lovely compliment.” Emilia Oxley smiled modestly. “And you seem to be recovering very nicely.”
“She really is!” Dr. Liv was smiling approvingly as she looked at Christine. “How are you feeling, Christine?”
“Much better,” Christine said honestly. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“You’re very welcome—it was my pleasure,” Dr. Liv said. “In fact—”
But just then a nurse poked her head in the door to Christine’s room.
“Oh, Dr. Liv—I’m so sorry to bother you but that patient you admitted last night is having some kind of reaction to his medication,” she said anxiously. “We need you!”
“Coming!” Dr. Liv hurried out, leaving Christine alone with the silver-haired Emilia.
As soon as Dr. Liv was gone, Christine clutched Emilia’s arm.
“Please, you have to help me,” she said urgently. “They’re going to send Roarn away—you have to help me stop them!”
Emilia’s lovely eyes opened wide in surprise.
“Sorry?” she asked blankly. “Who is Roarn?”
“He’s the Monstrum Kindred your husband is about to send away to the prison planet,” Christine told her. “Because everyone thinks he’s crazy and dangerous but he’s not—I swear he’s not! He was living with me for two weeks before all that mess at the Fensters’ trailer happened and he was perfectly fine! We were together every day and we slept in the same bed at night and he never once hurt me—he was perfectly sane as long as we were together!”
Through Christine’s speech, Emilia’s eyes had been getting wider and wider and Christine could see the other woman wasn’t sure what to think about anything she was saying.
“Look,” she said desperately. “I know what you’re thinking—I just had brain surgery and you’re wondering if I’m in my right mind. Well, I am. The Kindred Goddess came to me last night and promised to send me some help and I believe you’re it. So please, won’t you help me?”
“The Kindred Goddess spoke to you?” Emilia whispered.
“Yes, she did. She said she was sending you to help me,” Christine told her. “Because Roarn and I were meant to be together. Surely you must understand—you have a Monstrum husband! Can’t you imagine how terrible it would be if you thought you’d have to give him up and never see him again?”
To her surprise, the British Minister’s eyes were suddenly shiny with tears. She pressed Christine’s hand between her own and nodded.
“Yes. I…I can imagine that easily,” she said softly. “I thought for a time that Rarev and I would have to break our bond for political reasons and it was the worst and darkest time in my life.”
“Then you’ll help me?” Christine demanded. “I need to get over to the Monstrum Mother Ship where he’s being held and break him out of there!”
“All right now, I don’t know about helping you with a jailbreak,” Emilia said, frowning a little. “But what I can do is bespeak my husband and plead your case to him. Give me just a moment.”
She closed her eyes and a look of concentration came over her face. Christine had heard that when a Kindred mated with their chosen woman, they formed some kind of mental connection with them. Was Emilia using her connection to her husband now to talk to him mentally?
Apparently so, because after a moment the other woman opened her eyes.
“Rarev wants to know if you and Roarn are bonded or not,” she said.
“Er…bonded?” Christine raised her eyebrows in confusion.
“Yes, bonded. Did you have bonding sex with him and form a soul bond?” Emilia asked patiently.