The Chosen by Celia Thomson Read Free Book Online

she added.
    “
That’s
Brian Rezza? Son ofWhitney, the head of the Order?” The doctor gave a low whistle. “And his own people did this to him?”
    “They are obviously not his people anymore,” Kim said dryly.
    “And they call us feral.” She sighed. “I’m going to be honest with you: I don’t know the extent of the damage to the head yet and if he does recover, it’s going to be a long, painful process. You don’t know his blood type, do you? Regardless, someone will need to get a couple of quarts of it.”
    As hard as she tried to stop it, Chloe’s eyes filled with tears.
Real leaders don’t cry so easy
. Just more proof of her point.
    “I’ll fix what I can here, but if you don’t want to take him to a real hospital, a lot of his healing is going to depend on his own body.” She ran a hand, claws now safely sheathed, through her shoulder-length brown hair. “We’ve never been introduced, I don’t think. I’m Doctor Calie Lovsky.” She put out her hand and Chloe extended hers, thinking that they were going to do that special “secret” Mai handshake Igor had taught her: slight extension of the claws to graze the other’s palm. Instead, like Ellen, she took the back of Chloe’s hand and put it on her forehead. Unlike Ellen, she didn’t bow.
    “Is, uh3 everyone going to keep doing this?” Chloe asked, turning to Kim.
    “The kizekh will. For everyone else, it’s only the first time they are formally introduced to you.”
    “I’m so glad you’re here,” Dr. Lovsky said, putting her hands back in her pockets. “We really need you.”
    Her easy switch from doctor to worshipful servant gave Chloe emotional whiplash. The woman was older than she,
waaaay
better educated, and a doctor besides.
What the hell is she doing looking up to me?
    “Can I go see him?” she finally asked.
    “Yeah, but as the old platitude goes, don’t stay too long; he needs his rest.”
    Chloe started to walk past her into the room, then stopped. “I’m—I’m really sorry about bringing a human here.”
    “Whatever the One wills,” the doctor said, shrugging.
    They had moved Brian to a bed and replaced his clothes with a simple cotton hospital tunic. He had also been bathed; most of the dried and sticky blood was gone. As were two of his teeth, Chloe noted with a shiver of horror. Like someone had kicked him in the mouth when he was down. There was a white bandage around his head and another around his chest. A clean white sheet was pulled up to his neck.
    “Hey,” Chloe said softly. “How you doing?” A disturbing gurgle came from the back of Brian’s throat. He coughed a couple of times, trying to clear theblood out, but then winced because of the pain in his chest. His crusted eyes flicked halfway open. When he saw her, he smiled. Chloe touched his cheek.
    “You’re going to be all right,” she whispered.
    Brian tried to say something, but it came out like the dry rattle of an old man. She leaned closer to listen.
    Using all his remaining strength, Brian pushed himself up another inch.
    And kissed her.
    He held it as long as he could before he fell back to the bed again, passing out.
    Chloe froze, refusing to believe what just happened.
    He had
kissed
her.
    It was a death sentence for a human. Man and Mai had not been able to love each other since the war between them first began, thousands of years ago.
    Chloe knew it all too well: she had accidentally killed or almost killed—she still didn’t know—a guy she hooked up with at a club before she knew any of this. The last time she had seen Xavier, he was covered in sores and his face was swollen beyond recognition. She had called 911 and fled.
    And now, because Brian was convinced he was going to die anyway, he didn’t think it would matter.

Six

    Chloe managed to sneak back in to her house just as the clock turned five thirty.
Great, a whole two hours of sleep
. She stripped down and fell into a deep slumber almost before she hit the