Indentured Bride Read Online Free Page B

delectable soup.  Tabitha’s heart sank—then she realized the trail of blood coating the floor. 
    Her master lumbered into the central room and dropped onto the couch.
    Tabitha grabbed the medical kit she found.  Jaxil was panting while holding his cracked chest plate against his right side.  She perched on the couch next to him.  Jaxil glowered toward her with his white teeth flared.  Normally she would have fled from such a threat, but she knew it was only a grimace of pain.  She forced her trembling hands reach for his chest plate.
    Jaxil helped her remove the armor.
    The gore on his right pectoral made her head go light.  Something had rend him—showing tissue layers inside that she should have never been able to see.  She wanted to cringe from it, but the blood was pouring.  She forced her trembling hands to open the kit.
    Jaxil came alive and snatched the amber syringe.  He stabbed it just above the wound.  His fast breathing settled at once and a look of calm came over his face.  He then took the clear syringe and injected that.  Next he reached for the staple gun.  Tabitha opened its wrapping for him.  She watched him try to press together the edges of his wound while simultaneously stapling.  A crooked staple went in wrong.  He gave an ear-stabbing howl.
    Tabitha grew even more panicked from his shriek.  She took the staple gun from him.  He looked at her, still recovering from his agony, then held together the edges of the wound for her.
    Oh God.
    She had to hold the gun with both hands since she was shaking.  The first staple went in as it should.  He flinched, but didn’t scream.  She continued down the line, wincing as he did with every click of the tool. 
    When she was done he looked like he was put back together.  His pectoral resembled a pectoral again, beneath a grotesque mending. 
    He pointed to a bottle of liquid and sheathes of cloth.  Now he spoke.
    “He wishes for you to cleanse wound.  Soak the pads in that liquid,” Diplomo said.
    Tabitha wiped the blood clean, but more was still dripping from the seal she’d made.  He had her use another fluid to staunch the blood.  Then she taped bandages in place.
    Jaxil sank back with his eyes closed.  “Deent, deearka.”
    “He thanks you.”
    Tabitha looked at the blood soaked cloth.  “Is that enough?  I mean…will he recover.”
    “It should be sufficient.  The Hax-Rah are fast healers and immune to most types of infections.”
    Tabitha pursed her lips.  She remained in place on the couch.  She didn’t feel capable of leaving his side.
    Jaxil looked at her.  His yellow eyes traced her face and then lowered to the hint of cleavage her shirt revealed.  He said something in a quiet tone.
    “Do you still wish to stay in such a dangerous place?” Diplomo translated.
    Dangerous for you.   And that meant she should stay.  Who knew when he’d need her again?
    “Yes,” she said.
    He turned away.  “The jii’tox was almost off its egg sack.  It could have broken in here.  I had to keep after it—even after I lost the side cannon.  I put myself at greater risk because I knew you were here.”  Diplomo’s translation was seamless now.  It felt like the robot was no longer there.
    Tabitha lowered her head.  “It’s my fault then.  I’m sorry.”
    He placed his hand on hers.  “Wrong, deearka.  It’s the fault of my commanders.  They put you here thinking you could anchor me to this hopeless mission.  It’s too much for any single hex-lord.”
    “Could I help you?”
    One side of his mouth tilted up in a smile.  “You did help.”
    “I could…I could try to shoot monsters, too.”
    Now he laughed.  His eyes crinkled when he smiled.  “Bring me the soup.”
    She hopped up at once to obey.  In moments she presented him the soup and spoon.  He lifted his head enough to take a bite.  She became transfixed on his expression.  Did he like it?  She wanted to know her first try at Hax-Rah