Chapter 104

Darius managed to catch Shereen before she fell. The shocking admission was a little too much. She clung to him and sobbed softly into his shirt, betrayed and hurting.

He didn't like it one bit. He eyed the smaller man, who still had that annoying smirk on his face. His fist almost fixed it for him.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around Shereen and growled, "Start explaining."

"Perhaps we should settle the princess somewhere comfortable first."

He shook his head. "I am not putting her back in one of those cells."

"Hardly a cell. Those are our private guest quarters."

"I take it you don't get many repeaters," he muttered. "What do non-guests get?"

"Dormitory space. It's more practical."

"And less private."

"That might have been true once. However, we're not as populous a species as we used to be."

"Who are you anyhow?" he asked.

"Doctor Pomme."

"And where are we?"

"The Lazuli capital, of course."