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Chapter 67: Against Expectations
Cecilia was friendly. And she was human.
Ellis had been prepared for hostility, but instead was met with a welcoming demeanor. It took her by surprise. Her husband had stood in front of the temple to stop the Koln wedding, so she had expected Cecilia to take cues from that behavior.
Instead, Cecilia didn’t even mention politics. She chattered, leading Ellis to a room with low divans and a small table between them.
Ellis took a seat on the divan that Cecilia offered and Nin knelt at the head of it, silent as always. So far, Cecilia hadn't even acknowledged her existence, which Ellis thought was a little odd. Most people were curious about Nin because it wasn't common to see her kind with a human.
“Where is Logan?” Ellis asked. She took a plate of fruits and sampled one of them after seeing Cecilia eat, to ensure that it didn’t need to be peeled or pitted. She also thought about having a taste test for poison before she took them.
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Nin acted as their taster, despite Ellis's reluctance. The President looked offended, but Logan insisted. Just like the Kolns at home, Nin placed the food in her palm before eating it, but unlike the Kolns, she could eat vegetables, though Ellis might have gotten a small, vicious pleasure out of making Cecilia taste them for her.Ellis only picked at her food, listening as Logan and the President struggled to make polite conversation. Ellis had never been one for small talk, so she couldn't think of anything to contribute. Ellis knew the President's name was Abe, but he never gave them leave to use it, so they were forced to refer to him by his title, making the conversation even more stilted and formal.The President, it seemed, enjoyed gambling and had just invited them to a bout the next evening. Ellis didn't hear Logan’s reply over the pounding of her heart.The meal finally ended, but instead of rising to leave, the President clapped his hands. A grou
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“He essentially said that if I had sex with him, he would go along with our proclamations without a fuss.” She hung her head.Logan jumped to his feet, a ferocious growl ripping from his throat, murder in his eyes. He charged for the door but Ellis grabbed his tail, clinging to the swaying bed. “Don’t!”“How dare he? Let go of my tail, Ellis,” he snarled.“No, Logan. You’ll make things worse. You’ll play into their plans. Let’s just go home, okay?” she pleaded with him. “He wants you to attack him, to give him an excuse to cause you trouble. Cecilia tried to set me off over abusing her Koln and Abe would try to enrage you by propositioning me.”Logan froze and she could see him thing carefully. She dropped his tail. “You are right.” He cupped her face in his palm, stroking his thumb over her cheekbone. “What would I do without you?”“Do
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“Take the children and go to the basement,” he commanded Ellis. He was already punching buttons on the communicator.“I’m coming with you.”“No, you’re not,” Logan retorted. “It is not safe. Please… I won’t be able to keep my mind on the fight unless I know you are safe. Nin?” he glanced up.“The Emperor is correct,” Nin spoke, oddly calm. “You must stay here where we can protect the children.”Yes, Ellis sank. She had to protect the children.Logan was speaking frantically into the communicator. “We’re under attack. Launch everything. It if flies, it needs to be in the air.”Another explosion. This time, it was in the opposite direction.Laurel ran to the window. “It’s the space port!”Leo and Dorian ran through the connecting closet into their apartment. Ellis could see them head directly and pe
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Understanding and shock dawned in Laurel’s eyes. “Ellis…” she whispered.Ellis tried to smile.“What about you?” Tears streaked Laurel’s face.“There’s another pod on the other wall,” Ellis lied. “Just go.” She suddenly understood what Logan had felt when he demanded she go to the underground city.She shoved Laurel toward the pod and heaved her up inside of it. Laurel began to fasten the restraints as Ellis scooped the babies up, tarp and all, kissing each one before she dropped them in Ellis's lap and covered them with a pillow. Then she pulled the hood down and snapped it shut. She stepped back, giving Laurel a little wave, hoping Laurel couldn't see the tears in her eyes, and hit the launch button with the palm of her hand. The pod shot up the track so fast that it seemed to simply disappear.The pod was designed to fly on autopilot to the space port in orbit above Zothea.
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She gave a sideward glance at Ellis and then walked away behind the creature. Ellis knew that Nin would fare better if she didn’t need to protect Ellis. She could finish off these things and then come back to her side.Ellis crouched down beside Leo, trying to shake him awake. Despite multiple times, he could only open his glazed eyes and babble.“Ellis,” he whispered. “You have to go.”“I can’t leave you here!” she said. She glanced up and saw the reflection of the flames was closer.“You have to! Logan—”Ellis shook her head and said nothing."Glad I... didn't win you," Leo said. "Empire… needed you ... more."“Please try…” she whispered.“Done for…” he said, closing his eyes. “to be safe.”Ellis nodded. “I promise. I will be safe.”“Thank…”She waited,
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“Lower me,” Ellis commanded, handing the child she held to another woman and laid her blanket aside. “Hold on to my ankles.”“No, Ellis,” Dorian protested.“I’m the only one small enough to fit through.”“Ellis, Logan will kill me if I allow you to risk yourself.”“It’s not dangerous,” she argued. “I’ll be fine.”His tail swayed in indecision.“I’m the Empress. Now, do it!” She laid down and wiggled through the hole before he could argue further.Dorian grabbed one of her ankles and another man took the other and they slowly lowered Ellis toward the terrified woman.Ellis’s hair hung around her face, blinding her.She gathered it the best she could and tied it in a knot behind her neck, stuffing the tail of it down the back of her tunic.She stretched out her arms… almost there. &ldq
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