Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
As if anyone's lining up to run a clinic other than me. Someone needs to look after the sick, though.
I eye Azar as he smirks at me. "You think you're the man for the job, huh?"
"As you pointed out, I am not a man." He takes off the baseball cap that hides his hair, shaking it out and revealing the tangled, pale length of it. "But, yes. I am a leader, and the people here desperately need to be led."
"You're a stranger. No one wants you in charge." Forts are extremely xenophobic in the After, and they hate outsiders. Not that this is a good argument for someone who intends to take over, but I feel I should say something.
"I'm not going to ask," Azar comments, his voice silky as he regards me. "When you see a patient unconscious and bleeding, do you ask them if it's all right if you tend to them? Or do you simply get to work?"
"It's not the same thing."
"Isn't it?" He spreads a hand, gesturing at the ramshackle city. "I see people in desperate need of guidance when I look around. They will be grateful to have me."
My jaw clenches, and I shake my head again. I take a step backward, reaching for one of the scalpels near my surgery tray. "Why are you here in my clinic? Did you come here to brag? Because I'm not interested."
Azar frowns, as if he's not quite grasping why I'm frustrated with him. "Why? I told you. I am conquering this place, and I've come to offer you the position of my consort."
He's dreaming. I let my disbelief show on my face. "Fuck off."
"Is that a no?"
"It's a never."
His smile grows thin, cunning. "That's a word you shouldn't use, my pet. Everyone has a price, and never is such a long, long time."
I shake my head. "There are better-looking women in town. Go find yourself someone that's willing."
"But you are the one that I want." He gestures at me, his hand long and elegant. "I will be a benevolent mate to you. Wait and see."
This man does not get the hint. I put a hand at my hip, careful to flash the scalpel at him. "I have had enough of 'benevolent' men to last me a lifetime, thank you. I want nothing to do with you or your plans. What I want is for you to get out of my damn clinic."
Azar just smiles at me, as if I'm not speaking. "I can be patient. Wait and see." He turns and leaves, and I'm weak with relief. I crawl back into the cabinet and hide, waiting for the dragons to leave, and shivering with terror.
Men demanding my body isn't something new. It happens to every woman in the After. Most just want to taste something they're not allowed to have, and if my knife doesn't scare them away, my indifference usually does. I've killed a man that wouldn't take no for an answer, and I'll do it again if I have to. But something about Azar chills me.
I suspect he's not told no very often…and I'm not sure he's going to take it as an answer.
Everything changes in Fort Dallas after Azar returns. I hide for hours, but when the dragon alarms finally shut down, a quick peek out the door shows me that there's a dragon seated atop the junked-car barricade that surrounds Fort Dallas. Alarmed, I shut my door again and hide out for the rest of the night.
The next morning, I awaken to knocking on the door of the clinic. It's the militia, wearing their camouflage uniforms, though I don't recognize the soldiers. They tell me that a new leader has stepped in at Fort Dallas, and for the safety of all people, everyone is to remain inside their houses for the day.
"If you have problems, you can take it up with the new leader, Lord Azar," the soldier tells me.
So he took over after all. And no one has come to my clinic, so either it was painless, or there's no one left alive. "I'm good, thanks," I tell them, and shut the doors tightly again. I don't trust the militia, either. I spend the day with a single metal shutter up to look out on the town, drinking the last of my water and sweating in the oppressive heat. I see more dragons on the barricade around the city, but the only ones walking the streets are the militia themselves, rifles in hand. I could open more windows to let in a breeze, but the dragons so close by have me unnerved. They've been calm atop the barricade, but they've also never been so close to the city. I can practically see the individual scales gleaming on each dragon's hide, and it's terrifying. If they attack from this close, we'll all be roasted alive in our homes.