Free Captive Surrender by Linda Mooney Page B

also had the right to obliterate.
    She wanted to know more, but the drug was quickly shutting down this brief moment of reality. She grasped one last thought so tightly it surely would be the first thing she’d remember when she woke up.
    Safan.

Chapter Sixteen
     
    Safan.
    Safan.
    He stood a few feet away. Green eyes bored into her, searching for proof that she was recovering. Needing a sign that her psyche was restored.
    “Safan.”
    His face went gray. “Maurra, how do you feel?”
    Physically she felt stronger. Mentally…
    She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to find two Ellinod staring at her from the foot of the bed. She had been dreaming of Safan.
    Both visitors looked like strangers, as far as she could tell. And since neither creature had horns, she was at a loss as to whether they were male or female.
    Did it really matter?
    “Safan?”
    “You’ve been dreaming,” one of them told her.
    “What’s the verdict?” Her throat felt scratchy, but if she asked for something to drink, it might be spiked like the last one.
    “We want to run a few more tests to make sure you’ve recovered enough for us to release you,” the one on the right said.
    Sweet planets, they even sounded like physicians. It was wonderful, but something was…off. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but—
    They sounded? As her memory returned, she shot a hand to her back and gave them a questioning stare. The Ellinod on the left nodded.
    “We were able to remove the translation device. Unfortunately, you’ll bear a scar there for the rest of your life. We apologize.”
    That explained what had alerted her. It was the removal that was different. The tingling sensation to warn her was gone. The lack almost left her light-headed. “It’s all right. You got the fucking—excuse me—you got it out of me. Is there any residual damage as a result?”
    “That’s what we were hoping you would tell us,” the other physician replied. He gestured toward the wall beside her. “Can you focus your powers on the wall?”
    She turned her head and concentrated. A warm sun burst into existence inside her head. Blue light washed over the stone wall.
    “And not a smidge of pain.” Maurra grinned. Oh, dearest heavens, it felt wonderful! She looked back at the two physicians. “I’m cured!”
    “Well, not exactly,” the physician to her left said. “You’re still weak. Another day or two of solid bed rest, and you’ll be free to go. But you’ll need at least another week before reporting back to duty.”
    Something nudged her memory.
    “Wait. If you took the translation device off me, how am I able to understand you?”
    “The ID strip on your arm,” Left Physician indicated.
    A tiny, jewellike sparkle on top of her wrist, next to the bone. “There’s a translator inside?” Instead of the low echo of their voices below the digital broadcast in her brain, there was now an almost fluid translation that seemed to emerge directly from their mouths. The difference was phenomenal.
    “If the Kronners had placed the device anywhere else on you other than your spine, we believe you would not have been barred from using your powers,” Left Physician added. “The device was designed to plug directly into the synaptic nerve endings in your brain. It’s very possible they knew exactly what kind of reaction it would cause if you tried to use your psi powers after it was integrated.”
    The physicians had mentioned the Kronners, which meant they must know the story of what had happened to her and Safan. A cold wind blew through her. That might explain why the Ellinods were keeping their distance from her. At first she had thought they were acting a bit standoffish because they knew she was a JoJo. It was a typical reaction from civilians, and one she was accustomed to.
    Unfortunately, these last few days as a prisoner of the Kronners were a whole different matter. She felt the smile slide off her face. Had they seen any of the