Chapter 10 - Y
"Oh my god!" Syrenne stared past me towards the open gate. I turned to see what she was looking at and, before I even knew, we were kneeling over a bloody and beaten Zael.
"Holy shit! What have they done to you?" I brushed some of the hair out of his face. He had passed out. His jacket was torn and covered with blood. I could feel the tears starting to swell my eyes. I tried to hold them back and it was decently successful.
"Does anyone have any water?" Lowell had come over and was pulling of his jacket and trying to stop the bleeding.
"I believe I still have some." The guy who had been digging a hole, his name was Horace I think, handed him a canteen.
"There should be enough." Lowell wet a spot on his jacket and started to pat at Zael's back.
Eventually he stopped the heavy blood flow. God damn, this is scary. We moved him into a darker place against the wall on his stomach. I sat against the wall next to him and ran my fingers through his hair. I wasn't sure if he could feel it but it made me feel better. I slid down just enough to whisper where no-one else could hear me. "I love you, Zael. I hope you're alright." I looked away for a second, thinking of what could have happened in the court room. I felt something grazing my hand on my lap. I looked down and saw his fingers intertwined with mine. My eyes traced his arm back to his tired body and to his face. It was still flat, but after a few moments, a smirk twitched its way across. I couldn't help but smile. I loved his heart. I bent over to kiss his cheek.
"I love you, too." He whispered weakly as he turned his head to intercept my kiss. It lasted longer than I intended. I was worried he would tire himself out.
Lowell cleared his throat. "I don't think this is a good time or place." He smiled. "What would Dagran say?"
"Dagran isn't here, is he?" I was always irritated every time his 'ideals' were brought into the conversation. I glared at Lowell and squeezed Zael's hand. Syrenne came over as well and whispered something to Lowell. He sighed then nodded and walked away.
"How are you doing?" She sat down in front of me and placed her hand lightly on Zael's calf.
"I could be better." He started to sit up, groaning as he did so.
"Don't exhaust yourself, Hun." The only two people I would ever trust to take care of him would be Syrenne or Mirania. Sometimes I debate whether or not I can even take care of him myself.
"I'll be fine." He leaned his back against the wall and grimaced. Probably because of the moisture on the grime covered wall.
"You can lean on me if you need to." He put his back on my side and rested his head on my shoulder. My arm wrapped around him. "I hope you feel better soon." I kissed his forehead.
"So what happened?" Lowell came back over and fell next to Syrenne. I swear there is something going on there that they don't think we know about.
"I wouldn't give them what they asked for." His breaths were short and frequent. "They asked if we took Calista, I said no. They asked if we had a Gurak ship, I said we did. They asked if we helped the Gurak, I said no. Then Jiral posed that I might have a special relationship with her. I said that it wasn't that way." He paused.
"Is that it? Then why would they do this?" Lowell was pretty upset. I would be, too, if I thought there was no reason for beating a close friend. However, I knew that wasn't the whole story. There was more and he was reluctant to tell us.
"They asked for proof." He made a quick glance at me. "I wouldn't give them any."
So he didn't give them anything because he didn't want to get me in trouble. Oh. I feel so guilty now. It's my fault. I mean, what's he going to say, "Oh, I was having sex with my boyfriend"? No. I wouldn't.
He must have seen the look on my face because he kissed my hand and said, "It's not your fault. It was my decision not to say anything. On hindsight I think I should have lied." He smiled a little. It didn't make me feel any better. He would never lie. Even if he wanted to. Even to save his own damn life. But I can't ever say that I regret being with him.
"That doesn't make any sense. It makes sense how they couldn't trust you because of the lack of alibi, but the fact that they tried to beat it out of you is just immoral." Lowell gazed at the floor with his thinking stare.
Another guard came. "Zael. You are summoned by the court."
"Over my dead body," I mumbled. He started to sit up. Lowell had to help him a bit. He stumbled over to the gate and stepped out to the guard. "Be careful." I didn't think it would offer much good, but I said it anyway. He looked back towards the corner we were in and smiled weakly.