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Chapter 44: Smear Her Name
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ellis sat at the head of the massive care where she had her mating ceremony with Logan. Her beautiful baby girls were laying on her lap, playing with Ellis’ hair. She kept in her flinches as her babies tugged and pulled with fascination.
She had lost the argument about nudity. Isabella and Athena were rolling around, their bits in the air. Apparently, the lack of clothing would prove their claim: that her daughters were female. On either side of her, Leo and Logan stood, looking around the room. Nin knelt in front of Ellis, keeping a watchful eye on the people in the room.
If Ellis wasn’t on the verge of running out of the room with her babies, she would have been amused by how tense Nin was.
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Logan blinked as he swung the door closed. “I didn’t have a choice. The babies needed to relieve themselves and Nin held the crowd off.”Ellis thought about the situation carefully. “We could make litter boxes for the babies,” she suggested. Logan wrinkled his nose when she described what she meant. “That sounds disgusting.”“No. It’s safe and we can change the soil every day to make it sanitary for the kids,” she told him. He was reluctant but departed for the kitchen.With Nin by her side, Ellis ma
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She thought. “What can I do?” she asked. Micheal had no idea.“I need to see Logan,” she announced.“I will go with you,” Leo announced, getting up and putting down the tray of food. He took the controller from Micheal and switched it back to the hallway feed, studying the image thoughtfully. “Which reminds me… Nadia has been trying to put her name back into the system… She has been very strange, trying to match up with Leo, too,” Micheal said. Ellis turned. “Last time I saw her, she hadn’t taken a bath in a long time and was running down the hallway,”
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Ellis forced a smile. It wasn’t about them. It was the circumstance that forced them to move. “You’re right,” she said anyway, “Let’s go.”She stepped out of the door and turned back to watch as Laurel closed it behind her. Nin was waiting outside for them and led them down the halls and up the stairs. Instead of the train platform, they entered an open courtyard. It was still dark and the stars littered the sky, gleaming like a thousand diamonds.“I’ve never seen the night sky,” Ellis admitted. “Their universe is highly matured, so it is densely packed. That’s
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“No!” Logan called, taking her arms to pull her back. She held up a hand to stop him. The crowd fell silent when they saw her. Some knelt. “Everyone, I implore you to step back from the wagon. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Somehow, they heard her words and obeyed. They moved back slowly, not stomping over one another. Peacefully.“Whore!” a man shouted. “She’s feeding us lies and ruining our empire!” He shoved through the crowd, his eyes filled with hatred. There were cries of protest from the shock and the man was pushed down to kneel. Ellis didn’t pause to think. These people looked up to her and with the divisive violence in the em
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Ellis suddenly realized something. They were colorblind. The grey and yellow buttons… that was why. “You can’t tell them apart?” she asked politely, trying not to offend.“No, Empress. Please accept my apology.” Ellis smiled. “There is no need for that. This is green,” she said, touching a green ribbon tied to a lamp. “The one you are holding is blue. Can you tell the difference now?”The Koln looked uncomfortable. “I am sorry, Empress.” He squinted. “Side by side, one is brighter than the other,” the Koln offered hopefully.
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"I saw a doctor less than an hour ago." Izzy unwound her tail from her leg with effort and gnawed on the end of it anxiously.Her father stood and without a word, headed for the door."Daddy, wait, please!" Nessie pleaded. "I'm so sorry! Talk to me.""I can't." Logan's eyes were on the door and his tail lashed in either agitation or anger; she couldn't tell which."Please," Izzy pleaded. "I need to know what you're thinking. Do—do you still love me?""Of course, I do," Logan said tightly. He twisted the doorknob."Don't leave," Izzy begged."Sweetheart, your father just needs a little time," Ellis interjected. "Let him go, and we'll all talk over this later."Goddess, didn't her mother understand that her anxiety was increasing exponentially every moment? She wouldn't survive a wait of a few hours. "Daddy… please.""You want to know what I'm thinking?" Logan turned from the door and marched back to stand in
