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Chapter 94: The Right to Challenge
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2021-03-02 19:44:51“Laurel and the children are perfectly safe,” Logan told her. He had told her the same thing last night, but Ellis needed to hear it again. She needed to slowly believe that all of this was real and they were alive and well. “Leo was wounded but not severely.”
"I think I'll wound him myself when I see him," Logan said with a little growl.
"Why, what did he do?" Ellis asked. Knowing that he was safe, whatever outrageous thing he had done didn’t have any adverse consequences.
"He apparently thought we meant it literally when we told him to lead the troops. He was in front of every charge and it's only by the mercy of the Goddess that the damn fool wasn't killed." Logan shook his head in disbelief.
“Hah!” Ellis snorted. "This from the man who rushed out to fight on the day that Zothea was attacked?" Ellis said to Logan. He gave her a wry glance and popped another piece of meat into her mouth.
"That's different
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Despite Laurel's reassurances, Ellis didn’t leave Logan’s side until the doctor arrived. Laurel held her, gently stroking Ellis's back, murmuring soft, soothing nonsense."He has it, doesn't he?" Ellis asked the doctor after he'd run his reader over Logan's prone body. Logan's tail twitched at the sound of her voice, but he didn't react otherwise. He mumbled unintelligible words."Yes, Empress, he does," the doctor said. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were kind."Oh, my God," Ellis whispered. Hopelessness set in."There's no reason to panic," the doctor said firmly. "As long as we can keep his fever under control and keep him hydrated, he will be fine. Zotheans rarely die from this."It was all reassurance.Ellis nodded. She knew that. Logan had explained it to her when the outbreak first began, and the talk videos said the same. Just like the human common cold, there was no cure for it, and it simply had to run its course. Bu
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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
