Roman had been pleasantly surprised to discover a first aid kit in Gerald's truck. Dressing wounds wasn't his forte, but Voreese and Mehlsanz were able to provide apt instruction. And when he finished, he thought Lynnette's cotton-white bandage looked quite skillfully applied.
For the first hour or so of driving, Lynnette's questions were unrelenting, but given all she'd been through, he wasn't about to spare her any explanations. And after she seemed to have wrapped her head around imaginary beings and undying people, she started asking why Hector was not regenerating like before.
"Because his reaper is severely wounded," Roman explained. "He won't start regenerating again until Garovel recovers."
Lynnette eyed the half-destroyed helm containing what remained of Hector's head. She couldn't see Garovel's unconscious, shriveled form clinging to the back of it, but Roman could.
To his eyes, reapers looked like ethereal birds. Crows, precisely--but at the moment, Garovel was no more than a dark smudge. He would have to take Voreese's word for it that reapers could still recover from such a state.
Mehlsanz and Voreese had both been actively scouting to ensure they were not being followed, which meant flying up extremely high for visibility. They didn't report anything, and after a while, Roman finally began to relax.
'That fight should have gone smoother,' Voreese said privately. 'Maybe we've been avoiding conflicts for too long.'
Eyes closed, Roman rested his head against the window of the truck's cabin. 'You said you wanted to keep a low profile and build an empire.'
'I know. But this country is important to you. And apparently, we picked shitty allies. If I'd known you had something you wanted to protect, I would've pushed you harder to become stronger.'
He peeked at Voreese with one eye. 'I didn't think my feelings mattered to you that much.'
'Then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought.'
He smirked and closed his eyes again.
Soon, they reached the city of Walton. His hometown was a welcome sight, even if it was blurry without his glasses. Voreese gave the Queen directions to Roman's midtown mansion. They exited the vehicle in the underground parking complex and took the elevator up.
"Why don't you two get some rest?" Roman said to the ladies. "Make yourselves at home, and we'll reconvene later to figure out our next move."
"I am ready to discuss it now," said Helen.
Roman looked at Lynnette.
She glanced at the Queen. "I think I'd like to rest, if you don't mind..."
"Of course. And thank you, Lynnette. Your help has been invaluable."
"I'll make a call," said Roman. "I know a good private doctor."
The elevator doors opened, and a petite blond woman was waiting for them. "Master Roman!" she said. "You look like hell! What happened?"
"Lots. We have guests, Gina. Treat them well."
Gina frowned. "Why didn't you call ahead? I would've had everything prepared already."
"Phone was destroyed. Please show Lynnette here to one of the bedrooms."
"Sir, are you--is that a head that you're carrying?"
"It belongs to an acquaintance. I'm keeping it safe for him. Now, please."
YOU ARE READING
The Zombie Knight Saga
FantasyDeath is coming. And he wants to help. The world of Eleg may seem like a normal enough place at first blush, but wade deeper into it, and soon the dark, the deadly, and the mad will begin to reveal themselves. But don't worry. They usually have a se...
