"I am sure you meant only you can treat this case, Doctor Rivers," Isaac said.
He caught on quickly.
Sienna's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Well, if you say so."
Relief washed over Craig immediately. It was only good because of his master's presence; he would have completely flopped the entire negotiation at that critical moment.
"This is a rare case, Prince." Sienna's tone shifted back to seriousness. "The rarest case in the medical world. And because of that, treatment would take a very long time. I can't guarantee a specific timeline. Secondly, I would need a well-equipped medical facility, a place where my research and your treatment can happen simultaneously. Finally, I would need your consistent appearance."
She listed her conditions with deliberate care with the belief that this would buy her time. Time to breathe, time away from him.
That beautiful dream was shattered before it could fully form.
"We already have a place for that, Dr. Rivers," Craig said.
Sienna stared at him, disbelief written plainly across her face. "You already have a place? Like a fully equipped medical facility?" She repeated the words as if repeating them might make them change.
She found it hard to believe that someone from Subrind could remain in Dilrik for days, conducting operations under the government's nose, without being discovered. The sheer audacity of it all was admirable.
"Yes, Doctor Rivers. I'll take you to check it out." Craig picked up his bag and gestured for her to follow.
Still filled with disbelief, Sienna rose to her feet, but before she could take a step, Isaac spoke.
"I'm coming too."
He stood, and Craig's expression shifted to alarm.
"Master..." Craig began, his voice carrying a warning.
Isaac cut him off immediately. "I'll be fine. Let's go."
As the three of them walked out, Sienna, having noticed Craig's alarm, couldn't help but ask, "You haven't really gone out since you came to Dilrik, have you?"
"No. Just from the hotel where we met to the tea shop," Isaac replied, his voice carrying its usual maddening calm, and Sienna found herself wondering if he knew any other expression at all.
The mention of that hotel sent an awkward ripple through her. She looked away, focusing on the path ahead.
"I fear I would lose control and hurt people," he added.
For a moment she thought he was being compassionate. Then he continued:
"That would undoubtedly blow my cover."
Of course. She nearly sighed at her wishful thinking. He hadn't even been compassionate with her, let alone some strangers he had nothing to do with.
They emerged from the tea shop to find a small, rickety car parked outside. Sienna's eyebrows rose. Suddenly, she understood how they had managed to move through Dilrik without attracting attention. This vehicle was utterly unremarkable, the kind of car used by the lower class or aging taxi drivers. It would never draw a second glance from anyone.
The interior, however, told a different story.
It had been completely modified, with luxurious leather, advanced technology, and every comfort an elite could desire. The contrast was almost jarring.
Craig shot one last worried look at his master, and Isaac ignored it completely. He had a theory he needed to confirm, and this excursion might provide the answers he sought.
Craig took the driver's seat. Sienna slid into the back, not thinking about seating arrangements until Isaac opened the opposite door and settled beside her.
Suddenly, the space felt impossibly cramped.
He sat so close that their thighs nearly touched,, and for some reason it seemed like he had purposely sat very close to her.
"Can you shift a little, please?" she asked as the car began moving.
He looked at her as if she'd said something so stupid. "This car might be modified, Doctor Rivers, but it's still a small car." He gestured to the space beside him, or rather, the complete lack of space.
She couldn't argue. There was no space there at all. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks.
"You don't have to feel uncomfortable, though," he added, his voice dropping slightly. "After all, we've already met skin to skin before."
Her face erupted in red.
She clenched her purse so tightly that her knuckles went white. "I would really appreciate you not mentioning that again, Prince."
He said nothing more.
The car fell into silence.
Sienna pulled out her phone and began scrolling through social media, anything to ease the tension crackling in the confined space. Beside her, Isaac's attention was fixed on the window, watching the unfamiliar world of Dilrik roll past.
But her scent, medicine mingled with lavender and rose, drifted inexorably toward him. It filled his nostrils, wrapped around him like a soothing balm. Calming. Softening every tension he had built inside of him.
Without doing anything at all, she affected him in ways he couldn't explain.
He didn't understand why at all.
---
The drive took time, but eventually they arrived at.… A daycare.
Nestled in a breathtakingly beautiful part of town Sienna had never known existed, the place was overflowing with peace. Flowers bloomed everywhere possible; lush green grass stretched in every direction. A few houses dotted the landscape, spaced far enough apart to grant privacy. Children and animals ran joyfully through the paths. People lingered here and there, unhurried and content.
It was a slice of paradise hidden within Dilrik's.
Sienna wanted nothing more than to simply stand there and absorb it all. She couldn't help but wonder how she had never known this place existed and how a stranger had found it.
She turned to ask Isaac, and undeliberately, they locked eyes.
He had been watching her become mesmerized by the peace and silently congratulating himself on choosing this location despite having only ever seen it through virtual tours.
She narrowed her eyes, silently questioning his stare.
He looked away.
"Let's go," he said, striding toward the daycare entrance without an explanation.
She followed, Craig trailing behind them, his worry for his master still radiating from every line of his body.
"How did you find this place, Prince?" she asked.
"Research." The answer came flatly and immediately.
"Of course; after all, you are a trespasser." She paused, then asked, "Is the medical facility inside the daycare?"
"You'll see when we get there."
She fell silent, choosing to wait as instructed.
The daycare owner appeared the moment they stepped in, a middle-aged woman with a face so stern Sienna thought she was angry at them. That was until the woman got closer, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a voice that was shockingly cheerful despite her expression.
"Nice to finally meet you, Doctor Rivers. Who knew I could ever meet you in my lifetime?"
Sienna recognized the disconnect immediately. Facial paralysis. The woman's features were frozen, but her warmth poured through every word.
"Nice to meet you too," Sienna replied.
The woman's eyes brightened; genuinely happy Sienna hadn't misunderstood her because of her face. She led them to a room within the daycare, bowed again, and departed.
"Is she also from Subrind?" Sienna asked.
"No." Isaac's answer was simple. "I can't go through the trouble of bringing my people here when there are people Dilrik has forsaken already living in it."
Sienna looked at him, confusion etched on her features. She waited for an explanation, but Isaac said nothing more.
Craig stepped forward and punched a code into a door. It opened to reveal a child's bedroom, complete with a small bed, colorful drawings on the walls, and toys scattered about.
Sienna's confusion shifted but deepened.
But Craig wasn't finished. He led her toward the wardrobe, specifically, toward its first door. He placed his palm against the wood, and a mechanical miracle unfolded before her eyes.
The brown wooden wardrobe transformed into pristine white. It slid backward, then split open like massive doors parting.
Behind it sat a medical heaven.
Pure white. Gleaming equipment. Grade A technology that rivaled anything Sienna had access to in her own hospital. Monitors. Scanners. Surgical instruments. Research stations. Everything she could possibly need, arranged in beautiful perfection.
She stood frozen at the threshold, unable to believe what she was seeing.