Erick touched a fist to his heart in respect. "I had heard about that herculean effort you three took to detach Topaz from Ashrya and I want to be one of the first to say, THANK YOU for your service to our empire and to our species!"
He reached out and touched my face. "And I see the damage cost of that attempt."
My lips compressed into a thin line.
I had not bothered to reapply any of the makeup that would hide to some degree, the horrible damage that was still visible on one side of my face.
Although I still looked like a mess, the pain was not as bad as the bruises made them out to be. The headaches had lessened to the point where Vera's pain killers took care of the worst of the stabbing pain to my skull.
"Who told you about our detachment work?"
"Chloe Belladonna."
"My mother." I said without emotion.
"She is actually very proud of you. She called you her little Warrior Princess."
