"What," Ted said as Eknie fell down into his arms.
"How?" he continued. "Oh, nevermind. You are wounded."
He uncorked the bottle that contained the potion with his other hand and poured it into the coffee he was still holding.
It mixed well with the high-fat milk and the honey-like substance. For a passing moment, the high cor wondered whether there were any real honey bees inside the cave system. Then he forced Eknie to open her mouth and drink the potion.
He was not killing her twice. It would have been odd, unsuitable, uncouth. Besides, she really was a good social bumper, and she was here for real, that living, breathing, annoyingly dramatic woman he knew.
He had always known her, and she was indeed like a valued possession to him. He did not intend to lose her again, she was too useful, and while comfort was barely even a thing in Ted's world any longer, her presence did have an effect that could be compared to such feelings of ease and opulence.
