Mezos's hand went to his comm, and Liam almost moved to stop him.
"No," Liam said. "Amara needs Marin more than I do."
"You do not know her case," Mezos replied.
"I know enough."
"No," Mezos said, and for once there was no polish in the word, only the hard edge beneath it. "Her condition is clear. Severe, but clear. Marin is coming mostly to monitor and support what the other physicians have already begun."
Liam's mouth tightened.
Mezos pointed at him without mercy. "You, on the other hand, are the mate of the future emperor, working inside an unstable ether environment, with a condition that has been misdiagnosed, hidden, or deliberately mishandled for years. You are the priority now."
Liam looked offended at Mezos for saying the truth, which was an impressive amount of audacity from a man currently standing inside the truth.
"Then Arik…"
"The prince said nothing because he was waiting for you to say it," Mezos said.
Liam's mouth closed.
