Crystal (Warmth series Book 3)

10: Herkimer Diamond

Herkimer diamond: stimulates psychic abilities; aids sleep

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"Wait," Allura called.

Lance paused, turning back to his sister  as he waited for her to catch up. He may still be mad at her, but she  would always be his sister. When she reached his side, they continued  down the hall together side by side.

"I wanted to talk to you  before we went down to Earth," Allura said. She slipped her hand in  Lance's and tugged him towards the lift. "Come with me."

The prince lifted an eyebrow suspiciously. "Where are we going?" he asked. "I thought Space Dad sent us to bed."

"Shiro  highly suggested we rest and that's exactly what we'll do- after we  talk," Allura said. "Coran is going to meet us there."

"Where?"  Lance asked as they stepped into the lift. He noticed the level Allura  selected and his confusion grew. "Where are we going?"

"Just trust me," Allura said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as the lift moved downwards.

"I'm scared," Lance said in a deadpan voice. Nevertheless, he allowed his sister to pull him along anyway.

That is, until he realized where they were going.

"No," he said firmly, planting his feet firmly on the ground. "Allura, no. I am not going back into one of those."

"Lance-"

"I won't, Allura," the prince said fiercely, digging his heels in. "You can't make me."

His  sister stopped and took a deep, steadying breath before turning to face  her brother. "I know I can't," she said. "You don't have to use them,  but you might want to when Coran and I are done with you."

Lance  suddenly felt very uncomfortable, staring at the doorway to the healing  pod chamber warily. "I'm not sure I like this," he said.

The  princess sighed. "Look, just come with me and hear our offer," she said  reasonably. "You don't have to use a pod if you don't want to, but it  might help with the healing process."

"Okay, now I'm seriously  beginning to freak out," Lance said, holding up his hands to keep Allura  away. "What do you mean 'heal?' What the quiznak are you planning on  doing to me?"

Allura gazed at her younger brother for a moment  before her shoulders drooped and she bit her lip. "I guess this is as  good a time as any," she mumbled.

"Good a time for what?" Lance  asked suspiciously, watching his sister dig something out of her pocket.  "Allura wha..." His words left him when he saw what the princess held in  her hand. "Is that-"

"A cybernetic eye," Allura said, presenting  the spherical device in her palm to her brother. "I traded some of my  Kadesh for it from Nyma. Pidge, Hunk, and Coran added a few things and  tweaked others, but..." She bit her lip nervously. "I wanted you to have  it. It was my failings that caused you to lose your eye in the first  place," she said. "You shouldn't have to get hurt for me."

Without  waiting for her to continue, Lance pulled his sister into an embrace.  He'd known this was coming but he hadn't known when or how Allura  planned to give him the eye. Doing it now, before they went down to  Earth and after their fight, meant a lot to him. It reinforced the fact  that no matter what they said or did, no matter how many fights they  had, they would always be siblings who cared for one another.

"You realize I'm still mad at you," Lance warned.

"I'm well aware," Allura said.

When  they finally parted, the princess walked into the healing chamber,  knowing Lance would follow. The healing chamber didn't appear any  different than usual except for a single table that slid out of the wall  underneath one of the several work stations. The work stations were  rarely used except for when surgery was required.