"Stand up?"
Lydia stared at Aiden's leg, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Impossible. Even if the Suppressor Needles are out, the nerves are dead. They've been dead for years."
I didn't even look at her. I kept my hand firmly on Aiden's arm.
"Your leg isn't naturally crippled," I murmured to him, ignoring the chaos erupting in the hall. "The nerves have just been suppressed for too long. Putting weight on it the first time is going to hurt like hell. Don't push yourself too fast."
Aiden gave a curt nod. His large hand came to rest heavily on my shoulder.
Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his left foot until his boot touched the marble floor.
On the first try, his knee buckled slightly.
A cruel snicker started to rise from a younger guard near the door, but before the sound could
