Page 86 of Dark Horizon Eclipse of the Heart

Gabi chuckled. "I did mine sitting on the kitchen counter in Kian's penthouse."

Frankie had heard the story before, but she preferred the couch so Dagor could sit next to her and hold her hand. She wasn't scared of a little cut, not after being shot, but she was excited and a little nervous, and she drew strength from his support.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was turning immortal, so she wasn't worried about that, but she wanted to be one of those who healed fast, which would indicate that her genes were strong and that she was close to her godly source.

After all, she was mated to a god, and she wanted to be worthy of him. Not that the strength or concentration of her godly genes made her any more or less worthy, but still, it would be awesome to heal rapidly.

Mia, Margo, Toven, Negal, and Gabi gathered around. Mia remained in her wheelchair with Toven standing behind her, with Margo and Negal each occupying an armchair. Aru couldn't come because of some prior engagement, but that was okay.

What wasn't okay was that Frankie's family back home had no clue about any of this and couldn't be there, and she hadn't figured out yet what she was going to do about those of her family who were Dormants. Perhaps she could approach them one at a time, but she would need Toven to be there to compel them to keep quiet about it. The problem was that she suspected even Toven's compulsion wouldn't be strong enough to keep her family from talking.

"Ready?" Bridget asked.

"Whenever you are, doc." Frankie extended her hand and put on a brave smile to mask her nervousness.

"Who wants to hold the timer?" Bridget scanned the faces of the small group of witnesses.

Margo lifted her hand. "I will."

"Do you have your phone with you?" Bridget asked.

"I do." She pulled it out from the side pocket of her leggings, a pair that Frankie recognized as hers.

The doctor nodded. "When I say go, activate the stopwatch."

"Yes, ma'am." Margo got busy with the phone.

"Who will do the filming?" the doctor asked.

"I will." Toven lifted the phone he was clutching in his hand. "Ready when you are."

Bridget put the tray with her surgical equipment between her and Frankie on the couch.

"Let's do it." She took Frankie's hand and turned it palm up. "First, disinfecting, even though it's probably not necessary, just in case your healing ability is not fully online yet, it's better to exercise caution. We don't want the wound to get infected." She swiped Frankie's palm with the disinfectant and then lifted her scalpel.

The thing was tiny, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt, and Frankie took a deep breath.

On her other side, Dagor gave her hand a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Go for it, doc," Frankie said.

Bridget made the incision with swift precision, and before the pain could register, she motioned to Margo. "Go!"

The sensation of pain bloomed at the same moment Margo started the timer, and Frankie couldn't help a tiny hiss. She'd planned on being brave and watching the doctor with an impassive expression as she administered the test, but she hadn't figured on the sting being so bad.

The room fell into a hushed silence, with the only sounds being the distant hum of the ship and the collective breathing of her witnesses. As everyone watched the blood welling over the incision, Frankie held her breath.

Bridget wiped away the blood, allowing everyone to take a look at the results of the test. The tiny wound began to show signs of her new extraordinary healing ability, with the blood flow stopping and the skin slowly knitting itself together.

When the wound was fully healed, Margo stopped the timer. "One minute and twelve seconds."

"Is that good?" Frankie asked.

"It's excellent." Bridget smiled. "Welcome to immortality, Frankie."

"Congratulations." Dagor brought her hand to his lips for a kiss and then lifted the one that had been wounded only moments ago and kissed her palm over the incision. "You were very brave."

"Hold on." Frankie turned to Bridget. "Is a minute and twelve seconds considered fast, slow, or average?"