Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Don’t be. I’m needed on the flight deck.” He strides away, leaving me there, chafing to lessen the offense I gave to my new… captor? Master? Advocate? I still don’t know what kind of situation we’re in here.
A soft sound behind me makes me whirl, but it’s just Enya, getting comfortable with a soft purple blanket. “Going to sleep, now, Zina,” she mutters. “Sit with me?”
I hurry over and stroke her hair, murmuring soothing things. She smiles at me, and then her gorgeous green eyes flicker closed and she falls into a series of even breaths that sound like total relaxation.
The med tech nods at her. “She’ll sleep for at least half a planet rotation, and we’ll administer fluids through her pack to keep her hydrated. Here are the items that Tarek mentioned.”
He points to a pile of gear. “The washtube is that enclosure, so if you are comfortable doing it unassisted…”
I hesitate. “She’s safe here?” I look at Enya.
“Yes.”
“I just…” I bite my lip, assessing the situation.
“On my honor. On Zandian honor. She is safe with us.” His eyes drill into mine.
“All right. Thank you.” I don’t want to be duped. Don’t want to be naive. But somehow, I think I can trust the Zandians. If they wanted to do something to us, they could have already done it. Besides, I can’t do anything for Enya now but let her rest.
I pick up the stuff and head into the cubby. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, refreshed and dressed in the camo pants and jacket—it’s a bit tight, actually, and strains over my generous breasts, I feel new. Reborn. Even the usual pain in my leg is lighter. The trousers hide the ugly scars and slight twist of the bone, the shift of the kneecap, the ragged burned flesh on the calf, are hidden from view. Only my limp betrays my history.
Tarek
“Distance update?” Drayk stands at my shoulder, viewing the screens.
“One planet rotation to Zandian airspace at light speed. No anticipated issues. The Crellix asteroid cluster is in waning phase, and I can guide us through it without a problem.” I point to the belt on my holo monitor, my mind-link showing me where to tap so he can see it with his eyes. “We’ll stay on auto for the next few hours, and I only need to handle it if we run into an issue.”
“Good.” He sits down in his padded nav chair and swivels to face me. “How are the humans?”
“Jass has the younger one sedated for healing, as Dr. Daneth suggested via holo. Luckily her nursemaid, Zina, agreed.”
“Easier that way.” He nods. “But Zina didn’t wish to rest?”
I like the way her name sounds on my tongue. Zina. “Apparently not.” I resist the urge to turn my head toward the corridor that heads to the med pod. “Perhaps we can question her and learn more about Enya’s history. It will be helpful to Dr. Daneth once she arrives, and of course to her mother.”
I hold my breath. The truth is that although I believe what I just said, I want merely to spend time in Zina’s presence. Sense her. Smell her. Touch her.
“We can set up a holo conference with Dr. Daneth.”
“Set it up.”
I nod to a crew member to bring her, and when she arrives, my whole body tingles at her proximity. “Greetings.” I raise my hand, but stop short of touching her. I point her to a chair beside me and the captain.
“Zina, we’d like to ask you some questions.” The captain’s voice is strong, and I sense Zina shrink back in her chair, as if she’s afraid.
“I’m not hiding anything…” she begins, her voice high and tight. I smell her sweat.
“She’s scared,” I interrupt, standing and placing my body between hers and the captain’s. I don’t know why the veck, but I’m on my feet before I realize it. “Keep your voice neutral.”
I track him crossing his arms.
“—Captain,” I add, bowing my head. On this ship, he’s my superior. “A suggestion to put our human at ease.” I put up my hands. I don’t know why I feel the need to protect her. “As we know, they prefer low tones and soft voices when being asked questions.”
He tilts his head, although I know he’s going to follow up with me later. “Agreed. Zina, we are not going to harm you. We need to learn about you and Enya. This,” he gestures to the holo, “is one of our respected Zandians back on planet. He will listen and ask questions as well.”
She exhales. “Okay.” Her voice is still a bit shaky, but the tone of terror is gone. “What do you want to know?”
“How many solar cycles is the young you care for?”
“Nine.”
“Where did she live? What was her daily life like?”
She tenses. “Why the interest in Enya?”