But his tail had other ideas. It crept towards her, and he had to physically grab it with his free hand to stop it from wrapping around her waist.
She opened her eyes and caught him in the act. One eyebrow rose.
“Still doing that?”
“I apologize. Again.”
“Does it hurt? Holding it back, I mean.”
He considered the question. “Not hurt, exactly. It’s more like… trying to hold your breath. It’s possible, but you have to concentrate on it.”
“Then let it go.”
He stared at her, not sure he’d heard correctly.
“I’m serious. If it’s distracting you or causing you discomfort…” She shrugged, a gesture that managed to be both dismissive and accepting. “It’s just a tail. And it’s not like you’re grabbing anything important.”
Slowly, uncertain, he released his grip. His tail immediately slid over and curled around her waist, the tip resting against her hip. The touch was warm and grounding,rightin a way he couldn’t explain.
“See?” she asked, her voice controlled. “Not so bad.”
He couldn’t speak. He could barely breathe. This small acceptance, this tiny gesture of trust, meant more to him than she could possibly know.
They walked in silence for a while, circling the courtyard. Robbie dozed against his chest, lulled by the movement and the fresh air. She kept her face turned towards the sky, drinking in the openness like water after a drought.
“Are there others?”
The question came quietly, almost hesitant.
“Others?”
“Other women. Like me.” She turned to look at him, and her eyes were hard. “I’m not stupid, Becsul. An operation like this doesn’t get set up for one person. How many of us are there?”
He could lie to her. It would be the safer choice, the smarter choice. But he had promised her honesty, and breaking that promise now would destroy whatever fragile trust was building between them.
“Three. Including you.”
She closed her eyes briefly. “Three.”
“All acquired by the Vedeckians.”
“Acquired.” The word was bitter. “That’s a nice way to say kidnapped.”
“Yes.”
“Do they have cells like mine? Children?”
“One of them does, an older child. The other does not. “
She was quiet for so long that he thought she might not speak again. When she did, her voice was firm.
“I want you to do for them what you’ve done for me. Clothes. Datapads. Time outside.”
“Melissa—”
“I mean it.” She stopped walking and turned to face him fully, her chin lifted in that defiant way he was beginning to recognize. “If you’re going to pretend to be the good guy in this nightmare, then be the good guy for all of us. Not just me.”
Pretend to be the good guy.The words stung, even though he knew he deserved them. He wasn’t the good guy. He was complicit in this horror, no matter how much he might wish otherwise. But he could try to be better. For her. For all of them.
