“We don’t know for sure,” Zorin cuts in before Onidus can reply.
Onidus smirks to himself and glances back at Zorin. “Someone is a hangry hunter. Breakfast might be best so the teeth don’t come out.”
“Fine.” I kiss Radar on the head, and reluctantly follow Zorin out of the room. Onidus closes the door behind us. The other Mindoran joins us.
Radar whimpers as we walk away, and it breaks my heart.
The other Mindoran stops me when I turn back. “Radar must learn what it is like to be without you while he still has you. Just like you must learn to be okay without him. Let him learn to self-soothe.”
“We haven’t been apart this long ever. I feel like I’m abandoning him.”
The Mindoran shares a look of endearment with Zorin. “You’re not. The staff comes by every hour to check on him. Even at night.”
“Stay close.” Zorin scouts the path to the lunch hall, leaning out and looking before letting me follow him around turns. He keeps a protective arm around me.
I still can’t believe what Onidus has said.Myndrous are hunting me.
He encourages me into the lunch hall and gets us in line for the buffet.
“What would they want with me?” I ask, not wanting to say the enemy’s name in a room filled with people and aliens. It would surely spark concern.
Zorin loads up a plate of food beside me. We grab mugs of coffee and sit by a window overlooking the race grounds.
“It’s not just you. They’re looking for anyone they think has some special gift that they can use against us to change the war.” Zorin downs half of his mug then licks his lips and sighs. He tells me about the night before, how I was tranqed by a ghost they've tracked to a bounty hunters ship, that Viriden is here, temporarily, and that the enemy has taken others. My name has just come up on their list.
“That’s why I’m assigned to guard you,” Zorin remarks quietly as he picks at his food with a fork. “My entire M-pack and Onidu. And you can’t have a mate. It puts you at too much risk untiltheyhave the one they want or until they are stopped.”
“But that may never happen.”
“I know.” He pulls a tablet out of his armor. “Isonians did a little work after you fell asleep. Do you recognize this image?”
He shows me a picture of a dark alien in blue-black robes trimmed with gold. “No.”
“You see him in your dreams. This was pulled from last night's recording. He may have done something to you while your mother was still carrying you. And the enemy wants you because of it. We just need to find out whatitis beforetheydo.”
“Well, I assure you, I don’t know him. And I’m nothing special. I think I’d know if I could breathe fire, curse souls, or heal the dying. I’ve tried to enough times. Hell, at this point I’d take farting pixie dust because it would still be an improvement in my life.”
Zorin, who’s drinking his coffee, snorts and immediately covers his face with his hand.
“Are you okay?”
He sets his mug aside, nods, and wipes his nose with a napkin. His reply wheezes a little, “A bit hot though.”
“I bet. Sorry about that.”
He shakes his head. “Did not expect a joke from you.”
“I’m at a new level offuck it.Find something, get it taken away. That’s the story of my life.” I mindlessly chew a mouthful of hashbrowns. “It’s like I’m being taunted with everything. ABR has put me in this strange headspace, where I’m trying new things just to see if I can break the pattern. So far, no dice.”
“What does that mean? No dice? What are dice?”
“They’re used in a gambling game. Sometimes, life feels like gambling. Saying ‘no dice’ just means I haven’t had any luckyet.” I take another bite of my omelet, decide I can’t eat anymore with all the tension in my stomach, and set my fork down. “So you can’t play any of the games, and I can’t actually find a mate?”
He checks his wristband. “You can’t get pregnant, which means no mating, especially since you’re close to a heat.”
I shift, feeling uncomfortable that he knows such details.
“No offense meant, Tessi,” he replies. “Most of the males here can smell it on all the females.”
