They introduce themselves as Vikka and Darlie and proceed to tell me all about life at the Dagger. Despite their friendliness, I feel out of place, a sensation that always causes me to become guarded, more aloof. Too nervous to engage, I eat quietly and quickly, then bid them goodbye and hurry off. Sometimes I really wish Uncle Jim had encouraged me to socialize with human beings rather than horses and cattle. But the man was as antisocial as I am.
Leaving the mess hall, I reach out to Kallister telepathically.
“I’d like to see Xavier. Gray said to check with you.”
There’s a brief pause.“All right. I’ll let the guard know.”
“Great. Thanks.”I expected a lot more resistance.
“Maybe when you’re there you can convince your friend to be more cooperative. A show of good faith, if you will.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Ignoring a twinge of guilt about betraying Kallister’s trust, I stop at my quarters to retrieve the signal jammer Gray was kind enough to let me steal, then take the elevator to the Operations floor.
I enter the holding area to find Neema behind the desk. Evlynne’s best friend.
I stifle a sigh. “Hey. I’m here to see Lieutenant Ford. Kallister granted me clearance.”
She offers a haughty smirk. “There are no lieutenants on this base.”
“You know who I mean, Neema,” I say, fighting my impatience. “Can I please see him?”
We stare each other down for a moment. Her jaw is tight. The rest of my patience is waning. Then, without another word, she swipes the holoscreen on her desk, and the door behind her slides open.
“Thank you,” I mutter.
When I reach his cell, I find Xavier lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He groans the second he spots me.
“I changed my mind, Darlington. I need you to try to get me a tablet or something. I’m so bored.”
I approach the bars. “I’ll see what I can do.” As my gaze rests on the keypad, I quickly link with Kallister again.“Can I go into the cell with him?”
I assume he contacts Neema, because a moment later, the lock releases with a buzz.
“Be careful,”Kallister warns.
“He won’t hurt me.”
I step into the cell, the door locking behind me. “Move over,” I tell Xavier.
“Don’t you have better things to do?” he cracks, sliding up into a sitting position. He runs a hand through his dark hair, then scratches the side of his neck.
“Not really. I’m awful at making friends.”
He laughs. “Why does that not surprise me?”
I slip my hand into my back pocket and activate the jammer. I’m only blocking the audio signal. Hopefully Neema is satisfied with seeing us on her holoscreen and doesn’t try to access the sound feed.
I join Xavier on the cot, leaning my head against the cold stone wall and pulling my knees up. He mimics my pose, bringing his knees up, too.
After a beat, I shock myself by resting my head on his shoulder.
It doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Are you leaning on me?” he demands.
“Yes. And I’m not happy about it, so please just shut up.”
