“You’ve slept like shit. I can smell the fucking exhaustion on you.” Athtar’s pale eyes flicked to Emma, and she could have sworn she saw a knowing gleam in them. “Among other things.”
Doren’s jaw tightened, and heat immediately rose to her cheeks. Did this giant blue alien just imply...?
“Inside,” Athtar repeated, but there was definitely amusement in his voice now. “Emma, Faith will show you to the guest quarters? I need to debrief your boyfriend here.”
“He’s not my—” she started, but Faith was already taking her arm, steering her towards the building with gentle insistence.
“Come on. You look like you could use a bath and some real food. Athtar’s an excellent cook.”
She cast one last look back at Doren. He caught her eye and gave her a small, reassuring nod before Athtar dragged him off in the other direction.
The interior of the compound was as beautiful as the exterior—clean and white with multiple windows opening to the outside. Faith led her through a series of corridors, chattering the whole way about the architecture, the climate, the local flora and fauna. She listened with half an ear, too overwhelmed to fully process all the information, but the steady stream of words gave her something to focus on besides her own roiling emotions.
“Here we are.” Faith stopped in front of a door that slid open at her approach. “Guest suite. There’s a private bathroom through there, and the closet should have some clothes that fit you.There’s a connecting room through there and I’ll arrange for a crib for the baby.”
The room was airy and bright, with a large bed covered in white linens and tall windows that opened onto a balcony overlooking the sea. She stood in the doorway, Ari still in her arms, and tears pricked her eyes.
“Hey.” Faith’s voice was gentle. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s just...” She swallowed hard. “This is the first time since I was taken that I’ve had a real room. A real bed. A door that I control. It’s stupid, but I didn’t realize how much I missed that.”
“It’s not stupid at all.” Faith stepped closer, her expression soft with understanding. “I remember what it was like. The disorientation, the fear, the grief for everything you’ve lost. It gets better, I promise, but it takes time.”
“How long have you been here? In space, I mean?”
“More than twenty years. I was stolen by aliens who wanted to use my work to destroy anyone they considered a threat.”
“Twenty years? You can’t have been very old.”
“I was twenty-one.”
“And did they? Use your work, I mean.”
“Once. And then I destroyed them.”
She blinked, her mental image of the woman in front of her shifting dramatically. “You destroyed an alien civilization?”
Faith grinned, and there was something feral beneath her glasses. “No, just the scientists who tried to use me. With alittle unwilling help from Athtar. It’s a long story, but the short version is that I’ve made a very happy life here, with him. We have three children and even though I occasionally miss Earth, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.”
“Even with the Grorn and the slave ships and everything else?”
“Even with all of that.” Faith reached out and touched Emma’s arm. “You’re safe here. And you’re welcome to stay as long as you need to figure out what comes next. All right?”
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
Faith glanced down at Ari, who was watching the conversation with alert dark eyes. “May I hold her?”
She hesitated, surprised by her own reluctance to hand over the baby. She’d become so accustomed to Ari’s weight in her arms that the thought of someone else holding her felt wrong. But Faith’s expression was kind and her hands were gentle as Emma carefully transferred Ari to her arms.
“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Faith breathed, cradling the baby with obvious care. “Hello, little one. Aren’t you a wonder?”
Ari studied Faith with solemn interest, then reached up to pat her cheek with one tiny silver hand. Faith laughed, delighted.
“She likes you,” Emma said, relaxing slightly.
“I like her too.” Faith looked up, her eyes sharp behind her glasses. “Doren said the Grorn were after her. Do you know why?”
“Because she’s supposed to be one of the Keys to opening that Vault.” Emma shook her head. “I’m still trying to understand it all, honestly.”
