Page 56 of Meteor Storm

18: Thilar

The surgery was a success. I did not doubt it would be, but Penny was so afraid that it would not turn out well. I could not leave her side in that condition, and so I stayed until the procedure was finished. Once she was safely in her room again, sleeping off the numbing agents that had been pumped into her blood, I left her to get my mind clear.

Yuros was waiting.

I found him standing at the end of the hall, watching as I left Penny’s temporary quarters. There was no readable expression on his face, but I knew what he was thinking nonetheless. I inclined my head with respect.

“The human seems to need a lot of attention.”

“She is contending with previous injuries,” I said. “What happened on Mekah has agitated them.”

“How is she, then?” Yuros asked.

“I believe her new implant will serve her well.”

“She had a lot to say earlier, mostly in your defense.”

“I did not tell her to say those things.”

“I know. I am not blind. She’s quite appreciative of whatever you did for her on Mekah. I suspect it was more than just helping her escape. It was wise to protect her. Humans will ultimately grow their presence in galactic matters, and it would be beneficial for us to be in their good graces. For now.” Yuros turned his head slightly, taking a deep breath as if scenting the air. “I assume you have something to add?”

When he said that, Sunhai made herself known from around the corner, brows raised.

“I am quite stealthy,” she said. “How—”

“Quite stealthy, but you have a strong scent. We showed you where the bathing quarters are, did we not?”

She pursed her lips, pulling a small nutrient bar out of her pant pocket to casually nibble on it. Yuros cleared his throat and turned toward me again, locking his hands casually behind his back.

“It will take a little time to get where we’re going. It’s clear the human is a bit higher maintenance than we are used to. I had thought about putting her in Sunhai’s care, but—”

“But Thilar knows best,” she said quickly, her mouth full of food.

She was not the type to want the responsibility of taking care of someone.

“Yes,” Yuros continued. “I am aware. You’ve spent the most time with her, it would appear. And you can communicate with her where most cannot.”

“And he has that wrist thing,” Sunhai added. “Or he did. He studied it to learn her language. He knows more than any of us do.”

I wanted to tell her to calm down. No one was going to have to care for Penny. Not like that. She wasn’t a pet that needed feeding and watering. She was smart enough to navigate those needs on her own. What she needed was someone to look out for her while she adapted to yet another jarring and new situation.

“She does seem comfortable with you, as contradictory as it may be. And understanding humans better is going to be something we’ll all need to do now that they are migrating outward.” He let out an exasperated breath. “She will be in your charge while we travel. Strictly for the purpose of making this transition as seamless as possible and to further study her while she’s with us.”

“Of course,” I said.

Behind Yuros, Sunhai was smiling as if she’d just done something mischievous. She wiped the expression off her face as soon as he turned to leave, stepping to the side to give him room to walk away. Once he was gone, she raised her brows toward me.

“You’re welcome.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yuros was getting ready to tell you to stay clear of Penny.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “I put the idea in his head that she needed a babysitter and played dumb. Truthfully, I could watch her, but I think you would like to stay by her side for the duration of this journey. Am I right?”

“To make sure she’s alright.”

“Sure,” she chuckled. “I’m going to explore.”

She sauntered away, running her hand along the wall.