AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"He wasn't one of the ones who attacked us," J'avet said. "We never saw him. I have no reason to assume he's anything but alive and deep inside the Iri compound on Tarathu."
"That's something, I suppose." I hoped the part of him that was him, was still there. How long did it take before the host gave up fighting and surrendered to a life full of nanobots? Did that ever happen? I didn't know. I couldn't count out the idea he was gone forever, but I wouldn't give up on him until I knew for sure. Who was I kidding? Even then, I still wouldn't give up. He was mine and I was his. I would get him back, whatever it took.
"If Slek is a host, that will be more problematic," J'avet said. "His skills are ones we need. He taught me a lot about the things he did to disable the nanobots, but if they've evolved, then…"
"We'll deal with it," I said firmly. I didn't want to think about Slek as an Iri either. He would hate it even more than Danec. Slek was a free spirit, in every sense of the word. His engineering abilities, in the hands of the Iri, I didn't bear thinking about either. The only reason I did was that, from what I had seen, the nanobots, or whoever programmed them, did the thinking. The hosts were just bodies. In that case, they couldn't make use of Slek's skills, unless the head asshole accessed them.
"Is there anyone else we could trust, who could help?" I asked.
J'avet put a hand to his head, as though to scratch near the wound. His frown when he touched the hardened healing substance almost made me laugh.
He gave me a dry look and lowered his hand. "I'm sure you understand by now I don't trust very many, very often," he said.
"No shit," I replied. "Is that a no?"
"I know a man," he said, as though he hadn't heard my question. "Another Parvoran. You met him on board Infinity."
I scrunched up my brow and thought. "The guy who was with you when you told me I was too dumb to play chess?"
"The same." J'avet didn't look even slightly sorry for the things he'd said that day. "E'rel doesn't have the ability or imagination Slek does, but he'll be adequate."
"High praise," I said sarcastically. "What do you say about people you actually like?"
"I tell them they should go somewhere safe," he said.
It took me a moment to grasp his meaning. When I did, I snapped my fingers. "I knew you were hot for me. Too hard to admit it, hmmm?" I glanced at his groin to emphasise the double meaning.
"I'm getting tired," J'avet said. "You're exhausting."
Rather than being offended, I smiled. "I've heard that. In the best way possible though."
He smirked. "Keep telling yourself that." The grumpyass was back, but I thought we'd reached a new understanding. One in which we didn't hate each other. I would call that progress.
"Do you want me to talk to E'rel?" I asked. I had seen him around the station. He'd always looked like he was avoiding me, but truthfully I hadn't given it, or him, much thought. Any friend of J'avet's was unlikely to be a friend of mine. Until now.
"No, I will," J'avet said. "He'll have as much patience for you as I do. I don't want him to give an outright no because you irritate him."
"If that's his attitude, this is going to be a long journey," I said with a sigh.
"You can still say no," J'avet said.
"And miss all the fun? Not a chance." I took his cup and placed it on the table beside his bed. "If I can put up with you, then I can put up with two assholes."
There was that faint smile again. "Are all humans so stubborn?" he asked.
"Are all Parvorans?" I asked in response. "Is it true all your women stay home on Parvora while the men go out to space?"
J'avet grimaced. "On Parvora, space travel is considered a lesser activity. Most women wouldn't lower themselves to try it. Some do. Most do not."
I frowned. "So if you go home, you're looked down upon?"
"I would be, but I don't go home," he replied.
My mouth formed an O. He looked so sad I almost wanted to cry for him.
"That explains why you're cranky all the time," I said. "Bitter and twisted from being treated so badly. But then, in turn, you treated me like crap."
"I was just being honest," he said, but I sensed he knew he was running out of wiggle room here.
"Sure." I drew out the word. "You mean you want to keep people at arm’s length, so they don't do anything horrible to you. You put up walls as high as the galaxy."
"And you cannot respect my desire to keep people on the other side of that wall," he stated.
"Nope," I replied easily. "No one should be stuck behind a fortress. It's not healthy."
"You're a psychiatrist now?" he asked.
"No, I have common sense." I ignored his snort and added, "Everyone needs to have someone care about them. It would be a lonely life without that."
I knew that all too well. The past month, if it wasn't for Brinley, I would have been lonely as hells.
