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Onnika snuggled into Aidan’s firm mattress, blissfully content. The sheets smelled of him, making her long for his return, but she knew he wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. He was likely focused on the race now, on gaining ground.
She wrapped her arms around his pillow, breathed in his scent, and gazed out the porthole. She could almost imagine staying with him even after the race was over, exploring realms together and making love whenever the mood struck.
It was a lovely dream, a dream she wanted to keep close to her heart, but knew it could be nothing more. And it was a solid certainty that for a long time, she would look back upon this time and fondly and think: What if? Her practical side told her that was all she’d get. As he’d left her, he thought she’d been asleep, but she had only been blissfully content and burrowed in comfort, still sated from their lovemaking. There had been a hesitant moment where he had almost awakened her to ask her to return to her own quarters. He still didn’t trust her enough to leave her alone in his room. She couldn’t exactly fault him for that, but it had stung all the same.
In the end, he allowed her to stay. Perhaps he wanted to trust her, but wasn’t quite there yet. Or perhaps he just liked the idea of her waiting in his bed for his return.
She liked it, too.
Which was exactly why the lovely dream could never be a reality. After escaping Tag and his crew, she and Caryn had a chance to start again. To be vigilant this time about concealing their gifts and making it home once and for all. Too often she or Caryn grew close to someone they thought they could trust, became too comfortable, too complacent, and inevitably spilled their secrets.
It had never worked in their favor.
It was a hardship; wanting to be so totally open with someone while remaining guarded at the same time…to allow them into your heart while simultaneously barring them from your world.
If Aidan knew what they were, would things change between them?
Why was she even asking? Italwayschanged things, sometimes without her even realizing it. A fish in a pot turned up to slow boil. One minute the unsuspecting fish was swimming around, comfortably at ease, then suddenly it became someone’s meal. One day she and Caryn thought themselves part of a crew, part of a family, then suddenly they’d become a commodity.
Reluctantly she thought of Ziggy, the young captain of one of the first crew they’d taken up with, a band of runaways out for adventure in space. It seemed the perfect fit for her and Caryn. Ziggy was funny and kind, and her younger, more innocent self had fallen for him almost instantly. He’d had her same sense of humor and a wicked smile to boot. To this day she wished she’d never admitted to him what she and Caryn could do. Her first, and sadly not last, mistake.
At first Ziggy had been amazed and awestruck, demanding proof. When she predicted his next action with astonishing accuracy, he’d been elated and had told the entire crew all about her. For a while after that, things had been good and Onnika didn’t think anything of it. She was a parlor trick to them, someone to entertain them when they were bored. Someone would ask her to predict something, and they would all grow animated with delight when she could. She had liked the attention. Caryn’s gift was a little more hit or miss at that time.
That was when she and Caryn learned the most about their powers, such as Onnika not being able to predict someone’s thoughts unless an intended action sprang from it, or Caryn more often than not able to predict the most advantageous path when faced with two or more options. For example, one game that always tripped Onnika up was when the kids had all passed different colored game balls behind their backs, none of them looking to see who ended up with what. Onnika and Caryn were tasked with picking who had a specific color ball. Because no one knew who held that particular ball, Onnika could glean nothing, but Caryn always chose correctly.
It had all been great fun.
In the beginning…until they ran out of money.
Generally it wasn’t a problem. They’d gotten used to finding random jobs to perform for anyone in need of short-term help. They’d never gone hungry for long…until one day they found themselves in a remote part of space where honest employment had been virtually nonexistent. When none of the crew had eaten a decent meal in weeks and their meager ship was in desperate need of service, eventually someone had the idea to use her and Caryn to pull a heist.
A one-time thing, they’d all said, just to get them on their feet again.
Ultimately, it was Caryn’s growling tummy that convinced Onnika to go through with it.
And, of course, the heist went off without a hitch.
And, of course, ithadn’tbeen a one-time thing.
Ziggy and the others had swiftly developed a taste for the easy money she and Caryn could help them bring in. That first heist marked the beginning of the end for her and Ziggy.
Now, Aidan was pushing for her secrets. Yet again, even after all she’d been through, a part of her wanted to confide everything to him. Deep down, she didn’t believe Aidan to be like Ziggy and so many others. He seemed too honorable, possibly the most honorable guy she’d ever come across, though he liked to act otherwise. Then again, she’d only known him a few short days. Opening up to him was a risk she couldn’t take. Not again.
Whatever this was between them would end, just as soon as Caryn got the perception that it was time for them to head out on their own…or when they managed to discover the location of Evlon.
In the meantime, Onnika didn’t see anything wrong with thoroughly and extensively enjoying her time with Aidan.
Curious about him as well, she slipped into her dress and proceeded to explore his space. There wasn’t a lot to see. No art on the walls. No plants. No rugs. No pictures. Nothing to suggest he’d spent any amount of time on this ship outside of this race. There wasn’t even a cozy seating area, though the room was big enough to accommodate one. His washroom bore only the bare essentials, as did his wardrobe.
Was he a minimalist?
She was, but not by choice. If she had a ship like this all to herself, she’d make it a home, not just a vessel. She would collect luxurious comforts such as soft sheets and pillows. She’d fill the washroom with every manner of sweet-smelling products for her skin and hair. Books would line an entire wall, old and new, from all over the universe. That was one thing she missed. Books were a luxury meant for a stationary existence. On the run, their heavy weight would only be a hindrance.
Her eye snapped to a desk in the corner where a few worn books sat, along with a scattering of papers, all focused on one topic: past Phase Nine races. She opened one of the covers and flipped through the pages, landing on a chapter called Phase One Mishaps and Blunders. The next chapter was called The Follies of Alliances. Another one talked about the art of sabotage. Was this how he’d won the first time? By studying all the races that came before?
She pushed the books aside and glanced at the stray papers. There seemed to be no organization. Ledgers were stacked on inventory sheets and ship schematics…of their competition. How had he gotten his hands on these?
The inventory and ledgers were little more than barely coherent, quickly scratched notes. Numbers had been crossed out next to items purchased, and the final totals weren’t obvious at first glance. The new shield generator wasn’t listed, and on the inventory list, the ingredients Caryn had used to prepare meals hadn’t been accounted for. Nothing was divided into sections for easy reference.
With everyone’s focus on their individual jobs, they likely didn’t have the time to constantly update records. Perhaps keeping track of things like this was another way she could be helpful.
Sitting, she piled the papers into neat stacks, then searched for a pen and fresh paper. Upon opening the desk’s top drawer, an old photo of a smiling blond woman and a dark-haired child poked out at her. Breath held, she stared at the photo for a long moment, taking in the woman’s happy expression and the serene face of the child who looked an awful lot like her…and Aidan…
Feeling suddenly intrusive, she quickly closed the drawer. Was that his family? He didn’t seem the type to cheat. Of that she was ninety percent certain…well, eighty-five percent. Perhaps the woman was a relative. A sister, or a cousin.
She supposed he had his reasons for not telling her about them, and it wasn’t like she didn’t have secrets of her own. Ignoring the twisting in her gut, she checked the next drawer and found the pen and paper she needed. After rewriting the ledger, she set it aside, created a new inventory template, and then headed out to itemize their supplies.
