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EPILOGUE
RHIANNON
"Can you believe this?" I asked, shaking my head in disgust as I came into the office and tossed a file down on Nikathy's desk.
He looked up at me in surprise, an eyebrow arched as he reached out a hand and flipped open the cover, quickly scanning the report inside.
"The Hive giving you trouble again?" he asked with exasperation.
"It's absurd. Just look at their defense plans! They are hopeless. It's a good thing the Patrol didn't show up until we were here, because if that raid had happened even a month earlier, Kychek would have been totally wiped out..." Or worse.
"And you've given them your recommendations?"
"Of course I have, but do you think they want to listen to me? No! They're down there running amok, talking about getting their hands on the Patrol and beating them bloody, as if the Patrol is just going to waltz down there and wait for them to throw the first punch. Did they see what happened? We need rockets, and laser rifles, and automated defenses!"
I threw my hands in the air, pacing the office while Nikathy watched me with a half-smile on his face, not saying a word.
"What?" I demanded, whirling on him now.
"Oh, nothing. You're just cute when you're angry."
"Well, I'm not going to be cute when the Patrol comes back and blows me to bits, so I'd suggest you get those guys down in their little Hive onboard."
He chuckled, but nodded, yanking me off of my feet, straight into his lap. I squealed and swatted at his arms, but I couldn't escape the laughter that bubbled up out of me when he started kissing my neck and cheeks and finally planted his lips on mine.
"I'll handle it, I promise," he assured me. "They're just going to need a little time to get used to being bossed around by someone so..."
I glared at him, cutting him off before he could finish his thought. We'd had plenty of conversations like this already. He didn't see me as meek or inferior just because I was human, and female at that, but some of the men on Kychek had a hard time coming to the same conclusion. Either way, Nikathy had placed me in charge of building up the city's defenses and preparing for the next attack. At least he had no illusions that the Patrol was just going to leave us alone.
"Perhaps we should trade places for a day," he offered sarcastically. "I'll go deal with the Hive, and you can listen to the complaints of the council."
I stopped resisting and turned my face to his, happy to curl up in his lap and wrap my arms around his shoulders.
"No, thank you," I answered sweetly.
But just as I was about to whisper something naughty in his ear, there was a knock at the door, and he sat upright.
"Come in," he barked.
Cosma's head poked through the door, blushing when she saw me on Nikathy's knee, and she looked pointedly away.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she stammered.
"You're not interrupting anything," he said firmly, helping me to my feet. "What is it that you need?"
"Um, actually... I was looking for Rhiannon," she mumbled, looking nervously from him to me.
Now they were both staring at me, and I was curious what reason she could have to seek me out. Since the battle, Cosma and I had made our peace, living in the estate together without much tension, but I would hardly have said we were friends. She realized that her season with Nikathy had passed, and she didn't harbor much animosity toward me. Nobody was really at fault, after all.
"Me? Are you looking for a job?" Perhaps she wanted to join me on one of my many trips down to the Hive to discuss defensive matters. I couldn't imagine what she would want to do there, but it was as likely as anything else that came to mind.
"Actually, I was going to ask you about your friends. The women on the ship?"
I nodded for her to continue. I wasn't sure how to tell her that they really weren't my friends. "Do you think they would let me join them? You know, saving others from the Patrol and stuff?"
I cocked my head sideways, appraising the way she bounced on her toes anxiously as she spoke. "You want to go with them?"I thought wistfully of the days when I had thought that, too. It had only been a few weeks, but it seemed so long ago.
"Yes! I mean, I was born here on Kychek. I've never been anywhere else, but after what happened, I want to fight back. Besides," she trailed off, giving Nikathy another furtive glance. "I don't really have a home here on Kychek, and I don't want to be a burden."
She was struggling to meet my eyes again, and I was filled with a certain sadness and sympathy for the girl. I hadn't meant to make her homeless by catching Nikathy's eye, and yet, I felt like I was somehow at fault for her predicament.
I stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "I'm sure they would be glad to have you, Cosma. I'll make sure to put in a good word with Tayla myself."
Cosma's eyes lit up with a hopefulness I had never seen in her. She looked positively thrilled at the idea of sailing out of here, and I was going to do everything I could to see that she got her wish.
"Come on, let's go talk to her."
I led her away, leaving Nikathy to his work.
