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When Caligher jumped her back to the Selkie there was an impenetrable layer of awkwardness that had never been there before. Mismatched sentences resulted in dense periods of silence. Their stilted conversation physically made her cringe.
“I’ll be jumping on my own ship in a moment,” he said, standing inside the cockpit with her as she adjusted her flight controls.
“Yeah,” she said, trying to be casual and failing completely.
He gave her a strange look. “The comms will stay open.”
“So will mine.”
She hugged herself, staring at her console. This wasn’t how they normally talked. It had never been so… stiff.
He stepped closer and cupped her face, surprising a flinch out of her. She looked up as he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She huddled against him, breathing him in. Memorizing the smells that were once so alien, but had grown familiar.
Caligher was home to her.
Something felt jagged.
Leaning back, he stroked hair away from her face. “The pirate won’t be able to hurt me,” he assured her.
She nodded mutely. Could he really keep the pirate under control? She didn’t like the idea of somethinghappeningto him and their time together being cut short. One disaster could separate them forever. The thought was too bitter to swallow and it rolled up her throat like bile.
She couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself.
“Maybe you should just let him go,” she said.
“What?”
“Keeping him is a really big risk, isn’t it? We have a long trip before you can drop him off, and… honestly, if you want to keep your own ship, I’d be willing to let mine go. He can have the Selkie…”
She met his eyes desperately. She was willing to give up one of the things she loved most—her spaceship. He had to understand what that meant.
“If we let him go, he might make it through the jump point,” he said after a long pause. “Whatever he decides to do to your homeworld will not be nice. Is that something you’re okay with?”
She frowned.Wasshe okay with that?
Did she care?
He added, “Astyanax was also held captive by humans. I think they tortured him. If he’s after revenge, we’ll be handing him the chance.”
“Shouldn’t I say the same about you?” she said. Caligher had the higher body count here. He bristled slightly at her remark.
“Soon, that won’t be a problem.”
Falling silent, she slouched against the back of her chair to consider this unwanted development. “I hate to ask this, but what’s stopping you from just…”
“Killing him?” he finished.
She nodded sharply, feeling a stab of guilt for bringing it up.
“He’s Ternetzi,” he said. “I like to think he’s not completely bad.”
Her brows tightened.Are humans completely bad?“I think he’d kill you if he had the chance, Cal,” she said instead.
His expression remained unreadable and guarded. Whatever conclusion he reached, he kept it to himself. His eyes drifted out the window as he considered the uncharted horizon before moving that gaze back to her.
“Come here, Lucca,” he said quietly, gathering her into his arms. She found the spot at his center where there was an indent, shaped for her, and she melted into him, wishing this day weren’t happening.
“I was happy sharing a ship with you,” she said. “You realize that’s why I’m being difficult, right? That… and I’m scared that you’re underestimating the pirate.”
