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“Good point, well made,” she says dryly. “For what it is worth, Tarni, I do believe you. And it is good to see you again, though you come here like a feral queen cat, bringing her baby and mate to the last place she got a good meal. It’s sweet, in a way.”
“You can do what you want to me,” I say, gathering as much bravery as I can muster. “I just want a safe space for Kail and Nemo. They deserve it.”
“You are right about one thing,” Siryn says, leaning down slightly, her dark eyes piercing mine. “I can do what I want to you.”
There is a slight gruff cough from Kail behind me. Siryn’s lips draw back in a smirk, baring sharp white teeth and canines almost as impressive as Kail’s fangs. I would not like to see the two of them fight. Fortunately, I do not think either of them would like to see the two of them fight either. They have a natural mutual respect, alpha to alpha.
“Within reason, of course,” she amends. “With the understanding you have come back here well and truly owned.”
Owned.The word feels right.
I get the feeling I am going to be tolerated. I know that’s probably all I deserve, but there is some small part of me with some incredible nerve that wants some credit for the limited good I have done her and Kail.
If I were a better person, a more enlightened and progressive soul, I would have just thanked her profusely for her generosity and told her I am grateful for her mercy. Instead, I open my mouth and completely different words emerge, almost as if my thoughts and my actions come from two separate and disconnected parts of my skull’s interior.
“I owe you an apology. I know that. But you also owe me thanks. I betrayed you, but I saved you.”
Siryn looks at me, brows raised, lip curled in just the hint of the beginning of a snarl. Every bit of her being resonates with warning, prompting another quick outburst from me.
“If you want me to leave, I will. I’ll even leave Nemo with you. I know you’ve always wanted a baby, and I have no right to be anybody’s mom.”
Kail walks to Siryn and takes Nemo from her. “That’s not how this works. Nemo is your son. It’s not about right. It’s about responsibility. You’ve always looked after him. And me. And yes, probably Siryn too.”
“You showed me mercy at the very last moment,” Siryn says, begrudgingly giving me my due.
I turn to Kail and gesticulate. “She hates me, and she has every right to. What I don’t have the right to do is show up here and expect hospitality. Fuck it. I’m…”
“Ow!” I gasp as Siryn catches me with a slap across my ass with the flat of her cutlass.
“That makes me feel better,” she comments as I leap and grab my rear. Cold steel does not feel good against my light attire. “I think if I could just see you properly brought to justice, I would be much more inclined to trust you. But, in spite of my own need for revenge, I know you well enough to say that there is nobody better, smarter, and more ruthless to take care of this little guy. You’re his mother, because you will do whatever you need to do to keep him safe. I don’t want you to leave Port Refuge. I want you to stay here, just under control.”
“I’m never under control.”
“She’s never under control.”
Kail and I speak at much the same time.
“I suppose we will have to see about that,” Siryn says, her smile thin. “For now, I invite you to stay in my home. You can construct your own when you have earned some currency.”
That’s the other problem. We’re broke. Colony credits mean nothing to Siryn and her people. Anything we have here we will have to earn on our own, starting completely from scratch, and at the mercy of divvies decided by Siryn.
“I am eager to begin work,” Kail says. “It has been too long since I hunted.”
“You will be making Colony ships your prey.”
Kail smirks broadly, all muscle and teeth. “Good.”
Siryn’s demeanor changes completely as she addresses Kail. She speaks to him like an equal and with immediate respect he didn’t have to do a damn thing to earn. “You will be a powerful asset to us, Kail. I look forward to a long and powerful alliance between us. You are very welcome here, savage.”
She reaches out with a furry finger and tickles Nemo under his chin. “And you, of course, would be welcome anywhere.”
Nemo lets out a chortle and stuffs his fist into his mouth.
Her eyes slide to me. “You’re on probation. You haven’t shown a single sign of true sorrow besides the fact that you don’t like being in trouble with me, you refuse punishment, and frankly, I have no interest in chasing you around the port day and night attempting to see justice done. You will not board any ship. You will stay here, grounded. You will tend to the needs of your son. And you will be watched day and night by my most trusted lieutenants.”
I shrug. “Fine. If that’s what makes you comfortable and keeps my family safe. I don’t mind suffering.”
“You just jumped out a window to avoid punishment,” she says, not buying my words for a second. “And it seems you have been successful. Once again, the inimitable Tarni escapes discipline.”
