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She straight up just ignored Oren and came closer to my desk. I had to hand it to her, that took guts.
“You’re scheming something,” she said, her eyes rapidly going all over the papers. I didn’t see a point in rushing to try and cover things up. It was pretty clear she was already Sherlocking her way to an answer. “Are you trying to put together a covert team?”
Well, the cat was out of the bag. I could tell Oren was hastily thinking of how to respond, but I just decided to come out with it. If Ayla trusted Darla enough to be friends with her, she most likely could trust her with the mission.
So, I explained it to her, too, though it was quite amusing to watch how flustered Oren was growing out of the corner of my eye. If Darla noticed, however, she made no indication, only listening intently.
Once I was done, she certainly had plenty to say, though.
“I volunteer.”
“Pardon?”
“If you’re looking for people to be on this team, I believe I'd be an excellent admission. I’m a borderline perfect candidate.”
“Really?” I really did like herchutzpah.It became clearer by the second why she and Ayla got on behind the scenes. “Do elaborate.”
“First of all, I’m psychic. That itself is a huge advantage when trying to be stealthy, and unless the enemy knows the exact frequency my abilities work at like you guys do, they can’t block me out entirely. At least not without considerable effort.
“I’m also an experienced soldier who is plenty familiar with hand-to-hand combat while also being someone people areunlikely to expect to be a skilled combatant. I’m experienced with undercover work, and as one of the few people that Ayla actually trusts around here, I can help put her at ease and keep a better eye on her tells.”
“Her tells?”
“Of course. If she’s hurt, or if she’s scared. When she’s putting on a brave face and when she just really wishes she wasn’t alone.” That certainly piqued my interest. Darla’s fondness for her was obvious, but there was an undercurrent of melancholy to how she spoke about Ayla. She really did seem to understand our little witchy healer and had found pity for the so-called hermit of Canid. “Ayla doesn’t really show emotions or let people in easily, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need encouragement, or even a friend. Having me on the team will not only make things go more smoothly, but it’ll also keep her healthier.”
“Well, I certainly can’t argue with that,” I said. Oren’s eyebrows shot up so hard and fast, I was surprised they didn’t pop right off his face.
“Officer Khan, I’m sure your expertise would be appreciated, but wouldn’t it be better for you to remain here? In case of another attack.”
“Nope,” she answered quickly, popping the ‘p’ as she spoke. “There’s nothing I can do here that’s more vital than protecting Ayla and getting that relic you’re after. Although…” Her dark eyes met mine. “Why do you need that relic again?”
“You don’t need to know.”
She just let out a bell-like laugh. “Okay, then, I’ll find out later.”
Normally, I'd think that was a joke, but with Darla, it did indeed seem like an inevitability. I was fine with Oren and Darla knowing what Tristan had dropped on us, but I didn’t want word getting out and causing panic.
That was thelastthing we needed.
“I’m sure you will. Get ready, Darla, I want to leave within forty-eight hours at the most.”
“Understood, sir!” She gave a salute, then a wink to Oren, before finally setting the basket she’d brought on my desk. “In the meantime, enjoy these. I have a mission to prepare for.”
She dismissed herself right then, making sure to close the door behind her. I was pleased with the thought of her being on the team as it’d allow me to observe more closely how the healer interacted with someone she actually liked, but also because it’d hopefully make Ayla feel less lonely.
Like everything else when it came to the healer, I shouldn’t really care that much about it. I did, anyway. I’d already wasted enough time questioning everything, so I decided to just roll with it. I'd too much on my plate to keep continuing over the same unanswered questions.
As soon as Darlawasgone, I braced myself for Oren’s reaction. To my great surprise, he didn’t argue with me on that one, either. I didn’t know what made him so agreeable lately, but I sensed he was storing up brownie points to use against me in our next big argument.
“Just promise me you won’t put her in any more danger than you’ll already be in.”
“I promise I will keep a tight rein on her and the rest of the task force. No unnecessary risks.”
“You mean other than our Captain going out into multiple red zones.”
“Yeah, besides that.”
Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the desk. “All right, we have you and Officer Khan. Who do we think would best cover your weaknesses?”
