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Dawn woke feeling refreshed. Her head turned on a pillow as she opened her eyes.
“You are awake.”
Venik’s voice was its usual commanding tone. Dawn pushed up on her forearms and looked around. She wasn’t in the medical place anymore. This room was smaller and only contained a desk and bed from what she could tell. “Where am I?”
“The bedroom in my quarters.” He stood, moving from behind the desk to come toward her.
She leaned her head back to maintain eye contact. “Shouldn’t I still be with the doctors?”
Dawn patted at her chest, her arms. Everything seemed fine but she’d also thought that before and then the ravenous hunger would consume her. As soon as she mentioned hunger, she paused. Nothing happened. No growling stomach, no overwhelming urge to eat any and everything around her.
Venik stopped near the edge of the bed and stared down at her. Being the focus of his full attention was uncomfortable and she fought the need to rise as well.
“There was...concern about your condition. It was deemed best to remove you from the medic center and bring you here.”
Dawn frowned. That was odd. How could Venik help if she was suffering from Vax? Dawn knew what happened to those infected. She’d watched humans succumb and turn into zombies. The spread was fast across the entire United Territories of America. “How long do I have?”
Usually those infected turned within a few hours. It had been longer than that for Dawn. At least, she thought it was. Her memory on details was fuzzy.
Instead of answering, Venik lifted his arm and spoke into the comm device on his wrist. It was new, his previous one being broke on Earth. Back then, he’d told her the comm enabled him to do a lot of things at the touch of the tiny screen or verbal instruction.
“Miaji, she’s awake.”
“Really? That is a surprise. On my way.”
The voice on the other end was crystal clear despite the small size of the device. Then Dawn focused on the words spoken. A surprise. Her being alive, awake or still about to die?
“What’s going on, Venik?” If she was going to die, Dawn wanted to know.
He dropped his arm and stared so long Dawn began to wonder if the truth was worse than anything she was imagining. His black eyes scanned her from head to toe and a heat filled blush rose in her face until Dawn realized she wasn’t naked any longer.
A quick glance down revealed she wore only an oversized man’s shirt in a dark navy blue. Someone had taken the time to roll the sleeves but they still dangled over the base of her fingers.
“The Vax had progressed too far in you,” Venik finally spoke.
There was no surprise in what he said. Once she’d been scratched, it was always going to come to this. Her death. Dawn brushed her hands down the hem of the shirttails which more than adequately covered her thighs. There were no buttons in the front. Instead, silver clasps ran along the side. It was far different from Earth clothing and more in line with the things she expected to see on Venik.
Carefully, she slid her legs to the side of the bed and pressed down with her hands on the mattress. Since she seemed capable of supporting her weight, Dawn stood and took a deep breath. Venik tipped his head to the side, watching, silent.
“Ok, I mean, I knew it was over once I got attacked. What happens now? Will you...do the deed?”
She preferred it be Venik. After all they’d been through together, she trusted him to be merciful and make it quick and painless.
“The deed?” His brow ridges moved up then down with surprise. Most of his hair was in a single braid with smaller braids threaded through the length.
“Well, yeah. You’re going to kill me right? So I don’t become a raving maniac and eat people.”
A rough sigh slid through Venik’s lips and he shook his head. “You continually surprise me with the way your mind works and yet I can’t help but be impressed with your willingness to end yourself to save others. It is a warrior’s mentality I did not expect to come from one on your world.”
More shady insults. Somehow Dawn wasn’t even fazed. Venik’s opinion on humans and Earth people, in general, wasn’t high to begin with. “Is that a yes or no?”
“It is a decisive no, soft skin,” he growled with a snap of his teeth.
So used to his snarls and harsh tone, Dawn didn’t flinch. Instead, she worried over what he was saying and paced in a small circle. She preferred to go out on her own terms while she still had control over her faculties.
Decision made, she crossed to where he stood. Grabbing his three fingered hand, she tipped up her head and met his gaze. “Venik, I can’t be allowed to just devolve into one of those mindless creatures. Please. I’m begging you to do this.”
Venik broke her hold easily and gripped her upper arms to give her a teeth rattling shake. “Do not ever beg me to end your life again.”
Leaning up on her toes to glare at him, Dawn muttered, “One of us has to be smart here and it seems against all odds that it’s going to be me.”
Venik let out a huff of air Dawn almost mistook as a laugh. Not possible. He couldn’t possibly find her insult funny.
“There is no need for your generous sacrifice. While it was a difficult time, our medics were able to rid you of the infection.”
Dawn gaped. What Venik was telling her was incomprehensible. “Cured? They cured me?”
“Yes,” he answered simply, releasing her.
Dawn dropped to the flats of her bare feet and grabbed him again before he could turn away. She knew his people had the serum, but from those few moments of awareness when she’d awakened, Dawn assumed it hadn’t worked on her. “Are you telling the truth? How?”
Venik’s upper lip curled, flashing his razor sharp teeth. “I would not lie about a matter such as this. A new serum was administered and you showed dramatic improvement physically. There was, however, concern if you would wake due to being so far advanced in the illness. Your mental state also could not be guaranteed if you did wake.”
Holy hell! Curling her fingers into the material of the black shirt he wore, Dawn tried to shake him as he’d done her but his body was an immovable object. “Are you crazy? Why am I here? I should be under a doctor’s care if it was that bad.”
Another sigh. Venik reached down and peeled her fingers from him, brushing her hands aside after. “It was decided that you were either going to die or live. What need did you have to be sequestered in our medical bay, taking up a space for someone else?”
Dawn was still trying to process what he’d said as he turned away. She chased him into another room as he went to another door. He hit buttons on a panel and the door slid open. The man who entered looked like Venik. Well, not exactly, but they were clearly the same alien race.
A high receding hairline led to long shaggy hair mixed with loose braids, his forehead contained a row of ridges and thin nasal slits flared as he eyed Dawn from a black gaze without hint of the sclera.
Where Venik wore all black, this newcomer wore a blue shirt with a fancy symbol in white running down the sleeve in the same pattern that matched the same symbol on the high collar. His bottoms were pants in the same shade of blue and simple boots completed the look.
“This is the Chief Medical Officer, Miaji Xi, of the Black Star,” Venik announced.
“Black Star?” Dawn raised her voice in confusion.
“We are onboard a battleship. The same one I used to arrive on your world.”
Venik had his back to her now and was fiddling with something on the desk across the room. The one he’d identified as the medical professional came toward Dawn with a handheld device. She stepped back with one palm up to ward him off.
“What’s going on?” She split her gaze between the strange alien she didn’t know and the one she did.
“I am only going to run a diagnostic to check on the status of your health,” the medic said.
He drew closer and Dawn did a front snap kick, knocking the slim silver tube he held in the air. Miaji muttered a curse which caused Venik to turn. He caught the flying object before it hit the floor. Then frowned at Dawn. “What are you doing?”
“Me? What about him? First you say I’m cured and now the head of your medical division is in here. What am I supposed to think, Venik?” Nothing was making sense.
“He is Commander Avar to you.” A deep rolling growl accompanied the harsh correction from the Miaji guy.
Dawn inched back, angling her way toward Venik, the only one she trusted in this scenario. “Venik, you need to start explaining before I start fighting.”
Venik’s sigh this time was as loud as any Dawn had heard before but she didn’t give a fuck.
“Please wait, Miaji. She can be difficult when her fear is running high.” Venik left his desk and handed the device back to him, then came to stand beside Dawn. He clasped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “He must check you over to confirm that you have healed. Nothing more. You have no need to worry.”
While she worked to still her jumping heart, Dawn said, “Don’t forget the hiku.”
Miaji gasped, but Dawn ignored him until she had a response from Venik.
“I will not forget my debt, Dawn Reavers.”
He intoned the words with a seriousness she couldn’t help but trust. Dawn eased her tense posture and didn’t flee this time when Venik waved the medic back over. Miaji held up the device with its small square screen and long handle to the side of her temple and squeezed the trigger.
Dawn flinched out of instinct but held steady. A thin red beam of light came out, setting off tingles to her skin wherever it touched as it scrolled over her face.
The studious black eyes narrowed as Miaji appeared to read what showed on his side of the square screen. He lowered his arm with a humph and directed his comment to Venik. “There are no signs of the infection remaining. I was sure she would not survive. Your blood seems to have worked, Avar.”
What was this about blood? What had they done to her?
“Thank you.” Venik added some strange gesture she’d never seen and the medic inclined his head and left.
Venik must have seen the look in her eyes. “You are full of questions, but all that matters is you will live. The Vax is gone and you will not be eating anyone.”
Was he trying to be funny with the derisive snort on the last statement? She didn’t care. There were more important things to discuss. Like what the aliens had done to her body while she was unconscious.
“Do I want to know about the blood thing?” Dawn asked. The bland stare she received in return revealed nothing. Maybe she didn’t want to know then. “Well. I guess a thank you is in order. Thank you for saving my life. This should take care of the debt thing after all.”
“The Vax was the fault of my family and does not touch the hiku,” he snapped.
His anger was unexpected and of stronger response than necessary. Dawn grimaced and moved away from him. The room’s décor didn’t hold her attention for the most part because it was bare of anything but basic essentials. Multiple doors led to who knows what.
What caught her attention was the narrow floor-to-ceiling alcove opening dedicated to a single shelf filled with candles. Unexpected. She hadn’t thought of him as a candle guy. Alien. Whatever.
Turning to face him, Dawn said, “Fine. If you want to keep owing me, I’m not going to refuse your help. Now, how long until I can get off this ship and back to Earth?”
Venik didn’t answer.
***
She was alive and, according to Miaji, fully recovered. Venik hid his relief in the face of her scowl. One thing hadn’t changed. She was as contrary as she’d ever been. There was obviously no need to worry or be concerned for her mental state.
“We are not near Earth,” he finally said in answer to her question.
Her strange eyes widened as her hands flapped in the air, which raised the bottom of his shirt, revealing more of her trim, bare legs.
“What do you mean not near Earth? This isn’t funny, Venik.”
“I was not attempting to be humorous,” he replied, retaking the seat at his desk.
He felt the heat of Dawn’s stare burning into his back. Emotions tumbled in his chest. Why had he fought so hard for her survival? He forgot how much she could irritate him with her questions and refusal to accept his words.
“So how long before we are near Earth?”
She emphasized the word near unnecessarily. Venik glanced up from the report he was reviewing as a favor to Sevanti. “There are things that need to be done before I can arrange transport for you to go home.”
“Give me a rough estimate,” she snapped, bracing her hands on her hips.
The motion pulled his shirt taut at the hip area and gave the billowy fabric enough definition he could make out a slight outline of her shape. Venik sneered. He refused to allow her appearance to distract him. Whatever was going on with his body in regards to her was an anomaly and would eventually fade.
“Venik?!”
He sighed and carefully put down the stylus. It was clear he would get no work done while her emotions ran high. “Perhaps three months or longer. The Black Star received an assignment shortly after I boarded with you. One in which they couldn’t delay a response. Since you were under treatment, I assured the High Commander that our presence would not hinder his mission and need to leave immediately.”
As High Commander of an active battleship, Sevanti was not in a position to delay or refuse. Venik would never have asked him to and soon they were hurdling away at hyper speed far from Earth to rescue the War Birds. He’d made the right call when he told Sevanti to continue on. The only other choice was to go back to the planet with Dawn.
Venik had no desire to return to her dismal world and await another transport home. And Dawn couldn’t be sent back because her people had yet to start producing the serum that would heal and save her life.
The hairy lines above her eyes rose in outrage. More dramatic hand motions ensued. “Are you telling me I’m stuck with you for three months?!”
“That is exactly what I’m saying. I suggest you rest. You’re body may yet be experiencing weakness.” He rose from his seat and retrieved a tablet from his top drawer to hand over. “You may use this to occupy your time.”
She accepted the tablet automatically barely looking at it. “What is this?”
“It is a primer for our young ones on behavior.”
He strode from his quarters before she could respond and closed the door behind him. Moments later there was a solid thump against the frame. Hearts light for the first time since realizing Dawn had Vax, Venik made his way down the hall unperturbed.
When Miaji had explained how critical the time frame would be for Dawn’s survival, Venik had irrationally decided in a split-second decision that he wanted her near him if she died. Her last moments would be with someone who knew her and not in a sterile medical facility among strangers with no care to her survival.
The tablet had been old and almost non-functional. If it had been in working order, she still wouldn’t have had the skills to decipher his language. He’d only wanted to see her reaction to his statement. The evidence of her returned spirit pleased him and was worth it.
Venik shook his head in confusion at his behavior around her. He had the feeling there was much to learn about Dawn but some things he knew already. She was still easy to rile.