“This is really comfortable.” Noah ran his hands through my hair as we lay in the darkened compartment. There was enough light coming from the low bulbs that I could see his face, but the rest of the small room was set in darkness.
“I assume you don’t mean the bunk.” The bunk itself was small. A space meant for one, but wonderfully cozy when the two included Noah.
“I mean lying here with you.” He stilled. “You don’t think it’s weird, right?”
“That what’s weird?”
“That things have gotten this way for us so quickly. You don’t think this is fake? Something we’re forcing?”
Hearing him speak the words out loud both shot through my heart yet relieved me. It was a conversation we needed to have. “I can’t answer that since until recently my emotions were being manipulated.”
“But you can answer about how you feel now.”
“And right now I feel…” I struggled to come up with the words. “Well, right now the only feelings I understand are the ones about wanting to be with you. How fearful I am something might happen to you. I never want to be separated from you. And most of all I am happier than I ever thought possible.”
“I feel the same way.” He stroked my cheek with his fingers. “But I’m not going to lie. I’m also incredibly physically attracted to you. Like that kiss has made me crazy.”
I laughed. “And you don’t think I feel the same way?”
“It wasn’t on your list.”
“Because I thought that one was pretty self-explanatory.” I leaned up on my elbow so I could access his lips. I brushed my lips against his.
He smiled before crushing his lips into mine. He cradled my head, pushing into my mouth and sending an explosion of emotion through me. He pulled me on top of him, my body pressed flush against his as he continued to explore my mouth. His hands wrapped tightly around my body, and I savored his taste, his warmth, his everything.
Beep Beep.
A loud alarm jarred me. I rolled off Noah immediately.
“What was that?” Noah sat up, turning so his legs were hanging off the side of the bunk.
“I don’t know, but it is really bad timing.”
“You’re telling me.” Noah hopped off the bunk and held out his hand to help me down. I accepted the help, even though I didn’t need it, because it meant holding hands again. “Maybe I should go first to check it out.”
“Are you serious?” I brought the lights up to the full level.
He blinked. “Yeah, I’m serious. And I’m not being sexist. You’re the one everyone is looking for, so you need to be protected.”
I smiled, glad I wasn’t going to have to argue with him about my ability to protect myself. “We’ll go together.” The beeping had stopped, so I assumed everything was all clear. Still, I knew it was time we got out to join the others anyway.
We ran smack dab into Angie in the hall.
“Hey, I was just coming to find you guys. Telton says everything is okay. He wanted me to find you so he can explain things.”
“Do you know what happened?” I asked.
“I think it’s that guy. Kelby. I’m pretty sure he found us.”
“Kelby.” My stomach churned.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let him bother you.” Noah put an arm around me.
Angie laughed. “Oh yeah? You’re going to protect her from giant space men?”
“I will do whatever it takes.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Okay, lover boy. Let’s go.” She turned and started down the hall.
Noah’s teeth were clenched.
“I think she was just kidding.” I tried to give him an ounce of the comfort he gave me in droves.
“I know she was. But it hit a nerve.”
“If the nerve is that you doubt your strength, don’t.” I kissed his cheek. “You could take on Kelby anyway.”
“And you’re just saying that.”
“You’ll never know.” I grinned and started walking again.
“You do make jokes.”
“Of course I do.”
By the time we reached the main sitting area I could hear commotion in the gangway. I held back and waited. I wasn’t in a hurry to face Kelby. I wasn’t sure how I should react.
Telton appeared in the hallway. He stepped aside, and Kelby walked into the room.
“Rachel.” His voice was calm, but there was a note of emotion in it. I couldn’t quite grasp what it was.
“Kelby.” I forced myself to meet his eyes.
“I am so grateful you are safe.” He fell to his knees in front of me. It was a traditional gesture by the Lexa when being reunited with close family, but he and I did not fall into that category.
I stared at him.
“I thought the worst… I thought the worst sort of thing might have happened to you.”
“And why would you care? For the same reason Telton does?” I knew my voice was dripping with anger, but I couldn’t make myself care.
“If you mean because I care about your safety and well-being, then yes.”
I laughed. It was loud and angry. “None of this is about my safety and well-being.”
He took two steps toward me. “I kind of miss the old you.”
“The modified me you mean? The fake one who was treated as an animal?”
“As an animal? You were raised as one of the royal family.” He clenched his jaw. Kelby had always intimidated me, but he didn’t anymore. I wouldn’t let him.
“If you are here to defend Caspian I will not hear it.”
“Why would I defend my cousin? He was so blinded he saw nothing.” He pulled a small satchel from his pocket. I wasn’t surprised to see him put a small capsule on his tongue. He was just as addicted to those modifiers as the rest of them.
“Who is this?” Kelby turned his attention to Noah. “Who are all of these people, but particularly this one who stands so close to you?”
“This is Noah. I’m his girlfriend.”
Noah quickly took my hand.
Kelby growled. “You let him touch you?”
Dale laughed, but quickly stopped when Kelby glared at him.
“What I do is none of your business. But if you’d like to know, Noah is the reason I’m alive. He saved me from a Fleshard attack.”
“Really?” Kelby narrowed his eyes. “This guy?”
“Don’t underestimate him. It would be a mistake.” I wasn’t backing down. I wasn’t going to let Kelby think he had any control over me.
“Oh.” Kelby looked around Dale and Carl and stared openly at Angie. “I didn’t see you there at first.” He hurried over. “I’m Kelby.”
Angie blinked a few times “Uh, yeah. I figured that much out.”
“It is very nice to meet you.”
Dale laughed again. This time Kelby paid him no notice. “I am not sure how you ended up on this ship, but I will ensure your safety.”
“I can ensure my own safety.” Angie bristled. “But Dale might like the extra security.”
“Dale?” Kelby turned to look at the rest of the group.
“That’s Dale.” I pointed to where he stood. “And that’s Carl.”
Kelby said nothing to either of them.
“Now that you are here maybe Telton will finally explain what’s going on.”
Telton startled as if surprised we knew he was still in the room.
“What is going on is you have successfully stolen an Andrelexa royal medallion.” Kelby broke into a grin.
“I stole nothing!” I wasn’t going to be accused of a crime I in no way committed. “I never asked for this.” I tugged at the chain. “I never wanted it.”
“You left planet with it. It is a theft.”
“Whose side are you on?” I released the chain, letting the medallion fall back onto my chest. “Did Telton lie?”
Telton walked to stand midways between us. “Kelby, watch your tongue with her.”
“You are more intelligent than you let on. Don’t let your emotions confuse you. In that way you are so much like Caspian. Driven by the heart rather than the head.”
“Did you see him?” I needed to know. Telton had hinted he was right behind us. Was that all a lie?
“You mean after he knocked me out and stole my pod?”
“Why would he do that to you? He can have anything he wants.” There was bitterness in my voice as I realized that’s where I fell into things. He’d wanted me, so he’d been given me.
“The only thing Caspian has ever wanted is you. Don’t play games. We have no time for that. And then you left. The Emperor entrusted me with the task to get you rather than him.”
“Why?” It made no sense. Why send his nephew in Caspian’s place?
“To protect him. He thought this was all a trap.”
“Was it?” The more I talked, the easier it became. My fear melted away as my anger took over.
“No. It was a mission. With the medallion we can finally take the Emperor down.”
“Why?” I needed answers, and I was done waiting. “Why now?”
“Because he’s violating the codes. Destroying planets at his will without taking proper measures. He hasn’t been ensuring the survival of each species even when given all the necessary information.”
“How is destroying any planet ever okay?” Angie put a hand on her hip. “I’m not buying this whole holier than thou idea about destroying a planet to rid the universe of evil. It’s a load of crap.”
He slowly turned to face her. “Some evils are so great they must be destroyed.”
“Yeah… but destroying them is just another evil. That argument doesn’t work at all.”
“Are you a student of this?” He rested his chin in his hand.
“Of what?”
“Of ethics? Of what constitutes right from wrong?”
“I’m a student of history.” Angie raised her chin. “So in some ways, yes I am.”
“I would be pleased to debate this with you in the future, but not now.”
“What’s happening now?” He wasn’t going to avoid my questions. “Now that you’re here we can stop stalling.”
“Are you hurt?” Kelby reached out. “I should have asked that right away. You mentioned the Fleshard attack.”
I flinched.
“I cannot touch you? You think I’m going to hurt you?”
“You want the medallion. Not me. Aren’t you the one who suggested how the two could be separated?”
“I never suggested it!” Kelby shouted. “Are you mad? I would never hurt a hair on your head.”
“Yet you thought the Emperor would.”
“The Emperor will do anything to maintain power. Don’t pretend you don’t know that.”
“You never answered my question.”
“Which one?”
“Any of them. I’m done waiting.”
“How about I start with the one about Caspian?” A strange look crossed Kelby’s face.
“About what, you saw him? After he knocked you out. It would have been entertaining to see that.”
Noah laughed.
“Do you have a problem?” Kelby turned to him.
“No.” Noah straightened.
Kelby turned back to me. “Before I answer your question, you need to promise to stay calm.”
“What are you getting at?” Dread filled me. This was not going to end well. “What aren’t you saying?”
“Promise you will stay calm.” Then he glanced at Noah. “All of you.”
“I can’t promise that. My emotions are mine to feel.”
“But you won’t fly off the handle? You won’t try to injure me?”
“Are you afraid of her?” Dale asked. “Seriously?”
“I’m afraid of having to contain her. I do not want to destroy our bond.”
“We don’t have a bond to destroy.” I hoped he heard the coldness in my voice because it was what I felt.
“If you are this angry with me, I am fearful of how you’ll behave when you see Caspian.”
“When I see him? Is that going to be soon?”
“I have him restrained in the holding area.” Kelby didn’t blink.
“What?” I nearly fell over, but Noah steadied me. “What do you mean by restrained?”
“I took Caspian as my prisoner. It was the only way.” Kelby looked deep into my eyes. “Should I get him?”
“I don’t want to see him.” The fear returned, welling up inside me.
“But you need to.” Telton stomped out of the room, and I knew he wouldn’t be alone when he came back.