If her stare could shoot flames, I’d be nothing but a pile of ash right now. I meet it with a smirk and a shrug.
She lets out a frustrated yell.
KJ jumps down, his mismatched blue and brown eyes wide, tail tucked between his legs.
“God, you’re even more beautiful when you’re angry.” It’s true. Her face flushes the loveliest color of pink, her eyes glitter greener, and her hair seems to shine like copper. She’s my tiny goddess imbued with furious passion.
The light I always look for in my darkest moments.
“You’re so impossible.” Tossing her ponytail over a shoulder, she shakes her head. “How in the hell did you get ahold of a Henokan ship and why is there blood on your shirt?” She holds out a hand in a halting motion. “Never mind the ship question. You must’ve stolen it because there’s no way Rhys would just give one out.”
Instead of answering, I give her the most innocent look I can manage.
“The blood?” Her index finger points to my hands and chest.
I glance down and realize I forgot to change.Crap.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her foot beats a steady rhythm on the floor. “You better not have hurt anyone stealing this thing.”
“I didn’t. It’s Baltin blood.” I yank the shirt over my head and toss it into the recycler next to the synthesizer.
“Baltin blood...?” Confusion causes her tone to dip lower. “What do you mean?”
“Silarrian will never hurt anyone again.” I give her a hard stare. “Neither will the others who helped him.”
“I...see.” She gnaws on her thumbnail but doesn’t say anything else.
I’d expected another argument over my theft and a lecture on how violence and killing people are wrong, yet she only appears thoughtful.
“Did they suffer?” she asks, her glance meeting mine with an intensity I can’t quite understand.
“Hedid.” I glance at my naked chest and hold out my forearms. Dried blood flakes from the skin. “The others...” Staring at my jeans, I see dark smears soaked into the denim. “The others received a more merciful end.”
She nods once, then turns to the screens.
Only the hum of the engines winds through the small craft.
Shock pushes through me. I’d expected her to scream, to cry, to curl her lip in disgust. But not calm. Not from my spitfire. “Aren’t you angry with me?”
“No,” she whispers. “I wanted to be the better person, to see him on trial, but I can’t find any compassion in my heart. He hurt you, he hurt me, and he wanted to hurt Kaden.” Her hand goes to her stomach. “That asshole deserved whatever you gave him.”
“Kaden?” A painful lump forms in my throat.Is that the name of our son?Immediately, I love the way it sounds and can already picture her crooning his name as she holds him in her arms.
“Yeah, I think that’s what he wants to be called. Is the name okay?”
“I love it.” I need to hold her in my arms, to place my hands over our son. Quickly, I stride to the synthesizer and create water and a cloth to wipe myself clean, rinsing away the last vestiges of vengeance. Once I’m spotless, I rush to her side and lay a hand on her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. “But what do you mean that’s what he wants to be called? How do you know?”
“I think...” A small smile tips the corners of her lips. “I think he’s special, Jareth. It’s almost as if I can hear his thoughts sometimes.”
With wonder, I cup her cheeks.Is it possible? Can our son somehow be aware and be connecting with his mother? Somehow, he created his own nanobots for protection, negating any commands I normally sent through Tilly’s bots, so ofcourseit’s possible.
A thrill of excitement and intense pride bloom within my chest.If he’s this smart now, imagine the things he might accomplish as he grows.
“Red, I don’t know what to say. If he can manipulate electronics and code while still in the womb, he’s going to be unlike any Baltin ever seen before.”
She shivers and frowns. “HalfBaltin. I just hope it doesn’t put a target on him. If they find out, they’ll turn him into a glorified slave, like your own parents did with you.”
