Velda crouched beside the food, picking it up and laying it out on the bed Linao had taken as her own, grouping the same things together. She opened a nutrient bar and gave it a sniff.
Something about the way she did it made him think it wasn’t just to see if she liked the smell. The silver balls were assessing it. Deciding if it was safe to eat.
She made a face and walked over, crouched beside him. “It’s not going to taste good, but it’s not going to kill us, either. And we need the energy.”
He took the bar and bit down. It did taste disgusting, but he thought he might actually have had worse out in the field before. He choked it down.
Velda did the same with the bar she’d taken for herself, and then she went and got them water from the sink in the bathroom. She sat on the ground beside the bed, brushing the hair back from his brow as if he was seriously ill, and her eyes laughed down at him as she held the cup to his lips.
He wanted no lens feed and a way to lock the door so badly he could barely stand it.
As he thought it, the door opened again, and Velda turned her head, still sitting on the ground, although he felt her whole body tense.
It was Linao.
“Sylvester wants to talk to you.” She leaned against the wall. “Let’s go.”
Velda stood, set down the cup, and then bent to help him to his feet. The look she shot him was fierce, as if she wanted him to do something he wasn’t doing.
Look less angry, the voices in his head warned.Look weaker.
He realized his teeth were clenched and his hands were, too, and he forced his body to loosen up.
He let Velda draw him to his feet and prop her shoulder under his arm, and he tried to work out how much of his weight to let her take.
He didn’t want her to take any. He wanted to wipe that smug smirk off Linao’s face and run rampant through this ship.
Not right now, sweetheart.
He swore the voice in his head this time was Velda’s. He didn’t look at her, but he’d ask her about it later.
They followed Linao out and it looked like there were way more Caruso here than there had been before. The group that had taken the ship from their fellow Caruso had overrun it, by the looks of things.
He would love to know the story behind a Caruson coup, if that’s what this was.
As well as the story of how the Cores had found out there were factions within the Caruso to exploit.
How had they learned that?
Linao led them to a large room with a big desk and seating behind it for one.
It looked like the Caruso expected their underlings to stand to attention when meeting with the captain or general, or whatever the leader was called.
It wasn’t a Caruson soldier sitting at the desk, though.
Ethan studied the man with interest. This must be Sylvester.
He immediately knew he was Linao’s father. Her features were a feminine version of his own.
The Caruso were also studying the man occupying the seat of power, and Ethan thought they might be angry or uncomfortable at the sight of him on their ship, taking up the top spot.
As if he suddenly read the room, Sylvester stood. Where Linao wore her dark hair in an elegant bun, his was cut close to his skull. He had the sleek, muscular form of his daughter, though, and even the way they moved was similar.
He walked to the front of the desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Velda Shanïha.” He tilted his head. “I never expected to meet you in person.”
“And you’re Sylvester?” Velda asked. “The head of what is left of the Cores?”
