She’d spent the early hours of the morning on the ‘bridge’ of the ship, as she liked to call it.With…Devix.They’d talked, he’d given her a sip of whatever the hell he’d been drinking—just thinking about it could put hairs on anyone’s chest—and then, somewhere between their soft, honest conversation and her admiring the stars and thinking that she liked hearing Devix’s voice, she’d fallen asleep.
The training session had been physically and mentally exhausting.After she’d gone back to her room to bathe and lick her wounds in peace, she’d tried to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come to her.She kept thinking about what he’d told her, about what she’d said to him.She didn’t have a window in her room, so she’d gone up to the bridge and found him there.
When she’d first come upon him, he’d been peering out at the same view she’d come to see, as sleepless as she’d been.And for the first time since she’d met him…she thought he looked sad.Lonely.
Maybe she’d just been projecting, but then he’d actually spoken to her, told her a little about himself, about how, in a sense, he was caged as well, trapped.
Until her.She was his last job and then he’d be free from his employer.Cara had sensed that there was more to it, but she’d been too cowardly to press him, knowing that she might not want to hear what else he had riding on her successful delivery.
Her body protested as she swung her legs over the bed.Every muscle, some she never even knew she had, hurt.Something told her that even in her peak physical condition she’d still be just as sore.She was so sore that she felt nauseous from the build-up of lactic acid.
Cara took a calming breath, wincing when her leg twinged.Glancing down at her scar, she wondered if she was pushing herself too hard.She didn’t want to over do the training sessions, so that if therewasan opportunity to escape from her new ‘owner,’ she’d physically be able to take advantage.
It didn’t matter, she decided.She’d heal.She’d wait for the next opportunity patiently, though patience had never been a part of her vocabulary.
She didn’t want to eat, considering she felt she might vomit, but Cara forced herself to take half a travel ration, feeling it fill her up but not overly so.She wanted to regain as much weight as possible while she had access to food.It was possible that she’d be caged again, fed once a day with slimy scraps that wouldn’t fill a dog.
That thought spurred her into action.Forgoing a bath, knowing that she’d just need to wash after, Cara went in search of Devix.
She found him just stepping out of the elevator tube, coming down from the bridge.Cara’s heart stuttered in her chest and she frowned.Her body’s response to him was an annoyance, one she intended to ignore completely.
Devix paused when he saw her, spine straightening.His eyes trailed from her pants to the black band visible beneath her shirt, keeping her breasts tight against her chest.
Her nipples pebbled in response.
“Again?” he questioned once he stopped right in front of her.“You will injure yourself if we repeat the previous session.”
His blue eyes made her squirm in place.She’d sought him out for three reasons last night.One being that, even though she was justified in calling him a nameless mercenary, she felt sorry for saying it.Two, she still intended to learn as much as possible about him in the next five days and try to befriend him.He’d told her that she was the first female he was transporting to this Azatian.She’d heard the unease in his tone, as if it wasn’t something he wanted to do.Perhaps she could convince him otherwise.
Third, she was lonely.The last person she’d spoken to before being taken from the Pit had been the brunette she’d told Devix about.A part of her had wondered if she’dletthe Baquarian take her after his fight because it was a relief.A change.If she’d had to return to that cage one more time, she thought she might die.
Devix, in his own way, had shown her more kindness and regard than she’d encountered in a while.He’d kept her safe on Petrika, filled her belly with food, allowed her to roam the ship without being trapped in her room, and now he was trying to teach her how to defend herself, how to keep herself safe, something he didn’t need to do.
Most importantly, he was honest with her.Cara hated being lied to.
“Then we can try something else,” she suggested, a slight hopeful tone in her voice.“Unless you have other things to do.”
He studied her and then ran a hand over his right horn.“Tev, come.I will show you something else.”
Cara almost sighed in relief and they both turned towards the training room.
Five days left until they reached his employer, until he handed her over.
Cara snuck a peak up at him.He was quiet.Well, quieter than usual, which wasn’t saying much.But he’d opened up to her a little last night, told her his name.She figured it had been progress, but now, she wondered if he regretted it.
That thought deflated her a bit because…she’d quite enjoyed talking to him.
To break the heavy silence between them, she asked, “Do you live on the ship all the time?”
He’d told her he didn’t have a crew.So it was just…him.She couldn’t imagine living in that hunk of metal, as nice as it was, just drifting among the stars.
They’d reached the training room doors and they slid open silently.Devix let her enter first and then said, “Nix.I live on Rozun, a neutral colony.”
Rozun.
She committed the place to memory.
She wondered what a ‘neutral colony’ meant, whether it was anything like Petrika, and then she shuddered.No place could be worse than Petrika, except the Pit.
