He was referred to by the others asAssassin Tau, however, and she thought the grim determination heexhibited might actually predate his transition from celestialbeing to mortal—or at least part human.
She certainly couldn’t complain thathe was careless of her and unconcerned about either her comfort orher well being.
He also wasn’t patronizing, which madeher feel petty that she so often felt like biting his headoff.
And he granted her wish to get downand walk on her own as soon as they had thoroughly investigated theshelter they’d taken in a search for any threat.
It was dismaying then to discover shecouldn’t do much with her freedom once she’d gotten herway.
He steadied her when he set her on herfeet, waiting until she was standing completely on her own and thenstepped back—watching while she shuffled painfully forward a fewsteps and then paused to rest.
They all watched, their expressionscarefully neutral, while she counted out maybe ten feet of awkwardprogress. Any doubts she might have nursed about that suspicionmerely being paranoia was banished when she glanced a littledesperately at Tau. He surged forward at once and helped her tosettle on the ground near a wall she could use for backsupport.
She was sweating and breathless fromeffort—thankfully in too much pain to be particularlyembarrassed.
Tau touched her cheek and held acanteen to her lips. She took it gratefully and drank. Fortunately,he was waiting to take it back because it was full and heavy andher strength nearly gave out before she could pass itback.
He took it and drank from it while shewatched—not with the detachment she thought she should havefelt.
But then she recalled when he’d fedher water because there was no other way to give it to her and, asdesperate as she had been for it, she had still been very aware ofhim.
Odd and disconcerting.
For the most part the war had shutdown her awareness of herself as a woman and interest or awarenessof any man.
Mostly, she supposed, because deathhung over them all like a specter.
The men—despite that or maybe becauselife was so uncertain—were more inclined to grab any chance ofintimacy. And she, feeling almost more motherly or nursely, gave inon occasion simply to offer comfort—not because she had any actualinterest.
It was disturbing to feel anythingbeyond, perhaps, scientific curiosity, about Tau—any of thealiens.
When he moved away after a moment, shevery deliberately studied the toes of her boots, trying to decidewhat to make of her reaction to him.
She, more than anyone else, knewexactly what and who he was—in the physical sense, at least, andshe thought she must be reacting to that.
She wasn’t entirely satisfied with theexplanation she’d come up with, but she could think of nothing elseat the moment.
The drones built by whatever evilentity that had invaded, were all virtually identical inappearance.
With the exception of damage doneduring the battle for the hill where she lay, Tau was noexception.
And yet … even before hereached her, she’d known hewasdifferent.
There had been … distress on his facewhen he had dropped to his knees beside her and examinedher.
Empathy for her distress andsuffering.
Maybe it was that whisper of somethinghuman-like that had drawn her to him?
She shook her thoughts after a moment,realizing she was only going in circles, and focused on the menshe’d claimed as hers.
When they separated, she saw thatthey’d found a couple of threats in their shelter, beheaded them,and skinned them and cooked them over the minute fire they’d buildspecifically for that purpose.
The smell made her belly tighten andgrowl.
All three of them looked up at her andthen back at their task as if they had no idea they evenacknowledged that they’d heard.
There was nothing wrong with theirhearing, she thought wryly, wondering how much of a ‘connection’they’d made since the download. The reaction seemed automatic—notdelayed as it might have been if there was no connectionyet.
