I frowned. I understood so little of what she’d said. A Vandar horde sounded familiar, but I had no memory of a planet called Lexxona, and I didn’t know a thing about what places might be under Zagrath control. I didn’t even remember who the Zagrath were, although I would take Skye’s word for it that they were our enemy. That felt right, even if I couldn’t recall why.
I watched Skye pacing until I could no longer stand it. “Must you walk like that?”
She paused and turned to me. “Now you don’t like pacing? I’m only following your lead. You said it helps you think.”
“I did?” I slowly stood and started to walk my own small path, the steps soothing in their repetition. “Hmmm. I suppose I do enjoy pacing.”
Skye laughed and shook her head. “Then we can both pace and think about how to escape.”
“Escape,” I repeated, peering up at the small, grated window that was too narrow to slip through and then at the bars for a door. “You said we already tried once?”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “We did. It didn’t go well, although we didn’t make an actual plan. It was more of a slapdash thing.”
Slapdash? I could understand all her words, but some of her expressions made little sense to me.
I tipped my head back again. “Did we try to reach the window?”
“That?” She pointed at the small opening covered by a metal grate. “I don’t think even one of my boobs could fit through that.”
My gaze naturally went to her chest, which I sized up. “I disagree. I think one could fit through.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a gaze at me. “Your plan is to squeeze one of my boobs through that and then what? They don’t operate independently, big guy. We can’t send it running off for help.”
I tore my gaze away, aware that I was staring and letting my mind dwell for too long on what her breasts would look likewhen not covered by fabric. “I know that. I do possess knowledge of female bodies.”
“Thatyou remember,” she mumbled. “Why am I not surprised?”
It wasn’t that I remembered specific females, but somehow I knew that I had knowledge of females and how to please them. Not that that helped me in my current predicament.
I strode to the wall under the window, motioning to Skye. “Vaes.”
She didn’t follow me. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Vaes,” I said again, beckoning her to join me.
“I think you’re speaking Vandar, but I’m guessing you want me to go over there.”
Had I been speaking Vandar? The word had been the first one to come to my mind, and it had felt as natural as breathing to utter it. “Yes, I want to put you on my shoulders.”
Her brows popped high as she approached me. “You want me to get on your shoulders so I can reach that teensy tiny window?”
I laced my fingers to make a step for her foot. “We should not eliminate the window as an option until we have tested it. Perhaps it looks smaller from down here.”
Skye grumbled something about us not beingthatfar away, but she placed one of her feet in my hand cradle, anyway. I hoisted her up, and she awkwardly grabbed my shoulders and hooked first one leg and then the other around my neck until she was sitting on my shoulders. She stretched her arms ashigh as she could reach and then blew out a breath that fluttered her lips.
“It’s no good. I still can’t reach.”
“Then you need to stand on my shoulders.” I extended my arms straight up. “Hold my hands and balance on my shoulders.”
“Seriously?” Her voice rose an octave. “I can’t do that. I’ll fall.”
“You will not fall.” Giving orders seemed to come naturally to me. “But if you do, I will catch you.”
More grumbling as she grabbed my hands and leaned forward so she could move one foot to my shoulder and then the other foot to the other shoulder. She still held my hands and was crouching, her breathing heavy.
“You can do this,” I told her, fighting the urge to order her to move faster.
“You promise you’ll catch me?” The words were quiet, but I could feel the shake in her hands.
