Why are you talking to me?
Four days. It had been four whole days, and the tie between theAdmiral Venand the main hub hadn’t been broken. I was hardly the only person working on this issue, but this was all I had to do. I couldn’t speak to anyone or do anything else, so I was throwing myself at the problem. It was an unmovable wall so far, and I feared I wouldn’t succeed, even though there was no choice but success. During this time, I refused to think about Monqilcolnen or the clawing pit in my stomach.
No one was talking to me. I was alone.
The sole conversations I’d had were sparingly with Edith and the one with Jemtonkilsol and Dilvonsil. That was it. I hadn’t had this much silence since I was a child. I’d even had moreinteraction in the academy, and I’d been horribly lonely there. Not that I was lonely right now. I couldn’t be lonely. I didn’t have that luxury. I was too busy to be anything.
I was currently sitting in one of the cargo bays. I couldn’t take the pitying looks as I tried and failed to fix this. I almost retreated to the tunnels, but I had to clear every move with Qinlin, and she hadn’t seen the point of the tunnels, even when I had asked in the past. Thankfully, she’d seen the merit of a change in scenery and allowed the cargo bay for that and privacy.
My wings were out, and I’d unbraided my hair. I leaned over my screen, trying to figure out different ways to disconnect the link. No matter what I tried, nothing changed. I was breaking myself to fix this, and nothing was working. How much more could I do? I had to fix this, and separating the tie was the first step.
The door slid open, and I swallowed a groan. Right now, the only person I wanted to see was Monqilcolnen; even Seth, Urgg, and Edith were unwelcome. Someone peered around a metal bin, and I didn’t bother to contain my snarl.
Vorjyn raised a dark blue eyebrow. “Am I interrupting?”
“Yes. Now leave,” I snapped.
He snorted and came to sit beside me, crossing his long legs. “At least you're honest.”
“Why are you sitting?” I glared at him. “I’m not supposed to be talking to anyone, and I have no desire to get in trouble for talking to the likes of you.”
“Ach.” He covered his soul. “You wound me. I’m bleeding most profusely from the barbs. I will never recover.”
I growled and focused on my screen, determined to ignore him.
“Not even concerned if I’ve been fucking Monqilcolnen in your absence?”
My hands curled into fists, shaking from the tension on my muscles. A snarl built in my chest. I wanted to launch on top of him and beat him senseless. Instead, I took a deep breath. “No. Monqilcolnen wouldn’t fuck anyone else. He promised.”
“You trust him that much?”
I glanced at him. “I trust Monqilcolnen with everything.”
He held my gaze for several long moments. “Pity I couldn’t taunt you into something fun, but I guess it’s good you trust him, because he misses you.”
Ice stabbed my soul, making me shiver. I allowed myself one moment to close my eyes and let the need to see Monqilcolnen fill me before I put it away. “I miss him as well.”
Silence prevailed. Even though I hated Vorjyn, his lack of talking grated on me. The pit in my gut churned and bubbled. After a moment, he commented, “You are a lot smarter than I thought.”
“Excuse me?”
“This.” He waved a hand. “It’s all over the ship. Not the particulars, mind you, but Monqilcolnen shared some with me. You’re quite intelligent and gifted to be able to make this. Shocking, really.”
“Yes,” I remarked with a humorless laugh. “I’m sure I will be remembered as intelligent when I destroy NAID.”
“Well, in addition to being a traitor and foolish, as well as a lousy drunk.”
I just stared at him. “Leave me alone.”
“No.”
“Why not?” I snapped. “What is this, Vorjyn? What do you want?”
He returned my look without even bothering to look upset. “Because Monqilcolnen is worried, but he cannot defy orders. I can. No one orders me to do anything.”
My mouth fell open.
“It’s not some great plot,” Vorjyn said with a chuckle. “No one gives a shit about me besides my rather horrible parents, so it doesn’t matter if I defy orders. Also, fuck the Drakcol Empire. It can burn for all I care. Though Monqilcolnen cares. The fool. So in his stead, I can make sure you’re safe. I owe him that much, even if you are rather annoying.”
