AJ held his gaze. “You have to know you still could.”
His brow furrowed. “If I did,” he said quietly, “that would be very hard for me to live with.”
He glanced at her, then out at the water, and in that split second, AJ felt the ringing edge of her pain ease, just a little. She was still hurt, and she still didn’t understand. But she believed him.
When Noah looked back, he had become Rho. “Our legends of this era tell of water weavers so powerful they could make ocean waves run like horses.”
“What are horses?” asked AJ, stepping into Ana.
He grinned. “You really are a space brat, aren’t you?” He explained what horses were.
Ana searched him. “So, what happened to the water weavers?”
“They died out,” said Rho, a muscle in his jaw tensing. “Although there was a rumor that one had been born. The first in a hundred years.”
Todd’s Coverage, Episode 7:“Parlay”
When Captain Quentin is asked to mediate a blockade runner dispute, the crew are forced to host two terrifying profiteers…only to discover that the pirates are after Gilamede herself.
Production didn’t halt forThanksgiving—instead, they filmed a raucous episode with Ian and Em guest-starring as two rival buccaneers. The producers seemed thrilled to be participating after a week in the control room. When they wrapped, Em invited everyone over for a feast.
The cast was so ravenous, they didn’t even change out of costume before heading to Em’s palazzo. As AJ stepped into the vaulted entrance, she found a line already snaking into the dining room.
Toni was at the front and did not look up as AJ approached. AJ turned away, dread clotting in her stomach. Then Noah caught her eye. He let her cut in between him and Dave.
“What do you think they’re serving?” he asked quietly.
“The entrails of Em’s rivals,” said AJ without turning around.
“I thought something smelled good.”
Despite her unease, AJ smiled.
Last night, Toni had stationed herself at the firepit, where she’d chatted amicably with Xiaobo and Dave while ignoring AJ. AJ had been determined to draw her out—How was Anjalee today? Is that a newshirt?—but Toni had strictly offered one-word answers before turning back to the boys. They had been at this game for about an hour when Noah shocked everyone by showing up.
AJ hadn’t put a lot of stock in his “we should talk,” but there he was, and suddenly things were…better. He and Dave immediately clicked, their joking a salve on the blistering tension. They were so goofy that despite Toni’s cold shoulder, AJ had found herself laughing.
But when Toni left just after ten claiming a headache, AJ’s own exhaustion had set in. She’d crawled into bed shortly after, where she’d fallen into one of the most intense dreams of her life.
She and Noah were back on her laundry room floor, facing each other on their knees, listening to the drip of the washing machine. Noah was leaning toward her, their foreheads nearly touching. AJ couldn’t take her eyes off the cavity at the base of his neck. She watched him swallow.
Then he was pulling her to her feet and flipping her around. Their clothes were gone. AJ trembled with need as he bent her over the cool enamel of the washer, one of his enormous hands anchoring her hips, the other lining himself up between her legs. Thenpressure.AJ’s back arched; Noah’s grip tightened. Water was gushing out of the machine now. Noah groaned as they began to—
“Fuck!” said Dave as the buffet came into view. AJ jumped a foot. “What a spread!”
Em had mounted a Thanksgiving to put the White House’s to shame.
AJ heaped her plate without reserve and walked into the dining room. The tablescape overflowed with wicker sculptures and autumnal candles. Em’s staff had outdone themselves.
AJ glanced up to find Em himself staring at her comically stuffed plate. He laughed a little and gestured to the open seat beside him. Like he’d been waiting for her. Tentatively, AJ joined him.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” he said warmly.
“Same to you,” said AJ. “This is incredible.”
A plate plunked down to AJ’s left, and Noah’s familiar weight sank into the chair beside hers.
“Sorry,” he said, excusing the clatter. Then he turned back toconverse with Xiaobo. Em winked. AJ wasn’t sure what to do with the attention she was receiving, so she started on her food.
