“Do you have transportation off the planet?” Tai asks, his thoughts in sync with mine.
“No. We have no need to leave Sabaak. We cannot survive anywhere else. The only way off the planet is the ship the Boraei arrived on.” Maia’el watches us with interest. Her expressions are impossible to read, but her calm demeanor has an effect on Tai and I both. His shoulders relax down from his ears, and his breath deepens and evens out.
Great. Fucking great.
Not ready to fully give up hope, I ask, “Maybe a comms system? Could we get a message out to our people?”
“They destroyed our interplanetary communications when they arrived,” Maia’el says.
Eio'sh returns with a tray of food and a clay jug of water with two matching cups. “The Boraei showed up one day, without warning. They attacked everything around them. Entire villages were destroyed in a single day. For a while we watched them, hoping to learn of their purpose. They would set up a camp, search the area for a few days and move on. Over and over again. We began to worry for our scouts' safety and called them home before they could be caught,” Eio’sh says.
This news delivers the defeating blow to my last shred of hope. I thought we were finally going to leave Sabaak when we escaped the brethren. Now we have to confront an even more dangerous group. Fuck this.
I look over at Tai, expecting to see the same resignation. Instead, he looks more resolute than ever. His shoulders are back up and he’s clear-eyed.
“I’m getting you home. Nothing is going to change that,” Tai says, looking into my eyes.
Dammit if those words didn’t do something to my insides. A tinybit of my feminist credibility leaves my body when I realize how good it feels knowing he’s looking out for us.
“Your bravery is admirable. Please stay and rest. You will need your strength for what is ahead of you,” Maia’el kindly offers.
Eio'sh leads us up a spiral staircase lined with tapestries. The stone staircase is worn down in the center from years of use. He welcomes us into a bedroom with a single bed in the center and a wide cabinet tucked into the corner. On top is a basin and a stack of towels. Eio'sh pulls away a privacy screen from the window, letting in the light.
“Take as long as you need. The room is yours.”
We circle the room, checking out all its charming features. Soft linen blankets make up the bed. A mural of a sun on the wall. The view from the window is my favorite part. We are just above the multicolored canopies shading the market.
“When you are ready, come find me at the Oahe.” His offer hangs in the air until my translator clarifies with “communal kitchen.”
“Thanks!” I answer for both of us. Eio'sh gives me a kind nod and leaves, giving me the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.
“It’s got to feel weird being here with the Sabaaki after everything that happened last time.”
His guilt and agony are written all over his face. “I think I need to tell them. If they know up front, then they won’t take it out on you.”
“Tai, we’re in this together. Whatever you decide to do about the Sabaaki, I’ll face it with you. But maybe we could get cleaned up a little before you go clear your conscience.”
“You go first.” He waves to the basin and towels. “I have something I need to take care of.”
“Wait!” He’s out the door before I have a chance to argue.
My clothes are tattered from escaping the brethren. The tears in my skirt show even more of my ass and thighs than before. The straps around my neck hang on for dear life. I remove them carefully. I need these clothes to hold on a little while longer. At least until I can wash the robe.
The soap and shampoo I appropriated from the brethren are waiting for me at the bottom of my pack. I pour a generous amount of soap into the water and wet the small towel and scrub my entire body. Between the rough material of the towel and the sand, my skin is glowing and soft by the time I’m finished.
Tai loudly clears his throat from outside the door. I scoop up a thin blanket from the bed and wrap it around my chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious. I don’t exactly know where we stand.
My resolution to stay away is getting harder to stick to. We are somewhere between casual hookup and the person who scares the living shit out of me because they are getting too close.
“I, uh…” Tai steps into the room, eyes fixed on the ground. “I found you some clothes,” he says nervously as he places a flowing dress at the foot of the bed.
“Thank you!”
“I’ll give you some privacy,” he says and turns toward the door.
“Tai, wait. It’s okay. I’m all done.” I snatch the clothes off the bed and hold up a floor-length orange kaftan with golden stitching down the front. I drop it over my head and it flows gracefully to the floor, only a few inches too long.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips. Finally, something clean and comfortable.
