I thought something was off about you.
The talons that reach out and grab me by the front of my race suit as the cloak shatters confirm how the other Talhuskin made it inside. Fenrysin masked his true form, just like they did as an Amphiran on MothershipGravion.
“You son of a bitch.” I have no weapons or armor because such things are outlawed here. It’s supposed to be a peaceful and fun place without this kind of drama. But even when all the guns and knives and pulse grenades are gone, we still have anger, and we still have fists. But I am half the Talhuskin’s size.
I aim right for his eye.
The hit is jarring without my armor and flares pain up my wrist into my forearm. But the Talhuskin rears back in shock and careens sideways to the snarl of an actual Mindor.
I curl away into the shelter of Osiris’ body and clutch my arm. “Mother…”
Osiris guides me away from the fight as the Mindor rakes his claws over the Talhuskin’s body, and they tumble down the hallway.
Ohni and her crew race toward the Talhuskin, security drones also whizzing by to monitor the situation.
“Super boss, Brynna.”
I look over at the doorway we pass to see Sky leaning out. “Sure. Just everyday life in space.”
She smiles half-heartedly and watches Osiris escort me back to their ship. I have a feeling her Chosen is the one who came to our rescue.
A cameradrone zooms ahead of us and turns around to face me as it stays three paces ahead.
“How did you know he was cloaked?”
“They’ve done it before,” I say.
“Why did you punch him?”
“Because he came after me. I have no other weapons except my fists and my rage.”
“Why do you hate Talhuskins?”
Good grief. Leave me alone!I just want to get back to Jorusk. But I think about the question and the one Nebulous soldier who broke into my ship to take medicine. He didn’t take everything I had, just one of each, leaving me other plants to continue growing.
“I cannothateanentirespecies. There is always a possibility that someone among them is different. I hate behaviors like lying, deceiving, stealing, and the killing of others because of what or who they are. Andthat onepoisoned his talons. Jorusk is now very sick. So please,get out of my way.”
The drone hums and drifts aside. “Why a demon?”
I glare back at the camera lens. “He protected me more than anyone ever has. I don’t give ashitwhat he is. I care about what’s in his heart.”
I was trying to leave this life behind me, but I’m starting to think this is where I’m supposed to be.
When we’re back aboard the StarEmber, I hand the leaves off to Sidius, who pulls out an old-fashioned mortar and pestle and grinds them into a paste. He mixes in a few things from their inventory and then spreads it over Jorusk’s open wounds.
Osiris sighs when he sees the paste fizzling on Jorusk’s chest. “Our Infernos won’t heal us while creosotine is present. It’s like…”
“A corticosteroid,” I reply. “Yeah, I get it. It suppresses your Inferno, which doesn’t just power you but also acts as your immune system.”
Osiris looks down at me like he didn’t expect that from a human. Or maybe he doesn’t know what a corticosteroid is.
“I research everything I can on a species before I deliver plants. I work hard to grow them from seeds. So I don’t want them to die because I didn’t understand the culture or the behaviors that I might have to retrain to get their new owners to keep them alive. There are no vacations or holidays, religious or otherwise, in farming. Plants need water when they need it.”
Jorusk squirms on the bed.
Boots clomp up the ramp. “How is he?”
Behind us, Ohni peers in on Jorusk from the doorway.
