If he ever had doubts as to her identity, he was smart enough to keep them to himself.
He was the second lieutenant she’d recruited and by far the most problematic.Headstrong to an obnoxious degree with a tendency to wander off on his own.
Gus had to give it to him though.His instincts proved right more often than not.More than once, he’d uncovered issues that could have jeopardized the safety of either herself or her residents.It had bought him a small measure of leeway.
She wondered if that was why he was hanging out in Cat Three.The same bar her siblings and Baran had been sighted in.
Curious and curiouser.
He could be on the trail of something, Gus thought, deciding to play devil’s advocate.Maybe he’d caught wind of the same thing she had and was even now tracking down the culprits.It wouldn’t be the first time.
Or maybe he’d joined the ranks of her enemies.
Gus rubbed her forehead, not liking that thought.She didn’t believe it either.In his own way, Brooks was as loyal as they came.
Sitting here questioning things wasn’t going to give her an answer, however.
To that end, Gus shot him a message requesting an update and explanation as to why he was not where he was supposed to be before rising.
She was giving him a chance to allay her suspicions.It was more than she gave most.
The computer shut off as soon as she was no longer in front of it.A safety measure that the former administrator had set up and Gus continued.
Letting herself out of the office, Gus made sure the door was sealed behind her even as she sunk deep in thought.Preoccupied by the problems in front of her and their possible solutions.
Perhaps that’s why she didn’t notice the stillness that gripped the tree’s hollow.It wasn’t until she was halfway across the mossy surface that her brain finally caught up with her body and she started paying attention to what the station was telling her.
An intruder.
Here, in the safest place on Titan.A place that existed on no schematic and that not a single soul other than her knew existed.
Gus froze, even as her gaze darted around the hollow in search of that feeling’s source, finding it a second later as a person stepped out from the crevasse between two trunks.
That’s why she hadn’t sensed him before, she realized.The tree’s energy had concealed his presence.
“Hello, Pityrodia Augustensis.”Ryan smiled mildly at her.“I’ve been looking for you.”
Ten
Gusedgedback,feelingnumb as she touched her bottom lip with her tongue.“W-what are you doing here?”
Ryan’s face was impossible to read as he studied her quietly.“I told you I was coming.”
“Right.”
He had done that.She’d forgotten.
“Is there a reason you’re acting so strange?”Ryan asked.
Gus’s stomach tightened at the look on his face.Of her siblings, Ryan was the one who scared her the most.She’d never been able to figure out why.There was nothing overtly hostile about his manner.He’d never hurt or threatened her.If anything, he was always a littletooreasonable.More likely to listen where some of the others would resort to violence to get their way.
It was how they were taught.When you encountered a problem, bash it until it submitted.Or was destroyed.
The worst Ryan had done to her was keep her from home for weeks—sometimes months—on end.That was irritating but not a reason for the extreme level of caution she felt every time she was in his presence.
Maybe it was his face.He wasn’t just pretty.He was beautiful with a capital B.Every line exquisitely rendered.From the curve of his jaw to the high cheekbones that made him look like something out of a fairy tale.
His hair had a slight wave that almost begged you to run your fingers through it, just to see if it was as soft as it looked.Its color was a warm brown that reminded Gus of the branches from the Lord of Titan.His eyes a distinctive orange that stood out among the rest of his features.
