“Should isn’t working right now,” Hal said.
Chel coughed out a laugh. “No.”
Then he went quiet.
“Do you know what that metal thing is, Hal?”
“It’s a drone Paxe uses for his build. He managed to sneak it onto the runner the Balcoans were using to abduct Fee at the way station and sent it down to help her. It got her out of the cell they were keeping her in.” Hal didn’t say what else Bunny had been there to do, but he was telling the truth.
Chel blew out a breath. “A drone? One of Paxe’s drones?”
Hal nodded.
“That makes sense. I’ll calm the waters because there are a few crew who are a bit wound up about it.”
There was definitely something about the shape and movement of Bunny that affected the Grihan hind brain. Hal was aware of it himself. Either Fiona’s species didn’t have thesame ancient enemy, or she’d managed to overcome her reaction to it.
Hal kept his voice level. “I wouldn’t bring anything onboard that was a danger to crew.”
Technically, they were dangerous. But not to his crew.
They reached his suite and Hal opened the door.
Fee was coming out of his room, freshly showered and drying her hair with a towel. She was in one of his shirts, which she wore like a dress, and her cheeks were flushed pink.
The grahudi was curled up on the couch, and he saw Fee had made a bed for it with a blanket.
Bunny was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey.” She smiled at them.
“Chel wants to know what the grahudi eats,” Hal said, wanting to get rid of his second-in-command as quickly as possible.
“Oh. One moment.” She lifted a finger to her ear. “Paxe says any kind of meat and fruit that’s available. It’s an omnivore.”
Hal was glad she was careful not to mention that Bunny would have given Paxe that information. Chel was no fool, and he would have picked up that the drone was a little more than just a drone.
Chel nodded. “I’ll send someone with a tray right away.”
He was trying to avoid looking directly at the grahudi, Hal saw with amusement. He backed away, giving Hal a salute as the doors closed between them.
“You talked to the admiral?” Fee asked.
“She’s coming, light jumping all the way.”
Fee nodded. “This is a major event. I’m just glad Baruke’s going to recover. Him dying would have made this so much more complicated.”
“You’d have had to fight to keep your way station, you mean.” He looped a strand of hair behind her ear as he teased her.
“Oh, I’d have kept it,” she grinned up at him. “But I’d rather be nice about it than have to get mean.”
“I’d be interested to see you in mean mode,” Hal said as there was a ping at the door.
He walked over, fetched the tray Chel had sent and set it down on the coffee table.
The grahudi had moved, crouching at the ready when the door chime had sounded, and it looked at the food with big eyes.
“Enjoy,” Fee told it, and then walked back into his room. “I can show you mean,” she told him over her shoulder. “Ish.” She wobbled her hand.
