My mind wanders back to the battle that took place cycles ago, when Rovos and Anna inadvertently brought trouble right to our door. That was the first time I saw Igid. Goddess, she was glorious. A vision with a blaster and a toothy grin. I knew right then that she was meant to be mine.
With a wave, I head out of the compound and into the bunker where we keep all of our ships, and where Igid and theShadeare waiting for me. I’ve already said my goodbyes to everyone, and I’m eager to start my next journey.
Just as I’m coming around the back of the ship, Anna is coming down the ramp, and her face lights up when she sees me. “Oh, hey, Brox!”
I’d wave, but my hands are full. “Hi, Anna. Is Rovos with you?”
“No.” She shakes her head, and the tail she keeps her golden hair in sways. “No, I was just coming to tell Igid goodbye.”
Before she passes by me, she steps in and wraps an arm around my shoulders, giving me a quick hug. For a moment I swear I smellTodella-Vahvaon her, but then she steps back and it’s gone.
“You better take care of her,” Anna warns me when I get to the top of the ramp.
I throw her a cocky grin over my shoulder. “Oh, I will.”
She rolls her eyes and then tosses her hair over her shoulder. As she walks away, I swear I hear her say, “I’m counting on it.” But I can’t be sure.
Shrugging, I head into theShade, hitting the panel to retract the ramp as soon as I’m inside. It’s only been a few days since I was last here, but I’ve already managed to forget my way around. The ship is a damn maze, and it seems only Igid really knows where all the passageways go.
Just knowing we’ll be stuck together for the next several spans has my stomach jumping with anticipation. The deeper into the ship I go, the more I start to wonder where she is? It takes me a few tries, but I finally find the hall where the crew rooms are. Which is which, I wonder, as I look down the row of closed doors. I stop in front of the first one I come to, and I’m trying to reach the panel to open the door when it suddenly slides open on its own.
Igid strides through the doorway and directly into me. For a brief moment, her whole body comes in contact with mine, and her eyes widen. Then, in the next moment, she tenses and lets out a sharp, startled scream. The sound of her scream unlocks some instinct to protect, and I don’t think, I just react.
My bags hit the floor, and I step into her. Lifting her and sending us into her room, I don’t stop until her back hits the far wall and I’m caging her from the perceived danger with my body.
“Vittu!” she gasps. Then her hands are pressing at my chest. “What are you doing? Get off!”
The soft scent of her surrounds me, sharp metal and warm honey, and for a second, I let my gaze drag over the soft blue hue of her skin. As always, her midnight hair is pulled back into an intricate braid that has fallen over her shoulder.
“Brox,” she growls, her words sharp and clipped, “getoff of me!”
It takes a moment to remember that there is no threat. No enemy. Only then do I step back enough to get a sharp palm across my cheek for my trouble. My hand goes to my stinging cheek, and I can’t help thinking I have never beheld a more stunning female. And she’s mine. At least, I want her to be. I just need to convince her.
She’s got her hands clenched into fists now, and I half expect her to send one into my nose. Instead, she stands there, teeth bared and seething, waiting for me to answer her.
“You screamed,” I say, as if that is the most logical reason for what I just did. Which, it is. Igid doesnotscream.
“Because you startled me, youkurving idiot.” Her hands come up, and she shoves me hard enough to knock me back a step.
“I thought you were being attacked!”
“I was,” she shouts at me, “byyou!”
“Because,” I shout back, “youscreamed!”
Igid throws her hands up, something I’ve seen Anna do when she’s frustrated. Her eyes slowly slide up and then down my body, and I don’t miss the way her tongue darts out to taste her lips. “In that case,thank you. Whatever would I have done if you weren’t here to protect me from all of this danger?” With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, she steps around me, roughly brushing her shoulder against mine as she goes.
Great. Instead of her being impressed with my protectiveness, I’ve managed to piss her off.
“Wait,” I call after her, forcing her to pause. “I forgot which room is mine.” Giving her my best cocky smile, I add, “Or should I just share yours?”
I swear a shiver runs between her shoulder blades, but before I have a chance to comment on it, she turns just enough to point past me, down the hall. “It’s the next door. Top bunk was Sone’s; you can sleep there.” Then she stomps down the hall and disappears around a turn.
I stand there, staring after her before I slowly gather my gear and make my way to the next door. I’m not sure how I feel about sleeping in Sone’s old bunk. He was the previous pilot of theShade,whose place I’m taking after he was killed in battle.
When the door slides open, the first thing I see is a double bed with mussed sheets.Top bunk was Sone’s,Igid said. Which means, the bottom must be Treto and Bela’s? Great, they couldn’t even clean up a little? It wasn’t like there are many rooms for me to borrow. Above the double, at least the narrow bunk is neatly made up.
I’m certainly not sleeping in Treto and Bela’s bed. So… I drop my gear against the wall and climb up the end. Everything is clean, and anything personal that might have belonged to Sone has been removed.
