by S.A. Bodeen
Kiva frowned. “You are going to let them in?”
“We’ll dock with them. I’ll be cautious about it.”
Was he about to tell her that he wanted to keep her safe?
She touched his arm. “I’m not going to hide this time.”
“Figured that.” He held the blade and extended the handle toward her.
She took it.
He pulled out another and slid it up his sleeve.
Kiva asked, “Exactly how many knives did they send with you?”
“Zero. They don’t know.”
“Won’t they miss them?”
“Nope.” He twirled his chair to face Kiva, his knees brushing hers. “They’re mine. I made them.”
She stared at the knife in her hand: the blade, the smooth handle. The craftsmanship was impressive. “You made this?”
“It’s my hobby. I finagled a small forge out of some hardware on the ship and taught myself.” He shrugged. “Couldn’t spend all my time making bracelets for girls.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Promise me something?” Seth curled a hand around the back of Kiva’s neck and pulled her toward him.
She gazed into his eyes. “What?”
“No heroics.”
She grabbed a chunk of his hair and tugged. “Only if I have to save your sorry butt again.”
“I mean it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You think I don’t?”
Seth grinned and held out his hand as he stood up. “Ready?”
Kiva squeezed his hand. “Yes.”
Seth said, “Activate docking sequence.”
“Docking sequence activated.”
Seth held her hand as they hurried down the corridor. Kiva had to nearly jog to keep up with his long strides.
“Docking will commence in three minutes, twenty seconds.”
“What if they’re armed?” asked Kiva.
Seth stood at the airlock. “We’re armed too.” He pointed at a screen above their heads. “We’ll be able to see them enter the passageway between the two shuttles. If it looks bad, we don’t open and we disengage the dock.”
She had herself all geared up for a potential confrontation. “Oh.”
“You sound disappointed.”
Kiva shook her head. “I’m happy to avoid any more conflicts for the day, believe me.”
“Docking to commence in one minute. Countdown starting. Sixty, fifty-nine…”
Seth kissed her hand before letting go.
As the numbers wound down, Seth put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. Being close to him felt so natural, but still so new. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to the feeling. But at the same time, she never wanted it to stop.
“Keeves, this could actually be amazing. Meeting someone we’ve never met before.”
“Yeah,” said Kiva. “We’d never met Kubota before either.”
“Still.” He dropped his arm and stepped closer to the entrance. “Maybe we’ll have a guest for dinner.” Before she could naysay, he added, “Someone who isn’t out to seal us in torpor for the rest of our lives.”
Kiva’s small smile was more forced than real because at the same time, her stomach clenched. She didn’t want anyone else there.
After three years of hoping and waiting to have her friend back, and then a few marvelous minutes of the more-than-a-friend Seth, she wasn’t ready to share. Not yet.
She had already been looking forward to the next week of getting to be there, together, making up for lost time as friends. And carving out new moments as … whatever their newfound status was.
“You okay?” he asked.
Kiva gave a quick nod.
She couldn’t let Seth know. They were there to complete a mission and she wanted to prove she could be a useful part of that. If they were about to have company, she would be as happy about it as Seth.
Or at least pretend.
“… seven, six—”
“Best to brace.” Seth bent his knees and held his arms out to the side.
Kiva mimicked him.
“—two, one.”
The shuttle jolted.
Kiva kept her balance.
All was still.
She straightened back up.
“Now we see.” Seth gestured at a small monitor at the side of the door to the passageway.
Kiva stared at the empty passageway on the monitor. A moment later, movement as a tall, platinum-haired girl about their age, in a long pale blue dress, limped into view.
“She’s hurt,” said Seth. “Open airlock!”
“Airlock opening.”
“Wait!” Before Kiva could protest further, the airlock opened. The girl took two more painful-looking steps, then collapsed into Seth’s arms.
“I’ve got you.” He slipped an arm under her legs and scooped her up.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Kiva glanced back down the passageway, partly because she couldn’t stand to see that stranger in Seth’s arms. “There might be more people.”
The girl’s voice was weak. “It’s just me. I barely escaped.”
“From where?” asked Seth.
“The Pinatubo.”
Seth and Kiva exchanged a look. He asked, “How long ago?”
“A few days ago.”
Before they were there.
“The shuttle is not working right. I was terrified it would quit before I reached anywhere…” She gasped for a breath.
“It’s okay,” said Seth. “You’re safe now.”
“Shouldn’t we—” Kiva pointed at the open passage.
“Secure airlock,” commanded Seth.
“Securing airlock.”
The door shut and Seth carried the girl up the corridor, her long, fine hair fluttering out over his arm.
Kiva followed them to Seth’s cabin, where he laid the girl down on his bed. He turned to Kiva. “Can you help her?”
She thought about refusing, then realized she was being a child. Grow up, Kiva. This girl was hurt. She set the knife down on the small bedside table. “Once I find out what’s wrong, then I’ll do my best.”
Seth touched her arm. “I’ll vouch for your best.”
Her whole body warmed. She picked up the medical kit and set it on the end of the bed.
The girl studied her face. “You seem young for a doctor.”
Kiva glanced over at Seth.
He jabbed a thumb at his back. “She stitched me up earlier today.”
The girl’s gaze moved from Seth back to Kiva. She looked afraid. Or in pain. Exhausted, maybe?
More likely all three.
Kiva wasn’t sure where to start. Seth’s wounds had been obvious, like the open gash in a pig’s belly. But this, this was a real patient. The kind that Fai had always tried to prepare her for.
Maybe Kiva needed to think about how she would want to be treated. And if the stranger had a run-in with that madman Kubota? She needed to cut her some slack. Kindly, she asked, “What’s your name?”
“Stirling.”
“That’s Seth. I’m Kiva. Where are you hurt?”
Stirling grimaced and set a hand lightly on her midsection. “It hurts to breathe.”
Kiva didn’t want to lift her dress up, not with Seth there. Actually, not even if he wasn’t. “Did you take a blow?”
Stirling frowned.
“I mean like a hit? Did you run into something that hit you there?”
“Oh. Yes.” Stirling didn’t elaborate.
Nor did Kiva pry. “Sounds like ribs. There’s not much I can do for that. Wrap them maybe. Pain pills.”
Stirling nodded. “Pills are fine.”
Seth came closer. “Did Kubota do this?”
The girl frowned. “Who?”
“Felix Kubota,” repeated Seth. “On the Pinatubo.”
“Oh yes, yes.” Stirling nodded.
But Kiva saw no sign of recognition in her eyes at the mention of Kubota. And a homicidal physicist run a
mok on an airship was not easy to forget.
Stirling was a liar.
Kiva picked up the bottle of pills that she’d tried to give Seth at first. She shook two out. “These will help with the pain.”
Seth took the bottle. “Aren’t those the ones that knock you out?”
Stirling’s blue eyes grew wide in her pale face. “I don’t want to sleep.”
“No. These are different.” Kiva felt Seth’s eyes on her as she got a glass of water and returned.
Stirling took the pills. “Perhaps I will rest a bit now?”
Kiva smiled. “Yes. I’ll check back on you in a little bit.”
Seth left the room and Kiva followed.
The door shut behind them.
Seth read the label on the bottle. “I could have sworn these were the ones I didn’t want to take.”
She sighed. “They are.”
“You lied to me?”
“I had to. She wouldn’t have taken them otherwise.”
He got in her face. “Why did you give her those?”
Kiva pointed at the door. “Did you see her reaction to Kubota’s name? She has no idea who he is. I don’t think she was ever on the Pinatubo.”
Seth frowned. “But she has the shuttle. She said she escaped from there.”
“I don’t trust her.”
Seth leaned against the wall. “Still, she’s obviously hurt. She’s not lying about that.”
“Maybe.” Kiva bit her bottom lip. “You can’t see a rib injury. There might be bruising, there might not be.”
“Are you saying she faked it?”
Kiva shrugged.
Seth stared down at her. “And you felt the best move was to knock her out?”
“It’ll take a little while to work. But yeah. She should be out for a few hours.”
Seth slammed a hand against the wall, startling Kiva.
“Oh, come on, Seth, the lies are obvious. Her injury, the Pinatubo.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t trust her.”
Seth shook his head. “Say you’re right. Say she is lying. How are we supposed to find out more now? Like who she really is and where she came from? Or if she is alone.”
Valid point. Very much so. “I should have asked you first.” Regret seeped into Kiva. Her actions had been a bit hasty. “But I … I … didn’t want her to take over the shuttle.”
“Gods, Kiva.” Seth scowled. “She’s about ninety pounds soaking wet. I think I can handle her if she tries anything. But, you know, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Seth, that’s not why I did it!” She set a hand on his arm.
But he turned away and stomped off toward the bridge.
Kiva leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor, hands covering her face. “That’s not why I did it.”
Then why did she?
Because she didn’t trust the girl when it came to the safety of the shuttle?
Or because she didn’t trust the girl when it came to Seth?
Kiva could not sit there forever. She had to go and fix things.
Seth was mad, she got that.
The better move would have been to consult him, confide her gut feelings. Maybe he would have even agreed with giving Stirling those pills.
But Kiva didn’t think before she acted.
And in doing so, she’d taken all control away from Seth and kept it for herself. She was competent; but what she did wasn’t right.
Kiva slid up to standing, then trudged to the bridge to apologize.
Seth perched on the front half of his chair, focused on the screen in front of him.
She sat down.
He didn’t look at her.
“Seth, I’m sorry.”
He didn’t respond.
“I didn’t think.” She sighed. “I thought I knew best.”
He grunted and still didn’t look at her.
“Fine.” She slapped the armrest on her chair. “You want the truth?”
At last, he looked at her.
“No, I don’t trust her. But I think there’s something else going on. And you are not feeling one hundred percent right now.” Did she really want to admit the rest of it? She had no choice. “And maybe part of it was that I was jealous.”
He blew out a breath and faced his monitor again. “Nice try.”
Kiva frowned. “I’m serious.”
“Yeah.” He swiped a hand across the screen.
“Seth.”
He ignored her.
Kiva stood up and squeezed herself between him and his console, pinning them both in.
He tried to slide out, but there was no room.
“You’re going to listen to me.”
He stared at her neck.
With a hand at his throat, she raised his chin up. “Look at me.”
His eyes roamed the room and finally settled on hers.
“I’ve been waiting for three years to have you back. As a friend was fine, that’s all I knew, that’s all I ever considered.”
Seth tried to move his chin.
Kiva gripped it harder. “I didn’t get to finish before and I’m going to finish now.” She shook her head. “I never really thought about anyone as more than a friend. I mean, there was only Rom and Rem and Ada.” She rolled her eyes. “And I couldn’t see myself liking any of them that way.”
Seth tried to hide a smile.
She jerked his chin a little. “When you told me that you were in love with me … it threw me. I didn’t know how to react.” She sat down on the tabletop and slid her hands to his face. “But I have the same feelings for you that you have for me. And when that shuttle showed up and she got out…”
The console vibrated beneath her. Kiva ignored it. “I didn’t want to share you. Not yet.” She leaned forward and kissed him, fully prepared to be rejected.
Instead, he set a hand on her cheek and kissed her back.
She pulled away slightly. “I swear, I never once thought about whether or not you could protect me. It had nothing to do with you.”
Seth raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I think it had a little something to do with me.”
Once more, the console vibrated.
“Why is my butt buzzing?” She turned around and stared down at the screen. “Is that a ship?”
“What?” Seth held her waist and moved her to the side. “Gods.”
The shuttle jolted and came to a stop.
Kiva lost her balance and fell into Seth, knocking him into his chair. He grimaced in pain.
“Sorry!” She jumped back.
The shuttle began to move again.
Seth said, “Tractor beam.”
“But how?” Kiva sank into her chair. “I set an alarm!”
“You should have given me pills that worked faster.” Stirling staggered onto the bridge.
Kiva and Seth jumped to their feet.
The girl smiled and held up some kind of device. “At least I had enough time to bypass your security. And deactivate your warning.” She dropped to her knees.
Neither Kiva nor Seth made a move to help her.
Seth asked, “Whose tractor beam is that?”
But before Stirling could answer, she passed out.
Seth turned back to his console. “It keeps saying unidentified.”
“Could it be the Vesuvius?” asked Kiva.
“Come on.” Seth jogged out the door and down the corridor, Kiva at his heels. At the glass wall, they stared out.
A ship, far bigger than the Pinatubo, closed in on them.
Kiva shivered.
Seth took her hand.
“They can’t board us with her shuttle blocking the airlock, right?”
“I don’t think they’re going to board us.” Seth pulled her closer. “I think they’re bringing the Tomb aboard them.”
18
Kiva’s heart raced. “I’m scared.”
He squeezed her hand. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Good to know.” She glanced up at h
im. “But we need a plan.”
His gaze dropped to her bare feet. “Get your boots on.”
“I left them on the Pinatubo.” Before he could say anything, she added, “Don’t ask.”
“Should be more in your cabin. Maybe not boots, but something.” He dropped her hand. “Hurry. Meet me back here.”
She started to leave. “Wait. What about Cleo?”
“The cat?” Seth looked annoyed, then straightened up. “Bring her.”
Kiva frowned. “For real?”
He shrugged. “Gut feeling. Trust mine for once?”
She nodded.
In her cabin, Kiva found a pair of rubber-soled black shoes that turned out to be far more comfortable than the boots. And no laces to tie. Another look around revealed nothing else that she couldn’t live without. She grabbed the cat and headed back to meet Seth.
The door to his cabin was open.
She peered in.
Seth’s shirt was off and he had his back to the mirror. Two of his bandages were red.
“You’re bleeding.” Kiva dropped the cat. “Let me see.”
Seth shook his head. “There’s no time.”
“Shut up.” Kiva touched his back and carefully pried off the first bandage. The stitches were fine, just some leaking.
Same with the second.
She peeled up the edge of the bandage on the biggest gash and sucked in a breath. Two stitches had ripped out.
Seth asked, “Bad?”
“I should sew it back up.”
“That sounds pleasant.”
Kiva set a hand on his bare arm. “I’ll be gentle.”
“Wait,” Seth spoke up. “Time until we reach the ship?”
“Eleven minutes until boarding of unknown vessel.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You better be gentle and fast.”
“Lie down.” She quickly gathered what she needed and sat on the edge of the bed to tear open the package that held the needle. Her hands trembled, partly from having to stitch Seth while he was awake and partly because she was terrified about what was going to happen when they boarded that ship.
Kiva tried her best to focus on the task at hand. “This is going to hurt.”
He pushed his head into the pillow.
She held her breath as she pushed the needle in and through.
Seth didn’t move or make a sound through that stitch or the next. He remained silent and motionless for the entire procedure.
