by Abella Ward
Shouts and cries of pain followed after them. Jada glanced over Sildon's shoulder to see Tom wielding his sword with deadly accuracy, skewering multiple enemies at once. Tag danced among them, her sword slicing throats and piercing armor. Ronan was concentrated on the Planchets that aimed at Sildon's back, severing their arms.
She closed her eyes against the carnage.
Sildon didn't put her down again until they were on the ship. Once again, she found herself holding Isabel while he flew about the cockpit, getting them off the planet and into the air. The darkness of the space beyond this world was comforting. Jada turned her attention to Isabel. The baby had a shell-shocked look on her face, and the small whimpering noises she made indicated that she was about to start crying.
"Shhh." Jada bounced her, trying as much to calm her own pounding heart as she was that of the baby.
It didn’t work. Isabel soon started screaming, alternately clinging to her and pushing her away, huge tears streaming down her face. Jada mixed up a bottle the best she could one-handedly, her stomach churning. If the people from the Sanctuary hadn't been there, the Planchets would have killed them. And if the Planchets hadn't turned up…?
At least they had gotten enough supplies for Isabel back to the ship before deciding to go out once more. She'd lost the cutest toys and a few blankets, but nothing necessary.
It was only after Jada had calmed Isabel enough to get her drinking her bottle that she started shaking herself. She knew it was the shock finally hitting her, but she tried to ignore her own violent trembles, focusing instead on the baby. Isabel needed to know she was safe. Once she was asleep, then Jada could let herself fall apart.
Except she wouldn't. She'd have it all back together by then.
Sildon silently joined her. He sat on the bed, an arm half behind her, looking at his bare feet. Most T'shav didn't like wearing shoes.
"Those three from the Sanctuary are going to be fine," he said. "They're strong warriors, and the Planchet mercenaries had no chance against them."
Jada clenched her jaw together. Remembering the sprays of blood made her stomach churn. She focused on Isabel, whose little eyes were sinking now. Good. She was falling asleep. That meant she knew she was safe.
"Jada?" Sildon put his hand over hers. "Thank you."
"Tha—" Her brow creased. "For what?"
"Lying to Tom and the others. But… Why did you? You don't owe me anything."
"Of course I do."
It was Sildon's turn to frown in confusion.
Jada nodded towards Isabel. "I told you that if you helped me get her, I'd pay you back. Well, you helped me rescue her. Lying to the Sanctuary was my way of paying you back. It's not like you're going to keep me away from home forever."
She shivered again, jostling Isabel slightly. Jada put her in the hover-crib and set it to rock to ensure that she would sleep. Maybe she should have burped her first… No, that would have just woken her up.
Sildon still sat on the bed, and Jada sagged down beside him. She twisted her hands, not knowing what to say now. This was the second time they had run away from a planet because of her. Did Sildon regret saving Isabel? What if he decided to drop her off on the next planet they visited?
"Were you hurt?" she asked eventually.
Sildon shook his head. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." Jada sighed, scrubbing her face with her hands. "But I need answers. I lied to the Sanctuary, and I'm not sure how that is going to affect my standing there. I need to know why. You kidnapped me, but you haven't hurt me. You risked your life to get Isabel from the Planchets. But you still kidnapped me, and even though you say you're going to let me go… I don't know how to believe the best of you sometimes. And when I do think you're a good man… I don't know if I'm just falling into some sort of Stockholm syndrome trap."
"Why would you stalk homes?"
Jada had to laugh at that. She shook her head. It didn't matter. "I mean, I don't know if you're one of the good guys or not. I need to know why you're doing this."
Sildon turned away. "I don't see why."
She put her hand on his shoulder. "Sildon, please."
His muscles were coiled under her hand, his skin hot. For a long moment, they sat in silence. So long that Jada thought he wasn't going to answer at all. His fist clenched the blankets. Part of her wanted to just forget she had asked a question and invite him to lay with her in the bed. But she knew how that would sound, and knew where it would lead. She just couldn't risk it.
"I never knew my father. It's common among T'shav, but I never learned the things our males are meant to teach our young. And then my mother died. I suppose I was lucky not to starve to death. Instead, I was taken into an adoptive program: species adopting orphaned T'shav and raising them to be good, law-abiding citizens. My adoptive parents always made sure I knew that being T'shav was something to be ashamed of. They cut me off from my heritage. They kept me isolated from my own kind. They kept my grandfather's sword to show me how damaged it was, and to tell me that if I ever used it, I'd be certain to be killed on it."
Jada's stomach twisted. Her hands clenched as he spoke. Her blood boiled with every word, but she let him speak without interruption. Somehow, she knew that the moment she spoke, this connection between them would be over. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted it badly, but she also knew he would never accept that comfort.
"Eventually I decided I had enough. I took my grandfather's sword, sharpened out the nicks and gouges, and turned my back on them. I never looked back. But I need the money to return to my home planet. I need to go back to where I was born. It's the only way I have a chance at finding my father."
Jada grasped his hand. The silence fell again, and she wasn't sure what to say to break it. Eventually, she sighed. "My mother went through something like that. She was taken from her parents and the people who did it tried to erase her culture. She survived. You survived. And we're going to get that money."
"With Zon's own son hunting me—"
"So we'll stop them hunting you." Jada stood, her mouth pulled tight in determination. "And I think I have just the way to get them off our tracks."
Chapter Eight – Sildon
Jada had assured him that Isabel would stay asleep. She hadn't, but Sildon didn't mind. He lay on the floor next to the baby, showing her holoimages he had collected from around the galaxy. She was on her stomach, her solemn little black eyes switching from the images to him. Sildon couldn't help but smile at her expression like she was trying to figure him out. An expression Jada often had.
Thank the ancestors Jada had convinced him to go back for this baby. She was so sweet and small, and laying on the floor just relaxing in each other's presence was more peaceful than he thought it would be.
"Done!" Jada waltzed into the room. "Oh, she woke up."
"Yes. But that's okay, we're just looking at pictures." Sildon rubbed the tiny, downy head. It was no wonder people would pay so much to have baby-soft skin. Isabel's hair was like velvet. "And you look great."
The T'shav let his eyes lazily roam Jada's figure. She wore the same dress that he had first seen her in, but she had ripped it strategically and burned the raw edges to look like she'd been in a firefight. Underneath these tears, she'd painted her skin to look like deep welts and burns. If Sildon didn't know it was fake, he would have run to get some antibac and a regenerator to fix her up. He rolled into a sitting position and picked Isabel up, resting her on his knee.
"So what did you tell them?" he asked her.
Jada sat beside him and scratched at one of her fake burns. "I told them that we were attacked by the Planchets again and that you were killed, and I needed funds to pay for my way back to the Sanctuary before the Planchets came back. They've already sent me enough money to refuel the ship."
"And that was it?"
Jada shook her head. "I'm supposed to meet Tom three systems back. But I figure once we withdraw all the money they sent, it'll be harder for them to track u
s down."
"Excellent." Sildon beamed at his human companion. "Maybe I should have gotten you on board with my schemes rather than kidnapping you from the start. It would have made things a lot easier. You have a shrewd mind."
Jada shrugged modestly and smoothed her skirt down over her knees. Isabel gurgled, patting Sildon's arm. The T'shav bounced her, earning a few giggles. He smiled.
"So you never apologized for that," Jada said. "Kidnapping me, I mean. You and I have come a long way, but I'm not going to forget that. Although Stockholm syndrome may be a factor…"
Sildon frowned. It was the second time she'd mentioned that. "What exactly is that? Are you sick?"
"No. It's a psychological term from Earth about kidnapping victims falling in love with their kidnappers. Although I think that it's supposed to be more of a survival strategy kind of thing. I don't know, I only took a couple of psychology courses in university. But I think it's mostly attributed in situations when the kidnappee is in actual mortal danger… I guess the Planchets attacking us counts, and… I thought you might hurt me at first, but as soon as you helped me get Isabel, I realized you weren't going to. You said you weren't going to risk your life for me, but you did."
Sildon wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. Isabel leaned back against him, grinning a toothless grin up at him. He smiled back down at her. "I don't think you realize that you've had an effect on me, too. I was used to this universe being cold and self-serving… even actions that were said to be selfless weren't. But I promise, I would never have hurt you."
"I know." Jada grasped one of Isabel's hands. "Which brings us to sex."
Sildon choked. "Sex?"
"On your application, you said you were nearing musth. Is it true? Can I expect my hormones to go all out of wack soon?"
"Not soon. I just went through my cycle before I came to the Sanctuary." Sildon stood and shifted the baby to be cradled in his arms. Even though Jada assured him that Isabel was strong enough to hold her head up on her own, it was difficult for him not to be anxious about her flopping all over the place. "But the way things are going, I might enter it soon after we reach our destination. But despite the violent bloodlust that T'shav males experience while they're on their musth, I assure you that I will not put Isabel at risk. We're very protective of our young, and I would never harm—"
"I wasn't worried about you hurting her."
Jada smiled, holding her arms out to Isabel. The baby kicked and her arms bounced, but she wasn't old enough to consciously reach for others just yet. Still, it was obvious that she wanted to go to Jada. Sildon was reluctant to give her up. Even though he knew that both of them would be leaving as soon as possible, he was getting used to the small family they had created.
We're not a family, he reminded himself.
"You'll be leaving, soon then?" he asked brusquely.
Jada blinked at him. "Because of your musth?"
"No. But I was only holding you for money from the Sanctuary. I've got it now. I'm sure we can find passage for you and Isabel to get to Tom."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"But you have no reason to stay."
"Maybe I have a morbid curiosity about how this will turn out." Jada shrugged before she shifted closer. "In any case, I'm staying with you. It would be suspicious to the Sanctuary if you started drawing money from my account, anyway."
Sildon swallowed, trying not to show how pleased he was at learning that. It was going to end eventually, he knew that. There was no point in getting more attached than he already was. "And you asked me about my musth because you wanted to make sure that we don't—"
"No."
Sildon swallowed again. His heart pounded, his throat dry. He had been clear in his application to her agency, and she was the one who responded… He hadn’t let himself dwell on that, knowing that she would never consent to being with someone like him once she really knew him. But the way she was talking, it sounded like she hadn't completely discarded the idea.
"Why did you respond personally to my application?" he asked.
Jada ducked her head, letting her curls hide her face. She peeked through her lashes at him with a wicked little grin, and his heart nearly stopped. She licked her lips, and Sildon stared at her wicked tongue, feelings rising up in him that he had been fighting since he first laid eyes on her.
"This isn't a conversation for babies to hear," Jada whispered. "I'll come see you after I put Isabel down for a nap."
What was wrong with his mouth? He couldn’t get himself to speak, and so nodded silently. He watched her walk away. Sitting still soon drove him crazy, so he went to the cockpit and checked their course. They were running low on fuel, but with the new funds from the Sanctuary, they'd only have to stop once before they got to his home planet.
How different would it be? He had been a child when he was taken from it. Many T'shav men his age had at least one child who was starting to wield their sword. He hadn't ever even had a mate and had always taken precautions not to get his women pregnant.
Jada drifted into his mind again. Could she really want him, even after all this? She had said she was incapable of conceiving, he wouldn't need to worry about his usual methods to prevent pregnancy…
The soft patter of footsteps made him turn. Jada smiled as she slipped into the cockpit. The wraparound viewscreen showed nothing but billions of stars, but she still looked all around with an awed expression.
"I forget sometimes that this is real, and that I'm really in space."
Sildon wasn't going to let her change the subject. "Why did you want to know about my musth?"
"I thought it was obvious."
"It's not."
She leaned against his chair. "For the same reason I responded to your application. I have been avoiding getting into a relationship since I first woke up and learned Earth was dead. I thought a nice one-night stand fueled by crazy hormones and pheromones was just the thing I needed."
Sildon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. His eyes were on her mouth again. "Even though I kidnapped you?"
"Well, since you kidnapped me, we have to go slower than we would have on our first date," she said. "No jumping from one fake kiss straight to sex. But I wouldn't mind a little kissing—"
Sildon didn't need to have any more encouragement. He cupped her face in his hands and brought her to him. Her lips were soft and warm, her curves fitting perfectly in his arms. Jada moaned, straddling him. Her skirt rode up her thighs. The rips let their skin press together, and Sildon pulled her closer. Everything was tight and hot inside of him. Their hands roamed each other's bodies, and Sildon was more than happy to let the sensations carry him away.
Chapter Nine – Jada
Jada wasn't sure what she had been expecting from Sildon's home planet, but it wasn't this. It was one of the dirtiest places she had ever seen. Layers on layers of dirt and grime covered the dome-shaped buildings. Garbage was strewn everywhere. The ground felt marshy under her feet. It was clear after only a few moments on the planet that their ship was the most technologically advanced thing these people had seen in quite a while. Dozens of people of all sorts of species were already starting to gather and stare. They were as dirty as the rest of the planet and all carried weapons.
She shuddered as she held Isabel close to her. The sooner they found what they needed, the better. If any of them fell ill here, it would certainly be the death of them. Even the air had a putrid stench to it that made her gag.
"Stay close to me," Sildon warned as he shut the gangplank behind them. "And whatever you do, don't look scared."
"Sure, no problem." Jada threw back her shoulders in an attempt to look braver. "Where do we start?"
Sildon glanced around for a moment, then strode off confidently. "We walk around until something looks familiar."
Jada rolled her eyes. Why couldn't they just ask for directions? But when the people started following them, hands on their weapons, she understood. Any sign of not
knowing what they wanted would be taken as weakness, and that could end fatally. She adjusted Isabel as the baby looked around with wide eyes. Maybe it would be a better idea to just stay in the ship while Sildon searched. But they were already so far from it, and she didn't want to be the one to tell him to turn around.
"That's my house," he said suddenly. He grabbed her hand. "Look."
She followed his gaze to a fairly large building. It was shaped like an igloo, domed with a small, circular entrance. There were no windows or doors that Jada could see, and the outside had a distinctive shiny quality to it beneath the grime. Sildon started pulling her towards it.
"It was an old weather observatory. When the United Species pulled out, my mother moved in because it was sheltered from the brimstone hail."
"Brimstone hail?" What kind of place was this?
"At the time, there were several active volcanos, and the snow would pick up the ash and debris, turning into hail. Something it looks like they still deal with." Sildon's black eyes were focused on the building as he strode up to it. He released Jada's hand and drew his sword. "I am the son of Matka and I wish to speak to the residents of this building."
There was a long pause before a wizened figure scurried out from the circular entrance. It was a Trioeil, with three huge eyes, one of which had gone milky-white, and a head that looked too big for its skinny body. From the figure, it could have been a woman, but she was swathed in so many layers of clothing that it was hard to tell.
"Sildon?" The Trioeil rasped. "Is that you, little one?"
Sildon's eyes widened. "Pogi! You still live here?"
The Trioeil cackled. "You expected that they would have gutted me by now? But old Pogi has tricks up her sleeve. They think I'm a witch, you know. They all come to me when they have ailments, and I'm the only one who can — what's that? Is that a human?"
Jada shrunk back against Sildon as Pogi's gaze landed on her. Maybe it was the mouth full of gaping teeth that looked out of place with her rough appearance, maybe it was her own prejudices coming to the forefront, but the Trioeil gave her the creeps.
