to high heaven now, but
she had to admit, the heat from the cream eased the tightness in her
muscles.
Roan didn't have to leave the jar in her room. He could've let
her suffer all day. So maybe he wasn't all bad.
She grabbed the carton of juice and shut the refrigerator door. "It's helping. Thanks."
"You'll feel better the more you work out."
"I can't wait," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.
He chuckled. She paused pouring her juice. He didn't laugh that often. She sort of wished he'd do it more. It had a nice sound, and for some reason, she didn't feel quite so alone. Alone wasn't good.
"The obstacle course is everyone's worst nightmare." He
leaned back in his chair. "You did good. I was impressed and I'm not impressed very often."
Shock was a mild word for what she was feeling right now. Shock and pleasure. Just when she wanted to dislike the man, he surprised her. Maybe dislike wasn't the right word. He'd taught her a lot this week. The basics were a necessary evil, they were boring,
and they frustrated her. Rather than dislike, maybe he just
aggravated her--a lot.
Roan drained his cup and went back to the pot to pour another. The man was a serious caffeine addict. So was her mom. Aasera had
adopted quite a few of Earth's customs. Lyraka wondered if her
mother was able to get coffee on Nerak.
Once, Aasera had told her that they had smoothies and food
capsules on Nerak, but no real food. It didn't sound li ke such a great
planet to her. She suddenly realized just how much she missed her
mother.
Roan wasn't a bad sub for company. He still made her pulse speed up and not just because he had her running on the treadmill every day.
He looked up and caught her gaze before she had a chance to
85
Karen Kelley
look away.
"Uh..." She cleared her throat. "What exactly are we going to be
doing today?"
"Have you ever fired a weapon?"
"No."
His grin was slow. "How did you expect to kill the bad guys without a gun?"
"I guess I neve r really thought about it." And now that she had, she wasn't sure she wanted to. "Do we really kill people?" Could she kill someone? How did anyone know these things unless they were actually in that sort of situation?
"Sometimes. Not as often as people think. And only the really nasty bad guys."
She nodded, but wondered if the time ever came, could she kill someone?
"Killing isn't easy. You can't hesitate. If you do, it could cost you your life."
She took a deep breath. Coming into this, she'd known there would be things she wouldn't like doing. But taking a life?
"If someone had a gun pointed at your mother, and you knew in your heart he was going to pull the trigger, and you had a gun and could take him out, what would you do?"
"I think I could pull the trigger to save someone." She downed her juice, then set the glass in the sink. "So, we're going to a target range?"
He set his cup in the sink beside her glass. "It's inside, but grab a jacket. It's still a little cool out."
She was actually getting to do something. Target practice--firing a real gun. The only gun she'd ever held was on a video game an artist's kid had left behind. Her mother had confiscated it when she'd
seen Lyraka firing at bad guys. Aasera said it was too violent.
She hurried to her room and opened her closet door,
excitement building inside her. The rush of adrenaline running
through her right now made her giddy. She reached for her jacket, but
it flew toward her, the hanger slapping her in the face.
86
Karen Kelley
"Ow!" She jumped back a step.
What just happened? She looked at the jacket still on the
hanger, then back at the closet. Whoa! This had never happened
before. She put the jacket back, then reached for it again. Nothing
happened.
But it had flown to her before she even had a chance to touch
it. Now it just hung on the hanger. She backed up a few steps, and
raised her hand.
"Come to me!"
Nothing happened. She
she had to admit, the heat from the cream eased the tightness in her
muscles.
Roan didn't have to leave the jar in her room. He could've let
her suffer all day. So maybe he wasn't all bad.
She grabbed the carton of juice and shut the refrigerator door. "It's helping. Thanks."
"You'll feel better the more you work out."
"I can't wait," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.
He chuckled. She paused pouring her juice. He didn't laugh that often. She sort of wished he'd do it more. It had a nice sound, and for some reason, she didn't feel quite so alone. Alone wasn't good.
"The obstacle course is everyone's worst nightmare." He
leaned back in his chair. "You did good. I was impressed and I'm not impressed very often."
Shock was a mild word for what she was feeling right now. Shock and pleasure. Just when she wanted to dislike the man, he surprised her. Maybe dislike wasn't the right word. He'd taught her a lot this week. The basics were a necessary evil, they were boring,
and they frustrated her. Rather than dislike, maybe he just
aggravated her--a lot.
Roan drained his cup and went back to the pot to pour another. The man was a serious caffeine addict. So was her mom. Aasera had
adopted quite a few of Earth's customs. Lyraka wondered if her
mother was able to get coffee on Nerak.
Once, Aasera had told her that they had smoothies and food
capsules on Nerak, but no real food. It didn't sound li ke such a great
planet to her. She suddenly realized just how much she missed her
mother.
Roan wasn't a bad sub for company. He still made her pulse speed up and not just because he had her running on the treadmill every day.
He looked up and caught her gaze before she had a chance to
85
Karen Kelley
look away.
"Uh..." She cleared her throat. "What exactly are we going to be
doing today?"
"Have you ever fired a weapon?"
"No."
His grin was slow. "How did you expect to kill the bad guys without a gun?"
"I guess I neve r really thought about it." And now that she had, she wasn't sure she wanted to. "Do we really kill people?" Could she kill someone? How did anyone know these things unless they were actually in that sort of situation?
"Sometimes. Not as often as people think. And only the really nasty bad guys."
She nodded, but wondered if the time ever came, could she kill someone?
"Killing isn't easy. You can't hesitate. If you do, it could cost you your life."
She took a deep breath. Coming into this, she'd known there would be things she wouldn't like doing. But taking a life?
"If someone had a gun pointed at your mother, and you knew in your heart he was going to pull the trigger, and you had a gun and could take him out, what would you do?"
"I think I could pull the trigger to save someone." She downed her juice, then set the glass in the sink. "So, we're going to a target range?"
He set his cup in the sink beside her glass. "It's inside, but grab a jacket. It's still a little cool out."
She was actually getting to do something. Target practice--firing a real gun. The only gun she'd ever held was on a video game an artist's kid had left behind. Her mother had confiscated it when she'd
seen Lyraka firing at bad guys. Aasera said it was too violent.
She hurried to her room and opened her closet door,
excitement building inside her. The rush of adrenaline running
through her right now made her giddy. She reached for her jacket, but
it flew toward her, the hanger slapping her in the face.
86
Karen Kelley
"Ow!" She jumped back a step.
What just happened? She looked at the jacket still on the
hanger, then back at the closet. Whoa! This had never happened
before. She put the jacket back, then reached for it again. Nothing
happened.
But it had flown to her before she even had a chance to touch
it. Now it just hung on the hanger. She backed up a few steps, and
raised her hand.
"Come to me!"
Nothing happened. She
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