junky.”
“You sound like you’re the one with crush on him now.”
Rico grinned. “Maybe back then—a man crush. I wanted to be a pilot, and he was the best.”
Yeah, she’d bet he was. “Your point is?”
“You don’t go from that, to being a bloody politician. He’s been living a life he’s not suited to, playing a role for five hundred years, and I’m betting he’s bored out of his mind. He might tell himself it’s the Meridian, but he’s lying. It’s not that he’s not human, he’s just forgotten how to act it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s finished. We’re out of here and he can comm someone to come and pick him up. You know, I need a drink.”
“Well, it just so happens I have some.” He pulled a silver flask out of his pocket and placed it on the table, then got to his feet. “Unfortunately, it’s mine and not Sardi’s good stuff, but it’ll do the trick. Take the night off. Give yourself a break. We’ll sort this out—just don’t give up on that dream yet.”
When he was gone, Tannis got up and shuffled across the room to stand in front of the mirror and stare at herself. She wasn’t beautiful. She’d never been beautiful. She didn’t think she was ugly either, and strangely, the signs of her nonhuman DNA—the yellow eyes with their narrow slits, the faint luminosity to her skin—had never bothered her. Probably because she had grown up hating the humans around her. She was into action, not thinking. Thinking only got you into trouble—she’d leave it to the politicians. Like Callum.
But maybe it was time to give up on the dream. She’d clung to it for so long. How many nights had she fallen asleep in her cell at the research center and dreamed of the beautiful Collective woman. Her angel. The one person who’d been kind to her. How sad was she? But she didn’t want to give up. There were whole worlds out there to explore, and one lifetime was never enough.
Besides, she didn’t want to die.
After returning to the sofa, she put her feet up on the table and picked up Rico’s flask. She unscrewed the top and took a deep swallow. Then she rested her head against the cushion and tried not to think. Closing her eyes, she saw an image of Callum’s face and knew she would never see it again.
It was for the best. Really it was.
Chapter Six
Blood trickled down over his lips and chin.
His nose was broken. Again.
Alex had disappeared, probably to check that her man was all right, but Janey was still in her seat watching him, her expression blank. She rose gracefully to her feet, strolled across, and handed him a cloth. He wiped the blood away and glanced at her.
“You want to take a punch at me as well?” he asked.
A grin flashed across her face. “Tannis doesn’t let anyone mess with her crew. She’s very protective.”
“I noticed.”
For a brief second, he wondered how it would feel to have Tannis protect him. Never going to happen.
He dabbed at his nose and winced. But the strange thing was, he didn’t blame her. He’d been an idiot, and he’d nearly gotten himself taken prisoner and Jon and Rico killed. He’d made a promise and he’d had to go, but maybe he should have explained the situation. They could have gone with him, made sure he stayed out of sight. He just wasn’t used to this clandestine stuff. He also wasn’t used to explaining himself.
The visit had depressed him as well. Rosalie had been so old. She didn’t have much longer, but she’d seemed strangely happy. He’d stayed and talked to her about the colonel. She was clearly still in love with him, but believed she had made the right decision.
Callum didn’t know. He’d never been in love…
He didn’t want to leave El Cazador . For all sorts of reasons. Some of which he wasn’t willing to examine too closely just yet. He hadn’t realized quite how restricted and stultifying his life had been. The first couple of hundred years had been a challenge. Planets to
“You sound like you’re the one with crush on him now.”
Rico grinned. “Maybe back then—a man crush. I wanted to be a pilot, and he was the best.”
Yeah, she’d bet he was. “Your point is?”
“You don’t go from that, to being a bloody politician. He’s been living a life he’s not suited to, playing a role for five hundred years, and I’m betting he’s bored out of his mind. He might tell himself it’s the Meridian, but he’s lying. It’s not that he’s not human, he’s just forgotten how to act it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s finished. We’re out of here and he can comm someone to come and pick him up. You know, I need a drink.”
“Well, it just so happens I have some.” He pulled a silver flask out of his pocket and placed it on the table, then got to his feet. “Unfortunately, it’s mine and not Sardi’s good stuff, but it’ll do the trick. Take the night off. Give yourself a break. We’ll sort this out—just don’t give up on that dream yet.”
When he was gone, Tannis got up and shuffled across the room to stand in front of the mirror and stare at herself. She wasn’t beautiful. She’d never been beautiful. She didn’t think she was ugly either, and strangely, the signs of her nonhuman DNA—the yellow eyes with their narrow slits, the faint luminosity to her skin—had never bothered her. Probably because she had grown up hating the humans around her. She was into action, not thinking. Thinking only got you into trouble—she’d leave it to the politicians. Like Callum.
But maybe it was time to give up on the dream. She’d clung to it for so long. How many nights had she fallen asleep in her cell at the research center and dreamed of the beautiful Collective woman. Her angel. The one person who’d been kind to her. How sad was she? But she didn’t want to give up. There were whole worlds out there to explore, and one lifetime was never enough.
Besides, she didn’t want to die.
After returning to the sofa, she put her feet up on the table and picked up Rico’s flask. She unscrewed the top and took a deep swallow. Then she rested her head against the cushion and tried not to think. Closing her eyes, she saw an image of Callum’s face and knew she would never see it again.
It was for the best. Really it was.
Chapter Six
Blood trickled down over his lips and chin.
His nose was broken. Again.
Alex had disappeared, probably to check that her man was all right, but Janey was still in her seat watching him, her expression blank. She rose gracefully to her feet, strolled across, and handed him a cloth. He wiped the blood away and glanced at her.
“You want to take a punch at me as well?” he asked.
A grin flashed across her face. “Tannis doesn’t let anyone mess with her crew. She’s very protective.”
“I noticed.”
For a brief second, he wondered how it would feel to have Tannis protect him. Never going to happen.
He dabbed at his nose and winced. But the strange thing was, he didn’t blame her. He’d been an idiot, and he’d nearly gotten himself taken prisoner and Jon and Rico killed. He’d made a promise and he’d had to go, but maybe he should have explained the situation. They could have gone with him, made sure he stayed out of sight. He just wasn’t used to this clandestine stuff. He also wasn’t used to explaining himself.
The visit had depressed him as well. Rosalie had been so old. She didn’t have much longer, but she’d seemed strangely happy. He’d stayed and talked to her about the colonel. She was clearly still in love with him, but believed she had made the right decision.
Callum didn’t know. He’d never been in love…
He didn’t want to leave El Cazador . For all sorts of reasons. Some of which he wasn’t willing to examine too closely just yet. He hadn’t realized quite how restricted and stultifying his life had been. The first couple of hundred years had been a challenge. Planets to
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