unresponsive woman would do very well in the games."
"You'd have to be dead to be unresponsive with him, even if you tried. From what I understand, being with Kels is like being sucked into a vortex. I've never known him to fail with a woman—sexually at least."
She laughed and wrapped her hands around his arm, leaning into him. “The way you describe things... Driving and vortexes. What have I gotten myself into?"
He slipped her another small smile, even though his eyes were serious. “I watched that triad today, and I honestly don't understand how humans can perform under those circumstances. There's no...intimacy, no privacy."
"I suppose that's part of the thrill."
"For the people watching, yes."
"Kels told me some people get flipped on by being watched."
"Yeah, sure. Not me."
"I hope I do.” She bit her lip. “I guess I'll find out tomorrow."
Complicated emotions swam through his gaze as it roamed from her eyes to her mouth and back again. “Sayal, I admit, when I first met you I had my doubts. Now...you seem like a decent bird. I don't know what's in the Zone that's so important to you, but it's a living hell out there, and you could do so much better. How about we skip the games tomorrow, give you a ride out to some pretty planet, and drop you off? Kels wouldn't mind. He'd always want to do what's best for you."
"And you?” she challenged lightly.
"Of course. I want what's best for all of us."
And would that include keeping her away from his captain? Was he jealous? She skimmed his life force and felt only concern and deep, unreadable emotion. This was a man with secrets, the darkest of them all, perhaps, being his desire for his friend. She rubbed her hand over his firm biceps. “I did ask Kels about... Well, whether you and he and—"
"Keeva. Yeah, he told me, and I'm sure he also told you the answer is no."
"Have you ever...with him?"
He pulled back and scowled down at her. “You're as bad as he is. Sex, sex, sex—is that all that's on your mind?"
"No.” She felt her cheeks heating from his gentle scolding. “I'm sorry. You're right. I was prying where I shouldn't."
They'd reached an isolated old part of the station, and her mouth dropped open when she looked up to see enormous floor-to-ceiling fabriglass windows, at least thirty meters high and sixty wide, looking out into the absolute blackness of space. A red-and-gold-striped ball hovered prominently—the closest planet, Mirinor—and behind that, the gauzy glow of the Proteus Nebula floating like a scarlet scarf on an ebony background, dotted with glowing, still-forming stars, the universe renewing itself.
Awestruck, she dropped Elion's arm and walked to the curving glass, then pressed her hands upon it, feeling the cold of space pressing back. “It's beautiful."
He came up beside her, hands in his pockets. “I'd hoped you'd like it. It's become my favorite place to run away to, to meditate or hide."
"It reminds me of my childhood.” Watching moist heat form a halo about her fingers, she said, “I was raised on a deep-space liner, and I spent endless hours watching the galaxy stream by the port-view windows. It was much like this.” She pointed to the planet and the faint lights around it that were its four moons. “Mirinor and the four sisters—Aleac, Transor, Barinor, and... Oh, I've forgotten the last.” She glanced at Elion for help remembering, and he, looking faintly amused, shrugged. She turned back to the window. “I had a wonderful tutor who was quite patient with me and answered any question I had. Sometimes I felt as if my head would burst with knowledge, but then I wanted it to so I would have room for more. Isn't that silly?"
He shook his head. “No. Not silly at all."
Rather than watching the view, he seemed to be more absorbed in her. Awareness flushed over her skin. She couldn't read him as well as she'd thought after all, for could it be he desired her? Or was he just doing his duty as the captain
"You'd have to be dead to be unresponsive with him, even if you tried. From what I understand, being with Kels is like being sucked into a vortex. I've never known him to fail with a woman—sexually at least."
She laughed and wrapped her hands around his arm, leaning into him. “The way you describe things... Driving and vortexes. What have I gotten myself into?"
He slipped her another small smile, even though his eyes were serious. “I watched that triad today, and I honestly don't understand how humans can perform under those circumstances. There's no...intimacy, no privacy."
"I suppose that's part of the thrill."
"For the people watching, yes."
"Kels told me some people get flipped on by being watched."
"Yeah, sure. Not me."
"I hope I do.” She bit her lip. “I guess I'll find out tomorrow."
Complicated emotions swam through his gaze as it roamed from her eyes to her mouth and back again. “Sayal, I admit, when I first met you I had my doubts. Now...you seem like a decent bird. I don't know what's in the Zone that's so important to you, but it's a living hell out there, and you could do so much better. How about we skip the games tomorrow, give you a ride out to some pretty planet, and drop you off? Kels wouldn't mind. He'd always want to do what's best for you."
"And you?” she challenged lightly.
"Of course. I want what's best for all of us."
And would that include keeping her away from his captain? Was he jealous? She skimmed his life force and felt only concern and deep, unreadable emotion. This was a man with secrets, the darkest of them all, perhaps, being his desire for his friend. She rubbed her hand over his firm biceps. “I did ask Kels about... Well, whether you and he and—"
"Keeva. Yeah, he told me, and I'm sure he also told you the answer is no."
"Have you ever...with him?"
He pulled back and scowled down at her. “You're as bad as he is. Sex, sex, sex—is that all that's on your mind?"
"No.” She felt her cheeks heating from his gentle scolding. “I'm sorry. You're right. I was prying where I shouldn't."
They'd reached an isolated old part of the station, and her mouth dropped open when she looked up to see enormous floor-to-ceiling fabriglass windows, at least thirty meters high and sixty wide, looking out into the absolute blackness of space. A red-and-gold-striped ball hovered prominently—the closest planet, Mirinor—and behind that, the gauzy glow of the Proteus Nebula floating like a scarlet scarf on an ebony background, dotted with glowing, still-forming stars, the universe renewing itself.
Awestruck, she dropped Elion's arm and walked to the curving glass, then pressed her hands upon it, feeling the cold of space pressing back. “It's beautiful."
He came up beside her, hands in his pockets. “I'd hoped you'd like it. It's become my favorite place to run away to, to meditate or hide."
"It reminds me of my childhood.” Watching moist heat form a halo about her fingers, she said, “I was raised on a deep-space liner, and I spent endless hours watching the galaxy stream by the port-view windows. It was much like this.” She pointed to the planet and the faint lights around it that were its four moons. “Mirinor and the four sisters—Aleac, Transor, Barinor, and... Oh, I've forgotten the last.” She glanced at Elion for help remembering, and he, looking faintly amused, shrugged. She turned back to the window. “I had a wonderful tutor who was quite patient with me and answered any question I had. Sometimes I felt as if my head would burst with knowledge, but then I wanted it to so I would have room for more. Isn't that silly?"
He shook his head. “No. Not silly at all."
Rather than watching the view, he seemed to be more absorbed in her. Awareness flushed over her skin. She couldn't read him as well as she'd thought after all, for could it be he desired her? Or was he just doing his duty as the captain
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