believe, as Calendria, that the appearances and disappearances are part of the gravitational shift affecting this sector?”
Her eyes widened. “More likely it’s caused by my big bang.”
“You did this?” He tried to feel outrage, but it was chilled by sheer shock. And curiosity. Followed by belief, though he should not believe such an outrageous claim. And then a cautious hope. If she’d caused it, then she could find Timrick.
“I had help. And if I hadn’t, things would be way worse, especially for you.” She bit her lip, as if she hadn’t meant to say that.
“How?”
“My big bang was an attempt to stop this nasty ass—nasty tush time tsunami created by an even more nasty tush bad guy.” She frowned again. “Messy, but necessary.”
That wasn’t the answer to the question he’d asked. And killed his brief hope she would help him find Timrick. “You are insane.” It would explain the truth filtering into her scent, though not the truth he felt in his gut.
“Am I?” Hands settled on her hips. “I’ll bet the fallings pop up on your tracking in strange patterns, wrong patterns, and some vanish before they hit. Others appear just before they strike. Bet you can’t track them long term. And the lack of heat or the fact that I survived impact doesn’t strike you as odd? Not to mention the weird tremors?”
She was correct, but… “You said you did not make the hole.”
“I didn’t. I just got caught in the wave that did.”
“From where?” The question was more of a stall than need to know, while he tried to sort through the tangle of information, the shift in her scent. Besides, it couldn’t be true, even if her scent said it was. The insane could sound quite logical he’d heard. Not that this sounded logical in any way, though what she said about the strangeness of the fallings was true.
“Where. That’s hard to explain and I’m not exactly sure. Time is…tricky.”
Shan drew in a breath. “What you say, it is—”
“A lie? But you’d know if I lied, wouldn’t you?” She looked almost sympathetic.
He’d meant to say insane. “Belief can affect scent.”
“Some of my people have this old saying. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” He frowned. “I know it’s not a perfect fit, but you wanted the truth. And you got it. So it kind of works.”
“All of your truth?” He almost sneered the question—though part of him hoped—what? He did not know.
“You couldn’t handle all of it, flyboy.”
He sucked in deep, prepared to blast her with some truth, but her sudden grin tightened his throat.
“I’ll make you a deal. If we both survive, I’ll give you all the truth you can handle.”
“Why would I not survive?”
“Because someone is gunning for you. Big time, gunning for you.”
FOUR
Are you out of your freaking mind?
Did she feel hurt that Lurch thought she was crazy, too? She thought about it and decided no. Lurch didn’t elaborate on the theme just let her feel him fulminate like an upset tummy. Look, he needed to know someone is after him. He can’t protect himself if he doesn’t know. Honesty is always the best policy. Had no idea where that came from, so must be from him—a sense confirmed when he harrumphed like a bad burp. And we can’t figure out who is after him without his help.
He does not believe you.
No, but he can’t smell a lie cause I’m not lying. Right now he’s conflicted. Thinks I’m crazy even though he can feel I’m not. And a bit freaked out, but he’ll calm down and then we can get the bad guy and go home. Ashe quelled the stab of dismay, helped by the thought of vivisection if they didn’t manage to get the heck out of this system. Any progress on the repairs to my suit? Okay, so she was trying to distract him, but she also needed to know. It was still her best hope to avoid getting gutted.
I am working on it.
“Someone is gunning for me?” Shan’s hands settled on his hips, his chin
Her eyes widened. “More likely it’s caused by my big bang.”
“You did this?” He tried to feel outrage, but it was chilled by sheer shock. And curiosity. Followed by belief, though he should not believe such an outrageous claim. And then a cautious hope. If she’d caused it, then she could find Timrick.
“I had help. And if I hadn’t, things would be way worse, especially for you.” She bit her lip, as if she hadn’t meant to say that.
“How?”
“My big bang was an attempt to stop this nasty ass—nasty tush time tsunami created by an even more nasty tush bad guy.” She frowned again. “Messy, but necessary.”
That wasn’t the answer to the question he’d asked. And killed his brief hope she would help him find Timrick. “You are insane.” It would explain the truth filtering into her scent, though not the truth he felt in his gut.
“Am I?” Hands settled on her hips. “I’ll bet the fallings pop up on your tracking in strange patterns, wrong patterns, and some vanish before they hit. Others appear just before they strike. Bet you can’t track them long term. And the lack of heat or the fact that I survived impact doesn’t strike you as odd? Not to mention the weird tremors?”
She was correct, but… “You said you did not make the hole.”
“I didn’t. I just got caught in the wave that did.”
“From where?” The question was more of a stall than need to know, while he tried to sort through the tangle of information, the shift in her scent. Besides, it couldn’t be true, even if her scent said it was. The insane could sound quite logical he’d heard. Not that this sounded logical in any way, though what she said about the strangeness of the fallings was true.
“Where. That’s hard to explain and I’m not exactly sure. Time is…tricky.”
Shan drew in a breath. “What you say, it is—”
“A lie? But you’d know if I lied, wouldn’t you?” She looked almost sympathetic.
He’d meant to say insane. “Belief can affect scent.”
“Some of my people have this old saying. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” He frowned. “I know it’s not a perfect fit, but you wanted the truth. And you got it. So it kind of works.”
“All of your truth?” He almost sneered the question—though part of him hoped—what? He did not know.
“You couldn’t handle all of it, flyboy.”
He sucked in deep, prepared to blast her with some truth, but her sudden grin tightened his throat.
“I’ll make you a deal. If we both survive, I’ll give you all the truth you can handle.”
“Why would I not survive?”
“Because someone is gunning for you. Big time, gunning for you.”
FOUR
Are you out of your freaking mind?
Did she feel hurt that Lurch thought she was crazy, too? She thought about it and decided no. Lurch didn’t elaborate on the theme just let her feel him fulminate like an upset tummy. Look, he needed to know someone is after him. He can’t protect himself if he doesn’t know. Honesty is always the best policy. Had no idea where that came from, so must be from him—a sense confirmed when he harrumphed like a bad burp. And we can’t figure out who is after him without his help.
He does not believe you.
No, but he can’t smell a lie cause I’m not lying. Right now he’s conflicted. Thinks I’m crazy even though he can feel I’m not. And a bit freaked out, but he’ll calm down and then we can get the bad guy and go home. Ashe quelled the stab of dismay, helped by the thought of vivisection if they didn’t manage to get the heck out of this system. Any progress on the repairs to my suit? Okay, so she was trying to distract him, but she also needed to know. It was still her best hope to avoid getting gutted.
I am working on it.
“Someone is gunning for me?” Shan’s hands settled on his hips, his chin
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