Chapter 12 Practice Kiss #3
Khoth shook his head. “Humans are viewed as little more than uncivilized animals. To have you as part of the Alliance or even with a foothold she would lose her position and it would never be approved.”
Jace nodded slowly. “So she’s come here with nothing to bargain with?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Silence fell between them. The video recordings from the night before had been added to. There was a link to more information, secret information, all the information that Jace could want or need.
“So what has she come here with?” Jace finally asked, though he could guess. She had arrived here with a fleet.
“Force. Military might except the Osiris has shown me--”
“I can control every ship, actually every piece of Altaeth tech, from your armor to your weaponry to--”
“The life support,” Khoth finished.
“Oh, God,” Jace breathed. “I can imagine what the Osiris showed you.”
“Yes, it was quite clear that any use of force against you would be unwise,” Khoth stated with a dryness that had Jace almost smiling.
“The others who are against her can they be reasoned with?” Jace asked.
“You think to go to her enemies?”
“I’m sorry, Khoth, but… yes.”
Khoth nodded as if this was quite logical. “I believe that they would have even less use for humanity.”
“Would everyone in the Alliance think this way?” Jace asked.
Khoth considered this. “You likely could convince some of the members who are not considered first tier--and therefore have no power--to side with humanity. But it would do little.”
But Jace wondered if that was true.
“Well, we cannot let your mother attempt to attack us, and I’m not letting Earth and humanity stay out in the cold… I’ll have to think about this.” Jace tapped his chin.
“You must think about it quickly as the negotiations will start today and I don’t think she will hold her hand for long,” Khoth cautioned.
“The Osiris and Gehenna will make sure they can’t attack us. They won’t know why either until I tell them, if I do,” Jace murmured as he started to consider this. He shook himself and asked, “What was the other thing? The thing that you wouldn’t let happen?”
Khoth looked down at their still clasped hands. Khoth cleared his throat and swallowed.
“She wished me to seduce you and, thereby, convince you to simply give yourself and the Osiris over to the Alliance, abandoning humanity,” Khoth said stiffly.
Jace laughed. Khoth’s head snapped up and he blued so deeply that he almost purpled. He started to draw his hands back.
“You find the suggestion that you would desire me so much absurd?” Khoth asked.
“What? Ah, well, I mean, you would never do that. Like never,” Jace laughed.
But Khoth looked even more perturbed. “No, I would not dishonor you or our friendship but--”
“Khoth, you’re totally desirable enough for plenty of bad decisions to be made on my part!” Jace assured him, even as he couldn’t quite treat this seriously. “But suggesting that you would hurt me like that… no, never. Just never.”
“You believe me incapable of harming you like that?”
“You wouldn’t be the you I--I, uhm, like…
ah, you wouldn’t be you if you did that.
And if I fell so wildly in love with you that I would betray my own principles you would never allow me to actually do anything bad!
” Jace struggled to explain. “You’re honorable.
That’s the core of you. Making people follow their best values is your strength. ”
Khoth’s head lowered, but Jace thought the Thaf’ell Commander was more than pleased by his answer.
“You are not angry?” Khoth murmured.
“At you? No--”
“My mother,” Khoth qualified.
Jace considered this. “Like I said, she doesn’t know me. She’s got a lot of pressures on her. Asking you to do the ah, seduction thing just sounds desperate and sad. But I am angry she put you in this situation. You've got to betray the Alliance to save it.”
Khoth’s head jerked up again, but this time his expression was one of joy. “You understand!”
“Of course, I--oh!”
Khoth stopped him from speaking with a kiss. It was a bare press of lips. It was done and over in a moment. But the heat was imprinted on Jace’s mouth. Khoth was no longer kissing him though. Khoth was not even on the bed. He was somehow a few steps away from it, sliding his boots on.
“I will… I must… I should not have done that… after what I just told you,” Khoth got out through gritted teeth.
“It’s okay! I wanted it,” Jace assured him.
Khoth stilled. “Until my mother is dealt with…”
“Khoth, I don’t believe any of this is because of your mother. Quite the opposite,” Jace assured him.
“Still. I need you to know I am not influencing you unduly,” Khoth stated stiffly.
Jace wanted to argue with him, but he knew he would get nowhere. “All right. I’ll accept this for now. But once I deal with your mother, you’re all mine.”
Khoth’s head lifted. A smile threatened to break across his lips. “I see.”
“That’s right, Khoth. We get to revisit this!” Jace nodded firmly. “So, I’m going to take a shower and take--take care of some things. Afterwards, we need to talk more about strategy.”
Khoth’s eyes slid down to the mounded comforter over his lap that covered many sins. “I understand. I will leave you to… deal with things.”
“The Osiris will show you to your quarters where you can… deal with your own things,” Jace told him, cheeks burning. “Meet me back here in an hour. We can eat together.”
Khoth gave a formal bow and then left his bedroom. Jace sat there, unmoving, for some time. But then he smiled. He now knew that Khoth tasted of spicy citrus. Like nothing on Earth.