CHAPTER 8
Adara
Ihad taken up a post by the elevators on the uppermost deck to keep anyone from reaching the Captain’s quarters.
Even from here on the other end of the hallway I could hear what Artemis and Cadmus were doing.
Their moans of pleasure echoed down the elevator shaft, audible each time the doors opened.
When I had checked on them earlier, Artemis had asked me to keep everyone away to maintain Cadmus’s privacy, but it seemed that request had no extended to cover Arty as well. Whatever was going on with them, it was clearly a pivotal moment in their budding relationship. Even if she hadn’t asked it of me I would have done what was necessary to ensure they weren’t disturbed.
It was still a bit of a shock to me to see them together in any romantic capacity.
If it was just sex, a casual fling, I might have understood it a bit better, but Cadmus had begun to show a completely different side to himself that directly contrasted what we knew of him as a person.
I had honestly believed that was all it was when I’d witnessed him joining in with Arty and Bromm back on Nova Station.
Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly the best person to talk to regarding Cadmus Alaida.
We weren’t close by any means, and while I knew objectively that there was more to him that his arrogance (he had shown a remarkable amount of loyalty and integrity whenever it counted), I was ashamed to admit I’d taken him at face value.
I detested when someone made assumptions about me purely based off superficial information, and I was disgusted with myself that I had done so with another person.
Especially because I had been wrong.
It had highlighted how complacent and… not necessarily jaded, exactly, but I certainly hadn’t been open to digging deeper to find out an individual’s true character and intent.
That was going to have to change.
Which was why I hadn’t shooed away the large Tornu who had also stationed himself by the elevators to keep people at bay.
The revelations of who he was and the connections he had to more than one of our group had blown my mind, and not in a good way, but I didn’t want to completely disregard him.
He had a place in Artemis’s life, though whether that was just in her past or as a part of her future remained to be seen. Either way, the man was clearly in love with her whether she liked it or not.
And then there was his connection to Foryk.
Most Tornu parents stopped after a single pregnancy and twins were rare, so none of us had considered the possibility of Foryk having a brother.
It was also a bit of a mindfuck how they had separated.
It was my understanding from the little I knew about Tornu culture that family units were strong and unified, and children were considered a blessing. So the real mystery was how this particular family had been torn apart to such a degree that one of them had ended up on a completely different side of this war, ignorant to its machinations while the rest of them had somehow been encapsulated in the centre of it all.
Yet, as Cadmus screamed once again so loud that we could hear it even through the closed doors, I knew I needed to distract myself before I lost all hope that I could get Arty and Xander to see how good they’d be together.
‘So…’ I started, drawing out the word.
Tormik’s gaze drifted to mine, though his expression was completely shut down.
I had a feeling it was due to what he was audibly witnessing more than anything else, though.
‘You tryin’ to be next?’
I mentally face palmed at the utter stupidity of the question, but it was out there now and I couldn’t put it back in.
Thankfully, he snorted with amusement rather than wrapped those giant paws of his around my neck to squeeze the stupidity right out of me.
Instead, he mindlessly rubbed his thumb over a cut on his right hand, flexing his fingers every so often as if it was bothering him though he didn’t show any other signs that it did.
As far as I could see it was just shallow little slice on the side of his palm, just below his little finger.
‘I highly doubt she’d ever give me that chance again,’ he admitted, snapping my attention away from the vague trance I had been falling into while watching his repetitive motions.
‘I’m still unclear on that whole situation.
I’m not asking for you to elaborate,’ I rushed to clarify, actually terrified of the thunderous glare he sent my way.
‘The past is the past.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s got nothing to do with right now. I was just wondering what you were gonna do about it.’
He sighed morosely and turned away.
I thought he wasn’t going to respond, but I was pleasantly surprised that he did, and that he was being so open with me.
He didn’t owe me anything, but he did owe Arty, and perhaps that had something to do with it.
‘I’m never going to abandon her the way I did back then.
I’m here to stay, and if she never wants to be with me… that way,’ he jerked his oversized thumb at the elevator doors, ‘then so be it.
I’m not sure there is anything else I can do.’
I shrugged.
‘Fair enough.’
‘What about you?’
I blinked at him, surprised at the question.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Everyone here seems to have some sort of feelings for Artemis.
What are you going to do about yours?’
My mind blanked at the thought of becoming a part of Artemis’s harem myself, but now that the seed was planted the roots quickly dug deep.
She was my friend and I had been wanting her to be fill in the gaps I couldn’t in my relationship with Xander.
Was it such a stretch to think of her as another romantic partner for myself, too? It wasn’t like she wasn’t getting off with other people.
She didn’t need me for that.
But would she even want me like that?
Did I even want her to?
There was a lot I need to think about and unpack.
Hopefully, I would have the time and space to do so, especially with Xander’s attention fully focused on his sister.
There wasn’t much I could do except be there for him, but I didn’t think I’d be seeing much of him for a while unless we were in bed.
‘What about your boy toy?’ he asked, and I barked out a shocked laugh.
‘Boy toy?’
‘Xander.
You’re together, right?’
I giggled, unable to stop the girlish sound from escaping.
‘Yeah, we’re together.’
‘Why are you with him right now, then?’
‘He needs time with his sister.
He knows where to find me when he needs me, but we haven’t done the whole make it official with the family thing, yet.
I’ve only met Amarantha a couple of times, and never more than a quick hello before she was running off for another show.’
‘Oh.
I didn’t realise things were so new between you two.’
‘They’re not.
We’ve been together for a while now, but with everything going on and communication being monitored we haven’t really had the opportunity for that stuff yet.’
‘I’m sorry.
That must be rough.’
I shrugged.
‘Not really.
It’s not like I’ve never met his family before.
They’re great and will probably just be relieved we finally made things official.’
‘What about your family?’
I stiffened at the mention of the people who had shunned me all those solars ago, and when I answered my voice was uncharacteristically harsh.
‘I don’t have a family.’
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
‘Sorry.
I didn’t mean to pry.’
My breath left me in a whoosh as I released the tension in my muscles.
‘It’s not that.
My family didn’t want me when they found out I’m… different.
I don’t like to think about them because they’re not worth the energy.’
‘Shit.
I had no idea.
I’m sorry.’
‘Not your fault,’ I told him, hoping we could move on from family talk.
I wanted to ask him about his relationship with his, but I knew that would just open up that avenue again and I didn’t want to risk it.
‘Can I ask what you meant when you said you were different?’ he asked tentatively, a soft note to his usually growly voice that I didn’t know he was capable of.
I sighed, deep and long-suffering, but I was tired of hiding who I was.
‘I’m asexual.’
He blinked at me blankly.
‘Uh, I might sound like a fool, but I’m not sure what that means.’
I braced myself for the typical judgement I received whenever someone found out how truly broken I was.
The only person who hadn’t even batted an eye was Arty, and I would forever be grateful to her for her easy acceptance of me.
‘It means I don’t like sex.
My relationships are either romantic or platonic, but never physical.’
‘Oh.
That’s… I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused.
I know Griknots are a sexual race, but I thought they were inclusive of all sexual orientations.
I don’t understand why…’
Any anxiety I had melted away at his response.
He may have been ignorant on the subject, but he was willing to learn and wasn’t judging me at all.
In fact, he was judging the people who had so harshly condemned me for something I couldn’t control, and I decided then and there that I was going to befriend the broody Tornu man.
‘Right?’ I chuckled, though it wasn’t dark like it would have been in the past.
There really was humour in the actions of my people.
They were hypocrites, and I was glad I was finding people who saw that just as clearly as I did.
‘You’d think they’d know better, but somewhere along the way inclusive turned into no kink shaming.’
‘Idiots,’ he said with such fervour that I decided I was going to take things even further than just befriending him.
I was going to help him win back his woman.
I could play matchmaker with more than one guy, right? I mean, Arty wasn’t exactly monogamous.
But would Tormik be able to accept the others? Tornu’s had a singular mate and they mated for life.
Could he hack it if he wasn’t the only one?
Only one way to find out, but I didn’t think now was the time.
Tormik and I needed to build on the foundations of our friendship before he would even consider my plans and plots.
I could already tell he was a reserved kind of guy, and I didn’t want to push him too far to fast.
Eventually, he’d come to appreciate my plotting, but for now we could just be two people getting to know each other while we listened to the woman we cared about fuck a guy so hard the entire ship could hear him scream.
Yeah… Definitely not the time to bring that up…
The elevator dinged to warn us of someone coming up, and I was grateful for the reprieve from my thoughts in case I said or did something I would regret.
Reece was the one who stepped out, and I was surprised to see he was alone.
I had expected him to remain with his parents, and I wondered where they were.
What possible reason could he have for leaving them after what they had just been through?
I found out soon enough.
‘Hey,’ he greeted, pausing after stepping out into the hallway when he saw me and Tormik standing guard.
‘What are you two doing up here?’
A particularly long, drawn out scream came from the Captain’s quarters and Reece startled.
His fell into a protective stance until Artemis’s husky chuckle drifted to us, and Reece’s face turned an alarming shade of red at the realisation of what was going on.
Yet, his gaze refused to leave their closed door, his pupils blowing wide as he listening in on their private moment.
‘Oh, uh…’
I snickered.
‘Yeah, they’ve been at it for a while.
Tormik and I are keeping everyone away, though you’re the first person to come visit so far.’
‘Right.
Well, I don’t think anyone needs to stand guard when they’re that… loud,’ he finished, practically whispering the last word as his flush travelled to the very tips of his ears.
‘How are your parents?’ I asked, taking pity on him by giving him something else to focus on.
It worked.
‘They’re okay.
Most of their injuries are small ones from being cramped inside that fucking cage.
I got them settled into one of the rooms to clean up and get some rest.’
Well, that answered my earlier question.
‘Good.
I’m glad they’re okay.
Any news on the others?’
He shot me a sad, knowing look.
‘Amarantha is still unconscious.
Henrik was still treating her wounds when I left, but Xander hasn’t left her side as far as I know.
He might appreciate you sitting with her while he cleans himself up, though. He’s still covered in pirate blood.’
I hummed noncommittally.
He was right, but I knew that Xan wouldn’t leave Amarantha’s side until she was awake and forced him to go shower and rest.
All I would do by pushing him would stress him out further.
‘Asking him to leave before she wakes up would be like running backwards and expecting to move forwards.
I’ll pop in to give him something to eat in a bit, though.
I don’t want to get in the way when there isn’t much space anyway.’
He nodded in understanding.
‘Probably best.
It’s pretty crowded down there.’
‘What are you doing up here?’ I asked him in an attempt to move the conversation away from me.
‘Cadmus looked pretty wrecked when we got back and no one’s seen Arty.
I just wanted to check on them.’
‘Cadmus had a panic attack,’ Tormik piped in for the first time since Reece appeared.
Reece looked alarmed before his features drooped in concern.
‘What? Why?’
‘I’m pretty sure that’s what they were talking about before things got so hot and heavy,’ I pointed out.
‘And I don’t think Cadmus would appreciate this getting out,’ Tormik mentioned pointedly.
‘I don’t know him well, but I have gleaned that he is a proud man.’
‘Right,’ Reece conceded.
‘I’ll just head back down to get some rest and check on them later.’ But he paused before calling upon the elevator again and turned to face me.
‘Actually, Addy, why don’t you go and get some sleep? You must have exhausted after expelling so much energy shielding the ship.
I can take over for you.’
I puffed up my chest as pride swelled within me at the reminder of my accomplishments today.
The method of receiving the nanites may have been horrific, but they were actually pretty nifty little devices and I was kind of glad I had them.
Plus, it made me feel closer to Arty and Reece, and now Bromm and Cadmus, too, that we all shared something so immensely groundbreaking.
If only it weren’t in the clutches of evil.
‘I blew up the pirate’s compound, too.
Boom.’ I made some more noises and gestures as I acted out the explosion, giddy at the destruction I had caused.
He chuckled at me good naturedly.
‘Well done.’
‘Okay.
I could use some rest and rejuvenation.
I didn’t realise how much energy it took to do use the nanites but I’m beginning to understand why Arty carries an emergency stash of Nutri-Bars with her at all times.
I wouldn’t even complain if I had to eat one right now.’
I waved goodbye as I stepped into the elevator and Reece took over my spot.
I couldn’t bring myself to see Xander yet, though.
As I walked by the infirmary towards the kitchen I decided it was best to wait and stay out of the way until it had cleared out a bit more.
I would have helped Henrik, but I was too clumsy to be allowed near injuries and medical instruments. I was a walking disaster just waiting to happen.
Still, I couldn’t leave him without checking on him, so I popped my head into the infirmary just to confirm he was still there.
At first I couldn’t see him through the packed bodies, but when they shuffled so a small gap appeared for me to see to the back of the room I caught a brief glimpse of Xan holding Amarantha’s hand.
She was unconscious but cleaner than before, and my short sighting showed that Xander had settled in on the chair beside her cot where I knew he would stay until she woke up.
So, I settled for grabbing a bite to eat, washing the grime of the day from my body, and quickly shooting a message to Xander’s holo-tab to let him know which room we were in.
Then, I climbed onto the unmade bed and reached my arm out to where Xander’s warm, steady presence usually rested beside me and fell asleep clutching the emptiness.
Only, it wasn’t just Xander I drifted off to imagining beside me.
The image flashed between him, Arty, and Reece, and for some reason it was more comforting than it should have been.