Page 19 of Ava Stargazer

Erox noticed and walked closer, concern in his eyes. “Brother.”

“I am fine.”

A hand landed on his shoulder. Erox shook him slightly. “You need to rest. You are still stretched too thin after Torga.”

Rhutg’s eyes narrowed on Vox’s hand, which finally stopped shaking a moment later. “There should be no conflict while traveling to Elyheim. We will share the mental burden there on the Galactic Board if it is needed. Go back to Ava and rest now.”

“Why do you need to go?” Ava asked softly. Her brown eyes were worried as she looked at him, seated at the table in Vox’s house. Night had fallen, and they were reconnecting again after their afternoon away from one another.

It was on the tip of Vox’s tongue to omit the reason, knowing she couldn’t look into his mind and see the truth. He didn’t want her to worry about the Tuxa.I don’t want her to fear anything.He sighed deep, thinking, and pressed his forehead against hersas he sat next to her at the table, feeling restless.It would be wrong to not tell her.

It was wrong for a relationship with Vorbax females to be built on hiding things, and even though he could do it with Ava, it would be distasteful. He sat back in his chair again to look at her. She looked back at him with absolute trust and innocence, sitting in the nightshirt she always used, her hair let down loose for the evening, and fingering the little container of biologics on her chest.

His jaw clenched and he dreaded telling her, but he had to.No secrets.“I feel threatened, that is why.”

Her face scrunched, trying to understand. “The peace talks?”

“No, those are just for show mostly. Iryl showed a feed where they saw you, Ava. They studied you. On Torga, when I took you from the vents. There were cameras all around that arena, and the Tuxa are interested in Humans now after seeing that.”

Ava inhaled sharply as Vox watched her process this information,her brown eyes darting rapidly from side to side. “The women said there were cameras when they were there. I don’t know why I forgot about that until now. Absolutely they would have videos of me.” She ran her hands through her hair nervously. “Do they know what I am?”

The temptation to lie came back, looking at her nervous expression. It made his hearts pang to see her distress. Vox, again, tamped down that urge. He wanted to duck his head and look away, but instead held her gaze. “Yes. They know the basics at least.”

“Okay. Okay,” Ava breathed out. She tugged on her hair absently. “What a cycle. Day. Too much information. This day has lasted forever.”

He watched her face as she processed, her brows furrowed before she said, “First the quorum and now the Tuxa. I’mnot making any of the right moves for Humans right now. Or myself.”

“Well, the Tuxa were always technically your enemy. And really, they can’t reach you here.”

“Yes, that’s true.” He watched her pull her hair again in thought before she added, “I think I’m more bothered personally that the quorum doesn’t like me.”

I wish that meeting had gone better.Vox gentled his eyes at her. “I like you.”

Ava looked at him and scrunched her nose. She was so adorable it broke the tension and made him grin, especially when she said, “You don’t count.”

Vox tilted his head, regarding her playfully. “Why don’t I count?”

“Because you never disliked me ever.”

I can’t deny that.Outwardly, he shifted his body in the chair and replied, “I mean, some of the jokes you come up with are pretty bad.”

“You still find them funny.”

“Because they are so bad. And in your mind you are so happy about them. I just can’t...” He chuckled, remembering. “Especially when you try to surprise me.”

“Oh, like this?” Ava looked at him, her eyes turning bright, and Vox connected with her, getting a vision of her and all the items in the house floating. Through her mind, her imagining, he saw Erox’s coar joining them at the table too.

Vox groaned as he closed his eyes and disconnected, shaking his head even while filled with wonder at how she did that. “Yes. If it’s absurd, I know you are making it up.” Initially he had run to her in fear the first time she had tried to bait him mentally, forgetting that she could imagine things that weren’t real. Which only made Ava try to do it more to trick him.

Ava hid her smile behind her fingers, giggling. “It’s funny though, to make you see things.”

He chuckled. “You should have done that with the quorum. Their reaction would have been worth it.” The grin on her face fell quickly at his words.I shouldn’t have mentioned that.His hearts fell as well, seeing her mood shift out of being playful.

Ava leaned forward to grab his hand. “How do the Tuxa know what I am?”

“They’ve been asking around. About Humans. If there’s a chance they might have some additional information before we go to Cipra, I want to find that out.”

Ava sat silent, a little v puckered on her forehead as she listened.

---