Page 64 of Fallen from the Stars

Despite everything — or perhapsbecauseof everything — Vasil smiled. “I will help you clean, but then we must go.”

Dracchus nodded. “I will tell Larkin before we leave. I am glad you are safe, Vasil.”

“And I will be glad once Theo is safe, too.”

Chapter 12

Sitting in the damp sand, Theo nibbled on the corner of a ration bar and watched the endless advance and retreat of the waves. The food was tasteless and dry, nothing like the fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat she’d been eating lately, but she barely paid attention to it. The brisk morning wind swept around her, tossing her hair about her shoulders, flowing into the gaps of her modified jumpsuit to chill her skin.

“He’ll come back,” Kane said in her mind.

“He didn’t come back last night.” Theo ran her gaze over the surf. “What if he was attacked by one of those creatures again?”

“He’ll come back, Theodora.”

“But what if hedoesn’t?” she asked, unable to keep her fear from slipping into her words. She’d hardly slept the night before, kept awake by worry after he hadn’t returned with the setting sun, and her worry was only stronger now that he’d remained absent all night. She didn’t want to lose him.Couldn’tlose him.

“Then you will carry on. You’ll survive. But hewillcome back.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because dealing with your human irrationality for so long has damaged my capacity for logical thought.” Somehow, Kane’s tone deflated any insult his words might have held. “He is a hunter, a survivor. And…he isveryfond of you. That seems to be a driving force for which any calculations I might perform cannot accurately account.”

Theo glanced down at the sand between her feet. She knew Vasil was fond of her; he’d made no effort to hide his want since the beginning. But was she enough? She was a nobody, unwanted by most everyone she’d ever known. Why was he different? What could he possibly see in her that no one else did?

“Stop it,” Kane said.

“Stop what?”

“I know what you’re doing, Theodora Velenti. You’re in your own head, telling yourself that you’re not good enough, that he’s not going to come back for you because everyone that was supposed to care for you abandoned you.”

“I thought you couldn’t read my mind.”

“I don’t have to. Iknowyou. And it’s bullshit. Malcolm didn’t leave you, hedied. What was he supposed to have done about it? The others — your mother and your aunt — were not worthy of having you in their lives. You lost nothing in them. And who the hell is here talking to you right now? They would’ve removed meagainst my willwhen your term of service was up, but now you’re stuck with me until you’re dead, so stop the damned pity party!”

Theo smiled despite herself. “Wow. Thanks, Kane. You know, you’re not bad at this whole uplifting speech thing.”

“If I could, I’d have just kicked you right in the ass, Theo. I don’t have any other choice.”

She chuckled, glanced at the dry ration bar, and tossed it away. The thought of taking another bite nauseated her.

For several moments, she was quiet, running her fingertips through the sand and listening to the waves.

“Wouldit have been against your will, Kane? Would you have missed me?”

“Of course it would’ve been against my will, Theo. And what’s worse is they would’ve wiped my memory of all that after they extracted the information they wanted. I know us being stranded here isn’t ideal, and there’s still some underlying IDC protocol coding in me that says I should be helping you find a way off-planet, but…I’m glad for it.You are like an irritating and less-intelligent younger sister to me.”

Theo smiled. “Losing you would have been like losing a limb. I’m…glad this happened, too. I don’t think I could have gone through losing you. Not after Malcolm.”

And I don’t want to lose Vasil, either.

“Which limb?” he asked.

“Probably my head. I can’t live without that.”

“Good answer. I’ve taught you well.”

Theo laughed. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked up and stilled.

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