Page 64 of Shielded Heart

The corners of his mouth lifted into a grin that put his tusks on full display. “Why would you be sorry?”

“I just— He said— Oh, never mind.” Sam lowered her hand and gave him a shy smile. “I hope you don’t beat him for saying you’re…you know.”

Koroq waved his free hand. “I let him believe it. Got to let him have something he thinks he’s better at.”

Samantha laughed.

“Anyway, got some food for you. Boss said you were probably starving after being knocked out since last night.” He held the tray forward.

She took the tray with both hands. “Thank you. I am pretty hungry.”

“Welcome. If you need anything else, there’s a lounge that way.” He pointed down the hall to the right. “Take the first left, follow the corridor all the way down, and then take a right. It’s the last door before the next intersection. Bit of a walk, but there’s usually one or two of us in there. Food and booze, too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. thank you.”

Once he was gone and the door was closed, Sam sat on the bed with the tray settled on her lap. She studied the food, none of which she could quite identify. There were steamed greens and purple tubers, a hunk of grainy bread, and meat that almost looked like the kind Sarai cooked at her booth, smothered in a dark sauce. She picked up the bottle and opened it, bringing it to her nose to give it a tentative sniff. It smelled fruity.

Sam hadn’t really thought about food since waking up—she’d been a little…occupied—but now that the savory and sweet aromas filled her nose, her stomach clenched. This was beyond hunger; she wasstarved.

She moaned as soon as the first bite of meat touched her tongue.

Samantha wolfed the food down; before she realized it, she’d licked the tray clean, having consumed every morsel. It had been a long time since she’d eaten anything so delicious. All her meals over the last several months had been from instant-trays, nutritious and easy to prepare but terribly bland in comparison to this.

She set the tray aside—reminding herself to take care of it later—and returned to the console on the wall. Working the controls carefully, she opened her closet, stepped inside, and selected some clothes. Though part of her enjoyed the stickiness on her thighs, she carried the clothes to the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Once she was clean, dried, and dressed in a shirt and pants, she returned to the bedroom.

Her mouth opened wide with a massive yawn; she hadn’t realized how tired she still was. She glanced at the door. Arcanthus was either still speaking with Drakkal or working; either way, she had no way of knowing how long he’d be. There was nothing wrong with taking a quick nap while she waited.

Sam drew the covers back, crawled onto the bed, and pulled the blanket over her as she lay down. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Sandalwood filled her senses. Releasing the breath slowly, Samantha smiled. Only a single thought crossed her mind while she sank into sleep.

I am content.

* * *

Samantha was alonewhen she woke. She had no idea how much time had passed while she slept; nothing in the room was different, but she felt rested. She sat up, propping herself on her arms.

Her hand bumped into something.

Turning her head, she looked down to see the food tray; it must’ve slid closer while she slept. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with it—this wasn’t a hotel or a restaurant, so she didn’t feel right just setting it down somewhere for someone else to collect. She was a guest in Arc’s home, and she would respect his home just like she respected him.

The lounge. Koroq had said if she needed anything, she could go to the lounge.

Slipping off the bed, Samantha walked into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and used the toilet. She picked up the tray on her way to the bedroom door. After taking a moment to ground herself—she was heading into the unknown again—she pressed the button and stepped into the hall.

She followed Koroq’s directions, to the best of her recollection, until she came to the door shehopedwas the lounge. She shifted her weight back and forth between her feet, battling a swell of anxiety. She had no idea what awaited on the other side,whoawaited, but there was one thing she did know—Arcanthus would never have brought her here if it was dangerous for her. Anyone she might encounter in this place was someone he trusted.

Samantha raised a hand to knock but paused, glancing at the control panel on the doorframe.

She pressed the button.

The door slid open. Samantha’s brain didn’t immediately understand what she saw; the room on the other side of the doorway could’ve been the breakroom of any large warehouse back on Earth. There were bare ducts cutting across the ceiling, a couple well-used couches facing three screens on the right wall—each of which was displaying some sort of full-contact sport Samantha wasn’t familiar with—and three tables surrounded by chairs. The long counter directly ahead of the entry had a sink built into it and several appliances similar to those in the kitchen of her apartment. In one corner sat what had to be the largest free-standing refrigerator she’d ever seen.

One of the tables was occupied by three cren, including Kiloq and Koroq, and a female ilthurii with scales in a lovely, vibrant green. Bottles and snacks she couldn’t identify—many of which were partially eaten—littered the tabletop.

Each person at the table had a small stack of credit chips piled in front of them, except for the unfamiliar cren—his pile was significantly larger than the others’. He was also the only one who didn’t have any bottles nearby.

Some sort of projector was positioned at the center of the table, creating a translucent, holographic gameboard in the air above it. The three cren and the ilthurii each had sets of holographic cards hovering over their credits.

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