Page 91 of Fighting Gravity
“So, how far are we from Gathea?” I asked, catching up to his long strides.
“We’ll be there soon. Within the next sleep cycle.”
“And, what exactly happens there? I mean, besides you getting a new ship?”
He let out a deep breath like he was exasperated. “I’ll figure it out as I go.”
There was a lot more I wanted to ask, but before I knew it, we were walking down the ramp into the cargo hold. It was the closest I’d gotten to a safe space since I arrived on Rhone’s ship and entering the dimly lit chamber forced me to remember how much effort I put into repairing the shuttle. Effort that ultimately meant nothing because I couldn’t figure out a damn thing about the shuttle or where things went.
Stopping in front of my project, I cocked a hip and crossed my arms at my mess of bolts and metal. Rhone stopped too and stared at the thing in silence.
“What’s this?” I said with a shrug.
Rhone stepped forward and placed a hand on the slick surface of the shuttle’s wing.
“This is now a working transport,” he said.
My brows shot up with surprise. “Seriously?”
“You were only missing a couple components. I think you would have figured it all out eventually.”
I stepped toward the shuttle and scanned over it like it looked different than it had the last time I was in the cargo hold. It didn’t, of course.
“You fixed it? Why?”
“Because I’m going to teach you to pilot it.”
My gaze whipped toward him, forehead creased with suspicion. “Why?”
“So you can,” he said vaguely.
“Ooookkk.”
With a long sigh, Rhone moved closer to the shuttle and turned to face me, leaning against it.
“Not that I’ve even begun to understand your mannerisms enough to know when you’re acting weird or not, but I feel like you’re acting weird right now,” I said.
“I didn’t tell those people that we had you on board,” he said.
“And?”
“You assumed it was because I didn’t want you on such a damaged ship.”
I scoffed. “I thought it was sweet.”
“They would have made it back,” he confessed. “They’re probably at the Nexus now.” I swallowed hard because I was beginning to lose track of where he was going. When his eyes lifted, pinning me in place, I stilled, all sarcasm forgotten. “I didn’t want them to know you were here,” he said softly. “I wanted to keep you.”
The tone was possessive. Deep and laced with his Thel. I felt my skin tingle and bit my lip just to keep from shivering.
“You wanted tokeepme?”
He nodded once, still staring unblinkingly into my eyes.
“The next stop is Gathea,” he said in a near whisper. “I will acquire the Gaul. It’s smaller than the Argos, but just as efficient. It was my brother’s. Before I killed him to be urok.”
“Ok,” I said weakly, waiting impatiently to hear the rest of what he was trying to communicate.
“I already have a good crew. We have the right numbers. The right training.” He paused for a moment, finally releasing me from his pointed gaze. “I am putting in a request to explore a new system. My brother discovered it ages ago, before his death. He called it Yuscela.”
