Page 53 of Sway's Peace
Loyalty laughed. “My mate will like you. You should meet her someday.”
“I’d like that.” Getting to her feet, she took a fortifying breath. “Okay. I’m going to go find Sway.”
“Sway is present on the bridge,” the ship AI intoned from overhead, their mechanical voice interjecting before she even asked.
“I swear, that AI is fantastic,” she laughed, turning towards the door. It was like it had been listening to the conversation and anticipating what she’d need. It was very advanced for this old ship.
But she only let herself admire it for a moment. Now that she’d made her decision, she was eager to get back to Sway to apologize.
And to listen.
Chapter 13
Sway
Anger, bitter, hot, and completely self-directed, burned though Sway’s chest as he went through the motions of flying the ship. He really wasn’t necessary at this point. Everything he was doing could be automated by the ship’s AI – not even Alred, just the regular AI. But he needed something to do with his hands.
Grace ran from him.
Her face had been full of shock and fear.
And she ran.
Of course she ran. Did he expect anything less?
He couldn’t blame her. Or Garnet for that matter. The captain’s mate was wise and correct. He needed to reveal that information to Grace early. She deserved to know who he was. So she could know that it was better for her to run away from him.
That didn’t lessen the hurt of it.
Seeing her turn, watching her hair whip as she ran, struck like lashes against his heart. Pain he had to accept because it was a result of his own actions.
Did he really expect there to be another female like Garnet? One who was unconcerned about their pasts. One who wanted them despite it.
No. Grace was too good for that. She was an elegant and proper female. One of charm and beauty. One who couldn’t be expected to lower herself to mate with a person like him.
The captain was truly a lucky male.
Sway was just getting what he deserved for the choices he’d made. For being selfish and trading so many lives for his own. For all the pain and torture he caused. For all the agony he inflicted with his own two hands.
Weak, self-serving, worthless male. Always choosing the most selfish paths, regardless of how it affected the others around him.
Completely lost in his self-flagellation, Sway didn’t hear the lift moving behind him. Nor did he really pay much attention to the soft footsteps approaching from behind. Garnet came into the bridge to clean all the time.
Though, that stride wasn’t really hers…
There were four seats in the bridge in an arc. He only ever used one. Sometimes, the captain would use the one right beside his when he was learning about navigation or helping Sway with his calculations. However, it was usually just an empty chair. Always there in his periphery.
Sway stilled, his hands tightening into fists on his lap, when Grace sat down.
She perched delicately on the edge of the seat, straightening the skirt of her soft, blue dress. It wasn’t her uniform with its harshlines and gold accents. It was just a simple, small blue dress, making her appear all the more delicate and lovely.
She didn’t look at him. Her eyes stayed on the dim console before her. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Just sat there in still silence as the displays in the air changed with the incoming data from the ship’s movements as it continued on towards the calibration site.
Was she here to demand he take her back? Was she going to condemn him for his past actions? For lying to her?
He couldn’t react. He must remain strong. He couldn’t blame others for their reactions to the knowledge of his past. Of any of their pasts.
It didn’t matter that he was trying to reclaim his pacifism. It didn’t matter that they had all left the lives and people they used to be back on Rik-Vane. They were just a delivery company now, but they hadn’t always been, and that couldn’t be ignored because it was convenient.
