Page 56 of Sway's Peace
Their names. It was something he hadn’t thought about in a long time. He couldn’t remember their faces, couldn’t remember much about them at all. But he remembered that much. “Offwa. My mother’s name was Offwa.”
“And your father?”
He hesitated before answering. Embarrassed to admit it. But he did. Unable to deny her anything. Even something he considered a weakness. “Veesway.”
A smile pulled at her lips. “Veesway? Is that your name too? Your full name?”
“Sway isn’t my birth name,” he admitted. “It’s a name I chose when I left Rik-Vane.”
Because, despite what he told her, hehadthought about his parents. At first. When he initially escaped and suddenly had choices and possibilities before him. Though it had been fleeting, he did consider them. He was sure they were dead. He’d never tried to look for them because of that belief. But when it came time to pick a new name to go along with his new life, that homage to his father was the only thing that came to his mind.
Something that didn’t go over Grace’s head as her entire expression softened with understanding.
“Thank you for telling me. All of it,” she said, once again looking at him with that sweet, endearing expression on her lovely face. One that he didn’t deserve any more than her pity. Unlike her pity, however, he couldn’t reject that, even for her own good.
“You’re not running from me this time,” he said.
“Should I?” She tilted her head playfully, teasing him. Because she knew the answer. Despite his story, she wasn’t afraid of him.
“Probably,” he admitted. “Before I get too attached to want to let you go.”
She giggled. A bright and happy, melodious sound. Music that made his crest twitch as if it would rise as his tail tensed with the desire to spread, to display for her.
The ship beeped, alerting him that they were approaching the space where he could finish the crystal calibration.
Grace recognized what was happening and stood, giving him a smile that, he dared think, was flirtatious.
“You should get to work,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”
As she walked away, she stroked his shoulder. It was a quick caress, but it left a trail of fire behind where her fingers brushed across his feathers. And though she was walking away, it was such a welcoming, inviting movement he didn’t at all feel left alone even as she disappeared down the lift, back into the ship.
Could he really be that lucky? Was this a chance for him? Could he have what the captain did? A female who accepted him? Who adored him? Who healed and gave him purpose and peace?
Despite the sticky tar of guilt filling his belly, could he dare to be happy?
Chapter 14
Grace
Grace never got to experience dorm life. Oh, sure, she went to university and got a fine arts degree she didn't want and had no plans to do anything with, as was expected of a woman of her background. She couldn’tnothave a college degree, that would just be shameful. But she also couldn’t actually have a useful degree, nor did anyone expect her to do anything meaningful with one. It was a piece of paper meant to remind the lower class that she was superior, that was all.
But when it came to college life itself, she didn't get to experience any of it. She had a private home right off campus paid for and controlled by her parents – with security cameras and everything. Not meant to protect her but only to watch her to make sure she behaved as a proper lady. She was never allowed to go out, have people over, or enjoy freedom. She certainly wasn’t allowed to have roommates. And while people had been jealous whenever she said as much, she couldn’t help but think that she was actually the one missing out.
Maybe it was just a simple case of the grass always being greener in someone else’s yard, or maybe it was just Gracewanting what her parents would always refuse her, but she’d desperately longed to experience the normal side of college life.
Living on the Humility, she finally got that experience. She had a private privy, though it was small, but everything else was communal. And though the ship was bigger than a house, there were still ten people living on it, so they were constantly walking over each other.
And she loved it! She was surrounded by such fun and interesting people all the time. Knowing that the entire crew was from Rik-Vane did initially make her cautious, but then she actually started to talk to the guys and she felt like a big jerk. They were all so nice!
Trove was a domini male who kept his hair up in a ponytail and flirted outrageously and harmlessly. She couldn’t help but notice that he didn't have any claws like he should, which made her curious as to why not, but she didn't ask. It was either an aesthetic choice or a personal one, and if it was a personal one, that didn't seem like the kind of thing she should go poking around in. But he was super nice and happy to help whenever she had a question.
Then there was Rok. He was a baemoth male like Covor, but that was about where the similarities between them ended. Rok was much bigger, and he clearly worked out because each of his four arms were like logs, and his thighs were like trees. He also had teal and black scales all over his body. If they were considered ugly among his kind, then Rok would be very unattractive. But from her perspective, he was much nicer on the eyes than Covor. His nose looked to have been broken a few times, but his smile was wide and kind, and his yellow eyes gleamed brightly. He also walked hunched over, like hewas scared of intimidating her, which was precious. He was absolutely adorable.
Vytln, the lvtl male she saw coming into the Humility before, rarely showed his face, so she didn’t know much about him. She had also seen a pair of avanava twins wandering around, but they didn't speak much and gave her plenty of room. But on the rare occasion that they did cross paths, they were polite.
The captain, Tanin, was the s’skree male from the window. He was calm and commanding, polite and distant. Personally, Grace wasn’t sure what Garnet saw in him. He was like talking to a brick wall, never smiling or showing a reaction of any sort, but to each their own she supposed. At least Tanin was considerate and didn't make her feel unwelcome, though she was very obviously a hanger on that wasn’t even paying her way.
And, of course, there was Garnet and Goldie. Unlike the guys, those two weren’t from Rik-Vane. They were twins that the guys had rescued after being abducted from Earth. Instead of returning home, they opted to just stay and live with them. Garnet seemed like the team mom, constantly making sure everyone had eaten and that the ship was clean. Goldie had taken over the medbay and was the medical officer of the ship – which was impressive since, according to them, they hadn’t actually been in space for very long.
