Page 78 of Malliko
“It was consensual and none of your business.”
I could tell that Tania was confused and visibly upset when she accused me. “So, you’re just going to keep seducing that poor woman before you leave her behind and go home?”
“What Clara and I do is between us,” I said in a firm tone.
Smacking her tongue, Tania pushed past me. Walking over to Clara, she looked at her with an intense gaze. “You don’t know Eidron men like I do. It’s easy to fall in love with them but they’ll ruin your love life. Believe me when I say that you’re better off not knowing him. You can still walk away.” Reaching out to take Clara’s hand Tania offered, “If you’re not safe at your place you can crash with me. Just don’t stay here. It won’t end well. Trust me. I’ve been in your shoes.”
Clara looked from Tania to me and back. “Are you saying that he really is an alien?”
“Yes, he’s alien and a pain in my ass. It’s better if you don’t get involved in all of this. It’s not safe.”
“Safe how?”
“He’ll break your heart. They always do.”
Clara looked overwhelmed and at a loss for words when Tania tugged at her hand. “Come. You can sleep on my couch. At least for tonight.”
My main concern was that Clara was safe. Her sleeping at Tania’s place should have been a fine suggestion, but I still felt like protesting. I couldn’t explain why I felt so strongly about Clara, but I wanted her to stay with me.
“Maybe that’s not a bad idea,” Clara said and looked at me as if she needed permission.
I still stood by the door and answered calmly. “It’s up to you. Whatever you decide is fine by me.”
It was a forced lie because the hope that she would choose to stay was strangling me from the inside.
“Come,” Tania repeated and pulled Clara with her. As she walked past me, Tania gave me an angry stare and I felt certain that had I been able to read her mind I wouldn’t have liked her thoughts one bit.
When the door closed, I released a sigh and went to sit down. My head was exploding from too much happening in a short time. Today had been insane and the journey back to the research ship had been physically and emotionally taxing. Looking at the door, I felt annoyed with myself for involving Tania. If I hadn’t, maybe Clara and I would be cuddling on the couch again the way we did the last time she was here.
Instead, I would be sleeping alone tonight. Just like I did every night.
CHAPTER 23
Girl Talk
Clara
Tania’s apartment was as modern as Malliko’s. By the large panorama windows stood plants that seemed to be thriving from the natural light that bathed the living room.
Tania closed the door leading to Malliko’s apartment and started talking right away. “You probably feel like I lied to you when we met in the elevator, but I actually didn’t. I just made you believe I was in a relationship with him to avoid you getting your heart broken.”
“My heart is the least of my concerns right now. I feel like I’m in some weird episode ofCandid Camera. That part about him being an alien is throwing me off. He can’t be.”
“I’m afraid so.” Tania fetched a large bottle of soda from the fridge and brought two glasses before she had me join her on the small sofa. “To be honest, I’m surprised he told you.”
“He said that he can cloud my mind.”
Tania poured soda into the glasses and still holding the bottle, she waited for the foam to settle to add more. “I wish I knew how to do mind clouding.”
“Malliko said he learned it from an Ungon, whatever that is.”
“It’s pronounced Ugon and it’s a species known across the Universe as wise and great at telekinesis, telepathy, and mind clouding. Well, anything related to the mind really.” Tania picked up a glass of soda and handed it to me. “It’s a good thing that they’re peaceful or we would all be in trouble.”
“Thank you,” I said and took the glass. “Could you learn how to do mind clouding?”
“No. It takes years of dedicated practice to learn. Soros taught me some self-defense, but even that I’m not good at. The best mind clouders are so subtle about it that it’s almost impossible to detect when they’re manipulating you. With Malliko being ex-military, I was afraid that he might have taken advantage of you and that’s why I reported him.”
I had so many questions and didn’t know what to ask first. “Who is this Soros you spoke about? Is he alien too?”
