Page 5 of Salvation
Chapter Three
Nick moved aside as Dante brushed past him in the direction of his office. The expression on the healer’s face was grim. This didn’t bode well. It seemed something big was about to go down, and with his luck he’d end up smack in the middle.
He gave Sakura a tight smile and flourished his hands in anafter yougesture. She frowned, then stalked passed him, her cute, flat nose in the air. He stepped in behind her, his gaze drawn to the silky, dark ponytail bouncing mid-way between her shoulder blades. And the sway of her hips under her shapeless, grey healer’s smock….
Jesus, what was wrong with him? He was ogling her like a pubescent boy, which was crazy. She was nothing like any woman he’d ever been attracted to, ever. Tall and blonde, that’s how he liked ’em. Sakura was the polar opposite. And what was up with her attitude, Miss Japanese-is-not-one-of-them? English, Matiran, and four years of high school French. That was the extent of his linguistic knowledge. So the hell what? It wasn’t like he was competing with his brother-in-law, Gryf, who spoke twenty Earth languages, and who-knew-how-many galactic languages.
“Close the door please, Nick.” Dante’s request snapped Nick back to reality.
He complied, then sat in the chair next to the one Sakura occupied. Dante slid a very large, very thick book bound in dark green leather off one bookshelf and dropped on his desk with a floor-vibrating thud.
A soft, humorous sound escaped Nick. “I’m guessing that’s not the complete works of Shakespeare.” He leaned forward to read the blocky, gilt print on the book’s cover. “Anferthian Health and Anatomy?”
“Anferthian?” Sakura’s brow furrowed. It seemed this entire situation baffled her as much it did as him. Good.
The expression on Dante’s face was grave. “There is a developing situation on which you two will be briefed. You have twenty-four hours to digest as much of this book’s content as possible before your ten a.m. meeting with Ambassador K’nil tomorrow. I want both of you as well-versed as possible on at least the basics of Anferthian physiology. In depth research can be done later.”
Nick met his mentor’s gaze. “A situation on Anferthia?”
“I cannot say.”
“But healers are needed?” Sakura probed.
Dante’s jaw tightened, a sure sign thatsomeonehad lit his fuse. “Yes.” The word was stiff and final. No arguments would be accepted.
Well, damn it all. Dante must have been ordered not to talk about it—whateveritwas. And who’d pissed him off so royally? It couldn’t have been K’nil. The Anferthian Ambassador to Terr rarely pissed off anyone—except members of the Anferthian Arruch Union, the political party currently in power on Anferthia. The masterminds of Terr’s invasion seven years ago. But even that was rare despite the fact the K’nil was anti-Arruch. Something only a handful of people in the entire universe knew for sure.
Nick blew out a breath. Twenty Questions used to be a fun game. Now he dreaded the answer to the question at the top of his mind. “We’re leaving Ear…Terr, aren’t we?”
“The crisis is not on Terr. Both of you may draw your conclusions as you see fit,” Dante replied. “There are certain questions I cannot and will not answer today.”
“Gee, Dante, whatcanyou tell us?”
Dante’s expression was apologetic. Unbelievable.
“Wait.” Sakura fixed Dante with a speculative look. “Are there any parts of the book we should or should not focus on?”
“I would not waste any time on Anferthian reproduction,” Dante replied quietly. “The circulatory and immune systems on the other hand may help, however do not limit yourselves. Did you drop your bags at the student dorm, Nick?”
Nick gave his head a nod. “Graig took them. Sent me straight here after our shuttle landed.”
“Good. You two take this book there and start studying. Once the rest of the students return this evening, bring it back. You may continue your studying here tonight.”
Nick met Sakura’s dark-eyed gaze. “Sure hope you slept well, because it looks like we’ll be pulling an all-nighter.”
She nodded, rose from the chair and bowed. “Thank you, Magister. We will start right away.”
Appearing all business, Dante’s new disipula strode toward the door as if she fully expected Nick to fall in behind her. Wasn’t she going to be surprised? As she passed through to the lobby beyond, he paused just short of the doorway. She must have sensed this because she turned, a deep frown marring her round face.
Nick wiggled his fingers in her direction and shut the door on her dour expression. The sound of her gasp that slipped through the crack just before the door snicked closed filled him with satisfaction.
“I presume there is a reason for your rude behavior, Nicholaus,” Dante said.
Nick turned back to face his friend and jerked his thumb in the direction of the door. “You sure about her?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes.” Nick sat down on the edge of one of the chairs. “She’s, well….” He drew his brows together and frowned. Great.Nowhis words deserted him. Didn’t that just figure?
