Page 15 of Touch the Stars
Comprehension lit his face.“I commanded the molecules of the wall to restructure so that we may pass.”
“No shit?You candothat?”
“Certain sections of walls are made like this.It is similar to a doorway, yet provides privacy to personal spaces.The cruiser is an artificial intelligence, and can control its functions as you can control your body.”
“But…but.”She raised her arms, waving her hands around her head.“Isn’t that against the laws of physics, or something?”
“If such laws could not be broken, you and I would not be here.”He extended his hand toward her.“Take my hand, Empress, and we shall pass through together this time.”
Empress?“Wait a goddamn minute.You’rethe grand emperor?”
His blue eyes widened.“No.I am but his humble subject.A warrior of the Gharan Empire, which I live to serve.Now, please, come.”
Another groan came from her stomach, making its vote clear: food first, then she could process what she’d learned so far and make a coherent plan.She swiped her palms over her bike shorts.All she had to do was trust that Not Big Foot had walked through a wall not once but twice, and seemed fine.Besides, if it didn’t work for her, what’d she have left to lose?
She gave him a weak nod, then placed her hand in his.
He gently closed his fingers, wrapping her hand with his warmth.“It is safe, I promise.”
Then they were moving toward the wall.Her breaths turned short and heavy, and her legs wobbled like wet noodles.
“Neltai.”Open.
This time, she understood the word.
A wave rippled over a section of the wall, but before she could examine it, the alien had pulled her through.It was like walking into a thin wall of warm, thick fog, then into a brightly lit corridor.Quick as a blink.
“See?”Not Big Foot grinned down at her.“It is that easy.”
“Nope.”She gave her head a hard shake.“Doors on spaceships should open and close with nice swooshing sounds, like they do in the movies.”
Two deep furrows appeared between his eyebrows before he shook his head in return.“The galley is this way.”
Chapter 5
Kaitlyn.
Therapidclack-clack-clackofa knife against a cutting board filled the small kitchen.Or galley, as Not Big Foot called it, and she wasn’t going to dispute.Not with the way he was slicing the vegetables like a master chef.
Or a cold-blooded killer.
Well, that’s morbid.
She gave herself a mental shake, then leaned back into the chair he’d parked her in.Nope, this wasn’t his first cooking rodeo.The guy knew what he was doing and was comfortable doing it, so he got to call the room whatever he wanted.
She cleared her throat.“So, what’s your name?”
Because she couldn’t keep thinking of him as Not Big Foot.Or even Alien Master Chef, for that matter.
“I am Warrior Baatar.”He scooped the chopped stuff into a pan, which sizzled and hissed, filling the room with a savory, crisp aroma of vegetables.Then he moved to stir a pot of bubbling liquid.
“So you’re the crazy driver who bounced me all over the place when we took off.”The guy she’d called Butt-tar.
Hopefully he never found out about that one.
He met her gaze and raised one eyebrow.“Who was it who released your safety straps?”
Oh, so the warrior had a sense of humor, huh?“That’s fair.But, don’t tell me that you would’ve just gone along for the ride in the same situation.”
