Page 15 of Stolen Fire
“A small screw,” Cifer added.
Dez scowled.
Cifer held up the small sculpture he’d been fiddling with. “Happened to have the one she needed.”
The door slid shut, and he forced himself to speak before she left. “Will you come back?”
She and Dez paused.
“I’d like to help you with any other small repairs you may have or possibly to share a meal. It’s a little tedious in here by myself.” And terribly lonely.
Blaize glanced toward her engine room and back. Hesitation froze her in place. Cifer held his breath. She glanced at the big gray security officer.
He shrugged.
“Um, sure. Yes. Of course.” She turned as red as her hair. Her white eyes shone when she looked at him. “I do have some repairs, and it must be boring.”
Cifer gave her an easy smile.
“I’ll bring lunch and tell you what I have.” She rushed off.
Dez watched her go, and jealousy poked Cifer in the gut. His world had shrunk to the brief moments when he could see Blaize. The first time he’d been able to get her to come inside, to touch him, and Dez had to show up and ruin it.
“You hurt her, I’ll end you. No discussion. No vote. No hesitation.”
Cifer’s eyes flicked, a momentary loss of control. Dez’s eyes widened. He hadn’t missed the slip. “I would never harm another being for any reason, but especially not Blaize.”
Dez’s gaze bored into him, assessing. A short grunt was the only acknowledgement he gave before turning and leaving.
Cifer lay back in his bunk and waited. The orb glowed a little brighter from its hiding spot in the vent. Any lighter, and he’d have to find another hiding spot. The stupid ball had been dark for cycles. He had no idea why it was activating, but it probably meant he had a closing window of time to return it to the royal family. Too bad there wasn’t a thing he could do to speed his return. He hadn’t even been able to let the royal family know he’d successfully retrieved it. He sighed. One step at a time. Patience was his best tool.
Blaize returned with lunch, a simple fare of protein and starch elevated with a delicious sauce and a smattering of fresh peppers from Veda’s greenhouse.
Cifer licked his utensil clean. “What is this flavor?”
“Dez’s family owns a farm on Din’ Gale. They sent us with food when we left to take Dez to Kolben.”
“Why would you take Dez from Din’ Gale to Kolben?” Cifer couldn’t imagine two larger extremes of condition, and he wouldn’t mind a trip to the lush Din’ Gale. He’d only read about it.
“It’s a long story. But it all worked out, except for his hand.” Blaize stood and took Cifer’s bowl from him. “I’ll be back.”
She returned a while later with several small assemblies in need of repair.
“This one seems to need a bit of adhesive.” Cifer spun the stripped screw.
“I think the previous engineer overtightened it and it broke. I don’t really have anything that will work. Thread tape fills the gap, but it needs something with some stick.”
“What about some spiderweb?”
“Spiderweb?”
“There’s a bit in the corridor, up in the corner. It might work.”
Blaize went out of his cell and turned to go to the corridor to the greenhouse.
“No, the other way.”
She turned around but tilted her head and looked at him strangely.
