Page 36 of Retribution
And suddenly, the tension between them began to dissipate, and hope rose in Zamek’s chest. The worry was starting to leave Layla’s eyes and she appeared happy at the moment. Was it wrong that he only wanted to see her happy?
Was it wrong that he wasn’t fulfilling the act of retribution as expected by his people? He refused to believe so. The prospect of hurting Layla now felt abhorrent to him, and everything inside him screamed that he ought to protect her instead.
Not for the first time, he considered conferring with the High Council about the laws pertaining to retribution. Though most Kall were notoriously stubborn, change was possible. Ambassador Merokk had recently convinced the High Council to enact a change, making it illegal for Kall males to kill their human wives, which protected the human females who’d been forced to marry Kall warriors as part of the treaty between Earth and his planet.
“Why did you resign as an advisor to President Carson?” Zamek suddenly asked, as he recalled one part of the report about her that had confounded him. It made little sense to him that she would work so hard to become a respected Kall expert, only to resign from what she’d once in an interview described as adream job.
Her face darkened. “How do you—oh, the report.” She paused as a haunted look overcame her. “Well, I resigned because I no longer respected President Carson. When his daughter, Betsy Carson, who was my best friend in the whole world, was charged with espionage and other ridiculous crimes that she never even committed, he didn’t do much to help her. He made a special deal to ensure she wouldn’t be sentenced to death, but that left being sold into slavery, life imprisonment, and even torture on the table. And he didn’t show much remorse about it either, he thought she deserved to suffer after she… um, you’re friends with Ambassador Merokk, so am I correct to assume you know what really happened, and not the official Kall version of events?”
Zamek nodded. “I know all the details.”
“Well, President Carson thought she deserved to suffer just because she ran off to avoid her arranged marriage to Ambassador Merokk, so he didn’t do anything else to help her. He also didn’t visit her or send her a letter while she waited in prison. He completely cut her off. It was heartless, and I was deeply appalled by his behavior. And so, I resigned my position working for his administration.”
Zamek could respect her reason for leaving her job at the White House. From what he knew of President Carson, the man was cowardly and only cared about protecting his own skin.
“You were supposed to start a new job soon, weren’t you?” Zamek asked after a moment.
“Yes, working for the Interstellar Intelligence Agency. They recruited me after learning I’d left my old job.” A wistful look came over her. “I think I would’ve loved that job. But I couldn’t start on time, since I couldn’t safely leave Ambassador Merokk’s house before the trial, so I had to withdraw my acceptance of the position.” She sighed. “The ambassador feared if I was spotted on the street, I might be taken into custody and imprisoned as I awaited the court date.”
When guilt panged in Zamek’s chest, he reminded himself that Michael had taken the job away from her, not him. Her late husband had caused her to lose everything.
“Please eat,” he said with a gesture at the food, his sudden brusque tone causing a shadow to fall over her face.
Layla picked up a spoon and tried the sautéed vegetables first, then scooped up a bit of the meat pie. He dug into his meal with gusto, feeling near starved after an eventful day.
As Layla ate, she also took frequent sips of her wine, and he soon refilled her goblet from the pitcher. She shot him a timid smile that warmed his heart.
He liked this. He liked dining with her. He liked having her in his quarters.
He could only imagine the gossip that was occurring in the corridors, mess halls, and training rooms on theTammushaat this very moment. His warriors probably thought he’d lost his mind. Not that he cared what they thought, but he supposed he ought to be more careful going forward.
As far as he knew, no Kall had ever balked at or refused retribution rights. He was in uncharted territory, though he didn’t think Kall authorities could interfere in any way. As long as he followed the rules and registered her as a slave immediately upon reaching Kall. Complaints might be leveled against him, but from his interpretation of the law, he didn’t believe Layla could be taken away from him.
Normally, he was always eager for a battle. If Layla weren’t here, he would be raving with excitement over the prospect of another fight with the Bexxanians. But he now disliked that theTammusha’sarrival on planet Kall was being delayed while they patrolled this sector of space for signs of other Bexxanian warbirds.
All he wanted was to get Layla home, where she would be safe and out of sight. In time, the authorities might even forget about her. He could only hope. A thought struck him, one that felt like a desperate contingency plan.
Commander Edek, who lived near Zamek in Sumlin District, was married to Betsy Carson—the very human who’d once been his slave and also happened to be Layla’s friend. Yet the Sumlin District council had approved a marriage license for the commander and Betsy. Though Commander Edek lived near Zamek, they didn’t know one another well, as Edek used to live in Yomma, though he now resided in his family home on the mountainside of Sumlin with his brother Draken.
Xazzok sent Zamek messages about the goings on in Sumlin District frequently, as well as providing updates on the winery, and his cousin had given him periodic updates on Commander Edek—first informing him that Edek had moved back to Sumlin after returning from battle on Earth, then that Edek had taken a human slave, and finally, that Edek had married his slave.
It was still a shock to Zamek that the Sumlin District council had approved the marriage between Edek and Betsy, and yet it had happened. This knowledge gave Zamek hope, and he tucked the possibility this presented for him and Layla into the back of his mind. If Layla’s status as his slave/mistress was threatened, he supposed he could simply marry her.
His gaze collided with hers and all the air suddenly left his chest.
What was he doing? What was he thinking?
Shessema.
Her body still rested in his warship’s morgue, awaiting burial on the mountainside, and here he was, dining with a human female and contemplating marriage. His mood darkened and the food suddenly became tasteless. He pushed his plate away and started drinking a copious amount of wine.
“Is-is something wrong?” Layla asked.
He glared at her, trying to summon the anger he’d once felt toward her, even though he’d promised to protect her. A growl of frustration rumbled from his throat and he pushed away from the table.
“I must return to my duties,” he said.
“Of course.” Hurt reflected in her eyes, but he tore his gaze from hers and stalked to the door.
