Page 13 of Secretly Abducted
"Bioengineered calcium carbonate composite." His eyes track my movement as I walk the perimeter of the small space. "Similar to shells but significantly stronger."
"Grown rather than built?"
"Everything here is grown." He shifts position slightly as I pass close to him again. "It's more efficient."
I've done three circuits of the shelter now, examining everything. The emergency supplies are interesting—packets of what looks like dried zhik'ra, water purification tablets, and some kind of emergency beacon.
"How often do you have to use these shelters?" I ask, settling on the platform. The surface gives slightly under my weight, adapting to my body shape.
"Few times a season. Depends on storm patterns."
"Always alone?"
"Always."
I stretch out on the platform, arms behind my head. It's actually comfortable, and the ambient temperature is perfect—warm enough that I don't miss my shirt. Vel'aan's gaze flickers to me, then away, then back again. His bioluminescence is doing interesting things.
"You can look," I say casually. "I don't mind."
His skin flares bright purple. "I wasn't—I was observing the storm."
"Through me?"
"Behind you. The wall is transparent."
"Mmhmm."
I roll onto my stomach, propping myself up on my elbows to watch the storm. This position happens to give him a pretty good view of my back and shoulders. His bioluminescence gets brighter.
"That's the third manta thing," I observe as another massive creature glides past. "Are they following us?"
"The shelter's bioluminescent emergency signals might attract them." He sounds like he's trying very hard to focus on marine biology. "They're curious creatures."
"Like you."
"I'm not curious."
"You've looked at me forty-seven times in the last hour."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"Your skin lights up every time. It's like a counter."
Silence. Then: "That's embarrassing."
"It's cute."
"I am not cute. I am a serious agricultural researcher."
"You're a seriously cute agricultural researcher who hasn't been close like this to another person in years."
"How do you know that?"
I roll over to look at him, which requires sitting up slightly. "Wild guess."
He's staring very deliberately at the wall now, but his peripheral vision is definitely taking me in. I stand and move to the emergency supplies again, this time crouching down to examine the lower storage compartments. This puts me right next to where he's sitting.
"What's this?" I hold up a sealed packet.
