Cloud Rebel (R-D #3)(20)

"I could eat," Leo declared before directing Richard toward the kitchen. Jennifer followed along, still confused by the fact that she'd gone sixteen hundred miles in less time than it took her to blink.

"Don't worry," I said, patting her shoulder. "We Larentii are powerful. You'll get used to it."

"I hope so," she mumbled. "I don't know whether to laugh or be sick right now."

"Then I'll hope for the laugh," I said. "Take a seat at the island. If you need your stomach settled, Val or I can take care of that for you."

"I can," Richard began.

"You—sit," I snapped, pointing a finger at him. He sat and kept his mouth shut.

Wise move.

"I'm really a nice person," I assured Jennifer, who was now looking as if I might bite her head off next. "Under normal circumstances."

"I think I had a drill sergeant like you once," Jennifer sighed.

"Well, I've never been military," I said. "Much to Auggie's disappointment."

"Auggie?"

"She means Colonel Hunter," Leo Shaw suppressed a smile. "Nobody else will get away with calling him that, so don't try."

"Who am I to interfere with an alien and a superior's affairs?" Jennifer shrugged.

"You know—I think I'll make you some cocoa," I told her. "Because you're awesome."

"I love cocoa," she said.

"I know," I nodded. "One cup, coming right out."

"What is this?" Rafe walked into the kitchen, followed by Katya and Sergei.

"Food and cocoa. Want some?" I asked.

"Food, yes. Cocoa—I would prefer coffee."

"All right, but only because it's you."

"I think Rinnelar likes you better than Dr. Farrell," Brett offered Rafe a grin.

"I would have thought it to be the other way around," Rafe said, taking a seat at the island.

"How little you know," I said and set a cup of coffee in front of him. "Here. Make yourself useful and hand this cocoa to Jennifer, down there." I turned away and allowed my shoulders to droop. Before the obsession, I would have rubbed his back or allowed him to put an arm around my waist.

All that—gone. I'm sure Val was right and there were good Sirenali out there somewhere. I silently cursed their race anyway while I made ham and roast-beef sandwiches.

*

Ilya

A part of me knew, I think. That part was blocked in some way. I didn't know whether to be angry or grateful that it had been done without my permission. It was something I couldn't dwell on, however—the notion always slipped away from my mental grasp.

"You not worry," Bekzi arrived and took the barstool beside mine. "Things happen. There reason. She need you."

"Well, since my brain can't exactly hold onto that thought," I began, "Tell me who you are. What you are."

"I lion snake shapeshifter. Some call reptanoid," he grinned. "Lion snake most dangerous poison. You not make mad."

"Are you a drug survivor?" I asked, realizing then that everyone at the island was now tuned to our conversation.

"No," he huffed, offended by my question. "Will explain sometime. Drug dangerous. Outlawed, most places. You know why."

"What's this?" Brett asked. Jennifer, who sat two chairs down from me, appeared stunned.

"You lucky," Bekzi leaned forward to look Brett in the eye. "Drug survivors on other worlds—they killed."

"What the f*ck did you give us?" Brett rounded on Richard Farrell, who suddenly looked nervous.





Chapter 5

Corinne

Leo sat in a corner, arms crossed and listening while I handed Richard Farrell the lecture.

Val was still in the kitchen, keeping it soundproofed against the almost one-sided conversation Richard and I were having. "Look, death isn't always the worst thing," I said, flinging out a hand. "Sure—they're alive now—but this isn't their life. They were supposed to be reborn elsewhere, as someone else. Not this masquerade as somebody else. What you've done is cheated them of their next lives."

"The drug didn't cheat you or Rafe," Richard attempted to defend himself.

"Oh, yes it did," I snapped. "He and I—we were supposed to be reborn on Karathia. He and I would have met there. Not only did the drug cheat us of that, but as a result, it changed the history of Karathia itself."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Richard hissed.

"It's too complicated to go into now, but I will tell you this—sometime in the future, the throne of Karathia will be threatened. Rafe and I won't be there to protect it. Now are you getting my drift?"

"This is impossible," Richard wiped his face with a hand.

"Obviously not impossible—since you stuck your foot in it and did this," I hissed. "If you and Maye are meant to be, then you'll meet somewhere again—provided some other * doesn't come along with more of the drug to interfere in your future lives."

"What am I supposed to do then?" he said, tossing both hands in the air in a gesture of defeat.