Invaded (Alienated, #2)(36)

“And even greater power in L’eihr drugs.”

Now Aelyx understood what David meant about receiving perks. “What are you taking?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” David studied the inside crook of his elbow, where his most recent wound had begun to scab over. “It’s something experimental. Diseases like mine don’t exist for you guys because of breeding, or something like that.”

“Selective reproduction,” Aelyx said. “Genetic disorders died out thousands of years ago, because the people carrying those anomalies weren’t permitted to pass on their DNA.” He’d always considered it a logical practice, but it occurred to Aelyx that David wouldn’t be alive if his ancestors had been banned from reproducing.

“Whatever’s in this stuff makes me feel like Superman.” When David glanced up again, his face was full of optimism. “I think it’s working.”

Aelyx hoped so. But if David had tried so hard to hide his disease, how did a L’eihr discover it, and who’d acquired the drugs from the transport?

David must have seen the question on Aelyx’s face. “You’re wondering how I got the meds,” he said.

“And who gave them to you.” Frankly, Aelyx didn’t know many L’eihrs who cared enough about humans to put forth the effort.

“I met one of your leaders when he came here for a World Trade meeting,” David said. “Young guy—looked kind of like you, but taller. Real friendly. He’s crazy about humans.”

A young male member of The Way? There was only one possibility and Aelyx didn’t like it. “Jaxen?”

“Yeah,” David said, wrinkling his forehead. “That sounds familiar. You know him?”

“Not really.” Just well enough to distrust any drugs he would give me. But as much as Aelyx wanted to warn David, speaking against The Way was treason—punishable by death. Besides, if David’s condition was fatal, the experimental medication couldn’t make it much worse.

“Anyway,” David said, “he was real observant. I couldn’t hide anything from him. I had the shakes one day and he noticed.” David held up a hand in demonstration, making his palm tremble. “The guy came right out and asked what disease I had. I denied it at first, but when he said he could help me, I came clean.”

“He must have liked you.” Or wanted something.

David shrugged. “I guess so. He asked if I was interested in joining your colony.”

“And are you?”

“I’m thinking about it,” David said. “I lost my mom last winter, and I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so there’s not much keeping me here.”

Aelyx sat down beside him. “I hope you’ll go.”

“Yeah?” David seemed pleased to hear it. “So we’re cool?”

“Completely.”

“And we can keep this between us?”

“Yes and no,” Aelyx admitted. “I’ll try to control my thoughts, but I can only hide so much during Silent Speech.”

“But you can’t silent-talk to Colonel Rutter or my CO, right?”

“Right.”

“Then I’ll be okay.”

For the next few beats, they sat in awkward silence, both fidgeting with their hands and staring at their boots. Finally, David cleared his throat and forced a smile. “So, did you need something?”

Aelyx raised one brow in question.

“When you came in here,” David said with a teasing grin, “and caught me shooting up.”

Oh, right. He’d wanted advice on what to send Cara on the next transport. It seemed so trivial now, compared to David’s troubles. “It’s nothing.”

“Out with it.” David bounced up from the bed and crossed the room to lean against his dresser. “It’s about Cara, right?”

“How’d you know?”

Another shrug. “You only come to me with girl problems. I don’t know why you think I’ve got all the answers, though. It’s been a long time for me, my friend.”

“A long time since…?”

“I got laid.” He laughed casually, not the least bit embarrassed to discuss something so intimate. “I should be asking you for tips.”

David’s unabashed honesty gave Aelyx the confidence to admit his lack of experience. “My tips wouldn’t get you far. I’ve never…well…” He felt his face heating. “You know.”

David’s blond brows shot up his forehead. “Never? Not even with Cara?”

Aelyx shook his head. “She said it was too soon.”

“Ouch.” David sucked in a sharp breath while pushing off the dresser, then clapped Aelyx on the arm. “Tough break, man. But she’s got to be crazy about you. Otherwise she wouldn’t have left Earth, right?”

“I’m worried she’s having second thoughts,” Aelyx confided. “I want to send something to make her feel better.”

“Let me guess—you came to me for gift ideas?”

“Got any?”

“That’s the thing,” David said. “Girls like stuff that comes from the heart—something only you can give them. It has to be personal. I can’t tell you what to buy, or she won’t think it’s romantic.”