“I want you off the ship,” she said. “In five minutes. You’re free to call for someone to pick you up as soon as we’ve gone.”
She whirled around and left the room. And almost ran smack into Rico. He put up a hand to stop her headlong flight. “Are you all right?”
“Of course I’m all right. Why the freaking hell shouldn’t I be all right?”
His brows drew together, and he turned to Skylar. “Go check that everything’s okay, sweetheart. I want to talk to the captain.”
“No problem.”
“What do you want to talk about?” Now she sounded sullen. She shook her head. “Sorry.”
He put a hand on her arm and steered her toward her cabin.
Once inside, she threw herself on the scarlet couch and stared at the ceiling. Her room was one place where the black-and-silver decor didn’t prevail. When she’d come on board, the whole ship had been that way, but as she’d started to feel at home, she’d introduced color into her own room. Well red at least, shades of red, scarlet and crimson, deep dark reds. She loved red.
Rico disappeared inside the bathroom, came out a moment later with the small medical kit from her cabinet. He placed it on the table, then sat next to her. “Let me look at your arm.”
“It’s nothing,” she snapped.
He gave her a long look, and the air left her lungs in a huge sigh.
She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off one shoulder.
Holding onto her wrist, he turned her arm so he could study the burn. “You’re right, it’s nothing. I’ll just spray it with sealant and painkiller.”
She didn’t argue as he sprayed the wound, and in fact, she did feel marginally better as the pain receded. Refastening her shirt, she sat back.
Rico settled himself into the seat opposite, long legs stretched out in front of him. “Well?”
“Well, it’s done. We’re out of here, and he’s staying. I suppose the whole Meridian thing was only a dream.” She forced a grin. “Who wants to turn out like him anyway? I’m guessing those aliens must be real assholes.”
“Maybe. But I reckon it’s not the alien part of him that’s causing the problems right now.”
“It’s not?”
“No, I’m guessing it’s the human bits.”
She frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“You know on Earth he was famous?”
Her gaze flashed to his face in shock. “You knew him?”
“Not personally, but as I said, he was famous. Don’t tell Daisy I said this, or she’ll be all over him, but he was this daredevil pilot—more kills than the rest of them put together. Nerves of steel and a complete adrenaline junky.”
“You sound like you’re the one with crush on him now.”
Rico grinned. “Maybe back then—a man crush. I wanted to be a pilot, and he was the best.”
Yeah, she’d bet he was. “Your point is?”
“You don’t go from that, to being a bloody politician. He’s been living a life he’s not suited to, playing a role for five hundred years, and I’m betting he’s bored out of his mind. He might tell himself it’s the Meridian, but he’s lying. It’s not that he’s not human, he’s just forgotten how to act it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s finished. We’re out of here and he can comm someone to come and pick him up. You know, I need a drink.”
“Well, it just so happens I have some.” He pulled a silver flask out of his pocket and placed it on the table, then got to his feet. “Unfortunately, it’s mine and not Sardi’s good stuff, but it’ll do the trick. Take the night off. Give yourself a break. We’ll sort this out—just don’t give up on that dream yet.”
When he was gone, Tannis got up and shuffled across the room to stand in front of the mirror and stare at herself. She wasn’t beautiful. She’d never been beautiful. She didn’t think she was ugly either, and strangely, the signs of her nonhuman DNA—the yellow eyes with their narrow slits, the faint luminosity to her skin—had never bothered her. Probably because she had grown up hating the humans around her. She was into action, not thinking. Thinking only got you into trouble—she’d leave it to the politicians. Like Callum.
But maybe it was time to give up on the dream. She’d clung to it for so long. How many nights had she fallen asleep in her cell at the research center and dreamed of the beautiful Collective woman. Her angel. The one person who’d been kind to her. How sad was she? But she didn’t want to give up. There were whole worlds out there to explore, and one lifetime was never enough.
Besides, she didn’t want to die.
After returning to the sofa, she put her feet up on the table and picked up Rico’s flask. She unscrewed the top and took a deep swallow. Then she rested her head against the cushion and tried not to think. Closing her eyes, she saw an image of Callum’s face and knew she would never see it again.
It was for the best. Really it was.
Chapter Six
Blood trickled down over his lips and chin.