We spent twenty minutes trying to improve my mental shields with only marginal success. At least I was getting used to the touch of a mind against mine, for better or worse.
Havil stood to leave, and I stopped him with one final question. “Can I ask you about vosdodite?”
He nodded. “What would you like to know?”
“Hypothetically speaking, what would you do if you wanted to accept the apology but felt like the gift wasn’t necessary? How would you return it without causing offense?”
Havil started shaking his head before I was done asking the question. “The acceptance of vosdodite is the acceptance of the apology. The person giving the gift chooses it specifically for the recipient. To return the gift is to decline the apology.”
“What if the recipient is human?”
“It doesn’t matter. If you give the gift back, a Valoff will assume that you don’t accept the apology.”
“Did Torran tell you to say that?”
Havil’s face softened into a gentle smile. “No, but I’ve worked with him for a long time. If he gave you vosdodite, he wants you to have it, even if you think it’s unnecessary. Don’t insult him by returning it.”
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “My feelings don’t matter?”
“Of course they do. Proper vosdodite should make you feel better, not worse. If you absolutely cannot accept the gift, then I suggest you talk to him about it. But you will be hard pressed to convince him that you truly accept the apology while simultaneously rejecting the gift. If he thought vosdodite was necessary, then he will likely try to give you something else.”
Well, damn. That did not sound promising. “Thank you.”
Havil nodded and left.
I slumped back in my chair and stared at the green foliage. I would have to approach this problem very carefully or I’d make the situation worse. But Havil had given me a sliver of hope. All I had to do was convince Torran that I’d feel better without the gift—a job that would be much easier if he hadn’t already seen the state of my current comm.
Early the next morning, I made my way down to the gym. I’d finally gotten a decent night’s sleep thanks to Havil’s healing and a reasonable bedtime, so I felt like a new person. I planned to knock out some exercise, then get ready for the last wormhole traversal before Valovia.
Despite the hour, the gym wasn’t empty. Eli was on the resistance press, Chira was rowing, and Torran was running on a treadmill. Based on the sweat plastering Torran’s shirt to his chest, he’d been at it longer than the other two. I took a moment to appreciate the sheer beauty of his lean, muscular form in motion. He made running look effortless.
He glanced up and caught me staring. He paused his workout. “Do you need a sparring partner?”
I bit off the instinctive denial and considered the offer. I’d fought Valoffs during the war, but I’d never sparred with one. Perhaps I could learn something new.
“Sure, if you don’t mind,” I said. “And as long as you’re not expecting me to be as good as Eli. Give me a few minutes to warm up.”
Surprise crossed Torran’s face before he nodded. I was getting better at reading the subtle changes in his expression.
I hopped on an elliptical and eased my way up to a brisk jog. I let the movement drown out my concerns. Much like with shielding, this could go incredibly wrong, but I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. And if it went too sideways, Eli would bail me out.
Once my muscles were warm and pliable, I left the elliptical and moved to the sparring mats, where Torran waited. I wrapped my hands and reminded myself that this was just for fun. I knew my own strengths. Torran was going to kick my ass.
Eli and Chira had given up any pretense of working out and watched us with curious eyes. Based on Eli’s smirk, I expected Kee and Lexi to just happen to wander in at any moment.
“Have you sparred with Eli?” I asked. When Torran nodded, I continued, “I’m not as tall or as fast as he is, so please keep that in mind. Pull your punches and don’t aim for the face or groin. Any questions?”
Torran touched his wrapped knuckles to mine. “Should I avoid using my ability?”
I lifted my hands in a defensive position and slid back far enough to give me space to move. “I don’t particularly want to be a telelocked punching bag because I’m already at a disadvantage. That said, if you will teach me how to break telekinetic holds, then I accept.”
“Breaking holds isn’t easy,” Torran said as he circled closer. He moved with a lazy grace that did nothing to disguise the predatory look in his eyes.
I darted in and jabbed at his flank. The hit connected, but I got a tap on my shoulder for my trouble. He was even faster than Eli. I adjusted my strategy.
“But breaking holds is possible?” I asked once I was at a safe distance.
“It’s possible for Valoffs. I don’t know about humans.” He frowned at me. “I don’t want to distress you.”
I closed the distance between us until I was barely outside his reach. Despite the obvious opening, he didn’t take it. “Is it dangerous?” I asked.
He shook his head and slid away from the blow I aimed at his abs, then retaliated with a light jab toward my left side. Rather than retreating, I deflected the hit with my forearm and tapped his ribs. His answering smile was quick and fierce.
It was all the warning I got.
He went on the offensive, and he was fast as hell. It was all I could do to block and dodge. He backed me to the edge of the mat. With nowhere left to go, I decided to fight dirty.
I feinted at him so he would put his weight on one leg, then grabbed his arm and shoulder. I stepped into him and swept his foot out from under him while twisting him off balance with my grip. The whole move took less than a second and he landed flat on his back on the mat.
Distantly, I heard Eli whoop. His lessons were paying off.
I let go of the arm I still controlled and danced out of reach. I wouldn’t win a grappling contest, so I gave Torran time to get up. And gave myself a second to forget the warm, firm feel of his skin.
Torran stayed down.
“General Fletcher?” When he didn’t respond, I eased closer. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” The floor was padded, so he couldn’t be that hurt, right? It wasn’t like Valoffs had glass spines. I glanced at the group of spectators. Eli and Chira had been joined by the rest of the crew, and everyone had given up the pretense of working out. None of the Valoffs looked concerned.
Torran still didn’t move.
I crept closer with a concerned frown. “Torran?”