Page 114 of Alien Burn

He watched her fingers.

“I also want to know things about you,” she said.

“An alarming development.”

“Yes. Tivek has given me a starting point.”

“My own family. Treachery everywhere.”

Her smile came easily this time.

“Come and sit with me again,” she said. “But I want to ask the questions next time.”

“What sort of questions?”

“The sort you can't answer by telling me I'm safe.” Her hand stayed on his arm. “What you like. What you want.”

“At present, rather more time with you.”

Her fingers tightened against his sleeve. “That's a start.”

He covered her hand with his. She was smiling now, waiting to see what else he would offer. He found he wanted to be asked.

When she went through the doors, she turned once and smiled at him.

He waited until the guard had admitted her to the corridor beyond, then looked at the messages his comm had been holding.

One was from his operations lead.

Vessik at the residence office. Asking for the packet. Says his courier hasn't arrived.

Dhomhes called him as he started walking.

“Did he name the courier?”

“Yes, sir. Sereya.”

“Who told him she was coming?”

“He brought an appointment acknowledgment. Sent yesterday, before the packet was collected.”

Before Sereya had agreed to anything.

Before she had even been offered a choice, if the time proved what Dhomhes thought it would.

He felt the first hard stir of armor beneath his sleeves.

“Keep him there. Politely. The commander will want to speak to him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And preserve that acknowledgment.”

He ended the call and sent the commander Sereya's report beside the acknowledgment. Her refusal needed to be part of the record when Vessik explained his arrangement.

Then he contacted the residence office. Sereya was not to be sent to the annex to settle it. Someone had promised her time without asking her. He had promised she would not have to deliver that packet. He could keep his.

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