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Frustrated, he flung off the covers and walked to the bathing room next door. Maybe a hot shower and a jerk-off session would help clear his head enough to let him sleep. Maybe.
He managed a few hours, but with wakefulness came the sense that he’d missed out on something important. Jody.
It was obvious now that his attraction to the human female ran deeper than he’d realized. Much deeper. Why hadn’t he noticed? Had he been deliberately ignoring the obvious? Possibly. More likely he’d been focused on Tariq’s darkening mood and hadn’t consciously registered the depth of his interest in the human doctor… or her apparent interest in him. Or was it them? He didn’t have enough information to know.
He mulled things over during his morning shower and came to several conclusions. He was irked with himself for missing the painfully obvious and even more annoyed with Tariq.
The two of them had always been drawn to the same females, which meant Tariq was likely as interested in Jody as he was. So why was the stubborn mogat resisting? Was this the real reason behind his dour mood of late?
Sulat thought back to the moment they had left the palace together. They couldn’t discuss anything about Phaedra’s situation in case someone was listening. That left them talking in vague terms about stomach ailments and possible ways to alleviate stress and insomnia.
It hadn’t felt right to be talking about such things out loud and in public, but it was necessary. Not only because they needed the invented reason for their nocturnal visit to spread but because Jody wasn’t implanted with the tech that allowed he and Tariq to speak privately.
Thinking back, tension had crept in even before they reached the palace gate, the three of them lapsing into silence once they were out of potential earshot. No one spoke until they’d reached the street.
He’d offered to escort her home, but Jody had declined. He thought he saw a hint of regret in her eyes, he couldn’t be sure. Human expressions were something he was still learning to understand.
“I’ll see you soon,” was what he’d said as she entered the autonomous vehicle she’d called to take her home.
Again, that flicker of something in her eyes, and then she was gone, the moment lost.
The memory made him wince. He hadn’t been that awkward around a female in a century or so. The moment they’d found Raenia and the sharhal—the mating fever—had taken them, he’d lost all interest in other females. That was how it was for his species. Once they found their mate the bond was both intense and immediate, making courtship rituals unnecessary.
He scowled as it dawned on him that if he wanted Jody, he’d have to learn how humans managed to find mates. Since he had no intention of asking his daughter about it, he’d have to do some research on his own.
He was still deep in thought when he wandered into the kitchen in search of food and a hot cup of kabari.
On the counter next to the food replicator was a data tablet, its screen flashing yellow. Raenia used to leave reminders and messages that way, ensuring he and Tariq would get the prompt even if she’d got lost in her work and forgot all about whatever it was.
Smiling at the memory, Sulat picked up the tablet and tapped the screen to activate the message. His smile faded the moment he saw Tariq’s face on the screen. His anrik looked haggard, which was not a common state when one had nanotech actively enhancing every cell in their body.
The look in his eyes worried Sulat the most. Frustration warred with a deep sadness he hadn’t seen since the early days after Raenia’s death.
“We need to talk. Meet me at the main practice arena. I’ll be waiting.”
Qarf.
Sulat scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned. It had been decades since they’d done this. He could almost hear Raenia scolding them, her beautiful face marred with worry and frustration. “You’re grown males. Why do you insist on continuing this insane tradition of beating each other senseless whenever you disagree?”
She’d never understood that sometimes the easiest way to have a hard conversation involved nonlethal violence.
Sulat was halfway to his room when it struck him that thinking about Raenia didn’t hurt the same way it used to. Oh, the grief was still there, but it was muted and distant now, like a storm that had passed overhead and moved on, leaving only faint rumbles of thunder in its destructive wake.
“And that is the fraxxing problem.” For him, the storm had passed, but Tariq was still inside the maelstrom, and Sulat feared his anrik had decided to stay there.
He mulled that idea over as he changed outfits and mentally prepared for the fight to come. Maybe now they’d finally clear the air and find a way forward.
“I should have slugged him the first time we had this conversation… it would have saved us some time and a lot of qarfing frustration.”
It only took a few minutes to fly to the arena. From the air he spotted several groups practicing aerial combat, diving and dodging through the open arches of the arena as they tried to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Some used daggers and other bladed weapons, their edges dulled to prevent serious injury. More and more participants used kestarvs. The old-fashioned weapon had returned to favor of late. The newly formed rangers used a variation of the expandable staff so it was also an energy weapon.
He still preferred his daggers, though today he’d be using blunted ones.
Tension settled into his muscles and mind, putting his senses on high alert and making his body ready for combat even before he passed through the energy field that encapsulated the entire building, keeping out the elements while still allowing beings to push through with only minimal resistance.
“I’m here,” he sent the message to Tariq.
