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"I mean, you could have left me here." Aly threw out her arms. "But you didn't. Andyoucame up tomewhen we first met. But then you act like sharing the same plane of existence with me is excruciatingly...awful." Aly dropped her arms and shrugged. "But I have to be honest with you. I don't care what you think. I don't. I know who you are. I know enough about the nillium, the 'oh so great nobles of Xolis,' to see that you think me beneath you. But I don't care. I want to help you rebuild the ship, and I want me and my team to have a seat on it. I know this is probably super disrespectful, but I'm too desperate to care." Aly refused to look away from him, even if it made her heart pound to see him glaring at her with such silent regard. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't say a word. Not one. The elevator car reached the bottom, and the doors opened.

"Ryziel, please—"

"Get inside."

Aly felt heat rise in her face and neck. She would have shouted at him, but she knew that would only make things worse. So, instead, she did as he commanded. She stepped inside and glared back at him. When she didn't move to press a button, Ryziel reached his hand inside and hit on level fifteen without looking. The doors closed, and Aly almost reached for him through the metal bars. Almost.

Before the elevator began its ascension, Ryziel finally met her eyes once more. Aly didn't dare say another word, but she let her eyes do the talking. Ryziel's only response was a cold stare of his own. As the elevator rose, he backed away slowly, and Aly watched him disappear in the darkness below.

***

Ryziel stalked back to the lair, feeling a little put out, to say the least. If he were any other nillium, he might have taken offense to Aly's outburst, but really, he could care less at the moment. What he cared more about was the thought of allowing Aly to aid him in any way with fixing the ship.

Because the very idea was absolutely lunatic.

It wasn't just the fact that she seemed too delicate or fragile, that the image of her limp body in his arms even now still burned in his brain, and that the mere thought of taking her deeper into the mines was appalling at best. To put her in that kind of danger was insane.

And yet...

And yet. She was most definitely small enough to fit into the spaces they needed to get into. And it wasn't an impossible idea that he could easily watch over her. As long as she was close and he stayed right by, he could undoubtedly protect her. He was thoroughly confident he could, in fact, keep anything from getting to her. And if they were quiet enough, maybe, just maybe, it was possible they wouldn't have to worry about anything at all.

So, what really got to him was the fact that it was a perfect idea.

And he refused to indulge it. Because as much as he was in desperate need to get to the minerals he sought, he couldn't have Aly there with him. Because...

Because there was the unfortunate fact that he, too, was considered a danger to her. His sole purpose was to fix the ship, yes, but he still didn't understand Aly and why she made his Drega slip from its hard-kept cage. And that still scared him. If something like what had happened with the sluths were to happen again, he didn't know if he could handle it a second time.

And what if she touched him again and he lost it?

Yes, that should have been the last good reason not to risk her return. But still his conscience tried to fight him at every turn.

You are desperate to get back. With her help, you could get the ship restored faster. You've trained to suppress your Drega before. This is no different. Just an unexpected challenge. Fight it off, keep her at a distance, but allow her to help, and maybe nothing will go wrong.

Maybe.

Ryziel unlocked the door to the lair, trying to calm himself, when he came face to face with a purple and red demon.

"Xilya," Ryziel greeted the vrisha female with a nod. "I didn't see you come down."

"I took the stairs."

Ryziel walked past to stand by the ship, ignoring her curious eyes watching him.

"I heard we had an unexpected visitor," Xilya said after a pause.

Ryziel's lip curled back slightly, and his eyes shot up to look at Nar on top of the ship, who didn't meet his gaze as he worked. "Yes," he said, in a low voice. "It was nothing. Just a small...mishap."

"Oh?"

Ryziel turned to her with a blank expression. "She was sent back up. She won't say a word. It's done with."

Xilya bowed her head and sauntered over to the map. "Is it, then?"

Ryziel followed her over. "Yes, it is."

"Nar says she wanted to help...in exchange for a place on the ship." Xilya lifted her eyes to his. "That true?"

Ryziel kept his gaze on her, his receptors vibrating, heat simmering in his chest. "Yes. And before you say a word, I absolutely forbid it."