Page 23 of Ava Stargazer (Planet Xai #2)

Ava attempted to paint another flower on the wall over the green background Sai had already put over most of the hall. She sat back and sighed as she looked over her efforts. It doesn’t look quite right .

Sai had thrown herself into repainting Celestial even more than Ava, and her efforts, at least, were not wasted. She looked at her drawing, lackluster, next to Sai’s. It helps that Sai is a good artist .

Tracing one of the flowers Sai drew on the wall, Ava marveled at all she had created in such a short time. For all the engine sketches done over the years, she had no idea how to draw a landscape or animals. The painting was also fun to do; she particularly liked making lines with different colors. Purple was her favorite.

They were only working in one hall, the one right outside the engine room. Ava had requested they start there, as it was the walkway she traveled the most by herself.

Ava painstakingly painted the flower, tracing it with a solid color, and marveled as Sai peppered hers with shading, then drew different animals as if they were grazing in a meadow. How does she do that? Ava’s tone was envious as she asked, “How did you learn to do this? To draw so well?”

“Truthfully I’m not that good.” Sai chuckled, adding even more shading with a flair and a flick of her wrist. “You just don’t know any better artists at the moment.”

“Well you’re better than me.” Ava looked up from where she was trying to draw a flower. “It looks ... not pretty.”

Sai looked over and said, “It’s less diseased than your last, but yes, something is off with it.”

Thanks, Sai. Ava laughed and painted some more. “Still fun. I’ll keep going over it until I get it right.”

Ava soon felt eyes on her, heavy. She turned around to see Zeed looking at her speculatively, followed by a brief caress on her mind before he hauled himself back, as if remembering.

He stiffened and bowed his head slightly, speaking in a slow voice. “Can I talk with you, Ava?”

Ava looked at Sai, who gave her a wary look and a thought of, “He is blocking access, I cannot read what he wants.”

“I’ll just need to find out then.” She put her paintbrush down and shakily stood in front of Zeed, forcing a smile. “Of course.”

“Come.” He gestured for her to follow and took her down the hall a bit, not talking, but his eyes tracked her as she walked at his side.

What does he want? Is it to talk about what happened earlier, about Joy? Ava rubbed her hands up and down her arms nervously. “Is the training going well?” she asked, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

Zeed nodded and then stopped her down the hall, right by the junction before the mess hall. “Yes. I agreed to come to help train the young ones, but truthfully I also came because I have curiosity about you ... Humans.” He inhaled deeply, dipping his head in her direction. “It was not exaggerated that you smell and are just like our kind. Only in a lot of ways, you are more appealing.”

Appealing? Ava stood frozen in the hall.

Zeed walked closer to Ava, speaking slow and low to her. “I have observed you during the times I have come to this ship to assist with the construction. You are ... soft, and pure.”

Ava didn’t know how to respond to his attention, swallowing hastily. Her gut swirled with unease. She noticed his movements toward her and took a step back. Observed me?

His stance reminded her too much of Vox crowding in on her in the same hallways. It brought back the intimacy of those moments and made her feel uncomfortable with Zeed approaching her in the same way.

Zeed halted his footsteps but continued speaking, “It is hard to get you alone, so I will be blunt. I have an interest in you, Ava. You have not yet mated Vox and taken a place at his side on the bavla fields officially. Is this because you are uncertain of him?”

Ava’s mouth went dry, confusion coursing through her as she began to realize that the way Zeed had been looking at her was more than just casual curiosity. “Uncertain?” she echoed hesitantly.

Zeed took another small step forward. “Yes. He hides you. Covets you for himself. Plans to eventually breed you. He does not give you a true choice or allow you to see that there are other options available to you.” He dipped his head lower, fixing his eyes on the ground and bringing his head down. He continued in a low voice that vibrated through the air, “Others like myself.”