Page 24 of Tethered

“Not for lack of trying. It’s like trying to get blood out of a stone,” Beau says.

As if on cue, everyone looks at Tanisira. After one modest glass, she had sat back, seemingly content to let us carry the conversation. She’d chimed in now and then, but it was always something brief and ambiguous. Her shoulders are loose, her head tipped back, and she looks like she’s halfway to relaxed for a change.

“What?” she asks, eyes shifting into focus.

“Your sex life,” Devyaan deadpans.

“Dev!” Beau barks a laugh. “See, Khryssy? I’m not that bad.”

Khrys covers her mouth. “He’s drunk, thelush. You have no excuse, you’re barely tipsy.”

My head swings back to Tanisira, whose cheekbones now sport the faintest blush. I’ve never seen anyone with brown skin flush. I want to reach out and run my fingers across her skin, to see if it’s heated. The urge takes me by surprise. Her gaze darts over me like quicksilver before she directs a frown towards the others. Her shoulders are no longer loose.

“Come on, Cap. Shared embarrassment bonds a crew,” Beau crows. “We’ve finally got you loose-lipped at dinner.”

I don’t think Tanisira is the kind to get involved in these kinds of conversations. I would hardly call her loose-lipped.

She shocks the hell out of me when she does answer, and it’s not just a brush-off.

“There’s a woman I sometimes see when I’m on Suryavana—”

The galley erupts into whistles and jeers. Tanisira shakes her head. “I can’t believe you got that out of me.”

“Of course we did, we’re your crew,” Devyaan smirks, his eyes lidded. “It’s about time you opened up a little.”

I nudge her playfully. “Tell us about her, then.”

I’m teasing, but I’m also interested.

Tanisira makes a softly dismissive gesture. “We only see each other out of convenience. There’s nothing long-term or even particularly interesting between the two of us.”

Khrys raises her auburn eyebrows. “So just sex then.”

I dart a look at Vee, but he’s literally face down in his console; I think he might actually be asleep.

“What your people call just sex,” Tanisira says firmly. “Yes.”

A strange distinction to make.

“More information!” Khrys crows.

Tanisira sighs deeply, then, “Just before I moved to Telluria, some friends took me out and a woman asked if she could buy me a drink. I told her that I was leaving so she could decide whether or not she wanted to waste her night on me, and I guess she did. We meet up now and then.”

“Arro Deviá!” Devyaan sighs.Oh, my God! “Why is that kind of romantic?”

“It’s not.”

“Of course you just get women deciding to take a chance on you.” This from a grinning Beau. “I mean, look at this whole thing you’ve got going on.”

Whilst Tanisira deflects the jokes, I do look at her. She appears just as alert as she did earlier, even with a little alcohol and a lot of hearty food in her system. But there is a slight curve to the severity of her straight spine, and she has smiled more in the past hour than she has in the past two days. It’s hard to ignore how attractive she is, especially because I’ve always liked a masc and Tanisira practically oozes that energy. That curl—that ridiculous curl—is back at it again, having escaped the confines of her hair product. But it’s her eyes that have warmed up tonight, the amber melted, the green like sun-dappled moss. Her face has softened enough to become approachable. She both holds herself apart from the crew and, at the same time, sits comfortably with them. I suppose that’s what a captain should do. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had any desire to manage others. I like being able to do what I please too much, and I have enough responsibility at home. But it makes me wonder if I’m the only one on this ship who gets to see Tanisira open up.

That feels like something sharp and untouchable, so I leave the thought alone.

The ache in my ribs has begun to filter back in through the haze of seasoned meat and wine. I stretch, biting back a hideous yawn before rising to my feet.

“Shukran,Devyaan. Èsta ladha.”

He does a double-take. “Surya-Vani parlas?”You speak Surya-Vaani?