Page 25 of Tethered

“Haa.”

The smile that spreads across his face is so beautiful. He looks genuinely delighted. “Isk parlas bhalo. Kalo ban, Marlowe.”You speak it well. Good night.

“Thank you for letting me crash your meal and keeping me company. It’s been so nice,” I say to the crew. I then head towards Vee, who has been asleep for a while, face down in a console that is, thankfully, drool-resistant.

“Please, let me.”

Tanisira stands and scoops him into her arms like he weighs nothing. I stare at the two of them for a moment, remembering how she’d taken me by the hips earlier. She doesn’t even look that strong, and it’s ridiculous. Hot, but ridiculous. My brain kicks into gear, and I flap my hands at her.

“No, no, he’s way too heavy to pick up these days. Trust me, I know.”

Throwing your back out will etch the memory into your head like acid.

“I’ve got him,” she says, sounding way too not-out-of-breath for my liking.

Somewhere under all the bruises on my body, my ego weeps.

Vee wriggles in her arms, burying his face into her shoulder, and my heart justmelts.

I follow them through the ship, my limp more pronounced as the fatigue seeps in faster and faster. We walk in companionable silence, interspersed with Vee’s snuffles and the sounds of the ship itself. I feel so content, which isunbelievable considering the state I was in earlier. When we arrive at Vee’s cabin—and Tanisira’s still not out of breath—I swipe open the door for her. Leaning against it, I watch her carefully lower him onto the bed, tug his shoes off, and pull the duvet over him. It makes me feel things, and I’m not sure what to do with that. It is, after all, the very base level of human decency to be kind to children—not at all an attractive quality, but rather a necessary one.

And yet.

I muse over that whilst Tanisira walks me the few feet to my door. She seems lost in her own thoughts, and I suddenly want to know what she’s thinking. I turn on my heel and lean back against the bulkhead, forcing her to come to a hard stop. She’s inches away from me, and blinks in surprise. She seems to tense instinctively, and all the muscles in her forearms become defined.

I clear my throat and tilt my head back, tearing my gaze away from them. “Why are you being so nice to us?” I ask.

That worrisome little crease splits Tanisira’s brow. “How am I expected to treat you?”

My shrug pulls a little too hard on my ribs, but I fight the grimace. Concern for me might derail the topic, and this is a question that I really want the answer to. She has no reason to be this accommodating, especially because all she has to do—at the most elementary level—is make sure that Vee gets to Suryavana. As mentioned earlier, she could choose to view him as little more than cargo. This is her career; why is she so happy to fuck over Dominik?

I obviously don’t come off as nonchalant as I think I do, because she follows up quickly. “You think I have an ulterior motive.”

“It has crossed my mind.”

“What can I do to convince you?”

She’s so damn earnest, I can barely stand it. I look away so I can collect myself. I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone less ironic. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Tanisira nods hesitantly. “I’m not proud of my past. I want to be a good person. I’mtryingto be a good person.”

I couldn’t have been more surprised. Granted, I don’t know her, but what could be so terrible? She worried about people getting hurt during manoeuvres that likely saved all our lives. Still, I appreciate that she was honest with me when she didn’t have to be. In fact, she’s been honest with me from the very beginning.

“Tanisira.” I smile gently. “I think you’re already a good person.”

She inhales oh so softly, her whole body going still. “That’s the first time you’ve said my name.”

I can’t believe she’s been keeping track. I blink, struck by the rasp of her voice. Something in her tone makes me feel bold, even though my body is falling apart. I want to push a little. “Oh?” I tease, looking up at her through my eyelashes.

The space between us thick with electricity, I’m tempted to close the gap and see how she reacts. Tanisira clears her throat and glances down the passageway, but it’s just us out here. I can’t help but notice she’s perfect in profile too. I watch her tug at her sleeves before her focus comes back to me.

“I hope my crew wasn’t too vulgar tonight. I don’t know what Tellurians do and don’t talk about in front of children. I just assumed, following your lead, that it was fine. Was I right?”

God. She’s looking down at me with eyes that have warmed to butterscotch, eyes that are so much more expressive compared to the first time we met. And her face... that faint blush is back, and it’s just stunning, the way it blooms across the bones of her cheeks. I can’t stop myself from reaching up and ghosting the pads of my fingers over them in wonder.

Hot. Her skin is hot, almost feverish.

Tanisira’s entire body tenses, down to her jaw. I feel it against my fingers. Pulling away, I force myself to step back. “I’m so sorry—”