Page 36 of Tethered

I’m laughing as I fall back onto the rug and roll myself in the duvet like a burrito. Eurgh. Captain Sekmithproving much sweeter than my initial impression of her. Last nightwasreally stressful.

At some point, a dull throb began behind my right eye. I murmur at Kit, hoping she’s programmed to pick up all kindsof volumes. She informs me I’ve slept almost half the day away. I wince, rolling onto my face and burrowing into my burrito. I don’t want to get up. Twin twinges of pain remind me that I still have healing bruises under my eye and across my cheekbone, although they feel better today.

The memory of Tanisira pressed against me lights up my brain. I feel like a teenager, hiding under the covers, panicking over an almost kiss. Because it would have been a bad idea. Right? After showing practically no interest, to just outright ask to kiss me like that? The captain ofDominik’sgodforsaken ship?

But a shiver skates over my skin when I recall the second before Tanisira lowered her head, when her breath washed over me and my stomach just dipped. When confronted with the warmth of her skin, the huskiness of her voice, that dulcet accent...It does strange things to my blood.

And then, as if I conjured her, strong hands roll me onto my back, and I’m suddenly looking into two eyes, streaked with jade and full of bemusement. I sputter and grimace.

Crouched over me, Tanisira quirks an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Peachy,” I say, trying not to let my breathlessness give away the fact that I’d been dipping my toe into a very nice daydream.

“Let’s do the spacewalk.”

Her serious tone does nothing to deter the enthusiasm with which my gaze locks onto that full mouth. I pull myself together a second later because I’m a grown woman,nota teenager.

“Of course.”

Tanisira helps me up, with me groaning the whole way. I’ll have to make a stop at the med bay later today. I go to make Vee’s bed, but she stops me, waving away the task.

“One of the stewards will do it.”

My jaw drops. “There are stewards?”

“Of course there are.”

“Why haven’t I seen any of them?” I ask, incredulous. TheMidasis like some kind of black hole, and unless I’m taken to people, I don’t see anyone.

Tanisira pauses before replying. “They’re usually busy doing their jobs. Plus, it’s a skeleton crew.”

My stomach grumbles, and we both look down at it. Still in yesterday’s sweaty, rumpled outfit, I look a hot mess. I should feel embarrassed, maybe, but after giving birth, nothing this inane can embarrass me again.

“Let me shower, get something to eat and then meet you at the airlock.”

My voice tremors but I must sound more confident than I am because she doesn’t question it. She walks me to my cabin two doors down—which makes me rethink my previous statement—and I try not to be weird as we pass the spot where she nearly kissed me. Glancing at Tanisira doesn’t tell me anything about how she feels about it; she doesn’t even look at me.

That stings, but I push it to the back of my mind. She probably thinks it was a mistake. Fine. We’re in agreement, then.

Left alone, I make full use of the facilities and scrub my body until I feel brand new. I’m pleasantly surprised to see the same products I’d found in Tanisira’s bathroom, lathering the shampoo into my curls and filling the whole cabin with the scent of pomegranates. But my favourite thing ever is when I finish pulling on another cut-and-paste outfit, turn around and find a tray on the coffee table. A steaming to-go cup of milky coffee heaped with—I take a sip—enough sugar to give anyonesukra malady.It’s delicious. It’s also in a contained cup, and I’m so grateful because my tremors are extremely inconvenient by this point. I find my way to the crew’s galley, and I’ve already drained the whole thing, scalded throat be damned.

Tanisira stands at the tiny viewport that I had failed to see yesterday in all the excitement. Her hands are tucked into the pockets of dark cargo pants, the line of her jaw limned in the ship’s lighting as she gazes out into space. I hadn’t noticed earlier that she was wearing a fleece, and when she turns around upon my approach, I seeMidasembroidered in gold across the chest. Right now, she looks like a captain. I wrangle any thoughts of kisses and give her my most casual smile.

“Thank you for the coffee, it was perfect.”

“Swagat akana.” She gestures to the table where there’s a small spread. “You must have made a good impression on Devyaan because he laid that out for you and threatened to mutiny if I didn’t let you eat first.”

I press my hands to my chest. “That’s so kind of him. Why, were you going to put me to work?”

“Of course not. I’m not even sure about you helping now.”

I pause beside the table, feeling a little dismayed. “What do you mean?”

“You’re trembling like a leaf.”

I sidestep Tanisira’s comment, not wanting to deal with that right now. Instead, I give her an appraising look.

“What?” She asks, quick on the uptake.