It was the Torian, the mechanic who was working on their stolen ship.
“There’s a problem.” Ka’Cit turned to regard the Torian as well.
“P-problem?” The alien stuttered.
“You wouldn’t come back to me if there wasn’t.”
The Torian gulped, his four eyes darting to the side before he forced them back on Ka’Cit.
“It’s n-not a p-problem, but I-I’m afraid there is no quick fix. It will take longer than a few minutes to complete the repairs.”
When Ka’Cit didn’t say anything, the Torian hurried on. “The vessel is…very damaged. It seems to not have been serviced, ever, though,” he spoke even faster now, “I’m sure you serviced it a lot. Maybe whoever you hired didn’t do a good job and—”
“How long?” Ka’Cit cut him off.
The Torian gulped again. “It will take at least three full light cycles to repair the engines.”
Ka’Cit let the blaster fall from his shoulders to hang by his side and the whole room hushed once more.
For a moment, no one seemed to breathe and Nia found herself looking around the room.
Fear registered on every single one of the faces she could read.
“Do it.” Ka’Cit’s words were barely uttered before the Torian nodded.
“Y-yes, Crusher.” The Torian moved quickly, almost falling over his own legs to get away.
As Ka’Cit turned back to the bar, the room released a collective sigh.
Nia stared at him.
No, she had to ask.
Lowering her voice, she moved closer to him. “Just what the hell is happening?”
Ka’Cit huffed out an almost inaudible laugh.
“A curse,” he said underneath his breath.
His answer left her momentarily speechless.
A curse?
“And I don’t think we’re going to make it, ta’ii.” He tapped his finger on the counter as he stared straight ahead. “We definitely can’t intercept that package in time. The chance is lost.”
His words made something fall within her.
“But that means…”
It meant the humans that needed whatever was in this package were going to possibly die?
She couldn’t help but feel that it was completely because of her and maybe her expression showed in her face because Ka’Cit dipped his hand underneath the cloak’s hood to grasp her chin with his fingers.
His touch was light as he rubbed his finger over the small indentation in the middle of her chin and his gaze was focused on the movement.
It felt like he had to pull his eyes upward to meet hers. “It’s not your fault, ta’ii.”
“What gave you the impression I was thinking that?”
He shrugged a little. “I know all too well of blaming yourself for something you cannot control.”
Cryptic.
It felt like there was more to that sentence and she was about to ask him to explain when the bartender moved over their way.
“I know what will cheer you up,” Ka’Cit’s eyes lightened and he caught the alien’s attention with a wave of his hand.
“Two Zeregga meals. Make them hot and well cooked.”
“Two Zeregga meals,” the bartender repeated as he shuffled off.
Ka’Cit looked at her. “We’ll be here a while. We might as well get comfortable.” He checked the band on his wrist.
“What about those humans? Is there anything we can do to help them?”
His gaze travelled over her face for a few moments. “You truly feel responsible…”
Nia nodded. “Well, if you hadn’t been trying to help me then they wouldn’t be in a worse situation.”
He studied her for a bit more. “I’ll figure it out.”
Nia’s mouth opened and closed.
He said it with such surety, she felt inclined to believe him.
She had to.
24
Releasing a breath, Nia turned her attention back to the room and it was then that she realized the chatter had lessened somewhat.
More eyes were flicking in their direction with increased confidence.
One alien sitting close by them caught her gaze and only because he was sitting in such a position that he had direct view of her face.
He had antennae and a mouth with clasps like an ant’s but that wasn’t the reason he caught her attention.
It was the way he was looking at her, and now that she was looking back, the alien’s eyes slipped from her face to slide down her body.
A sick feeling developed in Nia’s belly and her skin crawled.
She was wearing a cloak that looked like one of her great grandmother’s bedsheets and he was looking at her like that?
If the other aliens in the room were like him, no wonder females hardly ventured to the service satellites alone.
Purposefully, and in an exaggerated fashion, she reached for Ka’Cit’s hand.
He jerked a little at the suddenness of her touch and his gaze snapped to hers.
Nia smiled up at him as she took the same hand and secured it firmly around her waist, moving as close to him as she could.
She was pressed against his side now and she was sure she could feel his heart thundering in his chest.
“Nee-ya? What are you doing?” His voice was only loud enough for her to hear.
“You’re my mate, remember. I’m just reminding those with wandering eyes of that fact.”
“Ah…right. We are pretending to be…” He left the rest unsaid but…was that a note of disappointment she heard?
Ka’Cit pulled his gaze away from hers and glanced around the room before he settled directly on the alien who’d been looking at her funny.
The alien looked away so fast, she was sure he’d just made himself cross-eyed in the process.
The whole situation almost made her giggle.
Almost.
“You drive fear into everyone’s bones, Ka’Cit.”
“Everyone, except you.” Again, there was a note of something in his tone, but this time she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
He was right, though.
She wasn’t scared of him.
Even now, by her side, there was a calm, deadly coldness about him that told everyone in the room that he wasn’t someone to be messed with.
Yet, that feeling didn’t extend to her.
So, she remained against his side with his arm around her waist and she even leaned into him a little as she focused on the galaxy qua in front of her.
A scent caught her nose and she sniffed.
“The Zeregga meal,” Ka’Cit said. “It’s almost done.”
“Smells good.
