48. Kira

48

Kira

Not long after, we are scaling a cliff and entering their cave. It's full of lovely, lovely supplies. It only takes me a few minutes to bristle with weapons again. Once I am, I let out a sigh of relief and take a better look around.

There are two exits and two rooms that lead off the main one. Someone carved doorways and shelves a very long time ago. One of the rooms is obviously their bedroom, so I stay out, but I do take the time to visit Amethyst in the other one.

She looks peaceful.

Ree comes up behind me. "We can move her out to the main area so you two can be in here. It felt wrong before, but it wouldn't be fair to you."

She doesn't let me respond, just calls out to Thivoll and not long after they've set up a pile of blankets in here instead of a cryo chamber. I'd love to take a nap on them, but I want some more answers.

They may not know much, but Ree might have some insights into what's happening with my body, since it's clearly also happening to hers.

I go out to where she's working on getting Amethyst covered back up. Then she places a note next to her chamber. A quick glance lets me know its instructions to stay in the cave.

I'm not sure what to ask, so I just blurt out an observation. "You only look like you have Thivoll's traits. Why?"

Ree purses her lips. "Now that I think about it, I haven't picked up any traits from anyone else and I've had plenty of exposure. From the dull ache and itch on my lower back, I assume another change is coming, but I'm confident it will be one of his traits."

"Really? I'm a walking science experiment over here."

She stills, her eyes darting back and forth. I assume sifting through memories. Then she makes a sound that lets me know she's figured it out.

"One of the slimes covered this in an advertising-slash-torture session," she says as my lips quirk up at her voicing the keyboard function.

I can see why Thivoll is utterly smitten. She's such an interesting mix of softness, quirk, and spine of fucking titanium. If I was interested in women, I'd totally make a play.

I glance over at the giant cat-man. Okay, maybe not.

I like living.

Ree's voice pulls my attention back to her. "I'm pretty sure it's because Thiv and I, uh. Because we..."

She looks so cute with her face burning hot I almost don't bail her out, but bitches need to have each other's back, right?

"Because you made the beast with two backs?"

She chokes out a laugh. "Wait. Is that from Hamlet?"

"Close. Othello."

"Ah. Right. Well, yes. That."

She still won't say it, and my usual wicked streak won't let it go.

"Dipped the wick? Hid the sausage? Parked the yacht in hair harbor?"

"What the hell?" she chokes out. "Hair harbor? Just stop."

"Are you kidding? I'm a marine. I could do this all fucking day. And you can't even say a tame version."

I open my mouth to keep listing, and she lets out a little yelp, tears of mirth in her eyes. "Okay. Yes. We banged."

"Seriously, Ree? That's such a boring euphemism. I'll need to—"

"Stop," she chortles, holding her ribs.

I can hear Thivoll's purr from across the cave, and I glance over at him. From the look on his face, I just scored some serious brownie points for bringing her out of her usual state of self-sacrificing obsession.

Or I assume that must be her usual state, judging by his warning and the brief glimpses I've caught so far.

She wipes her eyes and then continues. "Once you ride the wild bull you—"

"Nice one," I interrupt, impressed with the growth she is showing already.

I'm a great fucking influence.

She quirks her lips. "Thanks. Once you ride the wild... drakonid I think you'll only pick up his traits."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Who says I want to?"

She rolls her eyes at me. "Anyone with half a brain could see where you two are headed. You were made for each other. Like some sort of swoony warrior-meets-warrior story."

I give her a non-committal grunt. I might not be totally convinced, but she's close enough I don't have a pithy reply.

Dammit, that alone says more than I'd like to admit.

She looks around the cave, then speaks in a whisper. "The perma-arousal will go away, too."

Well, that would be nice.

I whisper back. "I highly doubt Thivoll can't still hear us."

She gives me a grin and Thivoll's tail twitches as he looks away, pretending to give us privacy.

"So... I keep gaining traits in the meantime? Some of them are pretty damn useful. That isn't a great motivation for bumping uglies with the big idiot."

She shrugs. "That's for you to decide, Kira."

"C'mon, now, Commander . You're supposed to think strategically."

She growls at me, extends her claws, and flutters her hands around while pivoting her wrists like a demented princess waving to her adoring subjects. "Don't think I won't cut you, bitch."

I tip my head back and let out a roaring laugh. "Diety, Ree. I fucking love you."

She smiles at me, and then goes back to shifting around supplies. I take a moment to figure out her organization scheme, then move to help.

While I do it, I think things over. I have the traits of multiple apex species. At what point is enough, enough? I look down at myself. There isn't a lot left that hasn't been changed.

It might be time to be done. I let out a huff. Who am I kidding?

I just want all this sexual tension and non-stop arousal to be over. We have been heading in this direction for a long while, no matter how much we deny it to each other.

Then I look over at Thivoll. One more round of changes wouldn't hurt, though. Right?

I pace over to the kitty, then tell him my plan. It takes no convincing at all. He simply extends a claw, cuts into his forearm and lets me take a nasty little blood shower.

Ree just nods, her face showing her understanding. When Drasuk comes back from patrol, he makes a grumbling sound when he sees the horror show but doesn't say anything.

Gotta love being around a bunch of warriors.

I let the blood crust over while we plan, urging the little robots in me to give me some useful changes, not just the streaks of orange I see in Ree's long hair. How does she stand it that long? Bleh.

We decide the best move is an ambush, with the two of us leading them into it, but Drasuk points out their sense of smell.

Ree makes an excited sound. "I know the place. It's a hot spring, with a lot of sulfur in the air. They won't smell Thivoll or me."

Thivoll lets out a harsh hack. "You aren't going."

"I'll shoot from a tree, Thivoll."

"You will not. These are drakonids, not genali."

Ree starts to speak again, but I break in. "Have you not realized yet, Thivoll, that you are not in charge?"

He lets out a chuff at me turning the tables on him and stops arguing. At least for now. I have a feeling they aren't done with the conversation.

Ree darts me a look, then keeps speaking. "Like I said. I know the place. You two just need to get them there. And of course, you know, fight."

We spend another hour or so debating the finer details and then agree it's time to get cleaned up and get some rest. From the looks I get from the rest of the group, I'm the one they are talking about.

It's not as if I enjoy lounging around covered in purple blood. Sheesh.

Before we leave the cave, Ree pulls Drasuk aside. They speak too quietly for me to hear, but when they come back out, Drasuk looks more settled and Ree looks pleased with herself.

I raise an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugs.

It doesn't take long to run to a stream and get cleaned off. While we're there, Ree points out edible plants and I stuff them in my mouth gratefully. Nothing like ration bars and meat to make you appreciate your leafy greens.

Soon after, we are back at the base of the cliff.

"We'll let you get settled in while we patrol," Ree tells me from astride Thivoll.

"You don't want to talk more?" Thivoll asks.

She kicks out at his fluffy mane with one of her feet. "No. We are going to patrol. For a very long time."

She emphasizes the last three words and then gives me an exaggerated wink.

"Oh, I get it," I tell her.

"Of course you do, Kira. She, unlike you, is using very clear phrasing."

Ree lets out a guffaw. "Let's go, Thivoll. Kira needs to explain some things to Drasuk."

They turn and run away, and I assume Ree clues Thivoll into her plan because I hear loud chuffing as he bounds out of sight.

When I turn to Drasuk his spines let me know we've confused the hell out of him.

Poor little lizard brain.