18. Marina

18

MARINA

T he aroma of sizzling meat and warm spices filled the dining room as Marina put the finishing touches to the Mexican-inspired feast. She had found the recipes online and adapted them to her taste—carne asada, fluffy Mexican rice, refried beans, a couple of homemade salsas, and a large bowl of guacamole.

As Marina set down the bowl of pico de gallo, Lusha smiled. "It all smells wonderful, and I can't wait to dig in."

"You and me both." Peter draped a napkin over his lap. "Marina is spoiling us. Alfie and I didn't eat so well even when we were boys and our mothers cooked for us."

"Men." Marina rolled her eyes as she sat down. "Cooking is simple and rewarding. What is so difficult about learning to make a few dishes and feeding yourself properly?"

Peter leaned over and took her hand. "We never could have reached your level of mastery, love. You imbue your creations with something special."

Alfie cleared his throat. "Can we please eat? I'm starving."

He wasn't comfortable with their displays of affection, and Marina tried to respect his boundaries and keep them to a minimum when he was around.

"Dig in." She waved a hand at the spread on the table.

For a few moments, everyone got busy piling their plates and sampling the dishes.

"This is amazing," Lusha said. "You really have a talent. When I try to make something, I always overdo it with too much oil or too much pepper or salt, and it comes out barely edible."

Marina tilted her head. "So, what do you do? Eat sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"

"More or less." Lusha took a warmed-up tortilla from the plate. "Pavel doesn't keep any food in his place other than frozen blood bags, but I got a few boxes of cereal that I munch on. Vanessa cooks from time to time, and she's good." Lusha sighed dramatically. "She's a lady of many talents, while I'm a one-trick pony."

Alfie snorted. "A very impressive pony who successfully defended a bunch of murderers and saved them from execution."

Lusha shrugged. "Thank you, but the truth was that they were not guilty. They were as much victims of Igor as everyone else in the compound. They had no choice but to do what he commanded. All I had to do was to convince everyone else that they would have been just as helpless against Igor's compulsion as these males were."

"It wasn't easy to do," Alfie said. "The Kra-ell who lost loved ones weren't willing to listen, but you turned the trial into a theatrical production, and they got swept away by your narrative. It was brilliant."

Lusha dipped her head. "Thank you."

"And now you're working for Edna," Marina said.

Alfie's eyes widened. "I didn't know that. How are you getting along with the Alien Probe?"

Marina's eyebrows shot up. "The Alien Probe? What does that mean?"

Lusha finished assembling her taco. "Edna has a unique ability. She can reach into a person's soul, so to speak, and see their true intentions. When she judges people, she relies on more than just the evidence. She says that those who are guilty would rather confess than succumb to her probe. She also probes newcomers to the village, so don't be surprised if you get an invitation."

Marina didn't like the sound of that.

"Did Edna probe you?" she asked.

"Of course." Lusha lifted her taco and then put it down again. "Edna wouldn't let me work for her without the probe."

Marina leaned forward. "What was it like? It sounds invasive."

"It was strange," Lusha admitted. "But I didn't fight her. I just opened my mind to the probe, so it was relatively quick and painless."

Peter piled his plate with a second helping of carne asada and rice and then turned to Lusha. "I hear that you and Pavel are close."

Lusha cast a quick glance at Alfie before answering. "It's not serious."

"I see." Peter nodded. "Did you notice any unusual activity while you were at his place?"

"Like what?"

Peter pretended nonchalance. "You speak Kra-ell, right?"

"Of course."

"And you were at his house when his friends came over."

"Sometimes. I usually leave when he has his meetings. They get rowdy."

Marina tensed. Meetings sounded much more formal than friends coming over to drink vodka and play cards.

Peter arched a brow. "Why is that? Do they argue about things?"

Lusha snorted. "Since the liberation, they always argue. Under Igor, they couldn't speak freely, and now that they can, they get into heated discussions about every little thing."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Peter nodded. "Does Drova attend these gatherings?"

A flicker of something crossed Lusha's face before it was quickly masked. "She does, but despite what her mother thinks, there is nothing going on between her and Pavel or any of the other young Kra-ell. Drova is off-limits, and not just because she's too young."

"Because she's Igor's daughter?" Peter asked.

To Marina's surprise, Lusha laughed. "Igor is in stasis, so he's hardly a threat to anyone right now. Drova is off-limits because she's Jade's daughter. And everyone is afraid of Jade."