Chapter 6

SIX

Turi looked as if she wanted to decline, but she swallowed thickly and stepped forward. Instead of the seat Ellion indicated, however, she sat across the table. “Sure. Thanks.”

He nodded to Ara, who unmolded from her Terian-like shape behind Turi and shifted into the amorphous shadow that was more natural for her. He watched Ara slip through the doorway and into the shadows beyond. Turi, who missed the transformation, turned and looked for her companion, seeming confused as to how the Skrac had left so quickly.

“I hope you feel better after your bath and a fresh set of clothes,” he said.

She gazed at the empty table, her expression distant. “I do, thanks.”

Ellion hadn’t planned on bringing Turi to dine with him. The plan had been to leave her alone, to let her adjust to life in the fortress, and for him to just get used to her presence here. But he’d become more eager to see her, more curious about her as she slept. He’d forgotten how very alone he’d been all these years. Since he took over this role from his predecessor, he had been without flesh-and-blood companionship. As much as Ellion valued his Skrac friends, he was not one of them. He was very much aware of that.

Turi was interesting, vibrant, and from what he knew of her—having observed everyone in his assigned settlements for all of their lives—she was intelligent, defiant, and resilient.

And beautiful . Without a layer of dirt, the loveliness of her shone through even clearer than it did before. He meant what he said—he had no intention of touching her. The Axis made it very clear that his role was guardian and warden, and that intimate relations with the Terians were forbidden. He had no idea what the consequences were for breaking that rule, but knowing the Axis and their collective vengeance, there would be a punishment.

If he was caught. Those insidious words slithered through him as he watched her brush back a long wave of blue hair. Brilliant gold spots sparkled at the center of her forehead, disappearing into her hairline. The clothing that had been made for her was more than suitable. It hugged her gentle curves, exposed her collarbones and revealed her long, elegant neck.

She looked up at him, then back to the table. “Are you certain we are here to eat?”

Ellion’s chest tightened. He had gotten lost in merely gazing at her. “Yes,” he replied, “I’m just taking in the transformation.”

Her gaze shot to his, then slid away. “Is it okay, then?” She ran her hand down one sleeve, a flicker of self-consciousness in her eyes. “How I look?”

“You’re perfect,” he replied, as lightly as he could through a slightly tight throat, and to change the rapidly intensifying scene, he placed a hand on the table where a flat black square waited. He pressed it, and their meals appeared on the table.

Turi gasped and recoiled from the covered plate in front of her. “What is this?” she asked.

“Nothing to fear,” he said gently, realizing he should have known how strange this would be for her. “I’ve merely transported our meals from the fabricator to here.” He showed her the square on the table. “The table itself is programmed to move food from one location to another.” He lifted the cover off his plate and a gentle waft of savory-scented steam filled the air. “See? Nothing is wrong with it.” He plucked a morsel from his plate and popped it in his mouth.

Warily, she did the same, chewing and swallowing slowly. Ellion had chosen a simple, bland meal, knowing that her diet had not been varied and she was not used to rich food—or much food at all. He rarely ate like this himself, and this was one of only a handful of times he’d actually used this room.

“There now,” he said gently. “Not so bad, right? It’s just food. And you need more of it.”

Her gaze was still furtive, but she lifted the utensils from the plate and began to eat more. They were five different types of foods, including a vegetable from the Bakaris system that he was particularly fond of. Turi ate without speaking, her brow furrowed, as if in serious contemplation.

Ellion watched, fascinated, as she methodically consumed the entire meal. It was a modest portion, considering her small meals up until now. Bombarding her with a feast would not only have been overwhelming but would have sickened her.

Finally, when she was done, Turi leaned back, placing a hand over her stomach and blinking at her empty plate. She placed her two-pronged fork carefully on the plate in the exact same position it had been when she picked it up.

“Well?” He folded his hands under his chin. “Did you enjoy that?”

“Yes,” she replied with a note of wonder. “I didn’t know food could be…pleasurable.”

Ellion raised his brows at her word choice. Somehow, that wasn’t what he was expecting, but there was definite enjoyment in her eyes and a softness around her lips.

“Well, I’m very glad it brought you pleasure.” He leaned back with a smile. “You deserve it.”

She let out a stifled laugh. “No, I don’t. At least not more than anyone else in my settlement.”

“I would disagree with that,” he countered. “You’re here because of the kindness you showed to a creature that the rest of your kind considered a pest to exterminate.” He placed his own fork down, touched the square on the table again, and the plates and utensils disappeared. “It’s not luck that you are here.”

Conflict moved over her face. “My plate…was transported back to wherever it came from?”

“That would be the fabricator, yes,” he explained. “But we do have kitchens here, if you ever wish to try cooking on your own. I enjoy it sometimes.”

“You do?” She sounded incredulous. “The overseer prepares his own food?”

He closed his eyes briefly. “My name is Ellion, and yes. When the mood strikes me, I prepare my own food.”

She leaned forward. “What else do you do?”

“Aside from watching over four settlements’ worth of Terians? I like to read. And I keep a journal.”

She nodded. “I like to draw.”

“Then I shall make sure you have drawing materials to use. If there’s anything you need here, simply ask.”

Turi’s eyes flickered with curiosity, a spark that seemed to chase away some of the wariness that had been her constant companion. “I’ve never cooked, only boiled rations,” she admitted quietly. “In my settlement, food was… It was just about survival. Nothing more.”

He nodded, understanding the stark reality she spoke of. “Here, you have the luxury to explore more than just survival. You can discover tastes and techniques, and I would very much like to try your creations.”

She seemed to ponder this, her gaze drifting away as if she were imagining the possibilities. “Maybe I could try,” she said hesitantly, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’d like to learn, perhaps start with something simple.”

“Of course,” he replied, mentally noting what he could set her up with. “We can start with a basic meal, and as you get more comfortable, we can experiment with different ingredients and cuisines. The galaxy is full of flavors that are open to you now that you’re not a—” He cut himself off sharply, about to admit her true status. “A Terian living in a settlement.”

Turi missed the near admission and smiled. For a moment, the shadows in her eyes lightened. “Thank you, Overseer,” she said. “You could have locked me in a cell.”

“For the last time, call me Ellion.” He raised one brow. “Or I will lock you in a cell.”

She paled, which made the gold spots on her forehead stand out starkly. “You will?”

He laughed. “Of course, not. I despise the title, that is all.”

“Then why do you hold it?” she asked.

It was a question Ellion couldn’t answer. He was the overseer of settlements 112-1 through 112-4 and that was that. It was what he knew. He reached up and rubbed the smooth metal plate behind his ear. “It’s what I am.”

She made a funny look at that. “You could be anything , but you chose a role you despise.”

Ellion didn’t recall it ever being a choice he made, but thinking on such a thing made his head hurt and an odd pressure form in his chest. Instead, he turned the conversation back to food and took comfort in Turi’s transformation from the timid, starved creature whom he’d brought here hours earlier to a more relaxed female who, maybe, one day would call him by his name. As the stars twinkled outside the window of the dining suite, he knew he wanted more of this. More of her . And the rules and doctrines of the Axis began to blur and crack, just a little. Just enough to make him wonder why he did their bidding in the first place.