Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

T he timer signaling the end of the experiment chimed and Etta jumped. Instead of observing as closely as she usually did, she'd been daydreaming about Tomlin. About what had happened when they touched - that spark of electricity between them, the strange blue glow in his eyes. She had more questions than answers, but she also found that she actually missed his presence. Had he meant it when he'd said he would return? And if so, when would he be back?

Stop it , she scolded herself. She'd learned long ago that wishing for someone to return didn't make it happen. After her parents died she'd spent much of her time alone. Her guardian, one of her father's business partners, had arranged for her to remain in her home, complete with an army of servants, but their presence hadn't eased her loneliness.

She'd wanted to live with him, but he hadn't been married at the time and he didn't think he was capable of creating a home for her. By the time he did marry - to a kind-hearted if somewhat silly woman - she was focused on her studies and had grown accustomed to her solitude. It still didn't erase the memory of those first few years when she had longed so much for some type of companionship, for a family.

Shaking off her musings, she recorded her results, then collected the pieces of morchev. The separated pieces did in fact retain an attraction, a resonance between the two pieces. It didn't manifest itself physically in the same way that a magnet would, but it was undoubtedly there.

Just as she was setting up a second test with a greater distance between the pieces, a knock came on the outer door. She immediately flew to answer it, her heart racing. Tomlin stood outside, his powerful frame silhouetted against the landscape, and she found herself smiling foolishly.

"You came back."

Instead of returning her smile, he frowned at her.

"Where is your weapon this time? You are out here by yourself. You should always be armed when someone approaches."

"I recognized you through the -." She gave him a confused look. "Wait a minute. How did you know I was armed last time?"

"I caught a… glimpse of the weapon."

She was quite sure she'd kept it concealed, but how else could he have known? Before she could question him further, he reached down and picked up two overstuffed saddlebags.

"Have you eaten?"

Now that she thought about it, she realized that she was hungry. But that didn't prevent her from wanting answers. He hadn't met her eyes directly but they seemed much as they had when he first arrived. Deciding to bide her time, she followed into the living area, watching silently as he stowed the contents of his saddlebags in her cupboards with his usual speed and efficiency.

"You didn't have to bring me more supplies."

He gave a half-shrug, still not looking at her.

"Since I was in town anyway, it seemed only logical to replenish them. Especially since I have been partaking in them."

"You didn't eat that much," she said dryly as he added yet another stack of cans to the already overflowing cupboard. When he didn't respond, she sighed and tried another approach. "Did you finish your business?"

There was an almost imperceptible pause before he nodded.

"That was fast."

"I simply needed to convey some information."

She waited to see if he would elaborate, but instead he began on their meal. He quickly put together a simple but delicious salad accompanied by a toasted cheese sandwich. They ate silently and even though she enjoyed the food, she was more interested in the enigmatic man sitting across from her. Despite the tension she sensed beneath that calm facade, it seemed just as right to have him there.

"Now," she said as soon as they finished. "Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

"I should -"

"The dishes can wait," she said firmly, anticipating his next move. "Talk to me."

"What do you think happened?"

He was looking down at his hands, clearly playing for time, but then she hadn't expected him to suddenly start revealing all his secrets.

"You were clearly affected by something in the lab - and I suspect it was the morchev since that was the reason you came here in the first place. Not only that, I felt… something when I touched you."

That brought his head up and she was sure that the blue tint to his eyes had intensified.

"What did you feel?" he asked urgently.

"I'm not entirely sure. It was like a type of electricity."

One that had sent a rush of arousal through her body, but he didn't need to know that. She had the impression that her answer wasn't what he expected but he didn't comment.

"And your eyes changed," she added. "They turned blue."

"Perhaps it was a trick of the light."

"Don't be ridiculous. Part of being a scientist is learning to observe. I know what I saw. You aren't entirely human, are you?"

There was a very long silence before he slowly shook his head.

"No."

Why did he seem so determined to hide it? There were plenty of other races on Cresca, although admittedly it was more unusual away from the city. Most of the settlements were predominantly human, but even Wainwright - a town founded by a remarkably old-fashioned man - had come to terms with both a nearby ranch and a farming community founded by former alien warriors.

Of course, acceptance didn't mean liking but he didn't seem like the type of man - of male - to be overly concerned with that.

"Why does it bother you so much that you revealed yourself to me? For that matter, why did you?"

"It is complicated."

"I believe I'm capable of understanding complex situations," she said dryly, and a hint of a smile crossed his lips for the first time.

"I am sure you are. As for why, I am… susceptible to the morchev."

That certainly didn't surprise her, but she still had the feeling he was concealing something.

"In what way?"

Another long silence before he sighed.

"The stones enhance certain psychic reactions in some people."

"That's fascinating. What kind of reactions? Does the size of the stones make a difference? Or is it simply proximity? Or…" Embarrassed at the barrage of questions when he was clearly uncomfortable, she made herself stop. "I'm sorry. My first reaction is always to ask more questions."

"I've noticed," he said, lips quirking again.

"I can understand why you might not want everyone to know - although I promise you can trust me - but it seems as if there was more to your reaction."

"As usual, you are quite correct. My reticence is not based so much on my… abilities, as on the source of them." She maintained a hopeful silence and he finally met her gaze. "I am half Krythian."

"I'm not familiar with that race."

"Fortunately, there are very few of us left."

She gave him a puzzled frown. "Why is that fortunate?"

"Because male Krythians are little more than savage animals."