Auraladen and I have agreed that it's much healthier to exchange porn rather than chocolate at Easter. It's also a far better symbol of fertility and rebirth. She ordered whimpering Crais, with Aeryn. Here it is.
"I'm here for Talyn, nothing more."
Aeryn was angry. Aeryn was always angry, but this time she had a reason. She was stuck. Stuck on Talyn with only Crais. Crais was hard to read, and she didn't like hard to read.
"So am I"
Crais was also far from happy, Aeryn was a dangerous traitor, but now, so was he. But worse, her mere presence made everything difficult. She filled him to the point of distraction with thoughts and instincts that were not required.
"I wish I could believe that."
"As do I"
They stood side by side, tense, staring straight ahead, out the huge window of Talyn's main control deck. This couldn't last long, but it wasn't going to be easy.
Crais knew he was playing with fire, although he didn't know the phrase, when he rose from his bed, dressed and made his way to Aeryn's chosen quarters. He expected to be shot at, not hit. But for reasons unknown, he was willing to risk both. Rounding the doorway he saw Aeryn, aiming a pulse pistol at his face. He was not surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
"I merely wished to speak to you."
She lowered the pistol.
"Why?"
"I have a question…" He said, quite brightly, as if sneaking into a female officer's quarters in the middle of the night was routine.
"Go on" she said cautiously
"What have you learned from the human?"
"Nothing, what could I learn from the human?"
"I have heard he has… Talents." said Crais, walking over slowly and perching as politely as possible on the end of her bed "He understands the mind in a more intimate way. I wish to learn."
"He can't help you with Talyn. If you're going to pilot him yourself, you'll need to understand him yourself. The human can't help you."
"What about you? He understands you. Perhaps I wash to do the same."
"We're not talking about me" She said patiently
"I am"
"I know what you want. You don't want to understand, you just want"
He looked directly at her for the first time and growled "I do"
They stared at each other in a stalemate for a moment before Aeryn pounced, bowling him over onto his back, straddling him and holding his arms flat on the bed, above his head.
"Is this what you want?"
"Aeryn…"
"Yes or no?"
"Yes"
"Good"
To be continued...
