Book 4
Siha: Rise of Rakhana
Part II
Passing through the rachni ship, she seeks Tetonbaum physically. Careful not to disturb anyone, particularly the rachni handling the ship's technology, she probes for him, allowing her power to seek from the cloister of her mind and take the lead. Braith can sense him—and he senses her looking for him.
"Braith," she hears a voice coming from one of the convoluted arteries and crags of the ship's interior hidings, "…this way…"
She emerges to his sight, dropping head under a low-hanging arch, though the floor dips in a cup-shape that permits her easily to bypass a bump to her head…Tetonbaum shifts out of the pocket of thin durril webbing he rests on, his knee rebandaged…
His eyes release a glow, sapphires to their usual appearance to her, "…You are using your power to find me more often," he says, voice a soft, murmuring echo.
"I thought you were…" She can't come right out and say it exactly, "…I don't know how…" Her gray eyes narrow, "…You were in my head…A trick of yours, Tetonbaum?"
He stares at her, "…No," he cautiously ventures, stepping forward some more to close the gap between them, "…I do not know what you talk about…"
Braith crosses both arms behind her, the gloss of skinsuit picking up some soft yellow glow from the fluorescent materials lighting the ship's interior, and the definition of her body is apparent, nipples small circles raised limpid under the tight durril suit, "…Oh…then I'm sorry to disturb you, Tetonbaum," she turns to leave, but he detains her longer with his next question…
"Are you hearing voices," he asks, pausing her leave with an additional touch to her hand by his own.
Braith glances at his fingers moving from hers, as if flirting with danger…
"No…I only thought…Maybe your power…?" Her eyes look up questioningly.
He shakes his wavy crests and his green chin, "…I have not ever been able to speak through my power, into someone else's head," he hesitates a grin, "…Would be useful to speak to some…without others listening," his fingers clasp the taut material against his hip, seeking to hold onto something but falling free. "A peculiar thing happened," he sighs through his nose, reluctant to admit this, "…while I was escaping the quarry, after I had set the charge and it went off, nicking me," he gestures to his knee bandage, "…but killing the Silver in pursuit of me…I heard a voice, as though calling me in the darkness…I was lost, I admit, and I raced for it, hoping to escape in time and get to the surface with a prayer I was right to follow this…voice calling me…When I did emerge, I felt you…It was your power I felt, but it wasn't your power that helped me find my way through the dirt and rocks with my hands and…" He clasps his restless hand to his hip again, "…That sounds strange..." Braith peers at him queerly. "Perhaps I was frightened…"
"You fear nothing," Braith interrupts, her eyes determining, tone convincing, "…Not even him."
Tetonbaum falls into the ensuing silence with her…Alone as they are, he swiftly moves forward to wrap his elbow about her neck and lowering his crests, places his lips against hers.
A soft whiff of a breath of surprised air, caught in Braith's nose between them, is all that is heard as his body tightens to her form and his free hand lifts her by the curve of her derrière to force her stand on the ball of her foot.
Braith wrestles away from him, her heart beating faster, "…Why!" she hisses, "…Why do this—to all of us?!"
He holds his hands in front of him, under his chin, his sapphires closed off.
"…Forgive me, Braith…I miss her—"
"—But I'm not Kasumi!" She turns and storms down the cup-shape walkway of the passage through the ship, wiping her face with her hands as Tetonbaum stands alone under the quiet yellow glow come from the walls listening about him.