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TWELVE

AFTRAN

I had to answer. It was expected.

"Wow," I said to Nilset, smiling. "That's…" I didn't elaborate. Everyone present seemed to infer this as a positive response.

There was absolutely nothing positive that Cassie would have said about this. I did not need her furious with me; I needed her providing the bulwark that would keep me alive.

I stayed silent, waited for Nilset to turn away before cutting my eyes to the side. My host's mother had a smile that was practiced and bright, her eyes shrewd and sharp. She, at least, was less taken in.

She was my path to getting Nilset out for tonight.

I gave her the tired, pleading look Cassie used when she desperately wanted to get out of something. Hoped it would work.

"Melanie?"

Nilset turned.

"Thanks so much for putting the work in for this offer, it really is kind. I need to talk with my husband, so if you could excuse us a moment?"

He walked over. They spoke by the double doors in low voices.

"Do you like working with animals?" Nilset asked me. I looked back at her. She watched me with sharp eyes.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I want to be a veterinarian." Cassie did. "My dad is teaching me early." It was impressive. Most human children did not have specialized expertise so young.

"Your dad told me about how hard you work," she said, smiling. "He says you do a lot. Medications, splints, wound care, triage, even helping with surgery!"

I didn't freeze. I didn't let myself startle, or gasp. I gave no outward sign of the terror that shot through me. I'm not a complete failure; I do know how to control my reactions.

I did my best to manage the fear; in this case the Empire hadn't simply gone for abduction and damn the risks. If they were sure Cassie was the one who had helped me, there would be no warning. The whole family would've already been taken by force— and I'd be managing a distraught host while looking for the best place to morph and escape without giving away her abilities.

I nodded again, knowing I had to speak. Had to play this smart, subtle.

"It's a lot of work," I said. "It's just dad here at the clinic, mom has her hands full with her work at The Gardens. So I try to pitch in as much as I can." All true.

"Cassie, you're so responsible!" Nilset's voice was layered with admiration and pride. I was jealous of the skill that took. "You know," she said, "the organization I work for, The Sharing, we're having a special get-together over in Oxnard this weekend. You and your parents should come by and check it out!" She smiled winningly. "I could introduce you around to some of our leadership."

Yes, she certainly could.

I did not press my lips together in mirth. I did not desperately laugh. The irony was ridiculous. A part of me relaxed, despite the danger.

This was much more manageable than what I'd feared; this meant that all of the Empire's interest was suspicion about my host, at best wary concern. Cassie's involvement with Karen was only a possibility. No one was sure of anything.

This situation was still salvageable.

"Cassie?" Her mother. "We're getting dinner started soon. You should go get cleaned up."

"Okay." I said, relieved. I turned to Nilset. "It was nice to meet you!" It was not.

"Melanie? Would you like to join us for dinner?"

I did freeze then, briefly. It was lucky she was facing away from me, towards my host's parents. If Nilset accepted I was feigning illness despite the chance it created suspicion. I was not prepared to spend that much time pretending to be human around her.

"Oh, no, I'm busy all evening. Thank you, though!" Nilset said. "Let me get out of your way, I'll come by Sunday afternoon to talk more about the details?"

The Empire was going that far? Why not simply engineer a reason to get Cassie and her parents to one of the Sharing buildings to infest them all? Why bother with this ruse?

I watched my former commander exchange pleasantries. Shook her hand. Trailed my eyes after her to the truck outside, followed the truck in my gaze until she turned out onto the dirt road at the end of the hard-packed driveway.

I didn't take a full breath until she was gone. Then, I turned to my host.

«Cassie.»

She was far down, drifting. No real thoughts. Not truly present. There was no response, not even a slight acknowledgement I'd called out to her.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

I escaped to the house to clean up, worried.

Dinner was awkward.

I deflected all attempts to talk about the proposal, sure Cassie would want to handle that herself. She was adamant that anything with her family and parents was hers. Antagonizing her on this would only set her against me.

And… I found myself more aware than usual of how intrusive it was to keep the pretense. How much she'd find it violating. I didn't like it; that shouldn't have bothered me.

It did.

"Are you okay, Cassie? You look like you're getting tired." Her mother, across the table as we finished up.

I took the opportunity for escape. Smiled. Nodded. Pushed back my plate. "Yeah. I'm gonna head to bed early. Night."

I got up, made my exit. Left the kitchen and walked upstairs.

«Cassie.»

… Nothing.

«This isn't the worst outcome. You may be able to convince your parents to say no. I may be able to convince Nilset that there's nothing here to find. This isn't defeat. Not necessarily.»

Nothing.

«Cassie, please.»

… Nothing.

Not ideal; a confrontation was coming. Soon. It should've happened already.

The likelihood that it would be at or just after my pool acquisition was high— I had no faith that the spirit of my forced bargain would be honored. The chee would find a way to cheat.

I needed Cassie responsive enough to shield me. It was already too late to go back to the Empire. Possibly too late even if I somehow delivered the other five of them to my nearest ranking Visser stunned and trussed, despite what I'd promised to my host.

I was committed to this madness, and that meant I had to survive it.

I turned out the light. Watched the house to go dark and quiet. Tried to ignore when hunger started. Planned my survival as the hours passed.

After midnight I followed the same route as before. Squirrel. Cornfield. Skunk. Forest. Owl. Sky. It was tiring and irritating to morph three times to leave, but I trusted nothing. Cassie's teammates were no longer the only danger I was potentially avoiding. The Empire could make starvation last weeks.

The sky was empty. I flew alone.

Half an hour later I landed in Erek's backyard. The chee had the sliding back door open by the time I was human again.

I briefly felt Cassie stir, felt her acknowledge that we had moved location, then drift back down again. Silent.

«Cassie? Cassie. Cassie. »

… Nothing.

I snarled wordlessly. «Cassie, now is not the time!»

There was nothing I could do; anything that might jolt her out of this would be… harsh . She wouldn't take it well.

Erek gazed at me silently from the open door of the house. I started walking forward.

"Erek." I said quietly when I was near. No need to be impolite, I had what I wanted. I could be gracious.

His projected eyes tracked me. "Aftran 942" He murmured as I walked past him, musingly, barely audible.

I took a startled breath. I didn't pause, I wouldn't give him that satisfaction, too. I continued inside the house and tried to think through my flooding panic.

He knew who I was. He knew I was alive. That's what he was saying to me; he now possessed a resource he could use to put me in danger. The Empire could suddenly find out that I was still around. He could use several routes circuitous enough to keep him from being at fault.

I looked at him. Nodded slightly. He nodded back, expression hard. No difficulty translating there: the message was clear.

This current deal was the only one I was getting. I should thank my luck he was not retaliating for my manipulation already . If I pushed this…

Best to take the warning seriously.