That seemed like more and more of an impossibility at this point.
"How is she?" Braen snarled to Alona.
Having the android there grated on his nerves. The Chali were treacherous to the bone and seeing one of their creations lay a hand on Naima had sent a blinding bloodlust through Braen's veins. If Alona had any blood to spill, he would have likely spilled it already.
Only the android appeared to be – if that was possible – concerned for Naima. And Braen couldn't deny that whatever it was doing was helping. Alona had laid its metallic palms on Naima's skin and the coldness that had surrounded the little Terran was visibly retreating.
When he'd burst into the room, for a second Braen hadn't recognized her. She looked as white as Alona, his gesha's skin covered in ice fractals and frost. Her lips had been even paler and when Naima opened her mouth, her breath misted. The bathroom had become an ice cave around her, of which she seemed to be a permanent fixture.#p#分页标题#e#
It was the Fearless. Braen had no doubt about that. Both Audrey Price and Naima had said without a shadow of a doubt that the monster was on a very cold world, which matched the region they were headed to.
In that first second of seeing Naima wrapped in a blanket, cold as ice, Braen had had trouble hearing her breathe. With Brion senses, that was almost impossible.
All of that meant he was ready to tolerate Alona’s presence for the time being.
The android looked at him, hesitating. Braen noticed Alona didn’t dare to take its hands away yet.
Then it spoke, in clear, pure Brionese.
"She is alive," Alona said.
Her accent was as perfect as it was possible to be for an artificial construct that couldn’t really emote. Despite himself, Braen was impressed. Among weaknesses the Brions didn’t have, underestimating the enemy was one of them. He loathed the Chali with all his being, but Braen couldn’t deny their accomplishments were incredible.
In the ever-morphing Brionese, Alona pronounced alive as functioning, working.
Braen frowned.
"Your Brionese is impressive," he growled at the android, speaking the pure form of his language so that Naima wouldn’t understand. "Did you say that on purpose? She works. Does that mean living for you or do you mean that she merely exists?"
Weakly, Naima turned her head in the direction of his voice. Braen felt the painful grip of guilt around his heart for not being upfront with her, but the times were perilous. If not knowing everything helped Naima…
Alona nodded appreciatively.
"The other, General,” the android said. “She is breathing, she lives. But there is something wrong. I believe I will get her body temperature to normalize I don’t think that’s the problem."
It can’t be trusted, was Braen’s first thought.
Before he found Naima, that would have been the general’s only reaction. Only in that moment, watching as color returned to Naima’s cheeks and lips, Braen pushed his prejudices aside.
He was a Brion. If Alona proved to be a threat, he’d deal with it. For now, she seemed to be helping. That gave her some worth, as hard as that was to admit.
"You’re correct," Braen said reluctantly, reminding himself that he was doing it for Naima’s safety.
Sinetha was his enemy, the general had no doubt about that. Yet the android’s mistress had been right about one thing. Alona possessed qualities he didn’t have.
"The Fearless has a link to her. It can get in her mind," he said. "The device on Naima’s wrist is supposed to keep it away, but apparently that’s no longer enough. The coldness comes from the world the Fearless is on."
Alona listened to him quietly, without any visible emotion.
"I see," it said then. "In that case, I believe going to Laveden is a good idea."
"Can you keep her warm until then?" Braen asked.
"Yes, General," Alona replied. "I will keep an eye on the bracelet too. The Fearless has no connection to me and I can’t be tampered with in the same way. Clearly having it on is helping, but not as much as it should. I will make certain it remains on."
That was true. The only problem for Braen was that it was convenient. Alona was able to provide amazing protection for Naima, but the android’s suitability for the task bothered a tactical mind like his.
The question arose in his mind, unbidden and wholly unwelcome.
Had Sinetha known or guessed Braen could actually use her android? Actually need her?
"Very well," Braen said out loud. "As for right now, I want you to stabilize her condition and leave us. With me, Miss Jones will be safe."
The android’s gray eyes turned to regard him.
"As you wish, General," Alona said. "When you need me, I will return."
Braen gave a curt nod and turned on his heel, beckoning Kerven to come with him. They walked a few short corridors away.
The valor squares on Braen’s neck began broadcasting white noise in Alona’s direction, hiding the warriors’ voices from the android’s audio receptors.
The general gave Kerven a serious look.
"I commend your quick actions," Braen said, his deep voice heavy with emotion. "It is possible you saved my gesha’s life. I do not forget service like that."
"Thank you, General," Kerven said, quietly and reverently. "I was only doing my duty."
"Even so," Braen replied. "You will continue to guard Naima. I have a strong suspicion the traders didn’t send the android without considering its use. I did not want them to be involved, but now that the android is here, we will make use of it. Naima’s safety is your first priority. Let her go and do as she pleases. If she requests or needs Alona’s presence while I’m not nearby, allow it.#p#分页标题#e#
“Only one thing. Never leave her alone with Alona."
"Yes, General," Kerven said at once, saluting. "I will guard Miss Jones with my life."
Braen nodded. He read no hesitation or protest from Kerven’s valor squares. That was good. The warrior was prepared to do his duty no matter what the cost.
It was the Brion way.
The only way he could trust at the moment.
Watching Naima open her eyes without the shadow of pain in them as he strode into her room was one of the most beautiful things Braen had seen.
Alona had done as promised and while Naima still shivered, her temperature had returned to normal. There was color in her face again. The fact Naima smiled at him was the most precious to Braen.
She was sitting upright on her bed, the blanket wrapped around her legs. There was a portable tablet in Naima’s hands. It seemed he’d caught her reading.
"How are you feeling?" Braen asked, the softness in his voice unfamiliar to hear.
"Better," Naima said with a tired smile. "Much better. Although I could have done without the whole ordeal."
Braen came closer, unsheathing the battle spear and resting it against the wall. He sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch her.
Naima seemed to notice and approve, even if a spark of regret shone in her eyes for a moment. She didn't say anything at first, appearing to wait for him to say something.
Then her bright green eyes flashed and the sharpness in there spoke of a wild spirit. Braen couldn’t wait to tame it, make it belong to him and him alone as he was Naima’s, forever. Making her understand that he could give her as much as she could give him appeared to be the problem here, from what Braen could deduce. Considering the incident, he had to reluctantly admit that she may have had a point.
He hadn’t been able to protect her. That would stay with him for a long time.
"Now," Naima said and the iciness in her voice matched the coldness of her skin. "Tell me what Alona said about me. Back when you spoke real Brionese. Just because I couldn’t speak doesn’t mean I didn’t hear. I would like a translation now."
"We discussed your condition," Braen replied. "The android suspected there was something that affected you. I confirmed it."
"And? Is that it?" Naima asked coolly, the glare in her eyes telling Braen that perhaps he’d said more with his body language than he’d intended.
"The Palians suggested that it was wiser if you didn’t think about the Fearless too much. It is over for now. You can rest and relax."
Naima pulled back from him, the terrible look of disappointment in her eyes painful to see.
"It’s not over," she said slowly. "The presence stayed, somehow. I am still cold. There is no ignoring it. The worst thing you can do is keep me in the dark. The Fearless is already fucking with my mind, don’t start lying to me on top of that."
Braen hesitated.
"I can’t lie to you," he finally said. "Not to my gesha. There isn’t much more to tell. Alona will be keeping an eye on you until the Palians fix the bracelet."
Now it was Naima’s turn to look uncertain.
"The sooner the better," she said then. "Though I don’t think there’s any fixing the bracelet in this case… General, the attack wasn’t meant for me. The Fearless didn’t want to hurt me. It wanted to see who it was up against and it did. There wasn’t much I could do, but I got the sense that it was still developing. I think it’s adjusting its form to fight you better."