“Feeling sorry for myself,” I said, forcing a smile. My hands shook, so I clenched them at my sides, not meeting his gaze directly. “Why? Do you want to kick my ass again?”
He smiled wanly, but his eyes didn’t leave my face. “You all right?”
“I’m fine, Eli. What’s up?”
“Orders.” He hesitated, then glanced at the bed, as if he couldn’t help himself. “...To hear tell it, your other half will be out for awhile. I’m supposed to keep you company until he gets back. You know, keep you from being too bored...” Trailing, he watched me rub my temples. “Allie-bird? Seriously. You don’t look so good.”
I flinched a little at the nickname, but didn’t answer.
My mother had called me that.
Still casting around for something to keep me focused on the room, I tried to hold a normal expression as Eliah sat down on the bed. When the pause went on too long, I forced myself to look at him.
Unlike me, he’d changed out of the sparring gear.
I’d never really seen him in street clothes before, not apart from glimpses through the door when he guarded our stateroom. He had two different-colored eyes, one nearly black, the other blue, yet with his hair combed back and the blue sweater he wore, the combination worked well with his square jaw and salt-and-pepper hair. Sitting casually on the end of the bed, hands clasped between the knees of his dark-brown slacks, he looked like a cologne ad, or maybe a television spot for high-end coffee. What was it with these seers, that all of them were good-looking? The men all looked like GQ models.
Eliah had the air of a man who’d never bother with a midlife crisis. He’d be too busy scuba diving the Norwegian fjords or tackling K2.
He smiled faintly. “Cheers, love. Although the ‘midlife’ crack stings a bit.”
Hesitating, I decided the normal thing to do would be to sit. I let my weight sink into the plush armchair across from him.
“So what now?” I said. “You’re on babysitting duty, is that it?”
“I suppose so, yes.” He continued to study my eyes. “That all right with you, love?”
I shrugged, keeping my voice studiously casual. “Sure. Whatever. Not sure why it’s necessary, though. It’s not like this is the first time Revik’s gone on walkabout.”
Eliah flushed a little.
I couldn’t help but notice him glancing at the bed again.
“Yeah, well.” He gestured vaguely. “I guess Chan was worried you might overreact this time. She doesn’t want anything happening. Not with a ship full of human witnesses.”
“Overreact?” I stared at him. “Meaning what, exactly?”
He gave me a shrewder look. “You know where he went, don’t you, love?”
I hesitated, wanting to ask, then didn’t.
“It’s none of my business,” I said after a pause. “If he wanted me to know where he was, he would have told me.” Averting my gaze, I busied myself examining a bruise on my arm. When the silence grew awkward, I bit my lip, then spoke up again. “You want to play chess or something? I need a shower, but then we could play. I could stand to eat, too. Have you had any dinner?”
“I want to ask you something, first,” he said.
I felt myself stiffen. “Okay.”
He smiled. “Don’t say yes too quick, love. It might offend you.”
I nodded, massaging my arm. “Seems to be my day for that kind of thing.”
He laughed. When I didn’t say anything more, he made a vague gesture towards my body.
“All right,” he said. “You and the walking corpse. What’s going on?”
I raised my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“I hear his first wife strayed. Is he feeling bitter...testing you, perhaps?”
There was a silence. I fought with how I might laugh off his words, or just avoid the question without it seeming too obvious or defensive.
Then I realized the silence had stretched too long already.
Regaining my feet, I made my way to the bathroom. Eliah got up to follow.
“Allie...wait.”
“It’s fine. I just really need a shower,” I said. “If you want to order food, go for it...or you can leave, honestly. Unless Chan says you really have to stay.”
“Allie...”
I shut the door on him, not quite in his face, but close enough that I felt him flinch through the wood. I had to ignore that too. I would have to think of some way to talk through what I’d just done, but for now, I just wanted to get my mind on straight again. As I tugged the stretchy tee I wore over my head, bending over the tub, I heard him lean against the door.
“...Didn’t want to ask it, love,” he said, his words slightly muffled. “...but I’ve been hearing things. You know. Small ship...even smaller construct.”