Warriors' Providence (Cadi Warriors Book 2)(22)

Providence seemed nervous to be alone with them. He couldn't blame her. This was a frightening new situation, and she'd already suffered more than anyone, let alone a female should.

Providence gave him a small nod and Dagaa couldn't help but grin.

Madhava also followed as they traveled to the control room. In the past he would have tended to business leaving Dagaa to deal with the females that crossed their path, but not today. Dagaa smiled at his friend. This was good thing, Madhava needed to loosen up a bit.

"The same people that took Giselle, took Providence, but this time the Jurou Biljana broke into the ship to get to her. She defended her kind and killed two of the reptilians. Then they tortured her because of it." Madhava growled.

Dagaa gestured Providence to a seat in front of the control console, then he and Madhava sat on either side of her.

Dagaa couldn't imagine such a small thing being tortured. That must have been what Madhava meant when he spoke encouraging words to Providence as they entered the ship. Dagaa agreed. If he had anything to do with it, no one would lay a finger on her in malice ever again.

Providence was nervous enough. Perhaps asking her to rehash the recent past wasn't a good idea.

"Well thanks for the succinct report, you grim bastard, but I was hoping to hear about Providence, in her own words, and not about this mess." Dagaa gestured to the reptile's former vessel as he maneuvered it up to about a thousand feet and aimed for home.

Madhava shrugged. He reported things just like a soldier, short, sweet, and to the point.

"See what I deal with." Dagaa lamented as he shook his head.

"Hey don't act like Ismat is going to give you some sort of special martyr status for putting up with me." Madhava looked serious, and then he cracked a smile at Providence as he leaned into her. "Besides the monk already awarded me that prize for dealing with him."

Providence smiled at the jest, looking more relaxed, her brow no longer furrowed. It was a good thing.

"So you were saying." Dagaa encouraged her to speak.

"Well that's pretty much what happened, in a nut shell." Providence said.

"Wait a second all this happened in the shell of a nut. I thought you were on this vessel." Dagaa said looking confused.

"No it's a figure of speech." Providence explained.

Dagaa cast her a wide grin.

"Oh you were teasing me." The redhead smiled unrestrained, the lingering nervousness dropping from her expression entirely.

Providence was lovely when she smiled. It lit up her green eyes making them twinkle. Dagaa liked the sight. She shouldn't ever have reason to frown.

"Don't encourage him." Madhava rolled his eyes at Dagaa as he looked at the ceiling. "The warrior thinks he's funny."

"I'm hilarious. You just don't have a sense of humor." Dagaa said. "That's why I call him a grim bastard."

"Tell me Providence how hilarious is it to tie another male's tail to the center support of their tent and then yell fire?" Madhava asked.

"You looked pretty amusing when the tent collapsed as you raced out." Dagaa countered. "Plus you got me back by putting the bane root in my wash water. I itched for a whole week."

"You two do nothing but antagonize each other, huh?" Providence asked.

She looked back and forth between them, a stunning grin on her lovely face. The acrid scent of fear that clung to her, to varying degrees, since Dagaa had found her huddled in the cell, dropped away, easing his own nerves.

Dagaa was glad they'd distracted her from the awful things that happened to her on this ship. If he had known what those bastards had done before they took off, they wouldn't have lived to see their home. And he and Madhava would have enjoyed the task.

"Well we gotta do something since we're not fighting anymore." Dagaa replied.

"We still spar, and I kick his tail." Madhava boasted.

"Is that so?" Providence asked.

"Don't fill her head with lies. I knock you on your tail too." Dagaa added. "So tell me Providence, what did you do on Earth?"

"Well you heard I was part of the military. I was trained to rescue people. My crew would fly into an area and either land to assist or parachute out of the plane."

"What is a parachute?" Dagaa asked since the word didn't translate.

"It's a thing that opens up to slow your fall after you jump out of the flying vessel."

"You did this?" Dagaa asked in awe.

Providence nodded.

"What happened if the parachute failed?" Madhava asked looking horrified.

"If no one latched onto you mid-air, you hit the ground and either died or wished you died." Providence said seriously. "One of the guys in my squad got tangled up in his chute. Thankfully I was close enough I was able to swoop in and grab him before it was too late."