Several unit hours flew by as they talked. Torin carefully
shared what information he deemed appropriate with Laken. Once he became a
mercenary, there were some things Laken did not need to know.
Laken didn’t have quite
the same restraint. He freely spoke about Malk and Kia, his younghood home on
Aploi, his apartment at the royal palace on Tah’Nar, and his job. It shocked
Torin how free Laken was with personal information. Surely someone had told him
that wasn’t wise.
“So you design custom
clothing? Even though reduplicators can make anything?” Torin asked, They were still sitting at the table where they’d eaten. There
wasn’t much room in the medical suite.
“Reduplicators can only
reproduce what has been programed into them and only when patent permission has
been granted. They can’t replicate my designs. I own the design patent on my
clothing and haven’t given any government permission to reproduce my designs.
If anyone wants a Fihk original, they have to come to my shop.”
“Fihk?”
“My last name,
remember? My shop is on Tah’Nar, not far from the palace, and—” Laken’s comm
beeped, and he glanced down at his wrist. Blood drained from his face as he
read the message on his comm. “Shit.” Laken jumped to his feet. “Oh shit.”
Tension invaded Torin’s
body, and he stood also. “What? What’s wrong?”
“The jig is up!”
“What?” Torin had a
universal translator, pretty much every species who traveled in space did, but
what it translated made absolutely no sense. “I don’t—where’s the threat? There
is a threat, yes? Do you have weapons?” Torin spun toward the door. Only one
way in and one way out. “Does this reduplicator have the ability to make
weapons?”
Laken shook his head,
his bells chiming erratically. “Wait, wait, okay, yeah, no. There is no threat,
per se.”
Torin frowned. That
first sentence made absolutely no sense.
“Really, there isn’t,
and no, this reduplicator has restrictions, so can’t make weapons. There is no
need for weapons. I just—Neo sent a message that word has gotten out about you.
And apparently Kia and my dabba have found out that, um, that I’ve been
staying in your room, and that, um—” Laken’s jaw clenched. “That I threatened
Raiden over you because he was being an ass… and that I called you my mate.”
Warmth spread through
Torin at Laken actually saying that word. “And?”
“And Kia and Malk are
on their way here, and my dabba isn’t happy.”
“Not trying to discount
the seriousness of that, but you are of age, yes?” Stars above, Torin did not
involve himself with the underaged.
“Don’t be ridiculous,”
Laken snapped. “Of course I am, but that doesn’t change the fact they’re upset,
which is my fault because Neo did warn me to tell them before they heard it through
the grapevine, and I didn’t listen, and—”
Torin moved closer and rubbed
his hand up and down Laken’s back. “Breathe.”
A slightly hysterical
giggle escaped Laken. “Breathe, he says. Well, guess what? Queen Dossi is also
on her way here according to Neo. She apparently wants to speak to you. Grand Lady
Impur is with her.”
“What?” Okay, the upset
parental units he expected. The Ne Reynian queen wanting to see him? That he
hadn’t expected. Why in the stars would she want to see him? “But, but… why?”
“Breathe.” Laken
smirked.
