Page 17 of Bonded

I could feel the rush of energy from Ruzan, but I kept him in check. “Wait for her to invite us,” I whispered to him.

“Okay,” was all he said.

Our little soul beamed in a heart stuttering smile, and started laughing.

“Well, she has your sense of humor,” I said.

“Won’t you come in?” Priya said.

VRYEK

She looked at us each and how I wish I knew what was going on behind those beautiful eyes of hers. They looked like the rest of her, quick and intelligent. It was as if she was trying to figure out who we were and where we sat in her world.

Her voice was husky and low, and it was already sending shivers down my spine. She affected Ruzan in the same way. It was in the way the link embedded in my neck buzzed, similar to my own, yet different. It was a warm prickling sensation rather than a cool trickle.

We were both eager to have her, but she knew nothing about us or our ways, and there was nothing I would do to intimidate her.

“So, the ship has been telling me really interesting stories,” she said

“Only half of them are true,” Ruzan said.

She smiled. “Well, what she told me also had some video accompaniment to it, so…” She gave a kind of shrug that meant nothing and everything.

It was almost as if she was actually comfortable being in our presence. And if that were the case, then I would think that this was a mighty great turn of luck.

“We hope we didn’t scare you before. I mean you were scared as you were running away, but I meant we hope you are no longer scared—” Ruzan stammered.

He stopped when she raised her hand. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry for running away. I didn’t mean to startle you. Or scare you.”

She was barely tall enough to reach my neck. Seated, she was barely up to my knee. She was soft and curvy and unprotected. And yet she was concerned about scaring us.

“You did nothing wrong. We were the clumsy ones. I should never have left your side.”

“That is exactly what I think I want to ask. I don’t know how long I will be here, and I want to understand and not feel scared any longer. This ship offered me something, and I wanted to take it, but I didn’t want to do so unless I got your permission. I wanted to make sure that being linked with me is something you both accept.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Here we were thinking we would have to convince her to at least link with us to know how we might be together, and here she was askingusfor permission to do just that.

Ruzan barely let her finish when he said, “Of course we want you to link with us.”

He was nearly giddy. I tried for a calm tone, even though my pulse quickened as I spoke. “Sharing a link with you and the ship was something that we were going to offer you in order for you to better understand us and hopefully help you adjust.”

Her smile warmed me better than the midday sun. It was like drinking the spiced ale of my youth, surrounded by family and laughter. Home, that was it. She made me feel like I had just returned home, and for it, I would cherish her forever.

“So, it’s agreed then,” Priya said. “I’m happy that we could come to such an arrangement. Are you sure it won’t be an imposition? The ship said that a lot of times things like private feelings might not be so private any longer when we link. We can update that as needed, though, right?”

Her sentence seemed like a statement, though there was a subtle question in there that I could not quite interpret.

Ruzan trumpeted out his response like a battle charge. “I want you to know what I think or feel always.”

I stared at him with a meaningful gesture to tell him to calm down just a little.

“If there is ever a point where you need more privacy,” I said more cautiously, “I know there are safeguards that the ship can put in place to filter thought so they are not so overwhelming. For example, if you prefer an open channel to the ship, and not necessarily to one or the other of us, I can show you.”

Ruzan was about to say something, but I cut him off with a look. Now was not the time to argue in front of her or overwhelm her with extraneous knowledge.

“Well, okay, then I guess that settles it,” Priya said. “Oh, and where are my manners?” She stood up and offered her hand. “My name is Priya. As you can tell, I am human. I was born in one of the IR colonies. My parents emigrated from Earth, but I have never been.”

Her hand was so small and delicate in mine, I didn’t want to put too much pressure on it. “I am Vryek, the ship’s mind. I am from Rakoth, of the priest caste.” There were more titles, but she did not need to know all that yet. She would have access to all that information and more when we link.

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