Page 7 of Fire Forged

Lady Olivia fake-scolded, “Spoiling her already?”

He jerked back to glance at her.“How so?”

“As orphans, they’re not used to lots of anything and the best of everything.”

“She will have two bedrooms: one here in my quarters on Issneen and another on whatever battleship I serve.”

Lady Olivia gazed at the garden, her attention on the otherdamu.“Well, she’ll be loved, cared for, and happy.”

Lily lugged her bag over.

Nerx scooped her off the ground, snatching her bag with his other hand.Her cheeks were a brilliant pink like their oceans, and her blue eyes sparkled.

“Thank you,” he said, daring a glance at Lady Olivia.A lump formed at the back of his throat and moisture stung his eyes.He hadn’t cried since…

He pinched his lips and left.

Lily twisted to better see where they were going.She didn’t say anything, but her grip and release of his forearm revealed her nervousness.

On impulse, he veered left, taking her to the food hall.What was he thinking?That she would fit in his quarters?The single room in the barracks wasn’t big enough for two.He would have to requisition something larger.

Wincing at having to message Adviser Kanzo over this, he rolled his shoulders back in determination.Kanzo would expect to be the first point of contact, especially since he’d brought thedamuto Etteria.

“What do you feel like, Lily?”Nerx asked when he halted in front of the rehydrator.The kitchen staff had mastered a few Earthian…human meals, but he doubted they could cater to a child.

“A strawberry milkshake and a…hotdog?”She peeked at him as if she asked for too much.

“Just one?”he teased around another lump in his throat.Anger stiffened his body.Her presence didn’t impact the void’s expansion, still he couldn’t afford to relax his guard.

She beamed, squeezing his forearms as she leaned over to better see the foods.“Pizza?”

He laughed.“If you want.”

He hadn’t been hungry, but when the pizza, hotdog, and milkshake materialized, he realized she’d share.A deep well of compassion ran through Lily, something he adored about her.Since meeting her aboard the battleshipKushin, she’d been by his side whenever they were in the same location.

Days into their return journey to Etteria, she’d asked for an O.D.I.which they didn’t implant indamuuntil their tenth birthyear.He’d taken a step back to assess why she wanted one.‘To talk to you, Captain,’ was what she’d said.So he’d moved his quarters closer to hers.Within days, she’d learned the route to there and the comm.Somehow, she’d sneaked past their security.He’d set up a playing area for her and anydamushe dragged with.It had become a common enough occurrence that he’d fired off quick messages to Lady Olivia; ‘She is with me.’He hadn’t wanted the woman to panic like the first time Lily snuck out.

Kanzo’s response was immediate—an officer’s quarters assigned to Nerx.He’d declined such when he’d been promoted to sub-commander, having not needed more space.He was, first and foremost, a warrior, regardless of his rank.Now, with Lily as his daughter, she’d appreciate having her own room.

“Do you…like living here, Lily?”he asked as she slumped over her milkshake.

She shoved it at him then bit into her hotdog.“I’m not scared of Uncle Kanzo anymore.”She raised her gaze at the many males in the hall.

“Are you scared of me?”

She shook her head, her mouth full.“You my daddy,” she said around mashed pizza.Darkness flicked across her eyes.“Not like Bad Daddy.”

“Yes.”He gritted his teeth.The next time he was on Earth, he had a personal task to attend to.

He glanced at the circular scars on Lily’s arms.The med-E.D.would remove those, but doing so without her permission wasn’t the Etterian way.Still, he’d have a medic check her.All thedamuhad undergone medical examinations upon arrival in Issneen.As her father, he wanted to be certain all was well with his…daughter.

“Ready?”he asked Lily, who’d taken a bite of every remaining slice of pizza and now bounced and fidgeted in her seat.

“Ah-ha,” she said, snatched up her bag and danced around the table to slip her hand in his.“Up?”

He lifted and carried her to their new home.As soon as he stepped into their quarters, he lowered her to her feet.Comfys sat center stage, beyond that against the far wall were the rehydrator and replicator embedded a Fuyra stone counter.To the right was the door to his bedroom.

“What do you think?Where do you want your bedroom?Maybe your own cleansing room?”

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