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“Ba Re’!” Quin snapped.

Ba Re’ rolled his eyes and looked away.

Jhan nudged Ba Re’s shoulder with his own.

Ba Re’ nudged him back without looking back toward them.

Quin sighed deeply trying to keep his temper in check. Sometimes the only way he did not lash out at Ba Re’ was to remind himself of the trauma Ba Re’ had been through and the miracle that he’d actually survived. It didn’t help that the one male he’d aligned himself with was Rokai. Rokai had his own sense of duty and it seemed so far that Ba Re’ had adopted the same outlook. “Does everyone understand their assignments and know where they go from here?” Quin finally asked.

A round of yeses and nods and affirmations went up around the room.

“Let’s get to it,” Quin said.

“I’m going to speak to Mirilla,” Eula said.

“You can try, but if I were she, I wouldn’t open the door,” Ba Re’ said.

“Ba Re’!” Quin snapped.

“What?” Ba Re’ asked.

Quin shook his head, willing the male to shut up.

Ba Re’ just shrugged and went back to pretending he didn’t have any idea of what was happening.

Chapter 24

Au'revele looked up when the door to Zahn’s room in the medical suite opened, and quickly rose to her feet.

He inclined his head in greeting. “I’ve come to see Zahn’s condition for myself, female.”

“Is anyone out there?” she called out, clearly calling for assistance while trying not to be so obvious.

Vor smiled to himself. He knew right away that the female was concerned that she didn’t know him and was worried for Zahn’s safety. “Zahn served under me as part of the Sirena’s guard until I resigned my position in order to follow my Ehlealah to her home planet.”

“You didn’t come with us from the ship, did you?” she asked.

“No, I did not. But many of us have arrived to assist Sire Zha Quin. I’ve volunteered to step into the position of Captain of our Sirena’s Guard until Zahn is recovered enough to resume his duties.”

“Did you call for assistance,” Au’revele?” a nurse asked, coming to stand right behind Vor.

“Yes, do you know this male?” Au’revele asked.

The nurse looked at him and shook her head. “Not personally, but I was advised that more that an entire battalion of warriors from Command Warship 1 has arrived. And the security outside allowed him entry.”

Au'revele nodded. “Thank you.”

The nurse smiled at her and walked away.

“I understand your mistrust. Here,” he said, taking his dagger out of its sheath and holding it out to her.

“I don’t…” she started to protest, but it was that exact moment that she noticed the Vor wore the same scars across his face that Zahn did. Vivian had told her that they’d received them when they tried to rescue her and she attacked them with the only weapon she could find, the very chain that kept her prisoner. “I don’t need that,” she said.

“Take it. If I do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, cut me.”

She tried to object again, but Vor simply waved her off and walked over to Zahn’s beside. He laid the dagger on Au’revele’s side of Zahn’s bed, then looked down at Zahn. “They surely caught him unaware. He was always one of our strongest and no doubt still is.”

“He wasn’t clothed properly; had no protective uniform on. He ran to assist when he heard me scream, and chased my attacker outside. He had no weapons in hand and still killed two of them. He injured more before he finally lost too much blood and lost consciousness.”

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