Page 159 of Seven Oars

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The sweet tug of longing made a liar out of her, but she refused to let her thoughts travel down that path.

When Rosamma awoke the next morning, she found Phex sitting next to her. Signs of a serious beating were all over his face.

“Hello, stranger,” Rosamma murmured, examining his injuries.

She hadn’t seen him in such rough shape in a long time, and he hadn’t set foot in the Cargo Hold for as long.

“Hello,” he said.

“What happened?”

“What usually happens? I fought,” he said curtly, almost snarling.

His tone made Rosamma feel small and unworldly, the usual effect he had on her. She hoped her face didn’t show it.

“Who did you fight?”

Phex didn’t outwardly glance at her, but she felt like he was looking.“Esseh.”

Until he said that, she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath, waiting.

It had only been Esseh.

Relief, sharp and tumultuous, swept through her, making her feel guilty.

“Was Esseh upset because of your new piloting duties?” she asked Phex.

“I live and breathe, and it’s enough of a reason for him. He doesn’t trust me. I’m a threat.”

Rosamma sat up and began braiding her hair, giving in to her nervous habit.

“Well, you are.”

Phex flexed his fist. Something dark and cold emanated from him, something she struggled to name. Hatred? Yes, that too, but not as simple as that. It was mixed with desperation and resentment, making him volatile.

She quickly finished the braid and tied it off, but kept holding it in both hands.

“I have a shift coming up,” he said suddenly.“I need a boost.”

He extended his arm toward her.

Rosamma frowned.

Compared to what he had endured at the beginning, he was in a perfectly working condition.

“Is your shift with Esseh?” she asked, stalling for time.

“With Nud. You know he’s unpredictable.”

Nud was actually very predictable, but Rosamma got what he meant.

“We are going to work on the navigation system,” Phex added.

It boggled Rosamma’s mind a little to think of Nud as any kind of team player and problem-solver.

“What’s wrong with it?” she asked.

“It’s unreliable.”

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