Page 19 of The Price of Peace
I snorted at myself. Yeah, that was some agreement last night. But then there was the telepathy and the matching tattoos. I didn’t know what it all meant, but I intended to find out. And to do that, Xyrox had to be whole and exonerated.
The fatigue from the battle with the iceworms, hauling Xyrox’s big body, and all the emotional drama were catching up with me. Leaning back in the chair, I decided I would close my eyes for just a moment. A quick, ten-minute nap, and then I would explore this area for more clues about what was going on and how we might get off this frozen rock.
A kiss on the back of my neck startled me awake, and I flew out of the chair into a fighting stance. “Blasted suns!”
Xyrox laughed. “Easy there, Peace.”
Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, I threw my body around his like a Tyrovian howler monkey. “You’re alive! And you’re all better!”
He staggered under my weight, still laughing. “Yes. I feel quite refreshed. Now it’s your turn.”
“What do you mean? My turn?” I kissed his neck, his jaw, his cheek, his mouth.
“For you go in the magic machine there and get checked out.” Xyrox carried me to the MEDIC table.
“But I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.” I wiggled, trying to get down. “I don’t need healing.”
“It doesn’t hurt to get checked.” He gripped me tighter and nuzzled my neck. “Humor me, Peace.”
My name on his lips did me in. I huffed. “Fine. Put me on the cold metal thing.”
With another kiss to the top of my head, he laid me down and I stretched out. “Okay, Julie. Scan away.”
“As you wish, Peace Thorsdóttir.”
I wish she wouldn’t keep calling me that. I spoke directly to Xyrox’s mind as I disappeared into the tube and a machine began whirring around me.
A smile I could only call sweet played on Xyrox’s lips. “Just go with it for now. I’m sure there’s a reason. We’ll figure it out.
He kissed me on the forehead, and I slid into the tube. “Beginning scan.” Julie’s calm voice jolted me from our telepathic conversation.
“Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”
A few minutes later, I rolled off the table and stretched. I hated to admit it, but my fugitive turned ally was right. I did feel refreshed. “Thanks, Julie.”
“You are welcome, Peace Thorsdóttir. Please be advised that MEDIC healed several scars and cleared a Rykanosian parasite from your system. This was a new condition since your last scan, and so no long-term negative effects are expected. Your universal translation cochlear implant was also missing and was replaced.”
Xyrox cocked an eyebrow in my direction. “C’mon, Peace. You’ve obviously been scanned in one of these before. AI can’t lie. When was it?”
My brows slammed together. “I swear, I don’t know what it’s talking about. I’ve never seen this thing before.” Shooting him a disgusted look, I turned my back to search the room.
13
XYROX
Crossing my arms over my newly healed chest, I watched Peace turn her back and search the room. My brow bunched in confusion. What the fekk was going on here? I was normally an excellent judge of character, and I didn’t take Peace for a liar. I couldn’t. Everything in me screamed she was perfect, she was mine, and I needed to take care of her. That feeling didn’t leave room for doubt of her word.
But the AI said it had previously scanned her. It knew her name—her first name, anyway. Since Julie and the MEDIC machine was Pleiadian tech, this had to be related to Jökull looking for her, but I’d be blasted by a thousand suns if I could figure out how. I gathered my braids and fastened them with a scrap of fabric before heaving a deep breath and approaching Peace.
As I caught up with her, she was grumbling to herself and rummaging through metal drawers.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I believe you. You’ve got to admit it’s weird, right?” I felt her tense muscles loosen as I rested a hand between her shoulder blades.
“Very weird. But I have no idea how to explain it, and right now we need to figure out how to get off this rock.”
“Agreed.” My hand drifted down her back toward her spectacular ass seemingly of its own accord. She glanced at me over her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Her lips tipped up on one side in a smirk.
