Page 20 of Splintered Shadow
“Funky.” Such a ridiculous word.
“Curious?” She refilled the cup with water and drank, watching him over the brim.
He did not have the patience to play her games. “Does this owl have significance on your Earth?”
“Sure. There’s lots of folklore about owls. Generally, they’re symbols of wisdom.”
“Do they have the correct number of eyes?”
“What?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Just two. Like I said, my tattoo is funky.”
Interesting. Vekele was intrigued by her decision to modify the design but kept his thoughts to himself.
“Why do you want to know?” she asked.
“It is a funky design,” he replied in a dry tone.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, be all mysterious.”
He watched the female as she finished her meal, trying to determine if she was a spy. Other than the quips, she said nothing of substance.
A useful skill for a spy to possess.
However, her face betrayed her thoughts. She spoke before thinking. Vekele could not believe this female was anyone’s first choice as an operative.
He already knew she was a human from Earth, wherever that was. The genetic sample Harol took indicated a little-known primitive species on the fringe of the galaxy. Records were out of date, but the most recent information indicated that humans were nowhere near achieving interstellar flight.
How did this pretty human arrive on Arcos?
Perhaps she was on Arcos to cause chaos.
Vekele watched as she chased a bite-sized morsel around the plate with a fork. Finally, she picked it up with her fingers, then stabbed it with the utensil. She grinned in triumph.
Yes, chaos seemed to be in her skill set.
Her arrival days before the royal engagement and peace treaty could not be a coincidence.
Citizens of Reilen and Duras had traveled to Earth—wherever that was—yet they had no motive to disrupt Baris’ fragile peace.
The noble families who opposed Baris had every motive, but not the means. Vekele doubted that a single vessel in the royal fleet could make a significant journey out of the system. Maintaining trade within the kingdom and the far territories alone strained the resources of the aging Arcosian fleet.
The karu fluffed her feathers and clicked her beak. He sensed her frustration through their bond.
It did not matter how the female arrived on his planet. The only question was, what was he going to do with her?
Sarah
Sarah didn’t understand herself. This wasfirst contact. This was serious, yet here she was, sharing a meal with an elven prince—albeit a cranky one—and she kept cracking jokes. She needed to charm him and convince him to help her. Not… whatever this train wreck was.
She felt fragile, tension and anxiety winding tighter and tighter inside until she’d either explode into sobs or laughter. So smartass comments it was, for her mental wellbeing and keeping her shit together.
Prince Vekele made it easy. He had a face…okay, look; he was gorgeous. Weird, but gorgeous. All elves were. That was their thing. Dark hair hung forward. His lips pressed together cruelly—again, elf. Cruel seemed to be the default, according to certain fairy tales.
He thought he was so intimidating, and honestly? He was. His front eyes were a cloudy gray and reacted slowly to the light, giving him an air of intensity.
Someone cleaned her and tended her wounds. Someone put her in a soft bed with clean sheets, the cleanest thing in a dusty, disused house. Someone made her drink water when she drifted in and out of consciousness. She hadn’t been unconscious the entire time she was ill. She heard the concern in his voice when he spoke to the doctor. His words had been firm, even harsh, but his touch had only ever been gentle.
Prince Vekele could pretend to be a scary badass all he wanted. She knew.
