Page 41 of Alien's Luck
“Forgive me if this is an ignorant question, but when you say stone form, do you mean actual stone? Did he die from the impact, or did he, umm, shatter?” Carla pictured a gargoyletumbling from a roof, breaking on the ground, like a scene from a cheesy mystery show. The image did not match Ari’s serious tone.
“Our stone forms are versatile. We can resist damage, but if we sleep in the form, we can heal our wounds. Elders sometimes choose this as a way to extend their life or slow disease, such as my sire’s case,” Ari said, his voice cold. The charm had vanished, leaving behind anger. “He was already dying. He slept, oblivious to the world and a malicious child.”
Carla shivered. The sleeveless dress was perfect for the crowded, overheated casino but less than ideal for a cool night on the water.
“You are cold,” Ari said. His wings came forward, folding over them both like a blanket.
“Thanks.” She felt warmer already.
She twisted in place, trying to get a closer look at the wing. Leathery membranes stretched between joints, like a bat wing. One hung lower than the other, as if disjointed. He landed pretty hard. Was it broken?
“Remain still,” Ari grumbled.
Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and touch the drooping wing, but she restrained herself. Instead, she said, “Your wing doesn’t look too good.”
“It is fine,” he replied, being all stoic even though that had to hurt.
“You don’t sound like it’s fine.” If her shoulder were disjointed like that, she’d be howling.
“It is an old injury. I broke my wing as a child, and it never healed properly.”
“Really? Your people have spaceships. You can’t treat broken bones?”
His body tensed. For a moment, Carla felt as if he would toss her off his lap and into the water below.
“Sorry. None of my business,” she said quickly.
“We can treat broken bones. My father chose not to seek medical care for me because he had already spent a fortune on my mother’s medical treatment.” He spoke in a vulnerable tone.
Warm affection washed over her, touched that he would share a painful piece of his history with her. “He sucks. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“It was a long time ago. Mostly, I do not notice. Rest will help.”
She had to trust his judgment about his own body. Still: “You’d let me know if you needed a hospital or a doctor, right?”
“Yes. I am not one for suffering.”
With her head on his shoulder and his arms around her, it was easy to forget the particulars of their situation. They weren’t hiding in the shadows, cowering on a narrow walkway that dangled above the cold ocean. They were on a private beach, perfectly alone and listening to the waves crash against the shore.
Now that the heart-pounding thrill of fleeing for her life was over, she had a chance to catch her breath. Rattled and scattered, she didn’t like feeling this way. She needed a minute to think about what she saw in the lounge and what she didn’t see.
“Were those guys looking specifically for you or was this just bad luck?” she asked, even though she believed she knew the answer.
“I believe the Patrol received a tip about my location. I am not important enough to search out,” Ari said.
So just an unhappy accident, then. “The blackmailer, Lady what’s-her-face,” Carla said, picturing the Khargal woman’s face but blanking on her name. Scattered. She didn’t like it. She said, “The silver lining here is that your plan worked.”
“Lady Delandra,” Ari said, supplying the name. “Is a silver lining meant to be good?”
“Yeah, like the sun breaking through the rain. A good thing hidden behind the bad.”
He made a thoughtful, humming noise. “Poetic.”
She wouldn’t go that far.
Something was happening below them. Engine noises grew louder, followed by voices. Carla remained silent, listening as staff chatted and made crude jokes while they unloaded the delivery. Eventually, they finished the job and left.
Ari broke the silence. “You are disturbed by my cowardice. You cannot even speak to me, and all you do is speak.”
