Page 76 of Skinwalker's Bane
“You’re misinterpreting me,” Devin shot back, pushing her coffee away.
“It’s hard to misinterpret ‘no’,” he said flatly.
“I didn’t say no.”
“You didn’t say yes, either.” His mouth turned down. “You keep telling me even the slightest hesitation in conversation says much more than the words that might have filled it. I guess I just got the perfect example, didn’t I?”
She got to her feet. He was too tall, too far above her to remain sitting. “You’re blowing this out of proportion, Adam. You can’t spring something like that on me and expect me to make a decision instantly.”
“I thought it would be agoodsurprise,” he growled. “The kind that you grasp.”
Devin swallowed. “You don’t understand,” she said, trying again. “It doesn’t matter if I’m pleased or not…and Iampleased. It’s very sweet of you, Adam. Only, it’s just you saying it right now. Noa and Haydn would have to agree to it and they’ve never been involved directly in politics before, so I don’t think it would be the walk-over you seem to think it would be. Even if they agree, there’s a matter of policy agreement, too.”
“You’re being picky,” he said.
“No, I’m not! There are things I believe should be done for theEndurance, things that should change, thatwouldchange if I were Captain. Maybe Noa and Haydn wouldn’t agree with those things. Maybe they’re not in the Institute’s best interests, either.”
“Change your agenda,” he said flatly. “You didn’t care about anything but winning, once.”
The words were right there on her lips.That was before I met you. Devin held them back. She couldn’t say that now. He would think she was saying it purely to mollify him. He was too angry. He wasn’t listening.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, honestly bewildered. The tension in her chest and her throat had escalated to the point where she could barely breathe. Fear was tearing through her.
Adam studied her. There was a cool light in his eyes that was more frightening than anything else that had occurred in the last few minutes. She recognized that light. It was the look of a stranger sizing up someone he’d just met and not liking what he saw.
“I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought,” he ground out. He went over to the terminal and slapped the switch that called for a taxiboat, which made Devin’s heart squeeze hard. He turned to look at her once more. “I thought you were the type of person who could genuinely cross borders and be everything to everyone. I thought you’d make agreatcaptain.” He shook his head. “I was stupid.”
Devin flinched. There was nothing she could say that would walk this back. She could barely order her thoughts, which had scattered under shock. He thought she’d have made a great captain? And yet, he was leaving.
What had she done to make this happen?
Adam stopped at the doorway into the lounge. “I’ll wait outside for the taxi,” he said, his voice low.
Then he was gone.
* * * * *
It was hard to think.
Adam stood at the back of the taxi, holding the grabrail, and gazing at the Esquiline hub, just ahead, as the taxiboat floated along the zero grav spine. He felt as he might if someone had tried to work him over. Make that several someones. His body was stiff, the muscles tighter than any gym session usually left them. The ache wasn’t just in the muscles though. It was everywhere.
The taxiboat ground against the dock. Adam paid and stepped onto the solid dock and walked through the massive shield walls into the Esquiline. Morning light greeted him.
Right, it was first thing in the morning. He had forgotten that, in the Rock House. The nightlight was confusing and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to it. Not that he had to, now.
He came to a halt in the middle of the wide path that led to the train platform. There were dozens of people walking in the same direction, for everyone was heading to work for the day. They made annoyed sounds and moved around him.
Adam ignored them, holding in his mind the frightening idea of never returning to the Palatine and the little house again. Finally, a clear thought came to him.
What have I done?
What had he been thinking? Why had he done that?
He started walking again, taking the narrower path that wound through the outer edges of the Esquiline and would eventually bring him to the Beehive.
How had it all blown up like that? He had been angry, yes. Devin’s lack of joy and gratitude at his offer had irked him. Only, wasn’t it reasonable to want to consider such a serious offer?
Who was he to offer up the Institute like that? Noa wouldn’t be happy about it. Haydn even less pleased.
