to raise her eyes to Brocke again, but instead of disgust, the warrior looked… impressed?
Her hands stopped adding and removing markers to the map, simply staring at him.
“That is brilliant,” Brocke finally said.
“It’s horrible,” Cora argued. “But I’m doing it anyway. I’m cross-referencing all my findings from the cases I’ve worked on and adding the current locations of all the half-breeds. This is a terrible thing I’m doing, but Condor must be stopped before his operation gets more influential. Judging from what you’ve said, that is going to happen?”
“Undoubtedly,” Brocke said, studying the map with interest. “Now that Condor is out, he will target all of them. I don’t know how far he can reach, but I’m glad my sister is not on Gaiya right now.”
“She was the first half-breed,” Cora stated. “Condor would want her, I think.”
Brocke laughed, his blue eyes shining in the light of the map.
“He can try prying her away from the chieftain’s elite warriors,” he said. “I think Deva is one of the few people on this map who doesn’t need to fear anything right now.”
Cora looked at the map, feeling the burden of her choices. All the work she was proud of. It was all there, had all been there for weeks now as she built her research. The locations where the bodies were found. Where they lived. Witnesses. Clues and hints. The manner of their death as well as the necessary circumstances. She had added the latest finding too – the drowned man.
And then there were the red dots all over the map, marking the half-breeds out from the others. Cora didn’t know how exactly Palian technology determined that, but it worked. There was a red dot in her quarters, clear as day.
When she looked up, Brocke's eyes were on her.
“I don’t care about the Union,” the guardian said, his deep voice etched with certainty. “There are many species in the galaxy, and if some of them are so bothered by others knowing what they are, that is their choice. But we are Corgan. No one in this realm would mind this unless it’s used in the way you figured out it was used. You are not doing anything wrong.”
Cora didn’t entirely agree, but the fact that he approved helped, a lot. There was a fierce determination to Brocke which she really liked. Things were simple with him.
A fighter is shooting at you? Jump on it. Makes sense. Need answers? Get them.
It was nice.
Cora smiled, lifting her mead in a toast. Between them, the map calculated, trying to find something significant enough for them to chase before the enemy came looking for them.
She took a sip and nearly spat it out straight away. Brocke watched her cough, an amused grin on his face.
"I should have warned you, perhaps," the guardian said. "Terrans usually don't like the taste of Corgan mead."
"You think?" Cora asked, wheezing, her hand shaking a little around the cup. "Gods, this tastes like the chemical solutions Ashby uses to disinfect the bodies must."
Brocke laughed, nodding.
"It packs a punch," he agreed. "It gets better."
"Does it now?" Cora smiled. "I find that hard to believe."
When Brocke didn't immediately answer, Cora gave him a playful look and walked back to her little kitchen.
"I'll take your word for it," she said, browsing the contents of her fridge. "But I think it would be better if I found something to bury the taste –"
Strong hands came around her and turned Cora to face the guardian. Her breath was caught as it was immediately clear to her that the light in Brocke's eyes suddenly burned for her and her alone.
His lips caught hers in a fierce, passionate kiss and Cora had to agree he had a point. When a girl was kissed like that, even Corgan mead didn't taste so bad on her tongue.
Chapter Six
Cora
I t was reckless and sudden and so completely out of the blue, but in Cora's mind, all of those things were turn-ons instead of arguments to stop.
And if she really thought about it, perhaps not so out
Her hands stopped adding and removing markers to the map, simply staring at him.
“That is brilliant,” Brocke finally said.
“It’s horrible,” Cora argued. “But I’m doing it anyway. I’m cross-referencing all my findings from the cases I’ve worked on and adding the current locations of all the half-breeds. This is a terrible thing I’m doing, but Condor must be stopped before his operation gets more influential. Judging from what you’ve said, that is going to happen?”
“Undoubtedly,” Brocke said, studying the map with interest. “Now that Condor is out, he will target all of them. I don’t know how far he can reach, but I’m glad my sister is not on Gaiya right now.”
“She was the first half-breed,” Cora stated. “Condor would want her, I think.”
Brocke laughed, his blue eyes shining in the light of the map.
“He can try prying her away from the chieftain’s elite warriors,” he said. “I think Deva is one of the few people on this map who doesn’t need to fear anything right now.”
Cora looked at the map, feeling the burden of her choices. All the work she was proud of. It was all there, had all been there for weeks now as she built her research. The locations where the bodies were found. Where they lived. Witnesses. Clues and hints. The manner of their death as well as the necessary circumstances. She had added the latest finding too – the drowned man.
And then there were the red dots all over the map, marking the half-breeds out from the others. Cora didn’t know how exactly Palian technology determined that, but it worked. There was a red dot in her quarters, clear as day.
When she looked up, Brocke's eyes were on her.
“I don’t care about the Union,” the guardian said, his deep voice etched with certainty. “There are many species in the galaxy, and if some of them are so bothered by others knowing what they are, that is their choice. But we are Corgan. No one in this realm would mind this unless it’s used in the way you figured out it was used. You are not doing anything wrong.”
Cora didn’t entirely agree, but the fact that he approved helped, a lot. There was a fierce determination to Brocke which she really liked. Things were simple with him.
A fighter is shooting at you? Jump on it. Makes sense. Need answers? Get them.
It was nice.
Cora smiled, lifting her mead in a toast. Between them, the map calculated, trying to find something significant enough for them to chase before the enemy came looking for them.
She took a sip and nearly spat it out straight away. Brocke watched her cough, an amused grin on his face.
"I should have warned you, perhaps," the guardian said. "Terrans usually don't like the taste of Corgan mead."
"You think?" Cora asked, wheezing, her hand shaking a little around the cup. "Gods, this tastes like the chemical solutions Ashby uses to disinfect the bodies must."
Brocke laughed, nodding.
"It packs a punch," he agreed. "It gets better."
"Does it now?" Cora smiled. "I find that hard to believe."
When Brocke didn't immediately answer, Cora gave him a playful look and walked back to her little kitchen.
"I'll take your word for it," she said, browsing the contents of her fridge. "But I think it would be better if I found something to bury the taste –"
Strong hands came around her and turned Cora to face the guardian. Her breath was caught as it was immediately clear to her that the light in Brocke's eyes suddenly burned for her and her alone.
His lips caught hers in a fierce, passionate kiss and Cora had to agree he had a point. When a girl was kissed like that, even Corgan mead didn't taste so bad on her tongue.
Chapter Six
Cora
I t was reckless and sudden and so completely out of the blue, but in Cora's mind, all of those things were turn-ons instead of arguments to stop.
And if she really thought about it, perhaps not so out
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