will be absent when the Elders come later today.”
“They are not coming to see us,” Barz announced. “They are coming to see the new additions to our group. Particularly the three new Asazi and the human.”
“I am sure they have questions about the additions. There is still much unrest among our people,” Corzine added.
Barz turned to Taya. “Packed?” His tone was cordial but the effect was far from friendly.
Taya nodded. He was still angry about earlier. She’d simmered down, confused by the intensity of her outburst.
Corzine picked up a pack from the ground, handed it to Barz, grabbed the second pack and pulled the straps over his shoulders, shifting, adjusting the weight.
“Good luck.” Marissa hugged Taya. “I hope you find her soon.”
Me, too, Taya thought. Sooner the better because being in close proximity to Barz and Corzine was disconcerting.
The look in Raiza’s eyes made Taya nervous as the Kormic woman nodded to her brothers.
“Safe return.” Norn hugged the two Kormic men.
Chapter 13
M arissa hooked her hand in the crook of Finn’s elbow. “You have a serious look on your face.”
“The tensions between Asazi and Kormic have a long history. And now the Elders are coming here. That cannot be good.”
“It doesn’t have to be bad.” She stood on tiptoe, wrapped her hands around his neck, brought his head down. Her lips sought his, tasting the flavor that was only Finn. A tiny flutter in her abdomen reminded her why they were doing all of this. “We will make the best of it.”
Finn slipped into their cabin. When he returned, he was in Kormic attire. The Asazi uniform that he usually wore—gone. His face was clean of the last few day’s stubble. The TripTip, typically at his side, also gone.
Marissa cocked her head, raised a brow. “Your knife?”
He raised a pant leg, revealing the shiny blade in its sheath, tucked into his boot. “You know me far too well, woman.”
Of course he wouldn’t be without a weapon, not an Elite Forces. Never.
He dropped the pant leg. Norn and Raiza came out of their cabin, followed by a boisterous Feroz. Raiza’s face was serious, unyielding. “Trouble in paradise?” Marissa whispered to Finn.
He gave her a curious look.
“Oh. Sorry. That’s an Earth expression. Actually, an American one.”
He nodded, but the light bulb light wasn’t on, she could tell. So she elaborated. “It means there’s a problem.”
“Yes. It would seem Raiza is angry.”
Norn’s face was equally unyielding.
“Should we look into it?” Marissa wanted there to be peace, she would have preferred her stay on Kormia to be drama-free.
“I think that would be unwise.” Finn cautioned.
Raiza turned around, a sharp, abrupt one-eighty. She hissed unintelligible low words to Norn.
Finn took Marissa’s hand and led her back into the cabin. Once inside, he gave her his best guess. “I suspect he just told her about his idea to stay while we return to Earth. That he is the collateral that Saraz requires.” Finn’s lip curled into a sneer when he said Saraz’s name.
“Great,” Marissa countered with sarcasm. “As if we don’t have enough to deal with, what with this Elder thing happening this morning.”
She put the night’s bedding away, tidying their tiny cabin.
A knock at the door gave her pause. She looked at Finn, then back at the door. He opened it.
Norn had a stressed look on his Asazi face. His color was a distressed light blue. “They are here.” He gave Finn a pointed look that Marissa couldn’t decipher. “The Elders.”
Finn took Marissa’s hand. “Let this begin.”
Six beings with long red cloaks stood around the fireplace, making a tight circle. Their cloaks covered them from head to toe, their faces not visible for the hoods that hung low over their foreheads. Marissa took a deep breath, then stepped toward the fireplace. Finn’s grip on her hand was tight, almost to the point of causing pain. She didn’t want to say
“They are not coming to see us,” Barz announced. “They are coming to see the new additions to our group. Particularly the three new Asazi and the human.”
“I am sure they have questions about the additions. There is still much unrest among our people,” Corzine added.
Barz turned to Taya. “Packed?” His tone was cordial but the effect was far from friendly.
Taya nodded. He was still angry about earlier. She’d simmered down, confused by the intensity of her outburst.
Corzine picked up a pack from the ground, handed it to Barz, grabbed the second pack and pulled the straps over his shoulders, shifting, adjusting the weight.
“Good luck.” Marissa hugged Taya. “I hope you find her soon.”
Me, too, Taya thought. Sooner the better because being in close proximity to Barz and Corzine was disconcerting.
The look in Raiza’s eyes made Taya nervous as the Kormic woman nodded to her brothers.
“Safe return.” Norn hugged the two Kormic men.
Chapter 13
M arissa hooked her hand in the crook of Finn’s elbow. “You have a serious look on your face.”
“The tensions between Asazi and Kormic have a long history. And now the Elders are coming here. That cannot be good.”
“It doesn’t have to be bad.” She stood on tiptoe, wrapped her hands around his neck, brought his head down. Her lips sought his, tasting the flavor that was only Finn. A tiny flutter in her abdomen reminded her why they were doing all of this. “We will make the best of it.”
Finn slipped into their cabin. When he returned, he was in Kormic attire. The Asazi uniform that he usually wore—gone. His face was clean of the last few day’s stubble. The TripTip, typically at his side, also gone.
Marissa cocked her head, raised a brow. “Your knife?”
He raised a pant leg, revealing the shiny blade in its sheath, tucked into his boot. “You know me far too well, woman.”
Of course he wouldn’t be without a weapon, not an Elite Forces. Never.
He dropped the pant leg. Norn and Raiza came out of their cabin, followed by a boisterous Feroz. Raiza’s face was serious, unyielding. “Trouble in paradise?” Marissa whispered to Finn.
He gave her a curious look.
“Oh. Sorry. That’s an Earth expression. Actually, an American one.”
He nodded, but the light bulb light wasn’t on, she could tell. So she elaborated. “It means there’s a problem.”
“Yes. It would seem Raiza is angry.”
Norn’s face was equally unyielding.
“Should we look into it?” Marissa wanted there to be peace, she would have preferred her stay on Kormia to be drama-free.
“I think that would be unwise.” Finn cautioned.
Raiza turned around, a sharp, abrupt one-eighty. She hissed unintelligible low words to Norn.
Finn took Marissa’s hand and led her back into the cabin. Once inside, he gave her his best guess. “I suspect he just told her about his idea to stay while we return to Earth. That he is the collateral that Saraz requires.” Finn’s lip curled into a sneer when he said Saraz’s name.
“Great,” Marissa countered with sarcasm. “As if we don’t have enough to deal with, what with this Elder thing happening this morning.”
She put the night’s bedding away, tidying their tiny cabin.
A knock at the door gave her pause. She looked at Finn, then back at the door. He opened it.
Norn had a stressed look on his Asazi face. His color was a distressed light blue. “They are here.” He gave Finn a pointed look that Marissa couldn’t decipher. “The Elders.”
Finn took Marissa’s hand. “Let this begin.”
Six beings with long red cloaks stood around the fireplace, making a tight circle. Their cloaks covered them from head to toe, their faces not visible for the hoods that hung low over their foreheads. Marissa took a deep breath, then stepped toward the fireplace. Finn’s grip on her hand was tight, almost to the point of causing pain. She didn’t want to say
Similar Books
