"I know." She put a hand on his cheek forcing his gaze to return to hers. "I know that, Treyvon, and as soon as you discovered what was happening, you stopped it."
"Not fast enough for your Dasho. Or for Nikhil's Ashe."
Jen stared up into Treyvon's eyes not knowing what to say to that, and was saved from saying anything by Gulzar's arrival.
"Jen! Are you injured?" Gulzar asked rushing toward them. He had just stepped out of the kitchen when he'd noticed the General holding Jen in his arms.
"What?" Jen forced her gaze away from Treyvon's to look at Gulzar, and then suddenly realized Treyvon was still holding her. "No. No, I'm fine."
"You are sure? I could take you to Luol."
"You believe if Jennifer were harmed that I would not take her to Luol myself, Warrior Gulzar?" Treyvon demanded, the displeasure easily heard in his voice.
"I… No! No, of course not, General. I just thought...”
"Thought what, Warrior?"
"You are carrying her, sir. The only explanation for that would be that she was injured."
"A ground storm came up while we were in the gairdín," Jen quickly told Gulzar. "The General knew I'd never make it inside in time, so he… assisted me."
Jen wiggled in Treyvon's arms, and reluctantly he put her on her feet but kept her close with a hand on her waist.
"Oh." Gulzar's gaze went to the General's hand that remained at her waist.
"Did you have any problem with the meat for tomorrow's Last Meal?" she asked.
"No. It is in the cool room," Gulzar informed her. "Do you wish to check it? I could show you."
"No, I'm sure you did just fine. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Jen's look encompassed both males, but when she moved to walk away, Treyvon's hand tightened on her waist.
"I will see you to your quarters," Treyvon told her, his gaze pinning Gulzar's. "There are still some things we need to discuss."
"There are?" Jen questioned, then realized they had never talked about the luciferins. "Oh, alright. Good night, Gulzar."
They were both silent as Treyvon guided her down the surprisingly empty corridor. Pressing her hand to the access panel to her quarters, they entered.
"I just need to know if there was anything unusual about the luciferins that you placed in the food the Zaludians gave you." Treyvon got straight to the point.
"Unusual?"
"Yes. You said the first one accidentally fell in, and then you intentionally added them. Which ones? Did you just find them on the floor or remove them from the walls? Were they a particular color?"
"I… why do you want to know?" she asked.
"Because luciferins have never been used in such a way before, and I need to have Luol test them."
"You're going back to the mine?" she whispered paling. "The one you found us in."
"Yes. I tried to obtain a sample from another cave, but it disintegrated and disappeared before it could be tested. I need to know where to look in the mine you were held captive."
Jen turned away, walking across the room as she raised a shaky hand up to run through her hair, only to find it was still pulled back tight in a bun. She usually released it when she was out in the gairdín, but Treyvon had distracted her.
That mine.
The place where the worst experiences in her life had occurred.
She'd nearly died there. Had wanted to.
Her husband had.
Now Treyvon was going back because of what she had told him about the luciferins.
Todd was still there.
"I'm going with you," she said, turning around to face him.
"What?" Treyvon stepped into the room, and the door closed behind him.
"I'm going with you," she repeated. "To the mine. When are you going?"
"Tomorrow," Treyvon found himself telling her. "Why would you want to return there?"
"I don't want to. That place is nothing but a chamber of horrors to me. But I need to. I need to face it if I'm ever going to get over it. And besides, the luciferins I used were in the cave Mac and I hid in." Her gaze ran over him. "Our guys were too big to fit through the opening. There's no way you will. If you want the same luciferins I used, then I have to go with you."
"You do not believe ones in the other caves will work?"
"I have no clue if they will or not. But if you want to test what I used, then they need to come from that cave.”
Treyvon crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at her. He didn't want to take her back to that place. He didn't want to return to it, knowing everything she had suffered there. However, it was necessary if he wanted to discover the secrets of the luciferins and help his people. That had to be his priority.
"I will be leaving as the sun starts to rise,” he finally told her.
"Alright. I need to be back in time to start Last Meal."
"We should be back by Midday Meal."
Jen quickly calculated the timing of the Boiled Meal she was going to make. "That will work. I'll just have to leave a note for Gulzar."
"Warrior Gulzar has taken an interest in you,” Treyvon hadn’t meant to say that.
Of all the things Treyvon could have said, that is the last thing she would have thought. She gave him a confused look. "What?"
"Warrior Gulzar wishes to claim your time," he continued through tight lips.
"Of course, he does. He wants to learn all he can about cooking."
"It is more than that."
“Of course, it is. He’s my friend.”
“Friend!!!”
The rage behind that one word that Treyvon all but roared had Jen taking a startled step back, and her injured ankle gave out. Before she could even cry out or brace for hitting the hard cold floor, Treyvon’s strong, warm arms were around her.
“Jennifer…”
“I’m alright.”
“You need to see Luol.”
“No. It happens after I’ve been on my feet all day. I’ll be okay after a good night’s rest.” Not that she expected to be getting one. Not knowing she would be going back to that mine when she woke. She wiggled in his arms so he would put her down, but instead, he walked over to her bed then going down on one knee sat her on it as if she were something fragile and precious. Reaching out, she cupped his cheek.
"Treyvon, Gulzar is an honorable and worthy male. He has become a good friend, but not in the Kaliszian way. We just talk. I teach him about cooking, and he tells me about his family and the Kaliszian world. There’s nothing sexual about it.”
“Sexual?”
“Joining. We aren’t Joining. He’s not interested in that with me, but I still don't want him to worry about me unnecessarily."
"Then he is a fool." The words escaped Treyvon before he could stop them, causing his cheeks to darken and he stood. "Meet me at my transport as the sun rises. You will need to wear the cloak we provided you." With that said, he turned and left her alone.
• • • • • •
Treyvon wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed to see Jennifer waiting for him the next morning before the Pontus sun had even made its first glimmering appearance. The oversized, grey cloak she wore was wrapped securely around her small frame, making her appear even more tiny and fragile than normal. How had his Warriors ever thought she was anything other than female?
Stopping in front of her, he just gazed down at her. Searching for the slightest sign that she had changed her mind. When she met his gaze with a steady blue one, he gave her the slightest of nods and put a hand on her lower back, guiding her up the steps of his transport.
Jen let Treyvon lead her up the ramp, grateful for the way he shortened his stride to her irregular one. It was so different from the way she'd gotten on and off this transport the last time. Entering the area, where they all sat last time, she frowned. This wasn't the same transport.
"Jennifer, what is wrong?" Treyvon asked, pausing as she did.
"This isn't the same transport we arrived on."
>
"No. We all returned on the Warriors’ transport. This is my personal transport. Nikhil used it to get Mackenzie to Luol as it is the fastest ship on the planet."
"Oh, I never realized…"
"There was no reason for you to. This way." He guided her down a narrow hallway that opened up into a cockpit with two seats. She took the seat he indicated then watched as he took the other one.
"What has you confused?" Treyvon asked noticing her frown.
"You're a pilot?"
"Of course. It is a skill all Warriors must become proficient at before they can achieve Elite status."
"I didn't realize that, especially for you."
"You believe I was not able to acquire the same skills as my Warriors? That I was just given my position?!!"
"No!" she instantly denied. "Of course not! What I meant was that because of your position as Supreme Commander, I thought another Warrior would pilot your transport. Leaving you free to command."
Treyvon's angry gaze searched hers and found no untruth in them. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm. "Then I regret that your words caused me to reach the wrong conclusion." With that said, he turned his attention to the controls.
• • • • • •
Jen couldn't believe the abruptness of Treyvon's words or the coldness of his tone. In the way of apologies, his sucked. Then it hit her. Treyvon probably didn't often apologize, if at all. He was the Supreme Commander of Kaliszian Defenses. No one questioned him. Except maybe the Emperor.
She also knew that he felt responsible for what his ancestor had done all those centuries ago and that many avoided him because of it; doubted him because of it. She'd apparently struck a nerve with her questioning of him being the pilot. She was about to apologize to him when her stomach dropped as the transport took off.
• • • • • •
Treyvon was angry with himself. He shouldn't have reacted like that. Where was his legendary control? He never revealed his emotions to his Warriors and therein was the problem. Jennifer wasn't one of his Warriors. She was... Jennifer… and for some reason, her thoughts and words affected him in ways those of others didn't.
Jennifer was new to his world. There would be no reason for her to know that all Elite Warriors were required to master the skill of piloting multiple types of ships. It wasn't information that would have been included in her educator. She hadn't been questioning his abilities or his skills as others did. She'd been asking an honest question, and under normal circumstances, she would have been correct. He wouldn’t have been the pilot. He'd responded harshly. He looked over at her, knowing he needed to try and explain his actions, only to curse at how tightly closed her eyes were and how pale she had become.
In his anger, he'd executed a combat takeoff, not once considering how it would affect her. Daco take him! He was an idiot! She was already dealing with so much. She shouldn't have to deal with his temper too.
"Jennifer...”
"I'm fine," she whispered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the armrests of her seat. "Just fly the plane."
"Plane?"
"Transport," she quickly corrected. "Just fly the transport!"
Looking at the flat, empty landscape below them, Treyvon reached a decision and banking slightly, reduced speed and lowered the landing platform.
"General, is there a problem?" A voice boomed out of the comm.
"Treyvon?!! What's wrong? Are we crashing?" Her eyes flew open and went directly to him.
"No! No," he repeated more gently, ignoring Gryf's repeated demands for him to respond. "We are fine, Jennifer, my vow."
He waited for her to nod then turned his attention to landing. Once they were on the ground, he answered Gryf. "Commander, we are fine. I will contact you again when we reach the mine." With that, he shut off the comm and turned to face Jennifer.
"I am sincerely sorry, Jennifer if my words or actions have caused you harm or concern. That was never my intention."
Jennifer had to consciously force her fingers to release their death grip on her chair as she looked at him. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she thought Treyvon was apologizing.
"Treyvon?"
"I should have taken the time to explain to you what would be happening today. I did not because…" He found himself looking away from her to the barren landscape outside.
"Because?" Jen tipped her head, leaning forward trying to get him to look at her. "Treyvon?"
"For some reason, your thoughts and opinions affect me differently than those of others. If another were to have questioned my abilities…"
"No one would be that foolish… and I wasn't. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was. I just…"
"Had a question," he finished for her. "A valid one. Because normally you would be correct, and another would be sitting in this seat."
"So why not today?"
"Because I wanted no one to know where I was going or what I was doing. If the luciferins can do as you claim, extending food supplies, making them more nutritious…"
"It will help your people the way it helped us."
"Yes. However, I must have Luol test it first. To see if it is safe for Kaliszians."
"You've told no one?"
"Only the Emperor. He agrees we must investigate further. To discover such a thing on Pontus and…"
"By you, a descendant of Aadi.” She nodded her head understandingly. “Because of that, many will doubt it as being true."
"Yes."
Jen reached out and squeezed his hand "Then let’s go prove them wrong." Settling back in her seat, she braced herself. In moments, they were airborne again, and she looked back at him in shock.
"Better this time?" he asked looking at her, one side of his mouth rising slightly in the mockery of a smile and she knew the mockery wasn't directed at her.
"Much. Why? Because we're out in the open?"
"No. At the base, I executed a combat takeoff. I am sorry. I should not have done that to you."
Jen just looked at him for a moment before speaking. "You were angry. At what you believed was my questioning of your skills."
"Yes."
"But you know now that I wasn't, right?"
"Yes, Jennifer," Treyvon finally looked at her. "I know you were not."
"Good. Because I'm sure you aced your pilot's test."
"Aced?"
"Passed with flying colors." When he continued to look at her, she tried again. "Were best in your class? Got the top score? And I bet it’s a score everyone is still trying to beat."
The corners of Treyvon's mouth twitched, fighting the smile that wanted to escape, as he finally understood what she was trying to say. "Yes, I was the best in my class and only one other in all these cycles has ever beaten my score."
"What? Seriously? Someone beat your score?"
Her honest disbelief at the possibility eased an ache he'd grown so used to. He often forgot it was there. To be believed, because of nothing more than his words. He could be telling her an untruth. He wasn't, but he could be. He had heard of others doing so, to impress a female, but he knew that would never work on Jennifer. She had more honor than many Kaliszians.
"Yes, so I made him my Second."
"What? Commander Gryf beat your score?"
"As a pilot, yes. The Goddess truly gifted him when it comes to flying."
"I see." Jen frowned at him, but she didn't. If he trusted Gryf, why didn't he want to tell him about the luciferins?
"What is your question, Jennifer?"
"Do you trust Commander Gryf?"
"With my life," he immediately responded, and the look in his eyes had her believing him.
"Then why not tell him about the luciferins?"
"Because this is how it must be for now." Treyvon saw her nod slightly but knew she still didn't understand. "I know Gryf has handled you… harshly. But he is a good male, honorable, worthy and loyal. Nikhil finding his True Mate in Mackenzie… it has been difficult for him."
"Why?"
Treyvon knew it wasn't his place to tell Jennifer something so personal about his Second, but if he didn't, no one would. Moreover she deserved to know why Gryf was so cold to her.
"Gryf once had a female, one he cared about a great deal. Mica was from a respected bloodline, beautiful and highly sought after. She also had not one loyal bone in her body. She turned her attentions to Gryf because he was quickly rising through the ranks, came from a respected bloodline, was generous with his credits, and was gone a great deal of the time."
"Gone?"
"Yes, Warriors go where they are needed. Elite Warriors go first. When Gryf was on Crurn, Mica was with him and only him. But when he wasn't…"
"She had friendships with other males," Jen whispered.
"Yes, and she blamed it on the Goddess, blamed it on Gryf, blamed it on his True Mate bead. She blamed everyone but herself. When Gryf offered her his Ashe bead as a symbol of his love and devotion to her, she laughed at him." Treyvon had to force his grip on the controls to relax. "She told him she would never settle for being the Ashe of an Elite. Not when there were other males out there with more credits than him that could be her True Mate. She nearly destroyed one of the finest males the Goddess ever created. All because she wasn't his True Mate."
"He stopped believing."
"Yes. So when Nikhil found his so easily…"
"Easily?!! How was it easy?" Jen demanded. "How many moon cycles were we in that fucking mine? Mac was nearly dead before Nikhil found her!"
"Yes, but Nikhil's True Mate bead migrated to her the moment it touched her hair. Do you know how many Kaliszians, ones who have spent solar cycles together, intertwine their braids daily in the hope that the beads will migrate?"
"You're talking about Luol and Maysa."
"Yes. No one who sees them together can doubt their love and devotion to each other. She is his Ashe, and he is her Dasho, but they still carry their own True Mate bead."
"What does that matter if they love each other? Shouldn't who you love be more important than who some bead says you should?"
• • • • • •