Megalodon City Penitentiary, Tundra, Standard Year 403 after founding

  Alanna awoke the next morning to the sound of footsteps. She slid down lower, allowing the concrete bench to block her completely. Unfortunately, this prevented her from seeing through the barred window but she heard the footsteps pause in front of her door. Right. This was the part where she just got it over with. Someone cleared their throat.

  “Um. Lieutenant? Are you there?”

  Alanna considered waiting until he went away but given that he seemed to be looking for her specifically, it wasn’t likely. Letting her hair fall over her face as much as possible, she got up and walked up to the door.

  “Good morning, lieutenant. I brought you coffee.” The unfamiliar guard held out a paper cup through the barred window of her cell.

  Alanna hesitated, eyeing the paper cup. There was steam coming off the top. Screw that. If there was something they wanted to take, she couldn’t stop them anyway. And she wanted that coffee. She walked up to the door and picked up the cup, her hair falling away from her face momentarily. “Thank you.” She said as she picked up the steaming cup and breathed in the scent. There was hot milk in it. Once again, the liquid was uncovered but she hadn’t gotten sick yet and everyone else seemed to be drinking from open cups as well. Perhaps vibrio angerona spread more slowly in the frigid Tundran air.

  “Um.” The guard was still standing under her door.

  Alanna sighed. “What?” She asked.

  “Um. Is that… is that…”

  Alanna hesitated, but then, he did bring the coffee. “Is something wrong?” She walked back to the cell door, trying to make out the guard’s face. Slim, dark haired and very young, the guard looked noticeably nervous. In fact, he looked very, very nervous.

  “Is that…” he gulped “bruise?”

  Alanna’s hair was still masking both sides of her face but a glimpse of the bruise was likely visible from the other side of the cell door. “Why do you ask?” She responded cautiously.

  “Did… Did something… Did someone?”

  “It’s just a bruise.” Alanna said, eyeing him curiously.

  The guard took a deep breath and seemed to get a hold of himself. “Er. Did one of the guards do that?” He asked, his voice strained.

  “It’s not important.” Alanna responded, taking a grateful sip of her coffee. “Nothing to worry about. And thank you again, for the coffee.”

  “Er.” The guard continued to stand under the door of her cell. “No. I can’t do that, you see. Because when Captain Hawk comes and sees… and sees…” His face got noticeably paler. “Er. If you could please just tell me what happened? Did someone… was it… just the bruise or was there, er, more?”

  “It was just the bruise.” Alanna said firmly.

  “So then, um… I’ll just… I’ll just. I’ll be right back.” He turned and half ran down the hallway.

  Alanna sat back on the lightly heated concrete bench and eyed the door quizzically. She drank her coffee and waited. It took longer than she expected and her coffee was long gone by the time the same guard returned to her door. He looked no less nervous than before.

  “Right. Lieutenant Summers, my name is Dev Hodgins. Henry Hodgins is my uncle, twice removed. He texted me last night because he knew I worked at this facility and made sure I was re-assigned to your floor. My job is…” he gulped “my job is to make sure nothing happens to you.”

  Alanna shrugged. She knew what being a POW meant. By Sarayan standards, what happened last night had been a good-natured misunderstanding. “Nothing happened.” She said flatly.

  “Right, I appreciate that, lieutenant. I really do. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Only the thing is, you see, the bruise is right there. The captain will see it and then I’m dead. But I’m not actually dead. Sure, I’ll never live it down. We have family reunions. Every year. Every year. Huge ones. Uncle Henry will be there. My future wife will someday be there to hear about this screw up. But that’s fine you see. I will not be actually dead. Just awfully embarrassed. But the thing is, and I know you don’t want to hear this right now but the thing is, the guard that did that to you, he actually will be dead. And he’s not, again totally get that you don’t want to hear this right now, but he's not the worst sort, you know?” Dev Hodgins hesitated. “His dog died.” He added uncertainly, waiting to see how that would go over.

  It occurred to Alanna that every time Captain James Hawk became involved in her life, her world got just a bit more surreal. There was a way this was all supposed to go. She was quite certain this was not it. “His dog died.” She repeated.

  “Yes. His name is Boris. Was Boris. He’s the prison guard dog, you see.”

  “I… think I see.” Alanna responded uncertainly. “How old was Boris?”

  “He was twelve.”

  “The prison had a twelve year old guard dog?”

  “He was very spritely for his age.”

  “Until he died.” Alanna prompted.

  “Right. Until he died. Yesterday. We were all having a wake for him last night. That’s why I didn’t get the text until this morning. Uncle Henry came looking for me, gave me quite a scare I did not need bright and early on that particular morning. But S… well the guard, you see he was on the night shift, so he went right back to work after the wake. Him and Boris, they were real close.”

  “The wake for the dog.” Alanna nodded, just to show she was paying attention.

  “Look.” Dev Hodgins held up his hands. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this but just hear me out, please. Please? The thing is – the thing is he’s not a bad guy. And I don’t know if it’s true but what he said was, er you see he kind of said that once he knew it was a definite no, he went away. And without knowing you were under Captain Hawk’s protection, you know not everyone would do that, right? Not making an excuse or anything, he was in the wrong and no mistake. And he’s sorry. He really is. It’s just that I don’t know if it’s worth his life, that’s all.”

  Alanna shrugged. In a prison where the guards held all the power and she held none, the guard’s actions had been relatively mild. And the last thing she wanted, was to get blamed for getting one of the guards killed. Sooner or later, James Hawk’s protection would be taken away, and she would be on her own. And if she lived that long, the prison guards would still be there. “I didn’t see who it was.” She said. “It was very dark.”

  “I appreciate that, lieutenant. I really do. But he’ll fold like a house of cards.”

  “Wait.” Alanna said reluctantly. “Let’s just think this through for a minute. Explain to me how he’s going to die. Does Captain Hawk typically go around murdering people or is there more to it than that?”

  “No, not that I know of. He can get S… him reassigned, you see. Somewhere he will almost certainly die.”

  “That’s not quite the same as certain death.” Alanna pointed out.

  “It would be if Captain Hawk said.” Dev responded without hesitation.

  Alanna nodded. Dev appeared to view Captain Hawk’s will as something just beneath the will of God. If he said it, it was happening. “Look, you’re all free to do this your own way, but here’s my recommendation if you want to hear it. Don’t lie. Don’t try to cover anything up. If you can, get me some medication to put on the bruise so it heals faster. I will not bring this up unless asked. If, and I mean if Captain Hawk visits before the bruise is healed and asks about it, I will give him the bare minimum amount of information.” She held out her hand, forestalling an interruption. “If we get into that level of detail, I will mention that the guard stopped when he didn’t need to. Maybe we can commute his sentence down from certain death to something unpleasant with a decent chance of survival.”

  After a brief hesitation, Dev Hodgins stood to attention and saluted. “Yes, lieutenant.” He said simply.

  Alanna listened to his receding footsteps, staring somewhat glumly at the still empty paper cup from her morning coffee. It could perhaps be used as a weapon, if she managed to stuff it down someone’s throat and choke them with it. All in all, it wasn’t her best plan. The sound of returning footsteps came soon after.

  “This will help with the bruising.” Dev Hodgins handed her a small tube of medicine through the bars. “I can take the cup back.”

  Alanna handed back the cup.

  “Thank you, lieutenant.” Dev gave her a smile, friendly but still somewhat tense, before walking off down the gray concrete hallway.

  “And call me Alanna.” She called out after him. Her military rank didn’t seem so relevant in enemy territory.

  She sat back on her slightly heated concrete bench. It was still freezing. She was still bored out of her mind. But somehow, she didn’t feel quite as cold as before. Absentmindedly, she reached down to unwrap another ration bar.

  ---

  Dev stopped by to say goodbye at the end of his shift, and the little sounds of activity she heard throughout the day faded. In the silence of the evening, the lights began to grow dimmer, leaving all but the center of the cell in shadow. Alanna wasn’t sleepy yet but she curled up on the heated bench, trying to get as much of her skin to touch the heated surface as she could. It was cold. Suddenly, the silence was pierced by a loud, male scream. It came again and again, one more drawn out than the rest, and then silence. Alanna hugged herself, pressing against the wall. They had played the good natured children but these were prison guards, she reminded herself. The scream had been an unwelcome reminder that not every prisoner in this place was fortunate enough to be under someone’s protection. Her eyes fell back on the blood stained mattress below. It was good to have protection.

  A few hours later, when the lights were almost entirely out, she was startled to hear footsteps coming down the hallway towards her cell. Despite the events earlier that day, her stomach knotted with fear. She sat up and quietly repositioned herself on the floor behind the bench. In an ideal world, whoever it was would think the cell was empty and go away. Alanna closed her eyes as she heard the soft sound of a key turning in the lock.

  “Alanna? It’s me.” James Hawk’s voice echoed slightly in the concrete cell. He stood in the doorway, a long and dark shadow against the brighter lights of the hall.

  Alanna got up, remaining in the back corner of the cell. The cell was small, with the sink and a bench on one side, the toilet and a second bench on the other, and the mattress against the back wall. There was a very narrow strip of space in between and James took up nearly all of it as soon as he entered. He dropped what looked like a large hiking pack on the bench across from her and studied her in the shadows.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m good.” Alanna said uncertainly. While Dev had mentioned that Captain Hawk might stop by, she thought it was more paranoia than reality. It shocked her to see him here now, only a day after he landed. “What’s in the bag?”

  “Supplies.” James said cheerfully. “Let’s see what you already have.” He stepped forward, glancing down at the mattress below. He was standing directly underneath the light now, and Alanna saw his eyes narrow as he noted the blood stain on the mattress.

  “Not mine.” She said nervously.

  “Right.” James said shortly. “I’m going to throw this out.” True to his word, he picked up the mattress and carried it out into the hallway, leaning it against the outer wall. “Here.” He reached into the pack and tossed her a large, dark sweater. “Put this on.”

  Alanna put it on and suddenly bit her lip, to keep herself under control. The sweater was long, coming down to her knees. It was also heavy, thick, and incredibly warm. The comfort of feeling it settle around her was a sudden, shocking contrast to everything she felt over the last few days. She couldn’t quite bring herself to say anything, so she remained in her shadowed corner, unsure of what to do next.

  “I need you to move.” James stepped forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her to the side. He paused.

  From his position, the dim light from the ceiling fell directly on his face and for the first time, just for an instant, Alanna saw real, barely controlled rage on his face. She tried to step back, shocked by the rage and the stark contrast between this moment and the calm, steady control she had seen from him until then. His arms on her shoulders prevented her. He pulled her closer, framing her face with both hands.

  “Who did this?” His voice sounded normal and his face was nearly under control, other than the eyes.

  “It just sort of happened.” Alanna tried to avoid his gaze, which was hard given the proximity of his face.

  “Alanna.” He took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. “I have not slept in two days. Do not screw with me. Who did this?”

  “One of the guards.”

  James traced the bruise along the side of her face. “Was it just the bruise, or was there more?” He asked, his voice sounding perfectly calm.

  Alanna flinched. She didn’t quite believe the calmness of that voice. “It was just the bruise. Nothing happened. There was a… misunderstanding.”

  “What sort of a misunderstanding?” James asked through clenched teeth.

  Alanna ran her newly warm hands through her hair in frustration. This managed to be far more awkward than even she had envisioned, which was saying something. “The guard thought I was, er, lonely but as it turned out I really wasn’t.” There. That was her best attempt at diplomacy.

  “Is there a reason you’re protecting someone that tried to rape you?”

  Alanna sighed. “I’m alone here, James. And he didn’t have to stop, he chose to. Apparently, news that I came with special instructions had not yet spread. And their dog died.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  James stared at her, for a brief moment entirely speechless. He no longer looked enraged, mostly just tired. More gently, he moved her until she was sitting on one of the stone benches. “Wait here.” he said. “I’m going to fix your bed and then we can talk about this.” He pulled out two sleeping pads and placed them side by side on the floor. Because the original layout left enough room for someone to walk around the narrow mattress, by taking up the entire space from the back wall up to the legs of the concrete benches, both of the sleeping pads fit. He then pulled out a sleeping bag and laid it out flat across the newly created space. “Sit there.” He gestured towards the sleeping bag.

  Obediently, Alanna got up off the bench and sat down on the newly made bed. It was warm. She sighed in quiet relief. So, so warm. She watched as he reached back in and pulled out another sleeping bag. Amazing that everything fit in there. She stifled a smile when the second sleeping bag settled around her like a blanket. At that moment, this was just about all she wanted from life.

  James reached back into the bag. “It’s my hiking gear.” He explained, pulling out a single burner propane stove.

  Alanna’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s ok for me to have? In prison?” She added pointedly.

  “Are you going to try to blow the place up with it?”

  “No?”

  “Promise?”

  Alanna considered her situation. “I solemnly swear.”

  “Well, that’s all right then. There won’t be enough fuel here to heat the cell but you can use it to heat water and warm up.” James said, unloading two large metal mugs, two bowls, spoons, and forks out of the bag.

  There were no knives, Alanna noted. It would appear certain limitations did still apply.

  Finally, James took out a jar of jam and peanut butter, a tin of loose tea with a strainer, and what looked like a bottle of wine. “It’s just food from what I had in the fridge.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to delay by going to the store.”

  “This is more than I need. Thank you. You should go home and get some sleep.” Alanna swallowed guiltily. He had come here rather than getting his rest. It seemed like a great deal more than she deserved.

  “I really should.” James agreed. Instead, he took off his uniform jacket and kicked off his shoes, sitting down next to her with the bottle of wine. He was sitting by her side on the newly created bed, closer than when he sat across from her on the Black Hawk, but still not quite touching. “But I’m going to do this instead.” He handed her the bottle. “Now, tell me what happened. And please, do start with how the dog died.”

  Alanna provided a brief summary of what had occurred and Dev’s follow up explanation. James listened patiently.

  “So you don’t know if the dog really died.” He said finally.

  “Well, I’m not sure the dog dying is the most vital part of the story. But you’re right, the body was not provided as evidence.”

  “Did they tell you the dog’s name?”

  “Boris.”

  James nodded. He was tired and he very much wanted the guard dead. Within the hour would have been good. “Did they threaten you?

  Alanna sighed. It would all be much easier if they had threatened her. The threat would have been imminent and James Hawk’s protection the only possible recourse. But they didn’t threaten, they begged for help. And she was in no position to alienate a potential ally. “They didn’t threaten.” Alanna said out loud. “They just begged. And you scare them.”

  “I can’t imagine why that would be. You do know his name, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Alanna admitted. Dev had let it slip, although she pretended not to notice.

  “Would I know him if I saw him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean” James said patiently “would I know him when I saw him by the bruises, scratches, limp? Any of those things.”

  “Um.” This was a level of detail Alanna had rather hoped to avoid. “Not as such, necessarily.”

  “Just so I have all the facts, what exactly did you do to fight him off?”

  “I’d rather not say.”

  “It’s been a long day, Alanna.”

  “I pulled his ear.” Alanna admitted. In retrospect, the eyes would have been the way to go. Going for the eyes was perfectly respectable. She vaguely recalled it being covered in her hand-to-hand training class.

  “I… see.”

  “After that I went with the knee which is, you know, a classic.”

  “Right. And the bruise? How did that happen?”

  “After I kneed him, he slapped me.”

  “Open handed?” James asked, not sounding at all happy.

  “Yes.”

  “Alanna. You are a military officer.”

  “This is true.” She nodded.

  “You really should have failed your hand-to-hand combat class.” James said as gently as he could. “Look, I understand why you’re doing this. It’s better if the guards want you protected of their own initiative. But there have to be consequences for what he did. And I’m going to decide what those are.” He leaned his head against the back wall of the cell, closing his eyes for a moment. “I will decide what those are tomorrow, after I’ve had some sleep. Tell me about your trip. Did you get a window seat on the shuttle?”

  Alanna nodded.

  “Good. I asked Henry to make sure you had one. What did you think?”

  “Of the planet? It looked cold and covered in ice. And big. Lots of gravity.”

  James smiled. “Was that the first thing you thought?”

  Alanna began to respond, then paused. She was finally, miraculously warm and it was lulling her into a false sense of complacency. It took her a moment to realize what he was asking. “You want to know what I thought about the nukes?”

  “What did you notice first, the ice or the nuclear warheads orbiting the planet?”

  “Well now that you remind me, I might have noticed the nukes. Tundrans love nukes.” She shrugged. “I thought any Sarayan ship would be evaporated before they could see what I was seeing.”

  “Was that all?”

  Alanna frowned. “You’re asking me whether I thought about how to attack Tundra, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know, is that the first thing you think about when approaching a planet?” James looked over at her, his face in shadow. “It’s the first thing I think about.” He added honestly. “Every time I fly home.”

  “Well, the nuclear minefield might have something to do with it. Suddenly no one is thinking about the ecological wonders of black trees and giant reptile birds.”

  “Yes, we’re practically asking for it.” James said with a tired laugh. “And you’re avoiding the question.”

  Alanna shifted against the wall. It was an uncomfortable conversation but if James wanted this, he deserved an honest answer. “The nukes are there when Tundran ships fly in, they simply don’t go off. A signal is likely needed to trigger the explosion. An EMP or even a jammer might prevent Tundrans from activating the nukes. Jam or disable the signal, and you may be able to get past the minefield.” She hesitated.

  “Is that all?” James asked mildly.

  Alanna looked up at him. “No, that’s not all.”

  “What else?”

  “Death in your skies, hanging over your planet. That was the first thing I thought.” Alanna admitted. “There’s enough there to destroy it all. Is that what you think about, when you come home?”

  “Every time.”

  “Do you love it?” Alanna asked curiously. “It doesn’t look like the most welcoming planet, from up high.”

  “I love every ice-covered inch of this planet.” James said without hesitation. “I took a risk bringing you here. Requesting that you be set free, here.” Gray eyes studied her in the dim light. “It would help, if you swore to do no harm.”

  “You want me to take an oath?” Alanna laughed, the bitterness sharp and clear in her voice.

  “I was there when you broke your oath. I know what it took. And yes, I want your word.”

  “Anything is easier the second time around.” Alanna said cynically. “My word can’t be worth very much.”

  “I’ll take your word.” James said quietly.

  He was probably the only one that ever would. One last oath, Alanna thought tiredly. “I would never hurt Tundra.” She said. “For whatever it’s worth, you have my word.”

  “Do you swear?” He asked, his ice gray eyes suddenly focused on her face.

  “I swear.”

  “Thank you.”

  He smiled at her. A happy, completely unreserved smile that for some inexplicable reason seemed to bring its own warmth. The man really liked his ice ball planet. Alanna looked down, suddenly uncomfortable. “Where did you hike?” She asked, suddenly eager to change the subject. “Has all this equipment been tested out in the Tundran wilderness?”

  “It has, many times. I used to go every summer as a kid, deep into the forest behind the city. Did you see it on the flight in?”

  Alanna nodded. “It looked… alien. More so than Saraya. Have you ever seen images of old earth? The plants were mostly green and purple, like Saraya. Tundra is all black, red, and brown and the shapes of the trees seemed… odd. And giant reptile birds.”

  James laughed. “I need to get you your computer back so you can learn more about Tundra. There are few trees, although we do have some. Most of what you saw were mushrooms. It’s a mushroom forest.”

  “Will you tell me about hiking in the mushroom forest? Are they edible?”

  “A lot of them are, actually. And some are poisonous.”

  “Is this covered in the book?”

  “It is. Very important information for surviving on Tundra. The birds you saw are probably penguins. They nest on the ground, under the mushroom caps. The chicks come out of their eggs, still egg shaped and covered in downy gray feathers. Every spring you see them waddling, all through the forest.”

  Alanna’s eyes started drooping slightly, the warmth and weight of the blanket and the sound of his voice lulling her to sleep. Without realizing it, she shifted slightly closer, or perhaps he did. She tensed up, jerking away when their shoulders touched.

  James looked at her, sitting huddled in the shadows, his eyes searching. “You want more wine?” He offered her the bottle.

  Her hands shaking slightly, Alanna picked up the bottle, taking another sip. Her heart was thudding so loud she could hear each beat echoing in her head.

  “Did I get it right?” James asked.

  “W-what?”

  “The wine. You said you hated beer.”

  Alanna nodded, unsure of what to say.

  “Did I? Or should I have gone with champagne?”

  “I like the bubbles.”

  James smiled easily. “I’ll get it next time.”

  “Do the baby penguins get eaten?” She asked, for lack of anything better to say.

  “Very rarely. They spit acid in your face if you piss them off. It’ll eat through any live tissue it touches and there is no antidote. We have a thriving facial reconstruction industry thanks to those little guys. The eyes can take years to regenerate. Really adorable though. Did you ever go hiking, on Saraya?” He asked.

  Alanna sighed, thinking of the leafy purple and green canopy of the forest. Sarayan wildlife was small, with humans being the largest predator on the planet. Multicolored birds and flying insects buzzed through the air. “I went sometimes. I used to go looking for rocks. You can find all different kinds, especially around water. Later in college, we went to see the canyons. They’re better than just rocks.” Her eyes lit up. “You can see the history of the planet in the sedimentary layers along the canyon walls.”

  “Did you go with anyone, on these hikes?” James asked carefully.

  Alanna hesitated, staring at the patch of open floor under the dim light of her cell. She could lie. Maybe just to see if it would make a difference. Only she didn’t like lying. “No. There was no one.”

  “Not ever? No fellow geology enthusiast caught your eye?”

  “No one.” Alanna repeated shortly. “Why are you waiting?” She looked up at him, uncertainly. “If you want… if you want what I think you want, you don’t have to wait.”

  “I never had to.”

  She held out her hands, confused. “I can’t stop you.”

  “That can’t be true.”

  “Oh, it’s definitely true.” Alanna said with a slight laugh. She had barely managed to stop a drunken prison guard.

  “But you did stop me. Twice now.” James said patiently, looking down at her.

  “Oh.” Alanna studied the top of the sleeping bag under her hand. “I don’t- I don’t know what you want.” She said in confusion. “You said you haven’t slept for two days. You don’t need to bother sitting here talking to me. What do you want?”

  James smiled, and suddenly his arm was touching her shoulder, the warmth somehow more palpable than any hiking gear. “I’m waiting for you to volunteer.” He said.

  “Now? You haven’t slept…”

  “I’m good.” James said firmly.

  “All right. I volunteer.” Alanna said somewhat uncertainly.

  James laughed, as much at himself as anything else. “The enthusiasm is palpable. I’m waiting for you to actually mean it.”

  Alanna stared at him quizzically. “You’ll never know.” She said finally.

  “Oh I will. You’re not exactly hard to read, sweetheart.” He turned towards her, reaching out to trace the bruise along the side of her face and his eyes darkened. “And no one here will touch you. I will make very sure of that.”

  “And you’re going to wait.” Alanna repeated.

  James nodded. She didn’t exactly sound grateful, he noted. Just extremely suspicious. “I really like you.” He said, trying to make her understand. “And it’s been a long time for me.”

  “Hmmm.” Alanna murmured, doubt heavy in her voice.

  “Not that. A long time since I’ve liked someone. A very long time. I get what you did, Alanna. Why you surrendered on D12. Why you disobeyed orders on Titan.”

  “You’re the only one who does.” Alanna said quietly. Not that it mattered, that he understood. It didn’t matter at all, of course. It just… it was a nice thing to hear.

  “No, I’m not the only one who gets it. Your people got it. Every single one of them. Do you know how rare that is? That kind of loyalty.” He shook his head, laughing. “A unanimous mutiny. I looked it up. All the way back to old earth records. It has never been done.”

  Alanna shrugged. “Captain Mace made it easy.” She said dismissively. “What happened last time?”

  “Last time?”

  “Last time you liked someone. You said it had been a long time. What happened then?”

  “Oh.” James said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. “That was a long time ago.”

  “And?”

  “And it didn’t work out.”

  “You didn’t win?” Alanna couldn’t resist asking. James claimed to always win. Mission objectives tended to be achieved.

  “I… there were reasons.” James said somewhat defensively.

  “What were they?” Alanna asked in reluctant fascination.

  “How about this.” James said, leaning over slightly until the side of his arm was touching hers. “I’ll tell you what happened the last time I liked someone, and you’ll tell me why there hasn’t been anyone for you in what sounds like a damn long time. Deal?”

  Alanna hesitated.

  “Deal?” James repeated. And then, with great reluctance, he added “Or I can leave.”

  Alanna looked up, her shoulders tensing up even further. She shook her head. “Don’t leave.” She said quietly.

  “If you want to talk about something else…”

  “No… it’s not. I… it’s not just that there hasn’t been anyone in a long time.” Alanna said reluctantly.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Well just… you said you would tell me yours first.”

  “All right.” James said with a tired laugh. “Once upon a time there was a girl. She was my best friend. That’s how my parents met you know. My mom and dad were best friends since they were kids. And they still are. So there was this girl, and she was my best friend. She was beautiful, smart, fun. We did everything together. My parents loved her. It was perfect, and I thought we would always be together.”

  “She died?” Alanna asked quietly.

  “Ha.” James snorted. “Thank you for that ego boost. Most kind. But no, she’s fine.”

  “Oh.” Alanna put a hand over her mouth, trying somewhat unsuccessfully to stifle her laughter. Looking at his profile in the dim light of the cell, it was impossible for her to imagine anyone withstanding years of James Hawk’s attempts to be together. How had this mysterious woman done it? “So um… how long did it take you to give up?” She asked.

  “Oh four, maybe five years.” James said unenthusiastically. “Maybe six but you know, who’s counting?”

  “I…”

  “What?”

  “I think it would be very hard to resist you for that long.” Alanna admitted.

  “Do you?” James replied as a slow and self satisfied smile spread across his face.

  “How did she manage it?”

  “Oh yeah.” James snorted and the smile disappeared. “She had quite the secret super power in that regard.”’

  “What was that?”

  “Didn’t like men. Not interested in men in any way. I might as well be a chair as far as she’s concerned.” He nodded as peals of laughter echoed across the cell.

  “I can’t believe you made me laugh.” Alanna said, catching her breath momentarily. And then she started laughing again. “Ok wait… but wait. She was gay and… and it took you how many years to give up?”

  “Sometimes it’s a spectrum, Alanna.” James said sharply. “And we were kids. What does a twelve year old really know about her preferences?”

  “Apparently quite a lot.”

  “Yeah, apparently so.” James admitted.

  “And are you really over it now?” Alanna asked, looking up at him.

  “I’m definitely over it.” James said. And then, shifting just a bit, he put his arm around Alanna’s shoulders, moving her closer against his side. “I still remember when I realized it was truly over. She hit on my date.” He smiled happily. “And that’s when my date told her the only way they were getting together is if she wanted to join both of us. Best day ever.”

  “Your date sounds lovely.” Alanna murmured.

  “She was fun.”

  Alanna nodded, soaking in the completely unfamiliar feeling of sitting in someone’s arms and the warmth that came with it. But then it was going to be her turn to tell a story. And she didn’t want to.

  “You don’t have to.” James offered, his lips so close to her ear it sent shivers down her spine. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “There hasn’t been anyone else…” Alanna began. She shifted slightly in his arms, not quite pulling away.

  James waited.

  “There hasn’t been anyone else ever.” She finally admitted.

  “Ever?” James repeated, trying to process her words.

  “Yes.”

  “Why not?”

  Alanna rolled her eyes in the darkened cell. There was zero chance of her answering that question. She could only hope James would figure that out.

  “Did something bad happen?” James asked carefully.

  “Yes.”

  “I see.” James acknowledged. And it had indeed been a trap, he thought silently, recalling Alanna’s offer from earlier that night.

  “You don’t know what being Alanna Summers means.” Alanna said. She regretted it almost immediately, but it seemed unfair not to offer up something in return for what James had shared.

  “What does it mean?” James asked.

  “It means orphan.” Alanna admitted. After all, she was only divulging the information every Sarayan with half a brain already knew. “Summers always means orphan.”

  “So everyone knows.” James said slowly. “As soon as they meet you.”

  “Yes.” Alanna nodded in some relief. At least once James had the necessary information, he understood the implications immediately.

  “My parents were orphans.” James said, quite unexpectedly.

  “Really?” Alanna asked incredulously. “Your parents?”

  James laughed. “Yes, my parents.”

  “It just… it’s not how I saw you.”

  “Yes well, they’ve moved up in the world since then.”

  “What do they do now?”

  “It’s not important.” James murmured, forcing his eyes to remain open. He had lost track of how many nights he’d been awake.

  “You’re tired.” Alanna said quietly.

  “I want to stay.” James said, too tired to bother with games.

  “James you can do whatever you want.” Alanna said, her eyes studying him in the dim light.

  “No, I can’t.” He turned towards her, studying her face in the shadows. “Look, we both know you’re good. One of the best I’ve come up against. If you hadn’t surrendered, some of my people would have died.” He said frankly. “I don’t know how many. But some. Whatever happens between us, I owe you for their lives. We all do. My protection here, my recommendation for your asylum, these are things you’ve earned. They will not be taken away. Do you understand?”

  Alanna froze, sitting in the circle of warmth created by his body alongside hers.

  James held out his hand. “Do you want me to stay?” He asked. “Just to sleep?”

  Alanna looked down at his hand. “All right.” She said somewhat uncertainly.