Cold Mark (30 page)

Both knees tightened under my hands. My lips twitched as I held the doctor's keen gaze. "I saw something." More tightening of muscles clenching under the warmth of my palms. "It greatly affected me."

"What was it that you saw, Ms. Valorn?"

I kept it simple so my Vaq didn't rip this guy's heart out. "Lies. I saw a ... pumping ... of lies."

Leo choked next to me.

"A pumping of lies." Dr. Kowna scribbled on his notebook. "What constitutes a lie for you?"

"When someone doesn't tell the whole truth." I patted their knees. "But we've come to an understanding about that now. I hold no grudges against my Vaq for that." I shrugged a shoulder. "As long as there's truth moving forward, I'm willing to expand my horizons and give them another shot."

"Expanding horizons." His pencil flew across the page. He paused, flipped a page, and read from his other notes. "Let's move forward. I understand that you spent intimate time with the Plumas of the east." His eyes caught mine. "Would you care to add to that?"

I hummed in fake thought. "No, I don't believe so."

"Nothing?" He waved his pencil in the air with a flourish. "There must be something you would like to talk about from your experience with them."

I drummed my fingers on my Vaqs' legs, not missing their suspicious mute state. "I will say the Plumas of the east were remarkably forthright. Any question I asked, they answered honestly. I may have learned more from them about my own Vaq than these guys," I slapped their knees a little too hard, "had ever told me."

Leo's attention snapped to mine. "What did they tell you?"

I gave him my best bored expression. "I know about your brother."

Silence extended.

I smiled once more, a baring of teeth. "Fun, isn't it?" My regard turned back to the doctor. "What would the next question be that my Vaq—not you, the doctor—wanted to have answered?" I tilted my head to his notebook. "Go ahead. Feel free to check your notes. I'll wait."

Malik jerked forward, tilting his head to stare me straight in the eyes. His silver gaze was beautiful on his tan features. "What exactly did they tell you about Leo's brother?"

Okay, I toned down my inner bitch. For him. I didn't show any sympathy, I knew he would hate that, but I did show him I cared, my eyes soft on his. "I would kill him. That's all you need to know. You are a much more compassionate individual than I was ... " I faltered and quickly righted my words, "Than I would have been if I had dealt with him." After all, I had thoroughly enjoyed watching Rule kill himself. I still didn't regret it, and I wasn't sure I ever would.

His jaw clenched. But his black brows rose. "What really happened the night of the crash?"

My tone instantly turned to ice. "Rule died. I didn't do it. That's all that matters."

He leaned forward an inch, pure intimidation. "Did you catch any of the Kiregs' names?"

"Only one," I stated instantly. "Geo. He didn't give any other name than that."

Malik didn't blink. "Geo?"

"Yes. He was also very pleasant, given how the situation could have unfolded."

Still no blink. "Geo."

"Uh, yes. That's what he said."

Leo cursed beside me. "Fucking hell. Georan was on our planet, and we didn't kill him."

I glanced back and forth between my Vaq. "Who's Georan?"

"Just the most wanted Kireg criminal to ever grace our neighboring planet, Egyac," Leo educated on a furious hiss. His sharp golden gaze flew to the doctor. "Whatever is said in here is confidential. If you speak of this outside, to anyone, I will personally rip out your throat."

The doctor gulped, and then choked on his own spit. "Understood."

Malik fell back onto my bed to stare up at the ceiling. "No wonder we couldn't track his ship."

"Why not?" I asked, actually curious.

Malik waved a hand, even as he groaned. "The less you know, the better."

My brows furrowed. "He didn't seem like a heartless criminal to me. He was nice." My head rocked forward as Leo—gently—smacked me upside the back of my head. I punched his shoulder and chuckled softly. "I'm not naïve. I'm merely stating my opinion on one instance."

"Let's hope that Madeline woman doesn't show up here," Malik muttered, still staring at the ceiling. "We've got enough issues with the confounded Humans."

I rolled my eyes. "No offense taken."

He grunted.

My attention went back to the doctor. "What else did my Vaq want to know?"

Dr. Kowna lifted a brow and didn't peer down at his notes. "Actually, from my professional perspective, I think we should explore your time with the other Plumas more. Your instant reaction was one of deceit and hostility, and when you did answer, it was still with that same anger. There's more going on than what you are saying."

My nostrils flared in irritation. "Look, what do you want me to say?" I waved my hands in the air, almost whacking Malik as he sat up. "They were honest with me. I respect that. I didn't get that honesty with my own Vaq in the beginning, and it hurt me." My nose wrinkled and shoved my hands into my lap. "Kind of a
deep
hurt."

"Because you care for your Vaq a great deal?"

I grouched, "Yes."

He shrugged one shoulder and sat back on his chair. "Did you do anything to hurt your Vaq in return for them hurting you?"

"I didn't do anything to purposely hurt them if that's what you're asking."

"But you were hurting. We've already established that. Sometimes individuals don't think clearly when they are angry or sad." Another shrug of the same shoulder. "Could it be you may have done something like that? And instance that makes you feel guilty and immediately answer with deceit to a simple question, as you did before?"

My lips pinched, and I looked straight over that shrugging shoulder at the far wall.

The doctor's tone quieted. "It's all right, Braita. Your Vaq won't be upset. They're just happy to have you back in their lives, healthy and alive."

I nibbled on my bottom lip. "It wasn't much. Not like I've caught them doing." I blinked, and instantly countered, "That sounded wrong. I think you understand what I meant."

He snickered. "Yes, I understand. They are renowned with the ladies."

I took up his habit and shrugged one shoulder. "We just kissed. That's all."

He nodded his head and sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "And how did you feel about that?"

"Um ... it was nice?" I wasn't going to look anywhere near my Vaq right now.

"Kissing is nice. I agree with you." His smile was gentle. "Do you have feelings for the other Plumas? Like how you feel about your Vaq?"

I twisted my fingers together and peered down at them. "I'll tell you the truth, Dr. Kowna. I don't know how I feel about the Plumas of the east. What I do know is I would like to explore my feelings freely. Between my Vaq and the other Plumas."

Paper rustled, and he stated, "I see freedom is paramount to you with how many escapes you've attempted."

My eyes snapped up to his, holding solid. "It's the most important thing to me right now."

He nodded and then peered to Malik and Leo, who were sitting frozen beside me. "Plumas, I think the three of us should talk in private before I continue on with Ms. Valorn about the incident with the litigator. Something I really need to touch on, with everything that occurred to her."

I flinched. I didn't mean to, but it happened.
Everything that occurred.

He cleared his throat nervously but stated evenly, "You did hire me for a reason, and I'd like to give you my expert advice if you would allow me to."

Malik instantly placed a gentle hand on my shoulder as I stared off at nothing though his voice was a growl as he stood. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

When Leo raised to stand next to him, I instantly peered up at them and mumbled, "Don't kill the Plumas."

Leo sneered, but he altered his attention away quickly. "We can't promise anything, Braita. You are
ours
, and they tried to steal you away from us. Still are by the sound of it."

I instantly countered, "I am my own person. I am not an object that you bought to put on a shelf." I flicked a hand to my surroundings. "Or a jail cell."

Leo growled and Malik grabbed him by the elbow. The doctor led the way outside the room until the door clicked and locked behind them.

I needed to talk to Jax. In a hurry. I may have really fucked up by finally being honest with my Vaq.

My feet ate up the floor of my jail cell. "I need the regular dosage."

Malik peered up from his book in the corner. "Working yourself up isn't going to help."

"I don't care," I growled, rotating my arms in a circle. I was anxious as hell. "I don't think Dr. Kowna knows what he's doing."

Patient words. "You said he was smart for recommending to Leo and me not to kill the other Plumas."

"That's different." That was common sense. "This is about medication. Are you sure he's the right doctor to change my prescription?"

"Yes. We were lucky the nursemaid even had those drugs on hand."

"This lower dosage isn't doing anything for me."

"He's weaning you off of it."

I stretched my back. "I'm not ready to be off it yet. I can't sleep without it."

"You can," Malik stated in a calming voice. He placed his book on the table next to his chair. My eyes narrowed as he walked toward me, and he instantly altered his course to my bed. With ease, he lay down in the center of the bed. "Come."

"But ... " I didn't know if I was ready to sleep next to him again.

"Just come here, Braita. I won't try anything."

I still hesitated. "Promise?"

"I promise." He pulled the covers back for me. "I'll even sleep on the outside of the sheet."

I held up a finger. "Fully clothed?"

"I'm not undressing, am I?" He lay perfectly still.

With measured footfalls, I turned out the lights inside the room. I took cautious steps toward the bed, knowing he was still angry and slipped into my bed in silence. Yanking the covers up to my chin, I waited for him to say something. But, instead, he was mute. So much so, I tilted my head in his direction, squinting to see him—his damned glowing eyes were closed, no light.

I poked his side through the sheet, and asked, "Are you even breathing?"

"Yes."

"Well, do it louder. You sound like the dead."

"Would you like me to correct that sentence?"

"Fuck off. You know what I mean."

"No cold dead bodies lying next to you. Understood." He inhaled and exhaled with such force, it ruffled my hair. "Is that better?"

"Tone it down a little bit." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

I blinked. "How did you—"

"I know you better than you think I do." He lifted a hand and covered my eyes with his palm. "Close your own eyes and go to sleep."

"I told you I can't sleep." I pinched his pinkie with two fingers and pulled his paw off my face.

He hummed. "What do you enjoy?"

"If you know me so well—"

"The sun. The ocean. Think about standing in the sun with your toes in the sand and watching the waves of an ocean gently crashing against the shoreline."

My brows puckered. "How do you know I like the ocean?"

"You lived in the village, Plata, which is lined on a crescent beach. I've seen it, remember?"

"You saw it at nighttime," I whispered and rolled to face him even though I closed my eyes, remembering how I loved to watch it from the Overcliff. "It's gorgeous when the moon is full, but it is a glory to behold when the sun is just setting."

"Who did you use to watch the sunset with?"

"My friends. Jax was always there." I cleared my throat and took my chance to slip it into the conversation. "You know, I'd like to see Jax. You haven't allowed him entrance since the ... crash."

The mattress shook under me as he resituated himself. "Perhaps that was a smidge controlling."

I chuckled, not arguing with that one. And neither would I rub it in. He had caved.

"Tomorrow?"

He sighed. "I'll let the guards know."

"Thank you." My fingers twitched until I reached outside the sheet and rested my hand on top of his. He froze, but quickly turned his hand to intertwine our fingers together. "Sleep safe, Malik."

"You're feeling better now?"

I grunted. "Don't ruin it."

"Sleep safe, my Soul."