Chapter 12

Sloan was still humming from her confrontation over the deal gone wrong. Well, not that wrong, since she had gotten what she came for and escaped without a scratch on her. Shaking her head, Sloan thought of Xan interceding on her behalf. She knew why he’d done it, but it still pissed her off. She was used to dealing with things on her own, leading her crew, she didn’t need someone to come in and think she was weak.

Neven welcomed them into his house. He’d done well for himself. Kila was there to greet them. She was a warm woman, who always smelled of cinnamon and cooked the best food Sloan had ever had. Kila ushered them into the cramped living area to have a drink before the meal. The room wasn’t crowded because it was small, but because Neven had filled it almost floor to ceiling with books. Physical books were a rarity these days, but Nev could never pass up a chance for a real book. They were stacked on every surface and under every table, and lined the walls.

The smell of books filled the room and brought Sloan back to her childhood, where she spent hours sitting in the library on a beanbag reading while her mom or dad studied for whichever advanced degree they were working on at the time. She’d wander the stacks for what seemed like days, searching for the best new and exciting book. Sloan ran her finger along the spines of the books on the shelves along the wall and felt Xan’s eyes on her as she moved around the room.

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate how he’d tried his best to protect her, but she didn’t want him hurt. And now it was her chance to return the favor of protection. Once everyone was settled and had drinks, and Xan standing like a sentinel surveying the area, Sloan took Neven aside.

“Nev, do you have a sec?” She led him down the hallway.

“Sure, what’s up?” She led him into his office. It was filled with huge screens, computers, and other electronics he used for his advanced communication and navigational projections.

“I need to know what you know about D’Arian.”

“D’Arian? I don’t know much. They are light absorbing species, wealthy, powerful, generally benevolent. They wield a lot of power in their sector and are known for energy exports. Why?”

“You’ve got the crown prince of D’Arian sitting in your living area about to enjoy Kila’s delicious meal.” Neven stared at her in shock before they both peeked their heads out of the office to get another glimpse of Xan, who was staring down the hallway. Sloan waved at Xan to let him know everything was okay, then they ducked back into the office.

“How in the hell? What in the hell is he doing here?”

“I bought him.”

“You bought him?”

“I was doing a deal for the fuel rods, and he was there with Ganthar. I bought him from Ganthar, and we patched him up. He’s been through a lot, Nev. He was taken five years ago. Abducted from Bija, where he was with his brother. He thinks his whole family was killed.”

“Wow, that’s some intense stuff,” Neven said, blowing out a big breath.

“Tell me about it. Xan believes that his entire family was killed and doesn’t want to go back, but I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be someone searching for him.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan?”

“Would you be able to send a deep space comm to D’Arian and see if someone might know of any family who might still be there? Someone who could possibly let Xan know what happened to his family.” She moved toward the comm room door.

“What if they want him to come back? What if they want him to be king?”

“Then, that’s what he needs to do. I can tell he’s destined for more than helping me haul cargo. If he needs to be there, so be it.”

“Still pushing people away, huh?” Neven asked.

“Nev, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t push people away.”

“What about me?”

“You couldn’t handle the space travel. I didn’t push you away. You left.”

“I left because you were going to use me as a crutch for the rest of your life if I didn’t. You made every decision about me. I wasn’t that same weakling you defended the first moments we met.” He held up his hand as Sloan attempted to interrupt. “Don’t. Yes, space did not agree with me, but you were using me as an excuse not to take hold of your own destiny. That’s why I left the Arrow. I knew you needed to forge your own way without me getting in the way.”

“Nev, you were never in the way,” she said.

“I know you might not have felt that way, but I did. I came here, set up a nice life for myself. Met Kila, and I’ve never been happier. I want that for you, Sloan. And you know what might happen if I send this message to D’Arian and there’s someone who wants him back.”

“Yeah, I know. But just like you felt you couldn’t hold me back, I can’t keep Xan. Not if he’s meant for more. You’ll send the message to D’Arian?”

“Yes, I’ll send it. It might take a while to reach D’Arian, and you will probably be out of range for a short comm once they reply.”

“It’s okay. We’ll still be a few days out from Halkon. You can let me know, and we’ll go from there.”

“Will do, Cap.” Neven gave her a salute as Sloan rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, Nev,” she said, knowing that this comm could change the course of Xan’s life and also hers forever.

“Last meal is ready to go, everyone,” Kila said, bringing them out of the comm room.

Sloan and Neven made their way back to the group and sat for a last meal. It was an uproarious time with Neven and Dev trading stories about how they’d each tried to keep Sloan out of trouble and Sloan grousing about how they were no fun. Xan was quiet through most of the meal, keeping his head down. He ate with gusto but seemed uncomfortable with the tales of Sloan’s antics. A few times he growled at her stories of bar battles from her rowdier days.

They ended the meal and said their goodbyes. Neven promised her he would send the comm as soon as they left. Sloan hoped she was doing the right thing.