Chapter 32

“You have no romance in your soul! It’s solid steel! I’m out!”

“Does your heart even beat? Is there a flesh-and-blood man under the stone?”

“Oh, look, you forgot Valentine’s Day. This is my shocked face. Don’t call me again.”

“Why do you have to be so fucking sexy and so terrible at being a boyfriend? You should date the Alliance. She’s the only thing you care about anyway.”

—Compilation of words spoken by women to Bowen Knight

BOWEN LOOKED AT Dr. Kahananui after that morning’s round of scans, the two of them in her lab. One of Kaia’s kitchen hands—a heavily muscled blond kid named Jayson—had turned up with breakfast trays soon after Bowen entered the lab. He’d also brought a pitcher of coffee for Bo and a pot of what looked like herbal tea for the doctor. Bo poured refills for both himself and the doctor as they got ready to discuss the results. “So?”

“Progress is as per the computer model.” She bit off a piece of toast but she wasn’t paying attention to the food, her eyes on the large screen on the wall.

She stood staring at it.

Walking over with the drinks, Bo handed her the mug of tea and took a sip of his coffee. He tried to make sense of the scans on the screen, but the only thing he could say for certain was that the computer had created a facsimile of his brain in 3D. “Then why have you been scowling at this for the past ten minutes?”

She gulped down half the mug before setting it aside and finishing off her toast. “It’s possible the compound might alter the effectiveness of the chip.”

Bowen braced his feet as his world shuddered. “My course is set.” He’d see it through to the end. “But if that is the result—and assuming no brain damage—it’ll be a major problem for the others.” Bowen would have no choice but to stand down as Alliance security chief—and yeah, even the thought of that hurt—but he couldn’t trust himself in a position where Psy might be able to influence his thoughts and decisions.

But Cassius, Lily, Heenali, the other knights, they’d also have to make a choice and he knew the choice they’d make: to die in freedom. What was the point of living longer when your mind could be taken at any moment, when fear of such a violation was a constant horrified whisper in the back of your head?

“When will you know for certain?” he asked Dr. Kahananui, even as ice crystals formed in his blood. Surviving but being wide open to telepathic interference would destroy him in the end, as effectively as acid dripping on his bones.

“I’m not certain. We’re navigating in the dark without lights.” She returned her attention to the screen. “Come back in four hours. I have to remove the muscle trainers.”

Having already made plans for his day, Bowen left without argument. It was as he was walking down the corridor that Hex ran over and stopped in front of him.

Bending down, Bowen held out his hand.

Kaia’s pet took a moment to think about the offer before deciding to accept it.

Putting the mouse in the front pocket of his navy blue shirt, Bo continued toward his destination. KJ was walking in his direction, dressed in the same blue scrubs that Bowen had spotted him in the other day. “Yo, man!” He held up a hand for a high five.

After slapping his palm to the shorter man’s, Bowen said, “You got a minute?”

“Sure. I was just going to ask Dr. K if she wanted me to do anything for her before I head over to the infirmary.”

The orderly’s eyes brightened when Bowen told him what he needed. “There’s one righteous spot,” he said at last. “It’s not real flash, but it’s the least used. Good chance you can find it empty, especially at night.”

Quickly memorizing the instructions on how to reach the location, Bowen asked a couple more questions, then said, “Thanks. And keep it under your hat.”

“Total word of honor,” the other man drawled. “Good luck.”

Bowen bumped fists with him and carried on ahead, hoping the luck would stick. It wasn’t like he knew what he was doing. According to the last woman he’d dated, he was about “as romantic as a block of wood.” She’d suggested he read some romance how-to books before “foisting” himself on another “unfortunate” woman.

“I should’ve made time to read them,” Bo muttered to Hex.

The mouse twitched his nose in response.

Bo’s next step was to locate Seraphina or Tansy, the two women Dr. Kahananui had told him were Kaia’s closest friends after Hugo. He was wondering who to approach for their whereabouts without his questions getting back to Kaia when he spotted Oleanna.

She waggled her eyebrows at his request. “No tentacles,” she whispered. “Either of them.”

His lips twitched; she was so joyously open about her sensuality that he could do nothing but like her. “I’m already very happily taken.” It felt damn good to say that; he wasn’t certain what Kaia’s response would be to his declaration, but she’d walked hand in hand with him through Ryūjin.

As far as Bowen was concerned, she’d claimed him.

“Talk about no tentacles!” Oleanna scowled and put her hands on her hips. “But I love Kaia, so I suppose I’ll allow her to have you.” She dipped her head toward him, eyes narrowed. “Why are you looking for other women if you’re with Kaia?”

Realizing he’d have to confess if he wanted her help, he gave in. She clasped her hands in front of her chest afterward, bouncing on her feet. “Oh, oh, please let me help. I’m really good at sneaking things.”

“As long as you can keep it secret.”

“Puh-leeese.” She snorted. “If you only knew the people I’ve had in my bed.” Patting his cheek, she said, “What do you need, handsome?”

Not long afterward, he tracked Seraphina down to the assistant station commander’s office. He didn’t get a warm welcome.

“Hurt Kaia and I’ll kneecap you.” Hands on her hips, jaw set, and her purple lipstick a perfect match to her purple nails.

“I’ll stand still for it if that ever becomes necessary.” Bo knew he’d drive Kaia crazy in the future he was determined they’d share, but he’d never purposefully cause her pain.

“Hmm.” Seraphina tapped one skyscraper-high heel on the carpet of her office. “What do you want?”

A faint softening in her face when he told her. “Well, I guess it’s better than dead clams,” she said, putting him firmly in his place. But she gave him what he needed—and added an unexpected extra. “I can close out the location for you. It’ll say Closed for Maintenance on the panel. Input this code and you’ll be able to get in.”

“How about a no-swim zone above the transparent area?”

Seraphina gave him a you’re pushing it look but said, “Doable. I’ll turn the external lighting from white to blue in that spot—that’s a sign to our people that we’re working there and they should steer clear.”

Tansy was softer and sweeter, and had giant garden shears in her hand when he found her in an internal garden that was apparently also a lab where she worked on plants genetically engineered to thrive under the simulated sunlight. She snapped those shears menacingly after telling him to “Take care of Kaia.”

He found himself grinning on the inside, imagining what implement Kaia would use to warn off any suitors Seraphina or Tansy might have. “I will,” he said. “Thank you for the help.”

It was all going well until he ran into Alden the Walrus—no way in hell was the man anything else—in a dark and silent corner of the station. When Alden’s face began to go a blotchy red, his hands bunching, Bo had had enough. “Stop,” he said very quietly. “Or I will be forced to dislocate your arm, break your femur, and crack three ribs.”

The extremely specific list had Alden freezing. When the changeling found his voice at last, he said, “How’re you going to do that, bug man?” He curled his lip.

Bowen smiled at Alden and it was what Lily called his “scary” smile.

Alden stumbled back a step.

Deciding to give the man an out so he wouldn’t feel compelled to follow through on his implied threat in order to save face, Bo said, “You should also know that Dex is still so angry he wants to take a sledgehammer to your bones.” He shrugged. “I’d stay out of sight and out of mind unless you want to screw with him.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever.” Alden’s voice came out a growl. “But you can’t hide behind Attie forever. Soon as she’s had her pup, you’re mine.” He thumped a fist into the open palm of his other hand. “Not that I’ll have to hurt you when Hugo comes back. He’ll crush you for touching his future mate.”

Bowen didn’t move until Alden’s footsteps had faded far into the distance; Alden was the last person he wanted to know about his plans. “Pup,” he murmured softly, ignoring the other part of Alden’s threat. “What sea creature has pups?” Seals were the only ones he could think of; seals were also playful.

Was Kaia a seal, round dark eyes and inquisitive face?

Intrigued by the idea, but conscious that many things could alter genetic lines, he reminded himself that not only was Dr. Kahananui Kaia’s cousin rather than sister, he had no idea of Dex’s animal. He also needed to know what beings Kaia’s parents had carried inside their skins before he could hazard a guess at her own.

Chewing on the mystery, he got on with what he needed to do; he was halfway through the physical prep when KJ poked his head into the doorway. He’d changed out of his scrubs into dark brown cargo pants and a short-sleeved white T-shirt.

“Hey, I’m off shift and don’t need to get to my lessons for like two hours,” the orderly said around the gum in his mouth. “Want some help?”

“Thanks, ’preciate it.” The sooner he cleared this space, the sooner he could get to work on the second part of his plan—and that, he’d be doing on his own. “What’re you studying?”

“Nursing, dude.” He cracked his gum, the fresh scent of peppermint in the air. “I get teaching from our healers, but I’m also enrolled in a remote university to make sure I cover all the bases.”

KJ whistled as he worked, his good nature so infectious that Bowen could see exactly why he’d gone into not one but two areas of medicine that meant constant patient contact. “You mated, KJ?” He nodded at the gold ring the BlackSea male wore on the ring finger of his left hand; it was rare to see that among changelings. They tended to rely on scent or other markers to tell if someone was single or not.

“Working on it—married three years now.” The orderly grinned, his muscular arms bulging as he lifted a large box and carried it to the far left wall. “She’s human, likes me to wear the ring.” Another grin. “Says it’s like her brand on me. I’m cool with that until our mating bond kicks in—’cause I know it will.”

Bowen frowned. “I didn’t realize there were any other humans on this station.”

“Lis is the only one.” He helped Bo move a particularly heavy box, his strength surprising for his size. “Solo round-the-world sailor. Had a wreck. I rescued her and she fell madly, passionately, forever in love with her heroic merman.” His smile was wicked, his eyes dancing. “At the moment, she’s holed up in our living unit working on a totally awesome yacht design. Once she needs to sail again, I’ll switch shifts to the city upside.”

The city upside.

Bo had known such a city must exist—Ryūjin would otherwise be too isolated, too difficult to service—but it was good to have confirmation. The security chief part of his mind automatically recalculated his situation but came to the same conclusion as before: Bowen couldn’t leave unless he managed to commandeer a submersible, then outmaneuver BlackSea’s security protocols.

He’d spotted a map at the back of Seraphina’s office and his brain had automatically taken a snapshot. Now that snapshot came to the fore, and he understood the map was of oceanic routes around Ryūjin. The sea was a big place. If a man was careful about how he stole a submersible and he figured out the frequency on which to listen to security transmissions, he could thread the needle.