Chapter Eight

Alex groaned as he rolled over, searching for the edge of the bed. When he found it, he slid both legs over and down, then sat up slowly. Three hundred year old scotch tasted about the same as what he was used to, but it packed a hell of a hard punch. It took nearly a minute to get off the bed then stumble into the washroom where he was greeted by a fuzzy image of his face in a gilded mirror.

"Oh yeah, that's attractive." God, what was I thinking? He could hold his liquor most times, and he didn't think he'd actually been drunk, exactly. Good thing Evan would have kept him from doing anything too terribly stupid. It was great mental security, having that guy around all the time.

With a shake of his head and a quick cleansing of the thick slime that seemed to be coating the inside of his mouth, Alex showered and shaved. He was already starting to feel more human when he pulled a shirt down over his head on the way through the bedrooms and out to the larger main living area.

"Good morning."

"Breakfast is being delivered, I just sent the servant away." Evan handed over a short glass of blue liquid. "Drink this."

Alex downed the slightly sweet drink in one swallow, then set the glass on a table and ran a hand through his wet hair. "What was that?"

"Something for your headache." Evan walked to a couch and sat, still buttoning his own shirt. "It's from Zane."

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He was here for a few minutes, now he's gone back down to that medical facility again." Evan looked perturbed. He pushed some damp black hair out of his face and shook his head once. "I don't know if this behavior of his is just coincidence or not."

"Behavior?" Alex blinked as he suddenly realized his headache had vanished. "You mean the way he disappears and only pops his head in now and again to remind us he's still here?"

Evan looked up and nodded. "On the cruise, it was strange but understandable. That medical convention could have been coincidence, or just the deciding factor in the ship he booked for our trip. But here . . . " He let the sentence trail, still eyeing Alex.

"He's just being a scientist, Evan." Alex shrugged off the matter and sat on a chair facing the Sha'erah. "Would you rather have him hovering over us all the time?"

"Maybe he shouldn't have come."

Alex leaned back in the chair and started twisting the ring around his finger. "You're not suggesting Zane's anything but honest, are you?"

Evan seemed to hesitate, then shook his head slightly. "No, I can't see what he'd stand to gain by lying to us about anything. It just seems too . . . easy."

"Getting rid of him so we can be free to move around? Yeah, it's been easy so far." Alex laughed shortly. "We'll see how long it lasts. If we end up jumping around the galaxy hunting down every Keeper there's ever been, and this is the only time we get away from Zane, you'll be looking back at this with fondness."

"Maybe." Evan's tone and facial expression belied his statement. "I'm not sure we were right about Thomas."

"How so?"

"I think he can read Kellman's thoughts." Evan's eyebrows arched, indicating his own uncertainty. "I'm not positive, but it seemed that way to me."

Alex blinked, trying hurriedly to recall the many thoughts that had been floating around inside his mind last night, many of which were anything but flattering. "I thought he could only hear negative ones directed at his Keeper, or something. Are you saying he can read all of our thoughts now?"

Evan shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I'm not sure, but I think with his Keeper, he can actually read all the thoughts. And I don't think Kellman knows that. He would have mentioned something in his private files."

It occurred to Alex just then that they shouldn't have touched the man's personal computer files. Of course, he hadn't exactly asked Evan to look inside the system. And it wasn't like they'd stolen information, or anything. So really, they'd done nothing wrong. Technically speaking. Now, asking Evan to look again would be wrong. Wouldn’t it?

"What did the two of you talk about, anyway?"

Alex blinked. "Oh, ah, not a hell of a lot. He told me his life's story, basically. I stuck with the idea we're just vacationing." He yawned.

"I don't think Thomas knows any more than I do about where we came from. He's older, so it's been even longer since he was there. And Kellman's his third Keeper."

Alex let out a sigh and stood. "Well, I don't think we have anything to fear from this guy, unless one of his siblings makes a move and catches us in the middle or something."

There was a quiet knock on the door, followed by a soft announcement over the lock's audio input that breakfast had arrived. Evan let the servants in and stood over them, watching each plate as it was uncovered and placed on the large, round table in a corner of the room. When they'd finished, he escorted them back to the door and locked it behind them. Back at the table, he pulled a small, handheld device from one pocket and scanned the food.

"What's that?" Alex reached for the coffee after Evan passed the device over the pot.

"Zane gave it to me. It's a poison detector the doctors here invented. They use these things in the kitchens at every meal, and Thomas carries one with him wherever they go."

Alex rolled his eyes at the paranoia and the sad state of a man's life that would make it so necessary. "At least he doesn't use Thomas as a taster."

"That wouldn't be very smart, to use your most expensive asset for something a machine can do."

"Makes as much sense as thinking of another human being as your most expensive asset." Alex sat down and stabbed something green with a fork. The way Kellman had referred to Thomas during the evening's conversation turned his stomach. The man was as much a Keeper as anyone could be, and truly enjoyed the role. "To me you're a valuable asset, Evan. But not an expensive one." He bit off the contents of his fork and thought he caught the slightest hint of a flush on the Sha'erah's face. Well, at least he’s starting to recognize a compliment, even if it still makes him uncomfortable. "I don't think he even once mentioned Thomas by name." He stabbed another of the green legumes then shoved the mass into his mouth with some frustration.

"That surprised you?"

"No, actually it didn't." That’s what surprised him. That, and how easily he was able to keep himself in check and play along. Alex felt his face start to flush in embarrassment and covered the unwanted reaction with another round of chewing.

When they'd first left the room, leaving Thomas and Evan behind, he'd considered coming clean and explaining the real reasons they were here. He even mentally rehearsed it during dinner while Kellman was going on about something uninteresting. He was going to just explain his personal views about Sha'erah's and Keepers and all the morality that was offended by the whole setup. Tell him he wanted to learn more about Evan's past and get to the bottom of all the mysteries he'd grown so sick of. And, if it were possible, find a way to aid his argument that Evan made a better friend than possession.

That was the plan. Let Kellman know about the rings and how they really worked, get any information he was willing to offer up, spend a day or two hanging out just to be polite, then book the first cruiser off this planet and head on to the next dead end.

Only it hadn't worked that way. Kellman was so proud of his accomplishments, Thomas being one of them, Alex soon found he was unable to get a word in edgewise. It was so much easier to play along, agree with the man, nod knowingly now and again, pretend he knew exactly how hard it was keeping a Sha'erah in today's economy. They were, after all, quite rare and hard to come by. And invaluable, to be sure. One couldn't buy a more loyal friend and companion. Which was ironic, since neither of them had actually bought theirs.

Of course the opportunity was right there, and he'd missed it. So wrapped up in playing the good Keeper and struggling with the personal implications of what he was doing, he'd completely missed the right time to ask Kellman if he'd ever considered buying another. That in turn would have lead him easily and directly into the question of how and where, if not why. Instead, he'd just sat there quietly disgusted and played along.

Idiot. Alex stabbed more morsels, unconcerned with exactly what it was he was eating. It was easier to sit there like an ass and agree with him about how hard it was sometimes to get your Sha'erah to accept your plans. And what was it he'd said to Evan? I’ll play Keeper, but don’t expect me to like it.

He hadn't liked it. Not one bit. But . . . it had been easy to do. A little too easy, maybe. All he'd had to do was sit there, sipping whiskey even Paulson Carpenter couldn't have afforded, in a chair that cost roughly half as much as his ship's last tune-up, and casually discuss the ups and downs of owning another human being.

Way too easy.

" . . . and see what Zane's been doing."

"What?" Alex looked up and realized he hadn't heard a word Evan had been saying for the past ten minutes.

The look on the Sha'erah's face suggested he was fully aware of that fact. "I said, unless you had plans for today, we might want to visit that medical facility and see what Zane has been doing."

Slowly, Alex nodded, trying to determine what else he'd missed. "Okay. Sure. I think Kellman said something about being away from the mansion all morning." In fact, he'd specifically said something about taking Thomas and a few well-armed guards for a tour of one of his brothers factories. "I'm surprised someone that paranoid ever leaves home."

"If there was any real danger, Thomas wouldn't let him."

"So, how did the two of you get along?" Alex set his fork down and pushed the empty plate away, leaning back with coffee cup in hand.

Evan shrugged, pushing something orange around his mostly empty plate with a spoon.

The reaction, or lack of one, surprised Alex. "Didn't he say much?" He expected more from two members of a group so rare they didn't even know where they came from and hardly ever met another one. "I thought for a while there you actually admired the guy or something."

Evan looked up and set the spoon down. "He's a good Sha'erah. Knows the proper ways. And he's treated like we're taught to be by his Keeper."

Alex suppressed a laugh. "As opposed to me, you mean?"

"No. I mean, yes." Evan let out a sigh and stood so he could fuss with the empty plates needlessly. "I do admire him, in a way. But I don't envy him for a minute."

"Well, he's got security, that's for sure."

Evan shook his head, looking somewhat irritated. "There's just something . . . " He stopped fussing with the plates and stood beside the table, looking at Alex. "He's not like I expected. He has no respect."

"Respect for Kellman, you mean?" Alex set his cup down and sat up straighter. He wasn't completely sure what kind of etiquette Sha'erah were expected to adhere to away from their Keepers, but he sensed maybe none of them really did, either. "What did he say that makes you think that?"

"I don't know, exactly." Evan shrugged and turned away, waving the idea off. "It was just a general sense. Maybe I was wrong."

There was something more here, something Evan wasn't voicing. He'd started pacing the room slowly, as if he was checking security for the hundredth time. Alex stood, watching his friend carefully.

"Look, Evan, I realize Thomas is only the second Sha'erah you've ever met. If Harvey's was someone you looked up to," -- damn, what was his name?-- "then don't use Thomas as a good comparison. Look who this poor guy lives with, after all. A pompous ass who declared himself king and became his family's worst nightmare."

"And I once lived with Spencer." Evan turned and faced him. "Never once would I have spoken ill of my Keeper to anyone. Not even another Sha'erah."

Alex shrugged slightly, feeling somewhat helpless all of a sudden. "Well, you're a better man than he is."

Evan shook his head sharply. "He's Sha'erah. He was taught the same as I was."

A sudden thought occurred to Alex then. "Just out of curiosity, how old was Harvey's . . . assassin?"

"Seven years older than I am."

Alex nodded as if that answered his question. Thomas was quite a bit older, and no doubt jaded and sick of his lot in life. Until now, it never occurred to him to wonder if there were any older Sha'erah. Even the best training and mental conditioning had to start wearing off at some point, didn't it?

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, Evan. You're better than he is. And I appreciate knowing you have standards he's lacking in." Alex had the pleasure of seeing a slight reaction of surprise, quickly suppressed, in the Sha'erah's black eyes. "Let's go for a walk."

The medical facility wasn't attached to the castle, but reachable via a covered walkway through the west wing. Evan quietly pointed out all the cameras, obvious and hidden, watching them as they traveled through the castle corridors.

"If we had to make a quick exit, we'd have half the planet watching our every move." Alex eyed one small device poorly hidden in a painting as they passed through a corridor.

"If we have to get out of here, I can make sure no one sees us unless we want them to."

He glanced at Evan, one eyebrow arching. "His security's really that easy to get in?"

Evan shrugged. "For me, it is."

Was that bragging? Probably not. Alex nodded slowly, considering the information. It was tempting to ask Evan to go ahead and probe through Kellman's files all he wanted, find out if the man had any information or not, and be done with it. But that was wrong. And more importantly, Thomas might somehow be able to detect it. Alex knew he wasn't all that good at holding his tongue around people who really irritated him. He'd never even imagined he'd have to guard his thoughts, too.

"Do you think Thomas has to try to read minds, or do thoughts about his Keeper just . . . float to him or something?"

Evan made a face. "I don't know. I should have asked. I should have done something to get answers out of him, but I didn't."

The Sha'erah's tone sounded completely off. Alex stopped in the hallway and put a hand on Evan's arm. "What's going on? You seem really pissed at something."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I have every right to be ridiculous if I want to be." Alex stared up at the black eyes flashing at him. Sometimes seeing those eyes reminded him just how alien Evan could be. But just how alien was he, really? "I know you weren't at all thrilled with this whole idea, but you humored me."

"You needed to own your ship and this is how you could do it."

Alex felt his anger boil to the surface irrationally and without warning. "Dammit, Evan, you have a choice in this! If you think I'm being a selfish jackass here, just say so."

Evan pulled back, then reached behind Alex and touched a panel slightly hidden behind a decorative curtain.

"What are you doing?" The distraction added to Alex's irritation.

"Shutting down the audio pickup in this corridor." He pulled his hand away from the wall and glared at Alex. "Unless you wanted Kellman and his security people to hear everything you're saying?"

And he calls me a smart-ass! "Look, we came out here because I wanted to. I asked you if you were going to be okay with this."

"We came here because you needed to find some truth."

Alex blinked, unable to find a quick reply.

Evan looked away for a moment. "I didn't want to, and I don't want to. But for those reasons, I didn't try to stop you."

His face flushed slightly with selfish embarrassment. "You agreed for my sake?"

"I was there. I saw what Spencer's lies did to you, how they stole everything you thought was real all those years." Evan shrugged. "You deserve to find something you can believe, so you can get back to your life."

Alex sighed deeply and dragged a hand over his face. He could probably trace it all back to his mother. Being spoiled the way he was must be the reason for his completely selfish outlook on life. "Not much of a friend, am I?"

"What?" Now Evan looked surprised.

No wonder he still leans toward being a Sha'erah, when I'm asking him to be a friend and giving him this kind of example. Alex stared at the wall behind Evan, unable to look him in the eye at the moment. "Forget it. The whole thing. We'll go talk to Zane, maybe spend a few days here vacationing, then go home."

"What are you talking about?"

Alex pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning on and started to walk down the corridor again. "I have my truth, Evan. I have everything I could possibly need in life and then some. I've been an idiot not to realize that." He shook his head. "Let's call it quits and go home, it's not worth it."

"Wait a minute," This time Evan grabbed Alex's arm. He pulled him around, staring into his eyes, but faltered for a moment.

"Look, I've been selfish. I can admit it." Alex tried to smile but no humor came through. "My entire life has been completely fucked up. I need to just get over it and move on. There's no need to ruin your ideals, too."

Evan was shaking his head, but not saying a word. The look on his face seemed to be an odd mixture of anger and something close to regret, but it was hard to tell.

"I thought you were curious?"

Alex started twisting the ring on his finger and leaned against the wall again. "I was. And I am." He looked up at Evan. Friends were supposed to come clean with each other, right? Open up, share. "My life was all happy and settled, you know? Great job, good people." His face was burning, he could feel it. One thing he'd never been very good at was saying what should be said when it needed saying. "Then all of that went to hell and took me with it." He paused, looking down at the ring he was still turning around and around. It helped him think, to find a center point which he could anchor on to. A tangible reminder that he was no longer alone, no matter how badly he screwed things up. "It's over and done. Nothing's going to change any of it."

"You knew this wouldn't change anything."

Alex shrugged. "Not for me, no. I was too selfish to stop and think what it could do to you." All thoughts of security cameras and hidden listening devices were gone. The entire planet could have been listening right then, and he wouldn't have cared. He half expected Evan to beat the self-centered crap out of him any minute. Or at the very least, smack some sense into his brain. "You . . . " He cleared his throat. "Your life hasn't been all that different, really. You say being a Sha'erah kept you secure and happy."

"Of course."

Alex nodded, almost nervously. With a quick laugh and a shrug of one shoulder, he continued. "Well, maybe I was jealous."

Evan blinked. "Jealous? That doesn't make sense."

"Hell, nothing does anymore." He shook his head and let out a sigh. "If we succeed here, and find what we're looking for -- or rather, what I’m looking for -- it's entirely possible your whole belief system -- what you consider your past and all that security you take comfort in -- might very well be shot to hell." There, he'd said it! Yes, he was exactly the jerk everyone thought he was. So jealous of Evan he was willing to risk ruining his past just to make himself feel better about his own. "I swear, that's not what I set out to do. Not consciously." He was back-pedaling now, nervously trying to put a verbal bandage on it. Why wasn't Evan saying anything? Why isn’t he pissed?"That's why I think we should stop now, before we do find out anything that ruins your memories. We have things to do, after all. We have a ship to run, exploring to do." He still wasn't speaking. What does he want, blood? Alex swallowed. "I'm . . . sorry. I've been a selfish, self-centered brat, too busy feeling sorry for myself to look beyond it. And I'm sorry. We can just tell Zane we quit and go home." The lack of response was beginning to scare him. Evan could, if he so chose, take him out without breaking a sweat. "Can you forgive me for being such a jerk?"

Evan was standing in the middle of the corridor, looking at him. His face had lost all expression, but he seemed to be thinking something over. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

The answer, simple as it was, wasn't what Alex expected. He hadn't told him to stop being ridiculous, or explained to him how stupid it was to ask forgiveness from a Sha'erah. Or reached one hand out quicker than lightning and ripped out his throat.

Alex let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, feeling a month's worth of repressed tension finally releasing. Progress! After all this time, and all my ignorant attempts to see around what was staring me in the face. Deep down he knew, his real fear was Evan learning what kind of person he really was, and taking that ring back. He straightened up and smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I'm just like my father."

"No," Evan shook his head once. "Spencer would never have apologized."

Both men stood in the corridor, facing each other in silence. Finally Alex nodded, feeling somewhat uncomfortable again. The Sha'erah was so unreadable sometimes, he wasn't sure if he could even risk a handshake. Evan could be pissed, and just hiding it well. "Thanks, that means a lot." He smiled and gave the Sha'erah's shoulder a heartfelt squeeze, judging that to be the least dangerous move if the man was still angry, then turned to continue the trek toward the medical facility. A hand on his arm stopped him before he could start walking.

"Yeah?"

This time it was Evan's turn to look uncomfortable. "I could have stopped you."

Alex looked at him.

"Before we left Scotian, I could have stopped you a hundred different ways." Evan shrugged and ran a hand through his black hair, catching a shimmer of light from the ceiling as the silver in his palm sparkled through. "It's not safe, and that incident on the cruise here proves it. But I didn't even try."

Alex laughed. "As I recall, you did try. I just wasn't listening."

"No," Evan shook his head once, sharply. "I wanted to prove to you that it couldn't be done. I told myself I was going along with it because it was something you needed. And it is." He swallowed, shrugging one shoulder. "But I only did because I didn't believe anything would change. I saw what losing your past did to you."

"And you didn't want it to happen to you?" Black eyes aside, Evan was sounding more human than anything just then.

"It already has. Spencer was my past. All that I can remember is life with him, and it wasn't all open to me the way I thought it was. I never believed he could keep secrets from me, but he did. Lots of them. So my past has been thrown away already, just like yours."

"God, Evan, I'm sorry. I -- As usual, I didn't even think how . . . " Alex knew he was a short man, but standing in that hallway, realizing for the first time how his problems had overshadowed Evan's, he felt about two feet tall. And he was pretty sure most of that height could be attributed to his shoes. Until now he'd never stopped to think what Spencer's lies had done to the Sha'erah, but seeing his face just now brought it all home loud, clear, and painfully. Suddenly the absurdity of the situation was too much. Here they were, stumbling through some bizarre true confession in the middle of the highly monitored hallway of a pompous, self appointed King. Both of them just now admitting things that could have saved them a long trip and some hard self examination. And all because they were struggling to find something they already had. They were each other’s truth and security.

"Timing is everything, huh?" Alex grinned lopsidedly and pointed to a camera in the wall.

Evan glanced around as if seeing the corridor for the first time. "You started it."

"No, you did. All this crap about Thomas and how he's not the perfect Sha'erah you were expecting him to be." Alex shook his head. "You don't think Zane's gonna be pissed, do you? We did come out here on his ticket, after all."

"We're here in good faith. He knew we might not find answers from Kellman."

Alex nodded. "So we're agreed, then?"

"Of course." Evan started down the corridor again beside Alex, who was still grinning. "We keep going."

"What? Hold it, hang on." Alex stopped again, grabbing Evan's arm. All these twists and turns were starting to make him a bit dizzy, but he didn't remember missing such a major point. He'd thought they'd just come to a quietly amicable understanding. "What do you mean, keep going?"

"It's the only way either of us is going to get to the truth." Evan shrugged, matter-of-factly.

Alex closed his eyes and shook his head very carefully. He was sure something had worked loose in there somewhere. Something vital that would explain the whole situation to him. Maybe the scotch had been stronger than he thought?

"You know what I think it is? I think we got off balance somewhere down the line." He opened his eyes and looked at Evan. "I think you should just go ahead and hit me."

Evan blinked, incredulous. "What?"

"Yeah, that's it. I think if you go ahead and hit me, knock some sense around in there, maybe we'll start making sense."

Evan rolled his eyes and started again down the corridor. "You're being ridiculous . . . as usual!"

"It couldn't hurt, figuratively speaking." Alex hurried to catch up.

"You're assuming there’s sense in there to knock into place."

Alex shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

They continued down the corridor in a surprisingly comfortable silence, walking side by side as Alex always preferred. He couldn't help but feel a real sense of accomplishment in his own newfound ability to be honest and open, even if he still had to work on his timing.

It was near the exit where they heard the voices. Shouts coming through the large, wooden door to their left. Alex stopped outside the door, listening. The words were muffled, but one voice was unmistakable.

"Kellman." He glanced at Evan, then reached for the handle on the door and pulled it open.

"What are you doing?"

Alex hauled the door all the way open. The large room was filled floor to ceiling with dead, mounted creatures and hunting weapons, proudly displaying the prowess of the great white hunter. Animals Alex had never seen before, and some he had, stared at him with lifeless, imitation eyes. They were all posed in ferocious leaps, claws, teeth and talons exposed to demonstrate the bravery of the man who had cut them down.

Alex's stomach turned. The creatures were probably sleeping or minding their own business when they were taken, offering no risk to the hunter who then had to pose them in such obscene ways because if he had encountered them in this pose, it would be the hunter who was stuffed and mounted. They might as well have been in display cases on some alien ship.

The voices brought him back to reality, tearing his gaze off the sickening display. Kellman was standing in the center of the room, a whip in hand, shouting at Thomas who stood a few feet away, head bowed. So far the pair hadn't noticed their entrance.

Alex started to approach, trying hard to stop seeing what else was in the room. What he did see didn't sit any better.

"I heard shouting." Alex glanced at Thomas and saw the red welts on his neck and forearms. Anger flared, blocking out any and all reason. Kellman was beating him, and Thomas was standing there taking it without argument.

Regian Kellman glanced at Alex, taking note of his arrival with a shake of his head. "They can be so hard to train sometimes, don't you agree?"

All Alex saw was that whip being raised again. All he thought was to stop it. His conscious thinking hadn't progressed beyond that point. He reached up and grabbed Kellman's arm before he could land another blow to the man so willingly accepting it.

"Alex!"

He registered Evan's shout as he was forcing Kellman's arm down and balling his own hand into a fist, ready to strike the pompous ass in the jaw. He didn't see the other fist, or really even register the hit until he slammed into the floor and found himself sprawled, staring up through a throbbing eye at Evan.

"It's over!" Evan was hovering over Alex's prone body, arms held out to ward off Thomas, who was glaring menacingly at him.

Alex blinked, then the pain started. He hit me! Not Kellman, or even Thomas, but Evan! He'd taken a fist to the hard, bony part of his cheek just beside the right eye and already it was swelling up, threatening to close in protest. Alex struggled to a sitting position on the floor, still reeling from the idea that Evan had taken him down.

"All right, Marcase. You've shown me yours, I've shown you mine." Kellman was glaring down at him, a slightly confrontational smile on his face. He looked up at Evan, still staring Thomas down. "We don't need to turn this into a fight only I can possibly win, do we?"

The implications of what he'd done and what exactly was going on in that room at that moment were trying to make themselves clear, but Alex wasn't listening. All he could think about was the throbbing pain in his face and the all too recent physical memory of the power behind the fist that had brought him down.

"Call him off, Alex, or this is going to turn ugly."

Alex glared up at Kellman, then reached up and grabbed Evan by the belt, using that to pull himself back up to his feet since no one seemed interested in giving him a hand.

Finally Kellman let out a sort of chuckle and patted Thomas's arm. "Come now, Thomas. I don't think our friend here really understood what he was doing." He smiled at Alex. "I hope you'll feel well enough to join us for dinner tonight. We'll have guests." With that he gave Thomas another smile and left the room through a different door.

Alex stood there, still holding on to Evan's waist, staring after the pair. When they were alone, he pulled on the leather belt to get the Sha'erah to face him. "What the hell was that all about?" His face was throbbing violently, and painfully tender when he reached up to touch the swelling beside his eye.

The look of concern he'd expected to find must have been hidden somewhere behind all that black eyed, flashing anger staring him down.

"Were you trying to get us both killed?" Evan's tone was barely in check, and his face reddened in anger. "What in the hell were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Alex pointed to his face. "Who hit who here?"

"You were attacking Kellman! I had to stop you." Evan's anger showed no signs of cooling any time soon. "If I hadn't, then Thomas would have attacked you, and I would have been forced to go after Thomas. Who do you think would have won?"

"Did you see what he was doing?" Shouting was making his face throb even more. "The man's sick!"

"I'm not saying he isn't, but you could have gotten us both killed!"

They stared at each other, neither one willing to back down. Alex knew Evan was right, that what he'd done was just about as stupid as anything he'd ever tried. He realized now that an attack on Kellman would have invited a retaliation, if not a completely preemptive strike from Thomas, and in turn Evan would have felt it necessary to jump in and stop him. Sure, he knew it now. It was amazing how clearly one could see the stupidity of one's actions when given the time to think them through.

Evan grabbed Alex's chin and took closer look at his face. "It's already swelling."

"I'm a big boy, you know." Alex pulled his chin out of Evan's grip. "I can take care of myself."

"Well you sure as hell don't act like it sometimes," Evan retorted.

Alex touched his face again, gingerly feeling how far the swelling was going to go. The force behind the blow had been just as much of a shock as the hit itself. Evan was stronger than he thought, and a hell of a lot better at pulling a punch when needed. He was sure, had the Sha'erah been truly pissed, he'd be staring blankly up at a med-lab ceiling right about now unable to repeat his own name. Never mind tearing out his throat, Evan could take his head off and hand it to him, should he ever feel inclined.

Alex tried to smile, but it hurt to move his face that much. "Come on, let's go see Zane. I need some ice."

"Well he's right, you know." Zane dabbed Alex's bruised cheek with some ointment and made a clicking sound with his tongue. "If you had managed to hit Kellman, I'm afraid Thomas wouldn't have held his punch the way Evan did." He straightened up and scrutinized Alex's face. "At the very least, you'd be dead and Evan would have had to attempt killing Thomas. And, had he been successful, I expect he would have gone after Kellman."

"Come on, people," Alex rolled his eyes. "It was a stupid move, I admit that now, okay? I'm sorry I was an idiot. Let's not over-dramatize the whole affair."

Evan and Zane shared a look. "Well, I apologize for not being there myself. But this facility is truly amazing." The doctor was smiling now as he put the jar of ointment away in a drawer. "They've got a set up here that can determine the source and precise chemical structure of any poison entering the human body, whether it's known or new. Then find a cure almost immediately."

"Kellman's enemies probably try poison most often, since a chemical is the only thing they could possibly get past all that security." Evan nodded in the general direction of the castle. "Thomas's talent is limited, if someone could discipline their thoughts."

"Well, that leaves me out." Alex looked through the windows of the medical laboratory toward the castle. "But if I was that creep's brother, I can't say I wouldn't wish him dead."

Zane sighed. "I don't remember Regian being such a difficult man when I was here before."

"Difficult hardly does him justice."

"Still, that was years ago." Zane seemed to ignore Alex's remark. "And Thomas has changed."

Alex glanced at Evan, then the doctor. "Really? How so?"

Zane shrugged. "I can't really put a finger on it exactly. He seems more . . . closed off."

"More closed off?" Alex's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean he used to actually speak to you before?"

Evan took a step closer. "He was pretty open with me last night. More than he should have been."

"How so?"

Alex eyed his friend as well.

"He was openly disrespectful." Evan looked at Zane, then Alex. "When we first arrived, I saw him behaving exactly as I would have expected. But when he and I were alone, he was more than willing to share his opinion of Kellman as a Keeper and a human being." Clearly upset, Evan looked at Zane again. "That's not proper, even to another Sha'erah."

Alex looked at Zane too, realizing he was as close as an authority on these matters as either of them were ever going to get.

"No, you're right." Zane nodded, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. "That does surprise me. No Sha'erah would ever speak ill of his Keeper, to anyone."

"Well, look what he's stuck with day in and day out." Alex gingerly touched his bruised face again, pleased to find the swelling reduced already. "If you were desperate for someone intelligent to talk to, and you knew another Sha'erah would never repeat what you'd said, who better to unload on?"

"Alex has a good point, Evan." Zane nodded. "Regian has become so paranoid since I met him. He wasn't a king then, remember. The man's not easy to talk to, and obviously prone to violent outbursts. Thomas must look forward to any visiting Sha'erah as a small release for all the frustrations he's unable to express."

Alex grinned and gave Evan's arm a pat. "See, you're just spoiled, having a Keeper you can actually hit whenever you get pissed."

"I did not hit you because I was angry!" Evan looked frustrated, like a man trying to explain something extremely simple to a deaf blind child. "But if I thought hitting you would knock some sense into your head, I might have tried it sooner."

"Ha! You wish it was that easy." Alex grinned at Evan's sudden stunned reaction, then turned to Zane. "Okay, Doc, the way I see it, things being the way they are around here, we've got a decision to make."

"Oh?" Zane looked from Alex to Evan and back again, eyebrows raised. "Something that might further our investigation after all?"

Alex paced to the window and turned around, facing both the doctor and Evan. "An hour ago I wouldn't have even entertained this idea. But now I think it's something the three of us need to consider." He looked at Evan, pointedly including him in the decision-making aspects of his statement. "Kellman's personal files aren't as secure as he thinks. And he seems to be anal enough to keep records on everything."

"Ah," Zane nodded his understanding. "And Evan could easily read his documents, is that it?"

Alex watched his friend, waiting for him to express some sort of opinion.

"Interesting dilemma." Zane was still nodding, almost talking to himself more than anything. "Morally shaky ground. Regian Kellman seems to have lost much of his morals. But does that make it right for us to break in to his personal files? Even if there is something there we could use, is it really considered stealing when it's only information?"

Evan wasn't saying anything, but he was meeting Alex's gaze dead on. The two of them were trying to read each others minds, and having to settle for body language and expressions. He didn't want his friend thinking he'd just tossed out all the moral ground he'd so highly touted all these months. Then again . . .

Zane continued as if he was alone in the room. "On the one hand, we'd only be looking at information that he could have willingly told us to begin with. Information that would in no way harm or reflect back on him. And technically it's information his late father may or may not have obtained when he purchased Thomas, so Kellman's almost right out of that loop altogether."

Alex was going to get an opinion out of the Sha'erah if it was the last thing he did. And he wasn't going to have him simply say what he thought he was supposed to say. Not this time. Not anymore.

"On the other hand, Regian's lack of morality shouldn't change our own ideals. And as a physician, I'm sworn never to cause harm. But then again, what harm is this causing?" Zane shook his head. "This is one I'll have to stew over for a few hours, I'm afraid. What about you two?"

Alex reluctantly dragged his gaze off the black eyes that seemed to be trying to read his thoughts and looked at Zane. "I'm with you, Doc. I gotta think this over for a few hours." He looked at Evan again. "What about you?"

"Yes, Evan, considering what's at stake here, what are your views?" Zane arched both eyebrows and turned to face Evan.

"There's every chance we'll find nothing, even if we do look. But we can decide that later."

Perfect. The guy's full of opinions when he's mad at me, but ask him for one and this is what you get. "Fine, we'll meet after this dinner thing tonight and decide what we want to do." Alex sighed. "The sooner we leave this place, the better."

"Sadly I'll have to agree there. But in the meantime, let me show you around this facility." Zane started beaming with excitement. "The medical advancements here are astounding!"

Alex adjusted his collar and checked himself in the large mirror in the bedroom. The bruise on his face matched the deep purple of his duster, black pants and dark gray shirt. He and Evan were nearly identically decked out, but the Sha'erah's choice in color was much more monotone. A quick glimpse of the man, clothed totally in black, with black hair and eyes adding to the look, and a shimmering of silver visible now and again from his palm, reminded Alex once again how mysterious Evan's origins were. The tattoos on his neck and the back of one hand seemed to stand out more dramatically when he was dressed up like they both were now. If he didn't know him, Alex was sure that sight would intimidate him just as much as it did everyone else.

"You still pissed at me?" Alex gave up trying to fix his collar and accepted it the way it was.

Evan pulled on his black duster, only slightly different in style and length, and glanced at him. "Are you going to confront Kellman again?"

Alex made a face and walked out to the living area. "He was beating Thomas just because he could."

"And you were about to get us both killed, just because you didn't stop to think it through."

"I'm not going to confront him, okay?" Alex roughly shoved his foot into a shoe. "I'll make nice, get through this dinner, then tomorrow we're outta here." He found the other shoe. "I think I've made up my mind about his computer files."

"What did you decide?"

Alex laughed shortly, shaking his head. "I wanna hear your opinion first. I'll tell you what I think later, after Zane puts his vote in."

Evan rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"All right, let's get this evening over with." Alex opened the door and started down the long corridor. Already they could hear voices and laughter drifting up from downstairs. "I'm surprised he ever invites his brothers over, if they're all supposedly gunning for him."

"He's survived this long. Must enjoy watching them try." Evan reached out and stopped Alex before they started down the stairs. With one hand, he fixed the collar that wouldn't behave. "I'll be staying right beside you, so don't even think about wandering off or getting into an argument with that man."

Alex tugged at his collar again, surprised to find it fitting more comfortably now, and gave Evan a look of exaggerated frustration. "Yes, mother."

The entire lower floor of the castle seemed to be crawling with guests, but after a closer look, Alex realized the majority of the people milling about were the armed guards he'd seen patrolling the grounds. It quickly became apparent who was a weapon-carrying resident and who was a guest when he began to notice people staring in fascination at the pair of them, then whispering frantically to each other as they passed.

"Ah, Captain Marcase," Kellman suddenly appeared, flanked by two younger men who looked surprisingly like him. Instead of introductions, he raised an arm and waved it dismissively. Both men flashed him a look of pure hatred, glanced at Alex, then moved away.

"Relatives?" Alex kept his voice even, trying hard to ignore the hatred building up inside. Thomas was standing directly behind his Keeper, watching him closely.

"Brothers, as a matter of fact." Kellman reached out and took two tall glasses from a servant's tray and handed one to Alex. "There are several of them here tonight for our annual celebration."

"Celebration?" Alex accepted the glass and glanced around the room.

"Founders Day. This is the anniversary of our father's first discovery of Murcadia." He raised the glass in a toast. "To Father!"

The toast was instantly echoed through the room, startling Alex. He glanced over his shoulder at Evan and raised an eyebrow, but not his glass. After the toast, everyone seemed to go back to their individual conversations, paying them little mind. Kellman nodded with his chin and started walking slowly toward the far wall, so Alex followed, smiling benignly at the faces watching him when he passed by.

"This was Father." Kellman pointed to a massive painting hanging from the wall. "Bless his dead soul."

"You don't look anything like him." Alex set his untouched glass back on a tray as a servant walked by.

Kellman laughed, then glanced at Thomas who nodded and walked several yards away. He turned back to Alex and raised one eyebrow, shooting Evan a look. When Alex ignored the implied expectation, he cleared his throat and took another swallow of the wine.

That’s right, bastard, he’s with me.Alex felt both possessive and defiant as he watched his host try to ignore the fact that he wasn't sending Evan away.

"You've been a Keeper for how long, again? Ten, eleven months?"

"Evan's been with me for about ten months now." Alex smiled casually, fully prepared to spar with the man. After all, it was conversation, not confrontation.

Another servant approached, this time carrying a tray that sported several glasses of different beers. He stopped in front of Alex, who took one glass and held it toward Evan questioningly. The Sha'erah shook his head once, so Alex kept the beer for himself with a slight shrug.

When Kellman raised his wine glass for another swallow, Alex caught sight of the Keeper's ring around his finger. It was silver, like his, but where his ring was elaborately shaped with a carved design, Kellman's was nothing more than a broad, plain band. He glanced up at the painting again.

"That's interesting."

"Excuse me?"

Alex pointed to the ring, painted in exacting detail on the portrait of Kellman's father. "That is the same ring, isn't it?"

Kellman looked at the painting, eyebrows creased.

"I was just noticing how it seems to have had a pattern when your father wore it." Alex looked at the ring Kellman was sporting. "But yours is just a plain band of silver." Without even looking, he could sense Evan's growing irritation with his attitude.

Kellman glanced at his ring, then looked for Alex's, his scowl deepening. Suddenly his expression altered, and a slight, humorless smile curled his mouth. "You have . . . different ideas, don't you?"

"Different?" Alex casually raised his glass and took a drink, eyebrows arched.

Kellman's eyelids lowered. "You don't seem to fully appreciate what it means to be in your position. To be a Keeper." He began walking slowly along the wall of paintings and portraits as they spoke.

Alex followed along. He would have preferred to have Evan walk beside him, but he was too close to the wall to make that practical unless Kellman moved aside, and he wasn't budging an inch, probably for that same reason.

"On the contrary, I think I appreciate it more than most." He fingered the ring with his thumb. "I'm curious, though. This ring was almost as plain as yours when the original owner had it. Just a few notches and curves in it, if I remember correctly." He was lying like a dog, having never seen the ring on his father's finger, but no one seemed willing to call him on it.

"Curious, but hardly important." Kellman dismissed the thought. "It's not the ring, but the wearer."

"I think you're exactly right." Alex countered.

Kellman's smile lost much of its size. "You're a rebel, aren't you, Marcase?"

Alex shrugged, completely enjoying the situation. "Some call me a rebel, I suppose. Evan thinks I'm a brat."

"Hmm." Kellman stopped, raising his wine glass. "Bright man."

From the corner of his eye, Alex caught a sudden movement through the crowd. Suddenly Thomas was there, pulling Kellman backwards without a word. Someone in the room cried out. Just as the larger Sha'erah's body moved, pulling his Keeper with him, Alex caught sight of something very small and thin flying through the air directly at the space Kellman had been occupying. Directly at him.

His body demanded movement even as his mind convinced him he wasn't going to be faster than the dart aimed at his chest. Everything happened in slow motion, just enough for his brain to realize someone out to kill the King was about to kill him instead, thanks to Thomas being one step ahead.

Only the dart never made it that far.

"Evan!"

Shouts filled the room now as women screamed, guards barked orders and chaos ensued. But all of it took place in another world somewhere. Alex had caught Evan, first in an attempt to prevent him from being hit by the dart, then to keep him from crashing to the floor after it struck him in the shoulder.

"Get Zane in here, now!" Alex shouted to anyone close enough to hear as he lowered Evan's unconscious body to the floor. When no one acknowledge his command, he looked up, anger flaring out of control. "I said NOW!" He felt as if a part of his brain was exploding, blanking out in a white-hot flash of extreme panic.

Kellman waved an arm and five guards took off running. "He'll probably live, I wouldn't worry too much."

Alex ignored him. In the back of his mind, he made a commitment to do his best to kill the man, but not right now. There were more pressing problems at hand.

"Evan." He'd lowered the Sha'erah to the ground and got himself on the floor, sitting with his friend's body propped against his legs. Oh God! Alex gently cradled Evan's shoulders and head in both arms. Gingerly he felt for a pulse, terrified there wouldn't be one. It was there, but irregular. Or was that his own heart racing? "Come on, partner, don't do this." Fear and uncertainty was chilling his face and hands as he looked at Evan's closed, unresponsive eyes. There was a tiny dart in his shoulder that left a small hole trickling blood when Alex carefully tugged it out. His skin was cold, but there was sweat beading up on the Sha'erah's face and neck that he tried vainly to wipe away with a hand. It was too quick. He had to have lost consciousness the instant the dart hit, which meant whatever poison it was acted instantly. How long would it take to . . .

Come on, Evan, don’t do this to me! He looked up at Kellman and found Thomas standing beside his Keeper, looking down at them both. It was the Sha'erah he addressed. "What's taking them so long?!" Hadn't it been an hour already?

"He's coming now," Kellman pointed to the opposite end of the large banquet hall where several white-coated men were rushing in.

Alex looked back at the unconscious form in his arms and pulled his friend closer, willing the poison out of his body. "Hang on, Evan, they're here." Before he could even look up again, hands were pulling at him, trying to separate him from the injured man. He refused to let go.

"Alex, let us work, it's all right."

He registered Zane's voice, then stopped pushing the hands away and gently lowered Evan onto the floating gurney resting on the polished wood floor. Evan was instantly surrounded by white coats and medical gear in a crowd that forced him back a few steps, ignoring his attempts to remain beside his friend.

"It was poison, some kind of dart or something." Alex looked at Zane, his voice shaking. A sinking feeling of complete and utter helplessness washed over him suddenly, leaving him nauseated and slightly weak in the legs. "It was aimed at Kellman, but it was going to hit me. Evan jumped in the way. I couldn't stop him."

Zane was nodding and patting Alex's arm. "It's all right, Alex. These doctors are experts at this."

"It happened too fast." Alex shook his head. Didn't Zane understand how serious this was? "He was unconscious too fast!"

"Alex, calm down."

In a blur of white he realized they were raising the gurney and moving through the room. "Wait, where are they taking him?" Alex didn't wait for an answer. He rushed after the doctors, Zane close behind.

"Take him upstairs!" Zane called out when the group reached the corridor. "Third door to the left!"

Alex shook his head. That wasn't the way to the medical facility. "Wait!"

"Alex, they have their equipment with them. The medical facility actually has no patient area." Zane grabbed Alex's arm to slow his mad dash up the stairs immediately following the gurney. "They'll have all the information they need by the time we reach the room."

It was a dream. Or nightmare. That's what it had to be. Alex felt himself drifting strangely away from the reality of the chaos around him. He was sure he and Evan were really just sleeping, maybe still on the Newton III, cruising through space without a care in the world.

Someone was speaking directly to him out of this dream state, the voice urging him to pay attention. Alex blinked, and Zane's face came into focus.

"They've got an antidote to try. We should know in a couple of hours."

Hours? Hadn't it already been days? Numbly, Alex nodded, then looked around. He was in the smaller bedroom, the one Evan had slept in last night, sitting on the edge of the double bed. The larger room, with the ridiculously massive bed, was filled with doctors and other medical staff working with equipment Alex didn't remember seeing them bring into the apartment. The duster his friend had been wearing was in his lap, fabric tightly intertwined between his fingers. He looked out toward the living area and caught sight of Kellman and Thomas, standing in the middle of the room looking mostly unconcerned.

A rage seeped up from deep inside like nothing Alex had ever felt before. It wasn't a flaming, hot need for action, but more of a settled, deep understanding of what had to be done. In Kellman he saw the culmination of everything that had gone wrong since they'd arrived. If Evan died, it was all over. Zane should probably be told, in case he wanted to get far enough away to get off-world.

He nodded at the doctor and stood, glancing into the room where they'd taken Evan. The bed was so completely surrounded by doctors and equipment, he couldn't even glimpse his partner. Just as well. He'd take care of some things, then go into that room and stay there until it was decided.

Kellman straightened up somewhat when Alex walked into the room. "Well, that was interesting. I usually expect one or two attempts during the year, but they're not usually this bold in my own home."

Alex glared at him. Regian Kellman was a fat, pompous man who hadn't earned his wealth, his title, or the man whose life was dedicated to preserving his worthless hide. He knew, rationally, this man wasn't the one who had fired the dart. But right now, he needed someone to target, and no one deserved that more right then.

"I shouldn't worry too much. Your Sha'erah is in the best hands possible. They've never lost a patient."

"Evan is my friend." Alex was slightly surprised to hear the evenness of his voice. The register was a tone or two lower than normal, and he knew his face had to be brimming with the complete and utter hatred he was feeling, but Thomas wasn't making any moves to stop him. He was quite sure in his current state of justified fury, nothing could. "He might be Sha'erah, but he is my friend."

Kellman let his disgust show openly now. He let out a snort of derision and shook his head. "You honestly believe that Sha'erah is your friend?"

Alex blinked, holding himself in check until he could be sure his voice was still under control.

"It's a lie, you know," Kellman continued. "Even if he pretends to understand the concept, he can't honestly feel the same as you do. He's Sha'erah. I've seen this before."

"He's my friend, and my partner." Alex had to look up to meet Kellman's gaze and pictured tearing his throat out with bare hands.

Thomas merely watched, quietly.

"If you truly believe that -- if you really believe he's with you because he honestly wants to be -- then sell him." Kellman looked down at Alex, his face full of challenge. "Sell him and see if he protests."

Alex felt his upper lip curling in utter disgust. He stared Kellman down, wondering if it was even worth the effort of explaining. "No."

"You don't trust his feelings, then? You don't truly believe he'd want to stay with you?"

"I promised him I'd never do that." Alex nearly spat his words. "I won't go back on my word to him for anything. Not even to prove you wrong!" He turned, intending to storm back toward the bedrooms.

"Too bad they don't come with a warranty, eh?"

Alex spun back around, his vision almost blurring with the anger. "Let me spare Thomas the trouble of reading my mind." As quickly as he could, he launched at Kellman, grabbed him by the shirt collar and shoved him backwards. The action knocked Thomas off balance momentarily, giving him just enough time to press Kellman against the wall. He brought his face in close, expecting to feel the larger Sha'erah's hands around his throat any second.

"If Evan dies, you die!" Alex registered the look of utter shock on Kellman's face even as the small civilized voice inside called him irrational and over-reactive, then realized he wasn't dead yet, either. Where was Thomas? He let go of Kellman then, pushing him away as he turned to walk to the bedrooms.

Thomas was standing near his Keeper, watching silently.

From behind, Alex heard the Sha'erah assuring his Keeper that he would have prevented any real action, should he have been truly in danger. Yeah, right. He probably wants that ass dead as much as the rest of us.

Alex walked into the first room where Zane was still standing, watching the display from the doorway. "Why didn't he just let the dart hit Kellman? He hates the guy as much as anyone. He would have been passed down, and maybe this whole planet would have been better off for it."

Zane sighed. "Thomas is too much the Sha'erah. Regardless of how he feels, he'll never act on it. Evan is unique, Alex. You've helped him begin to realize that."

"And I may have just gotten him killed."

The room felt even larger than before, with all the doctors and equipment gone. Alex had dragged a large chair to the side of the bed and sat there, staring at Evan as he slept on the massive bed. There was room enough on the silly thing for him and five others, but Alex didn't want to disturb him. He couldn't sit still, even in the chair, and kept jumping up to pace the room every half hour.

Zane and the other doctors predicted a full recovery by morning, but they all refused, in typical medical fashion, to offer any guarantees. Alex hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, or continue to listen to Doctor Zane's assurances, so he'd sent them all out after they said they'd done all they could.

Now he was alone with thoughts that scared him too much and a friend who couldn't tell him how ridiculous he was being.

"You would have been pretty pissed at me." Alex faced Evan. He looked pale lying there on the dark blue sheets, with a slight fever dampening the black hairs on his neck and forehead. "Thomas didn't make a move, though." Alex snorted slightly and shook his head. "I think he almost wanted me to kill the jerk."

Evan made no reply. His only motion was the slow, steady breathing that brought a slight rise and fall to his chest.

Alex leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up against the frame of the bed. From there he could clearly see the tattoo on the side of the Sha'erah's neck, sparkling slightly from sweat. He blinked, and caught sight of a small bowl of water and a cloth compress that had been left on the nightstand. Using that, he carefully wiped the sweat from Evan's face and neck with slightly shaking hands. This was a fear like none he'd known before, and he didn't like it one bit.

"That must have been hell." Alex eyed the tattoo, taking note of the intricacy of the pattern. "Unless they've invented a less painful way of doing these things." He remember the matching pattern on Evan's hand and looked at it. "That's funny." Alex picked up his friend's hand and held it, looking intently at the tattooed pattern that matched the one on his neck identically.

Holding Evan's hand in his, Alex could hold his ringed finger beside the tattoo. The pattern in black, permanently stained in the skin on the back of Evan's left hand and the side of his neck, matched the etched pattern in his ring identically.

"How come I never noticed this before?" Alex set Evan's hand down gently, then rinsed the compress out and wiped more sweat from his neck and chest. It occurred to him, somewhere in the rational part of his brain, that he was really just talking to himself out loud, but it didn't matter. If Evan woke up, no harm done.

If Evan died, then it wouldn't matter what he was doing, it would all end here.

"One way or the other." Alex finished with the compress resting on Evan's forehead and left it there to absorb any more sweat and provide some cooling action. He couldn't accept the thought of going back to the Ascalon alone. One year ago, if someone had suggested he would soon inherit a Sha'erah, and be saddled with the responsibility of owning another human being for the rest of his life, he would have thought them mad.

Now the idea of going back to the life he'd always revered as perfect, alone just the way he'd always liked it, felt completely alien and unacceptable. He didn't care what Evan was. He didn't care where Sha'erah's came from or how they became what they were. It didn't matter to him that human beings were being bought, sold, and created to order somewhere in the galaxy for huge profits. He didn't even care that a system so morally offensive to him would someday cause the death of people like Thomas who blindly gave their lives in defense of people not even worthy of paid protection.

All he cared about was the fact that Evan, his friend and partner, was fighting for his life in a battle he couldn't help with. He couldn't do anything more than sit there and wait, while Evan's life and his future hung in the balance.

Alex leaned forward in the chair, pressing his elbows into the bed, and rested his hand over Evan's, silver ring glittering on top of a matching black tattoo. "I know why you're doing this. You just want to hear me say it out loud, don't you?" Alex glanced up at Evan's closed eyes. "You want me to admit that deep down inside, I'm glad my father bought you. That I'm actually thankful he started this whole mess, because if he hadn't, we never would have been put together."

Evan continued breathing quietly.

"Well, there. I said it." Alex looked at the ring on his finger again, and the tattoo on the back of the hand he was holding. "What kind of morally twisted jerk does that make me, huh?" He glanced back at his friend's unresponsive face. "Can't answer that one, can you?"

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