A couple of random fragments out of the Epsilon universe as I play around with things out of order. Will they make the final cut? Who knows. I keep trying to figure out where one book ends and another starts–which is, in fact, the never-ending struggle when it comes to that particular universe.
Until then, enjoy.
Shattered
“So what I’m hearing is that this is going to be dangerous and you need all the backup you can get.”
Wil’s expression closed up, though not before I saw the flicker of horror and fear. “You’re not coming.”
“The hell I’m not,” I said, leaning against the table to peer at the spinning world that hovered above the projector. “At the very least, you’re going to need another set of eyes. Having another gun at your back also probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.” My gaze flicked toward Luc, who leaned back against the wall, frowning, fingers drumming against his knee.
“She’s not wrong, Wil. We don’t know enough.”
“We know they’re trying to bury him there.”
“Probably worse,” Luc murmured, then rubbed at his temple. “But at least we know where to start.”
“Then it’s settled,” I said. “I’m going.”
I could feel the weight of Wil’s stare. My gaze flicked up to meet his and for a second, I thought I felt something familiar as our eyes locked and something played out behind his eyes, a muscle ticking at the corner of his jaw, as if he was trying to hold something—or a lot of somethings—in check.
“Fine,” he finally ground out. “But if it looks like it’s getting too hot—”
“Then cross that bridge,” I said, cutting him off, still staring at him, my voice level and even. He looked like he wanted to look away but couldn’t. My hand twitched—I wanted to reach out.
I didn’t, though. I fought the urge down and straightened, crossing my arms. The sudden—maybe not so sudden—protectiveness was something we’d deal with later. Now wasn’t the time and this wasn’t the place.
“When do we leave?” Luc asked quietly. Wil finally tore his gaze away, turning toward him even as a sigh escaped his lips.
“As soon as Mac has the Scarletready, I guess, and as soon as you tell Sam that she’s in charge while we’re gone and Ren’s coming with us.”
“I’ll get my gear,” I said, turning toward the hatch. “You want me to tell Sam, Luc?”
There was a moment’s hesitation, then: “No. No, she should hear this from me. I’ll tell Kara, too. Hopefully she’ll stick with Sam until we’re back.”
“Even if she doesn’t, Jack’s here,” Wil said. “Should be okay.”
Should, I thought. Barring any disasters, everything would be just fine until we could get back—hopefully with Jason in tow. And that’ll settle a lot of folks down in ways they don’t even realize we need, I think.
Redeemer
“He’s asleep again.”
I nodded absently as Ren stopped to stand beside me, standing on the stone steps out to the cathedral’s garden. She followed my gaze to the misting, icy rain that was likely to turn the pavement to skating rinks unless the temperature came up a few degrees. It boded ill for the city’s recovery, whatever that ended up looking like.
They sure as hell made a mess, didn’t they? Less than twenty-four hours on the ground and they left havoc in their wake.
“You okay?”
I glanced at her sidelong and managed to smile. “You already know the answer to that.”
“Yeah, well. I think all of us are in that kind of complicated zone right now.”
“Complicated is certainly one way to put it.” I crossed my arms and exhaled a plume of steam. “There’s a lot of levels to it, I think.”
“Agreed,” she said, then scrubbed a hand over her face. “But at least we’re alive, right? For it to all be complicated and layered.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, shaking my head. “Yeah, that’s definitely a plus.”
“He’s going to stay that way, right?”
The whispered question shot a chill through me that had nothing to do with the weather. I had to take a deep breath and try to center before I was able to form coherent enough words to answer. “I have no intention of it being otherwise.”
