“Ava,” he said again, staring down at her somberly. “I don’t think you realize how ill you are. You need to concentrate on fighting the virus they’ve infected you with. Once you’re better, we can—”
Reaching up, she pressed two fingers to his lips. “I need you to trust me, Jak’ri. Or at least humor me.” After days of watching her puke her guts up, he probably thought her delirious.
“I trust you, Ava.”
“Then give me this,” she said, rewarding him with a smile. “Give me this fantasy that we’re going to escape.”
Hesitance seemed to grip him.
“What is it?” she coaxed gently. “Surely there can be no harm in it.”
His expression suggested otherwise. “I was remembering your people’s belief about dreams and…” He shook his head. “I found myself suddenly fearing that if you acquire the means to escape here in the dream world…”
She stared up at him. Did he think that would somehow lead to her escaping the mortal body he saw steadily weakening in real life?
Rising onto her toes, she pressed another kiss to his lips. “You aren’t going to lose me, Jak’ri. I’m not going anywhere without you, here in the dream world or in reality.” She patted his cheek. “Now tell me what I need to know.”
Resolution filled his handsome features. “Where do you wish to begin?”
Ava smiled. “Let’s start with weapons.”
It was a good thing talking endlessly didn’t leave one hoarse in a dream, because she proceeded to pepper Jak’ri with questions for what felt like hours. When at last they’d exhausted everything she could think of, she nodded at the ocean. “Swim with me?”
Nodding, he pressed a kiss to the hand he clasped. “Let’s jump instead of diving.”
Her heart swelled. Jak’ri had held her hand or kept an arm around her the entire time they’d talked as though he was terrified she would disappear if he let go.
And Ava knew she would be just as fearful if their positions were reversed and Jak’ri was the one who appeared to be at death’s door.
How had he come to mean so much to her so quickly?
“On the count of three?” she asked.
He nodded. “One. Two. Three.”
Together they raced forward, lips stretching into grins, then whooped as they leapt off the cliff and plummeted to the sea.
Ava awoke full of energy and thirsty as hell.
The floor beneath the pallet she lay on was still annoyingly hard and cold. But Jak’ri’s big warm body was spooned up behind her. And like the dream they had just swum and played in, he held her tight as if he hoped the constant contact could somehow keep her alive, keep her with him.
She smiled.
He was such a sweetheart. Even in sleep, he was careful not to touch her stomach. But those wounds didn’t ache anymore.
Nothing ached now. Except for her teeth.
Ava cautiously ran her tongue along the edges of her upper teeth.
Her heartbeat quickened as fangs descended over her eyeteeth.
Yes!
She drew in a deep breath and held it.
A plethora of scents bombarded her. Many, many more than before. And the most appealing was that of the man who held her.
She glanced toward the lab. Saekro and Kunya huddled together with their backs to her. Though they muttered to each other in low voices, Ava could easily hear every word the bastards spoke. Jak’ri was right. They thought the virus was killing her and were puzzling over why it hadn’t succeeded in killing the rest of the human race. Did some Earthlings harbor a natural immunity to it? Or had the virus—once it had been released on the planet—mutated into something Earthlings’ bodies could more easily combat?
Surely the Earthlings, so ignorant and inferior, had not devised a medication that could treat it.
How would the Gathendien emperor react when they told him they’d killed the only Earthling subject they’d managed to acquire from their attack on the Kandovar? All they had learned since they’d captured her was that the virus their ancestors had created worked. It destroyed the immune system of those infected with it. Weaker Earthlings like Ava (she snorted silently over that) died. Any who remained should—as ancient test subjects had repeatedly confirmed—quickly go insane and slay all others in their thirst for blood, but they couldn’t confirm that since Ava was dying.
In other words, they’d screwed up and learned absolutely nothing new.
And they totally wouldn’t see her coming.
Jak’ri, she called telepathically.
Stirring, he snuggled closer and sighed.
Jak’ri.
He stiffened.
Don’t move and don’t speak aloud, she warned him.
Ava? Are you all right? How do you feel?
I’m good. She patted the big hand she’d pressed to her chest in her sleep. You know all that stuff we talked about last night in our dream?
Yes.
I’m about to put it to good use.
Ava…
Everything is going to be okay. But I need you to know that what I’m about to do is just an act, okay?
What are you going to do? he asked, dread entering his deep voice.
I’m going to tell you to get your filthy hands off me.
My hands aren’t filthy.
I know. And I like having your hands on me.
His hold tightened. And she felt him grow hard against her bottom.
Jak’ri swore. I wish we had talked about that last night instead of weapons.
Inwardly she laughed though she kept her expression blank. Don’t worry. We’ll talk about that plenty once we get off this drekking ship. Are you awake now?
Very.
Excellent. Here we go.
“What the hell?” she blurted, doing her best to sound sluggish.
Both Gathendien scientists spun around.
Angrily shoving Jak’ri’s arm off her, Ava rolled away and lunged to her feet. She stumbled a step or two and raised a hand to her head, feigning dizziness.
Jak’ri sat up and stared at her, his arousal made obvious by the shorts he wore.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she railed drunkenly, adding another stagger. “I’m dying of whatever crap they injected me with and you think it’s okay to grope me?”
He rose, brow furrowing. “I thought you liked me.”
Ava hoped he was a fantastic actor because he sounded genuinely hurt. “Not like that! I just felt sorry for you for losing your brother. And I needed someone to take care of me.” She turned to face the scientists, wobbling so much she nearly fell over. “Get me out of here. I want to go back to my cell.” She glowered over her shoulder. “Where I can sleep without someone grabbing my breasts and poking me in the butt.”
Jak’ri stiffened, his hands curling into fists. His expression darkened with anger. “I cared for you while you were ill.”
“So now you think I owe you?” Stumbling over to the gate, she grabbed a bar as though to brace herself. “They tortured me because you tried to escape!” Ava shifted her glare to their captive audience. “Well? What the hell are you waiting for? Get me out of here! I can take care of myself.”
Saekro motioned to one of the guards who appeared in the doorway. Both scientists looked relieved that their test subject hadn’t yet expired.