Chapter Five

ASHA
Reid stares at me in surprise.

“Asha, I didn't think you'd be bathing!”

Elene giggles from his left side and returns to brushing a snarl out of her hair that is so nasty it makes my scalp tingle. “What else would she be doing in a lavatory?”

“Figured you both would be doing each other's hair or something! Nanda let me in!”

I smile at him and slide the door to the bath partway closed. My hand leaves bubbles on the glass. “Is this better?”

He sighs. “That's not the point, Asha.”

“Reid, you have already seen me naked.”

“That's not the point, either!” Elene and I think his irritation is adorable.

“What do you two want?” he asks, stepping away from me. I finish washing and stand up, shivering as water runs down my skin. Like I've been swimming. Elene prefers showers. I only shower when I need to focus. Baths are more familiar. I am worried that if I get used to showers they will stop working and I will not be able to keep track of myself anymore.

“We're going dancing, and you need to come with.”

Reid sighs at Elene. “Knew it. You're only cute so you can be openly sadistic.”

I step onto the desaturator and press the button on the wall. The water running off of me always makes me shiver. I shake a little to make sure I am dry and step closer to Reid. “We want you along as company. I am teaching Elene how to dance.”

“Dance?” His voice is flat but I catch a brief flash of interest from him before I am shut out again. Now that he knows I can read him, he has gotten better at preventing me from doing it for long. I asked Desmond the other day why Reid could shut me out but he could not, and he told me it is because other empaths can feel when they are being read. All Desmond can do is guess. It made me feel very sorry for him.

“Yes! I was given a set of dancing pants from one of the refugees, and Elene wants to know what sort of dance they are for.”

She smiles at him in a way that shows many teeth. “You are going to appreciate these pants, Reid.”

“Pants?” He blinks. “Girls, you dragged me here to talk about pants?” He taps at his wristband.

I frown at him. “Would you have come if we had asked you to go dancing in the message?”

He starts to glare at me, realizes I am still naked, and looks away again.

Elene giggles. “And are you going to come now?”

“Well, I'm already here,” he grumbles.

Elene takes Reid by the arm and begins to drag him out the lavatory door. “Let's go relax in the common room while she gets clothes on!” He leaves, still complaining under his breath. Both of them know the only reason she suggested it is because she does not want Reid seeing me get dressed. Only Elene knows this is not because of modesty. She does not mind if he is around while I am not dressed, but she does want my outfit to be a surprise. I am not sure why she thinks it is important, and am annoyed at how amusing she finds my confusion.

I reach for the dancing pants. They are dark blue and the material feels like water under my fingers. The refugee who gave them to me chose them because they are the color of my eyes. I step into the pants and let the cloth flow against my skin as I position the cuffs at my ankles and secure the tie at my waist. I do not feel any warmer because the sides of the pant legs are open from ankle to hip-bone. The cloth shimmers slightly in the light and reminds me of my mother. I had never been allowed my own pair by my father. He said I did not deserve them, but she had taught me how to dance anyway. The small white top Elene gave me as a present today goes well with the color of the pants and my skin.

I move to find Elene and Reid. They are resting on the cushions, watching a feed. Elene smiles when she sees me and touches Reid on the shoulder. When he looks up at me his face blanks
.
“Who am I supposed to blame for you owning those?”

His eyes steal my confidence. “Do you not like them?”

There is a pause. Elene is watching us both carefully. Reid licks his lips and refuses to meet my eyes.

“They look good on you.”

Neither of us expected that answer. I feel exposed. Feeling attractive also makes me feel suddenly vulnerable because I comprehend modesty.

Elene chooses this moment to walk to the door, giving me time to recenter myself. Reid follows, but falls back near me when I join them on the path outside.

“We going to be without Seamus and Bastian tonight?” He does not ask about Nanda.

I nod. “Bastian is helping Diane search for her parents, and Seamus is at the Capital again.”

Reid shakes his head. “I'm not sure you should be encouraging Diane. She needs to come to terms with the fact that she may never see her family again.”

“If your little brother and sister were stranded somewhere in space, would you stop searching before you had absolute proof they were dead?” Elene's voice sounds tight. She is an only child, but we have been with Diane's grief for so long that it has become our own. Tears well in our eyes, and we blink them away quickly.
He does not answer, but he does not continue. He must be thinking of his sister. When we spoke about her a few days ago he made it sound as though he would have done anything for her. Because of this I cannot see how he would not be able to relate to Diane now. All three of us are silent until we arrive at the campus club. Music drifts gently out the door and the air inside looks flooded with light and movement. The shadows inside make me nervous.

“Tell me again why we are here?” Reid groans and stares at the open archway.

“It is Midbaran night!” I reply. “Midbaran music is the most like what I grew up dancing to.”

“That explains a lot,” he mutters, but Elene shoves us both through the doorway before I can ask what he means. Instantly I am filled by people in sight and smell and mind, but classes and the camps have prepared me so I am able to stay me without closing down. Elene rubs my back and smiles proudly down at me. She had been worried this would be too much even after the refugees. I look to my right and see Reid watching me intently.

“What?”

“Not about to be yelled at by Caroline again. Don't you dare faint.” When Elene laughs at him, he rolls his eyes and pushes forward toward a table. I follow him uncertainly, unused to being around this many people my own age. As I walk toward him, I look around the building. The tables are near the bar, where those who drink can get alcohol. I have never had any, because Nanda has always been sure it would be a bad idea for someone so easily scattered to become intoxicated. Maybe tonight I can finally try some. To the left there is a black tile floor. On the back wall the Midbaran band is playing and the students are dancing on the tile. The lights are strangely colored and the walls are covered with feed panels. The entire space makes my eyes hurt.

I study the dance floor. “But how can there be an audience if there is no place to stand out?” The band is on the raised section but they should be off in a corner. Music is for hearing and not seeing. This planet makes no sense.

Elene chuckles. “Asha, I promise you, the instant you start dancing wearing those pants, you'll find out.”

I sigh. “Will you be able to learn in here?” They had done something to the instruments to make them louder than they should be, and the sound is coming from the walls and not the stage. I think of how the music plays in my bedroom and think I understand.

She smiles at me. “With a mind like yours? Definitely. Let's go.” She takes me by the arm and pulls me into the crowd. We find a place near the center where we can still see Reid and pause. Elene is wondering what I am going to do now, but before I teach her anything I am going to have to find the beat. We close our eyes as one.

It is easier to shut the people out now. I focus in on the beat and can feel it pulse in my stomach because of what they have done to make it louder. This song is slow and steady. Good for her to learn on. I kick my shoes off and feel the tile of the floor amplify as Elene becomes barefoot with me. Someone bumps into us but we ignore them and focus back in on the beat. Something is wrong, and Elene wants to know what. The music is so different. The beats and the instruments are so familiar, but something has been twisted and the whole sound is so different than what I am used to.
And then the pace of the music deepens and the accompanying flute music dropping an octave. I see the dance. I begin moving my hips gently to the beat and swaying with the tempo. Elene follows. I move to stand directly in front of her and we rock back and forth together. I take her through all the basic moves, teaching her how to slide her hips, how to roll, drop, and circle in place. By the end of the song she does them all flawlessly, and the dance floor is emptying as people press back to give us space and to see. Several other empaths sift through our minds carefully and learn from us both while trying not to distract. The room is growing hot.

Next I teach her how to move her upper body. My eyes are still shut, but I can see us both in the minds of the others. The lights are making us both sweat, and our bare skin shines slightly. To me it feels sticky, but several of the observers think it makes us prettier. No. Eyes shut. Mind on the music. Combine it now, Elene. Do like my mother used to tell me and ripple like cloth in water. More eyes on us now, and the music and the lights make our movements beautiful. The next song ends and I open my eyes and turn to her. We are both panting with the effort it has taken to teach and learn in this fashion. Her chest is heaving underneath the thin material of her shirt.

She gestures around us. We are now the only ones dancing.

“See? Dancing pants.”

I ignore the crowd and look at Reid. He is sitting at the table with a drink nearby but forgotten. Eyes on me. Their greenness makes my heart beat faster, which makes no sense. I turn back to Elene and ignore how strange I feel.

“Are you ready to try a real dance?” I shut the people back out and focus on the beat. Elene nods happily and watches me perform the first few motions so I can remember the others. I am taking steps now, and the cloth of the pants slides over my skin and sends cool air over my bare outer thighs. The material captures the light and glistens. The song is slow which makes my movements are taut and unhurried, but I keep them as smooth as possible. Elene watches me and feels me for a moment before she joins back in. We face each other and she mirrors me. The pace picks up, and we travel around the dance floor with enough speed to make my braid sway against my back.

The crowd cheers and claps loudly when the song is over and Elene and I have spun to a stop. Elene's face is flushed, which she told me means she is hot, and I am very thirsty. Several people ask us to dance again, but we both stumble off the dance floor with weak knees and sit at the table with Reid.

“Well, Reid,” Elene giggles. “Don't you just love those pants?”

He frowns at them. “Yes, just about as much as you wanted me to.”

The words make me confused. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think you're doing?” he snaps.

“I—“ I begin, but he is still talking.

“I'm not pleased you dragged me along to sit here and watch you make a spectacle of yourself. Next time you feel like playing to a crowd, leave me out of it.”

Anger strikes at my chest and I reply much louder than I want to. “Stop it!” Both Reid and Elene stare, so I try to regain control of my voice. Elene wants to calm me down, but I shut her out. I am angry. I want to talk.

“I was hoping you would forget how boring you are and actually dance with me tonight instead of being mean and acting like everything I do is beneath you!”

He stares at me, mouth slightly open. Tears fill my eyes as I force myself to continue speaking out loud, even though what I am saying is not at all how I really feel.

“I am sick of how much of an idiot you are!” I turn on my heel and run for the bar. I think Elene might follow, but to my surprise she stays to talk with Reid. She wants him to explain why he is so upset, but to do that she knows she will have to shut me out. I will be fine on my own, but I think that she is probably wasting her time. I catch a brief flicker of disappointment from her before she is gone. It makes me guilty for being so unfair to Reid.

I sit at the bar and look at the feed panel that shows all the drinks the bartender can make and to figure out what sort of alcohol I would like. Everything the people around me are drinking tastes too bitter, and I do not think any of it would make me less thirsty. I am looking at the list a third time when Keven finds me. He places a hand on each of my shoulders. They feel warm and dry against my bare skin and remind me of when we first met. For a moment I am collapsed on the path and smell dirt and hot air and cooling metal from the shuttle behind me.

“This is the last place I expected to see you, Asha!” He smiles down at me when I tilt my head back to look up at him. My braid presses into his chest and catches against the cloth of his shirt.

“I have been here for a while.”

“Oh, I know. I was watching you dance. I meant at the bar. Are you thinking about ordering something?” His hands have not moved.

“I do not know what to get,” I admit. He grins and leans down so his face is directly next to mine so we can look at the menu together. When he speaks again his breath tickles my ear. It has a strange smell to it that I am not used to, but I am distracted by the way his fingers rub gently against my right shoulder.

“You'd like one of these blended drinks,” he says to my neck, pointing with his still hand on the opposite shoulder. I am suddenly surrounded by his scent. “They make them with fruit juice and ice, so they are nice and cool.”

“That does sound good.”

Keven orders for us and takes a seat next to me, spinning my chair so I face him. “This is a new look for you.” His fingers brush against the shoulder strap of my shirt.

I rub at my scar and try not to count his freckles. He has moved away but I can still smell him and the strangeness on his breath and my hands and ear are cold where he was touching me. “The pants were a present from the Midbarans, and the top was a present from Elene.”

“Well, both parties knew what they were doing. Asha, you look absolutely astounding in those clothes.” He taps me under the chin and grins down at me. He is wondering if I am wearing underwear this time because I was not when he found me in the rain. I realize that I forgot to put any on before getting dressed and drop my eyes to the counter. He is better at reading body language than I am and is about to say something I will not like when my drink arrives. As the bartender sets it down before me, he changes his mind and spins us both back to the counter.

“Tell me what you think!” His hand pushes me forward slightly and runs down my back to rest at the bottom of my shirt. It makes me shiver as I reach for the drink. The light reflects off the glass as I bring it toward me and I am blinded just as the sound becomes so loud I can feel it in my stomach. Everything is too bright. I am trying to breathe air but all I inhale is his smell and instead of clearing my head it makes me dizzier. I drink too quickly and my skin grows hot even though the ice makes it very cold against my mouth and tongue. Half the drink has disappeared before I realize I need to stop.

“Slow down, Asha!” He laughs and brushes his fingers against my back. “If you're not careful, it's gonna hit you hard!”

“I-I am a little dizzy,” I stammer and fall. He catches me with one arm and pulls me against him. The warmth of his skin burns into my chest and back.

“You fall into me every time we meet, you know that?” His hand is against my stomach now, and his breath is back in my ear.

“How much alcohol was in there?” I close my eyes to shut out the light but it makes his smell stronger.

“Enough, apparently. Come on, let's get you someplace where you won't hurt yourself if you fall over.” He stands me up and guides me before him as his arms slide against my stomach and up my arm. My skin is hot and my breathing is too shallow. Keven is acting like everything is normal but my body is telling me something has gone wrong. I have never had alcohol before and so I trust his actions and not the heat burning in my cheeks.

He takes a seat in a booth at the far wall that is out of sight of the dance floor. It is dark inside because the light cannot reach in so my eyes are allowed to relax. I think that he will sit next to me but he pulls me down into his lap instead. His closeness does not comfort me like Seamus-Nanda-Bastian. Something is different.

“I don't want you falling over,” he murmurs, pushing my braid out of the way. “I'll keep you sitting up until you feel better.” His lips brush against my neck as he speaks and I feel all the tension wilt from my body. I fall back against him, eyes drooping shut. “Wha—?“

He moves his mouth against my ear and his breath kindles a frantic sensation in the pit of my stomach. “I loved watching you dance, you know.” His mind focuses on me and Elene up against one another, curving as I taught her how to move her hips and lower body. His memory is tinged with a sensation mine is not. He sees us touching in ways that we were not. He took something from the scene that left him frantic and now he is making me feel it too but I cannot see it. I do not understand. I do not want to understand.

“Keven—“ I try to speak but he sinks his teeth lightly into my shoulder and the sentence disappears into an animal noise. My noise. The frantic sensation in my stomach increases its ferocity. It tells me to pounce on him and bite him back and rip into his clothing but his smell and the heat keep me useless. My head rolls back into his shoulder and he responds by running his tongue along my neck.

Everything crumbles.

Hands again, sliding against skin. My hands, my skin, so why does it feel so different? No. His hands, my skin. I feel soft. I feel like the cloth of the pants under his rough fingers and he wants to know if my skin is that soft everywhere. Fingers run along my face, down my arms-spine-stomach. They skip along my outer thigh like leaves in a storm but they are warm, not brittle. My eyes will not open. I cannot see-hear-speak, just smell and feel. He talks and his voice pulses within me somewhere dark.

“You're so sexy, Asha.” My ear is warm, wet. Exclaiming sensation. His mouth has taken it in. “I want you to feel how sexy you are to me.” Pain flares against my outer thigh but there is pleasure coming from my neck but I do not understand how can teeth feel good but nails bad everything is too warm to think.

Hand with aching slowness. Sliding down my stomach, into pants. Teases my thighs for a moment and then shifts my legs apart, seeking—

A girl groans again. No. Me. The sound makes me smug. No.

A mind, seeking mine. I try to latch on, but it slips away as—

More groaning. The tongue is back at my neck in a confusing counterpoint. But the mind is still there if I could only—

No.

Footsteps now, and a cold stop.

“Keven, what the fuck are you doing?” Cold words. I am so warm and thirsty. I need the cold but I cannot open my eyes because the hands will not stop moving.

“Reid! Fun trivia. Did you know she's not wearing any underwear?” Something in the words I do not like. My eyes slide open. Reid.

No.

“Let her go, Keven.”

“Why? It's clear she's enjoying herself.”

“It's clear you've seeded her. She can't even stand on her own.”

“That just means I know what I am doing.”

No. Anger now. Confusing. I try to stand but he comes with me. The hands keep moving. Frantic still. He presses me back against him and I am afraid together we will melt because it is too hot—

“Keven.”
“Come on! How can you expect me to say no to this? Look, and tell me you wouldn't take this if you had the chance!” Hands slide, fingers work. I crumple and groan my knees are useless why can I not I stand—Reid!

I latch onto his mind. Miss.

My eyes open and I stare at him and try to speak but the only thing that comes out is the animal. No! I stumble, and Keven's hands shift to hold me up. I try to speak. Cannot. A cold mind finds me and there is anger now. Reid.

I find a clear thought. Certain. Cannot be mine. Too much rage. Duck.

What?

Duck.

I do less than that. I slide through his arms onto the floor and feel pain overtake my jaw as Reid's fist contacts Keven's face. Pain explodes in my eyes and covers my skin.

Someone screams who sounds like me. Minds rush in at once and I almost lose myself because Reid cannot hold them back. I feel someone else familiar. Elene! I reach out in desperation and let her save me from oblivion.



ELENE
Asha hits the floor so hard it echoes, and for a terrible moment I'm convinced I heard her skull crack against the tiles, but it is Reid, kicking Keven in the face as hard as he can before they are pulled too far apart to do more damage to one another. The sight of Asha crumpled at their feet is enough to make me sprint across the room, shoving anyone out of the way who doesn't dodge quickly enough. Stupid. Why did I cut her off in a public place? Stupid! Leaving her alone like that! Seamus is too far away to help, and Bastian is too busy. It was up to me and I let her down and now she may be hurt!

No, she's not hurt. I'm absolutely certain, because she's with me. She's not hurt, she's been seeded, and has taken refuge. Didn't know what else to do. I am going to hit Desmond. No one taught her what to do because of course it never happens and now she is on the floor and Reid is screaming, struggling, spit flying, trying to get at Keven again.

“What did you do to her? What did you do to her!” His panic has silenced the crowd.

Keven is bleeding too hard to speak. He needs to get to a cauterizer, but no one is going to let him out of the club before we know what happened. We're too well-trained.

“Someone message one of the hall nurses!” I yell, and see a nearby student turn his attention to his wristband. Reid is still screaming.

“Bastard! I'll kill you! If she's hurt, I'll kill you!”

Keven chokes and spits a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
“Lean forward,” I tell him. “Let it run out your nose until the nurse gets here.”

He listens, and soon his shirt is stained dark red. Blood. He'll be fine. Need to get Reid calmed down. His voice is growing hoarse, and the three third-years holding him back are having trouble maintaining their grip.

“Reid!”

He looks up at me, chest heaving. It takes time for him to realize who I am.

“Elene! Elene, she collapsed! I told her to get out of the way and she just collapsed!” He's getting tired now, and his voice is cracking. A familiar face sapping him of his will to fight. I step forward and touch him on the shoulder, and he sags against his captors.

“Reid, she's fine.”

“How can you say that?” His voice catches again. “What if we messed her up? Why'd we leave her alone? She's just lying there!”

“No, no. Reid, listen.” I step forward and throw my arms around him. The third-years let go and attend to Keven, who is now slumped against the division between a pair of booths. I give Reid a squeeze and force him to look down at me.

“She's fine. I'll explain later. But if you want her to wake up, you're going to have to get her out of this mess of people.”

Reid looks around. “What about Keven?”

I shake my head. “I'll deal with all this here. Once he's stopped bleeding, I'll need to go find Desmond and tell him what happened right away. So you have to get her out of here.”

A voice calls from the other end of the bar. “Another one down over here!”

My head jerks up. A thin blonde is lying in a heap near the dance floor. “Is she an empath? Does anyone know?” I call.

The voice replies. “Yes, she is!”

No. She's seeding the others. I don't know when the empath fell, but I don't want to take my chances. “Reid, you have to get her out of here now, or more of us are going to start dropping. If anyone asks what you're doing, don't say a word. You're good at that.”

He nods and walks over to Asha's crumpled body, picking her up effortlessly. The back of his shirt is stained with sweat from his attempts to deprive Keven of his nose. She's always been tiny, but she is almost completely lost in his arms, all but her hair, which is falling in a thick rope to the floor. The third-years look at him, start to speak, see me, and think better of it. Good. They trust me, at least. This will make things easier. Now to get this sorted out as soon as possible so I can get back to As—


ASHA
Warm. Cold air on my face, warm arms holding me. I do not want to open my eyes because these arms feel safe. This mind feels safe. Familiar, but not.

Reid. Why am I reading him?

“You're awake,” he sighs. Worried about me. Waiting for me to come back. Now that he knows I am here his mind leaves mine, but I do not care because he is warm. I close my eyes again and lean into his chest.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Doing that to Keven's face.” His chest shakes as he chuckles at me. My head hurts. The rhythm of his walk is so relaxi—



“Asha?” Elene's voice. I open my eyes and am in the living room of Hanakawa. New clothes. Damp rag wiping my face. Reid hands me a mug of tea. It sloshes in the mug as my hands barely manage to keep hold.

“Asha, honey, I have to go talk to the Admiral with Desmond. Are you feeling okay?”

“Tired.” I don't remember telling my voice to speak, but neither of them are with me, so she has to talk to me aloud.

“Couldn't get you to wake up until both of us had shut you out,” Reid explains, guessing my thoughts. I must have done something to give myself away.

“If you're tired, why don't we put you in bed? Then I will go do this, and Reid will go ho—“

“No!” I yell loudly enough to startle them both.

“No?” Reid asks.

“I do not want to be alone. You cannot shut me out and then leave me alone.”

Elene rubs my shoulder. “Honey, I have to go.”

“Then Reid will stay with me!” The tea mug in my hands clatters to the floor.

“Asha....” Reid starts to shake his head, but Elene gives him a piercing look.

“After everything you told me tonight, Reid, and after what we let her get herself into, you are not saying no.”

“What am I supposed to do, sleep with her?”
“If it calms her down? Yes!”

“Nanda will murder me if he finds us,” he mutters.

I start to cry. Elene lunges forward to hug me, bare feet stepping carelessly in the spilled tea. I expect my feet to feel hot but they do not because I am alone. “No no no, honey, no. Don't cry. Come on. Let's get you to bed.” She puts her hands on her hips and stares at Reid. “Well, I can't carry her!”

He sighs and gathers me up in his arms, carefully side-stepping the pool of tea. I do my best to stop crying but my chest refuses to breathe evenly.

Our room is home-night black. Elene has done something to the curtains. Reid places me on the bed and starts to walk away, but I grab him by the sleeve.

He sighs again. “Asha, I'm not going to—“

“Reid!” Elene snaps. “It's not like you're going to be alone with her! I'll be in here as soon as I get back from talking to Desmond.”

“That makes it much less awkward.”

I slide under the blankets. The sheets against my skin make my breath hitch they feel too much like the cloth of the dancing pants. He curses under his breath and moves to join me. I press my face into his chest, and he throws an arm around me carefully. He smells strongly of sweat and iron. Blood. It is a reassuring smell on him.

Elene walks from the room and we lie together in silence. Every muscle in his body is tense but I am too captivated by his scent to care. I move my nose to his neck and exhale softly. He twitches, but stays perfectly still. The frantic feeling is returning with each inhale. I wonder how he tastes. I give his neck a small lick.

“Asha, stop.” His voice is colder than I am used to.

I grab at his shoulder with one hand. “No. You do not understand. I feel—”

He puts his fingers against my mouth. “No. Lingering effects from the seeding.”

“But I would not...I would not care if it were you. Keven was wrong. You are right.” I breathe on his neck again and he pulls away.

“This is wrong. Doesn't matter what I want or how I feel, I'm not taking advantage of you right after you were seeded. Now lie down with me and go to sleep, or I'm leaving.”

I move in against his chest again, but he shakes his head. “No, put your back to me. Will make it easier.”

“I am sorry that you have to do this.”

He chuckles softly. “What, you think this is a chore? Asha....”
Reid's voice trails off, but his arms wrap around me tightly and he buries his face in my hair. I do not feel alone even though there is no one else with me inside my head.



REID
I've been in the cafeteria for an hour waiting for her. Ever since the seeding, she's been reluctant to be alone. Nanda's spending just as much time with her as he used to after he found out. That thought gives me more comfort than I thought it would. But he can't be around her all day, every day, so I've been delegated to fill in the gaps. So here I am, waiting, but Asha's nowhere in sight. I've had seven people come up to me and thank me for "giving Keven what he deserves" since I got here. Less than half of them were empaths. I rub my knuckles absently. Took Elene a good ten minutes to clean his blood off my hands and shoes. At the time, I was certain I was going to be deported. Instead, I've become a local celebrity. Not sure which would've been the less annoying outcome.

I sigh and check Asha's location on my wristband. It shows her in the kitchen of Hanakawa, which means she's actually in the Arboretum and has given her wristband to Elene. Something must've happened in class that's bothering her. I pocket a couple of oranges, shrug on my jacket, and head off to find her. By now I know her well enough to have a good idea of what cluster of trees she'll have chosen to hide in. Good thing, considering how much of the campus grounds are occupied by the Arboretum.

I walk by Nanda's class on the way, but by a stroke of luck he doesn't notice me. He wouldn't be happy to see me without Asha, especially after the conversation I had with him the day after the seeding. He'd walked into Asha and Elene's room and found me, awake, with Asha asleep in my arms. Been unconscious for sixteen hours, but every time I tried to leave she'd toss and turn. Elene said I was triggering nightmares. So I stayed. When the door opened and Nanda walked in I was certain he'd hit me. Instead, he sat down on the edge of the bed and had a conversation with me in low tones, stroking Asha's hair. As if this were the most normal experience he'd ever had. Will never understand how Natives think.

“I should have been there,” he said after a moment. I didn't know how to reply, but he continued on his own. “I was... I was making her more independent than she should have been out of spite, and.... I am glad you were there to protect her when I was too proud to.”

“I don't feel much better than you do, Nanda. I was there, and it still happened. Keven wouldn't have gotten near her if you'd been along.”

He sighed and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. “This never would have happened on my planet. We do not do these things to one another.”

I didn't laugh for Asha's sake. She wouldn't have wanted me to be rude to him. “From what Asha's said about her father, I'm not sure I agree.”

Nanda blinked. “You are right.”

Hadn't expected that. “I am?”

He smiled sadly. “I keep doing that. I keep pretending Old Earth is something better than it really is.”

I thought of what Elene had told me about why he'd come here. Unlike Asha, he'd actually had a home. No way that was easy. “Can see why you would do it, though.”

“No. It is unhealthy.” He looked down at Asha and frowned. “People are the same everywhere, I think. She told me that weeks ago and I did not want to believe her.”

“She's painfully observant sometimes.”

He laughed. “Yes.” Ruffled her hair. “But she is right. The setting is different, that is all. I realized this morning when Elene told me what had happened to Asha... the way we treated half-breeds on my planet is just as wrong as the way empaths are treated in the Consortium. I had just accepted it as the way things were.”

I shrug. “Happens here, too. Apathy. We get used to it, you know.”

“No. It is wrong.” His face was grim. “And because I think like this now I cannot go home. I have to stay here and make up for it.”

Wasn't sure where he was going with that, but when he spoke again he changed the subject.

“Will you help me take care of her?”

“Yes.” I said the word without thinking. “Unless they expel me.”

Nanda shook his head. “They will not. The empaths here would riot.”

A strange thought.

And with that, he left. Since then we'd made sure she was with one of us at all times. Had been awkward at first because I was worried she'd try to initiate something physical again, but she hasn't. Part of me still can't believe that I'd turned her down that night, seeded or no. Have told myself it's because Elene was coming back, or because it was less fun if someone had done all the work for me. But neither of those reasons are correct. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have needed to be asked twice. Two weeks ago, I didn't care enough about her. And now Elene knows, so its only a matter of time before Asha finds out. This is why every time I see her, my stomach roils.

She's lying spread out on the ground underneath a conifer. Pine needles have worked their way into her hair, and her shirt has a sap-stain and several dirt spots. I know she's heard me arrive, but she doesn't react to my presence.

“Asha. you were supposed to meet me an hour ago.”

She shakes her head and refuses to look at my face. “I cannot go in there.”

“Why? The cafeteria's easy for you. How many times have you been in there now? Come on, let's get lunch.”

“And get seeded by accident if I can't keep focused?” She opens her eyes and stares at me. She's been crying. I sit down beside her and begin to pick stray pine needles out of her hair.
“What happened in class today?”

My guess is correct. “I was kicked out.” Her hand runs absently over her scar as she forces the words out.

That's a new one. “Why?”

“There was an argument. Everyone was angry. I got angry.”

“How angry?”

“I threw a desk.”

Right. “Did you hit anyone?”

She shakes her head. Know better than to ask why she threw it, so I move to a question she'll bother answering.

“Was Nanda not there?”

“We were talking about Old Earth.”

“Ah.”

“I told him I was going to meet you and then came here instead.”

“Thanks for that.”

She sighs and turns her head, staring at the canopy overhead. “Can we just stay here, Reid? I am very tired.”

“Sure.” I offer her an orange, but she shakes her head. I shrug and tear into mine, bathing us both in a mist of citrus.

“People keep not telling me things.” Her voice is shaking. She's angry, and I'm almost certain this anger is her own. Must have made the situation so much worse in class.

“What do you mean?”

“About the planet. About my planet! Not you or Desmond or anyone. You are all responsible this time.” Her hands scrape a dark trail through the needles littering the ground.

I sigh. “I see. You've heard about the history, then.”

She turns her face away from me.

“Asha, in defense of everyone but me and Desmond, they probably didn't know. It's... not common knowledge.”

“Why did you not you tell me, then?” Her voice is muffled.

“I would have, if it'd come up. And Asha... I wouldn't be too hard on Desmond this time around, either.”

Her surprise is unsurprising. “Why?”

“Think the truth is nearly as painful for him as it is for you.”

Asha rises and moves to sit between my arms, leaning back against my chest. I offer her a wedge of orange. This time she accepts it.

“If they do not know, then how do you?”

“My father told me the story to illustrate the nature of humanity.”

She tilts her head backward to look up at me. “What?”

I sigh. “He wanted to prove that people are bad.”

Asha shakes her head. “I do not believe that.”

I run my hand over her hair absently. “I know.”

We both munch on the orange for a few minutes. I begin to believe that she's going to move on as she always does. Then, she speaks again.

“Tell me.”

I shake my head. “Asha, you were already told today.”

“No, I was not. The fight started before the instructor began the lesson.”

I blink. “Asha, what ha—“ I begin, but she cuts me off.

“No. Tell me.” She puts her hands on my knees imploringly. Part of me wants to refuse. But if I do, I'm no better than Desmond when he didn't tell her about all the political prejudice against empaths. May be many terrible things, but I try not to be a hypocrite. I try not to be my father.

“This will take a while.”

“Then show me.”

Was afraid she would say that. “I... Asha, my father....”

“If you show me this, I will tell you about my own father, and then we will be even.” Her voice is unyielding.

My instinct is to tell her just how little I care about her father, but that would be a lie. Fine. I focus in on the memory and let my guard down with a sense of foreboding. Each time I do this, it's harder to keep her out later. Someday she'll be able to read me whenever she wants, a thought which makes me resent her. But it's not like with the Type Twos, who have to do this sort of thing consciously. She simply flows in and out of minds, seeping through cracks and chinks effortlessly, yet relentlessly. Can't help that it's her nature to be interconnected.

“Desmond is not going to ruin me,” she says softly, and I know she's already linked with me. My father rises to the forefront of my mind. We're cooking dinner at the farm. My mother and sister have been dead for two weeks now. He's chopping onions with too much force. I'm programming the stove, entering temperature and cook time and warming oil in the pan.

“Father?”

He grunts, and the knife glints in the light.

“Those people... at the square. Why would they do that to each other?”

The knife slams down. “Are you asking why people commit murder?”

I nod and stare at the floor. Something feels wrong with my chest.

“Reid, people do terrible things to one another. It's what we were made for.” He speaks with finality, warning me against trying to continue the conversation.

“Your father looks nothing like you,” Asha interjects. When I start, she giggles. “Sorry.”

I tug at her braid. “Took after my mother.”

“She must have been very pretty.”

“That sounds like a compliment.”

“It is,” she says simply, digging in my jacket pocket for the other orange.

“Made things worse for me, in the end.”

She nods. “I can relate to that.” The orange skin splits deftly under her fingers. “Please show me the rest. I will be quiet.”

I don't find the courage to ask again until we're both sitting in silence at the dinner table. I'm pushing my stir-fry around in the bowl while he bites into a wheat roll.

“I don't think people are inherently bad,” I say quietly, and take a sip of water to hide my nervousness.

He tosses the roll into his bowl and pins me with his eyes. “Ever wondered why Old Earth Natives use obsidian knives?”

I'm completely taken aback. “Well... yes.”

“I mean, there are so many other materials they could use, right? Even for a race as technologically backward as they are.”

Asha flinches against me, but I stay focused on the memory. “Alright. So why do they use glass?”

My father smiles humorlessly. “Because there are no ores left on the planet. Ancestors dug it all out. Gutted the land. Took all the fuel. And then they decided to relocate the entire planet here in one mass exodus.”

I nod. “Ones that stayed behind had to improvise, I guess.”

He snorts. “You honestly think they stayed behind willingly?”

I don't respond. Up until this moment, I'd assumed exactly that. He takes my silence for what it is and keeps talking, pulling up pictures on the feed panel set in our table. Crumbling buildings, lines upon lines of people crowding into bulky-looking busships. Vast stretches of wasteland strewn with garbage. Oddly familiar scenes.

“The nations got together and decided this didn't work for them anymore. People were dying of starvation, disease. Most the animals living outside the zoos were extinct, and the ones we'd managed to save were getting too expensive to feed. So the council that ran things back then, called the United Nations, invented a lot system. Countries drew their exodus order, and the entire thing would be fair. Systematic. Planet would be completely relocated in five years if they kept to the schedule.”

I take a bite of beef to keep my eyes off the pictures. “So what happened?”

“Things started to get a little out of hand. Countries decided to take everything with them. Better to have the materials to build on hand than to take the time to create them again from new materials, right? Buildings got torn down for the metals, even if the people living there hadn't been evacuated yet. Started dying of exposure. And then, four years in, the United Nations realized that they didn't have enough resources to get the last few countries over. So what do they do?”

I shake my head. Asha digs her fingers into my shirtfront.

“They don't postpone their relocation. They don't reorganize their priorities. They come back in for one last sweep, tear down everything they can get their hands on, and leave with materials, not men.”

“What?”

“You heard me, boy. They left seven countries behind. That's several billion people designated as expendable by virtue of bad luck. India, the East Asian island countries, and Brazil were left behind. That won't mean anything to you. Here.” He pulls up a map and places glowing dots on two continents. “India and East Asia made it, because they managed to work together. Brasil, as near as we can tell, was completely obliterated within a generation. There was just too much pollution for them to sustain themselves.”

“That can't be right,” I say. “How could they do that?”

“People are inherently fucked up, Reid. Thought your mother and sister's death would be enough proof for you.”

“No!”

“Want me to go on? You think this was the worst of it?”

I lower my head, but he keeps talking.

“So we leave them to fend for themselves while we go right on ruining this planet just like the old one. Ever wonder why we can't go out when it's raining? Or why our showers are timed to save water? We did that, Reid. Because we don't learn.”

The Reid in my memory begins to cry just as Asha does. I wrap my arms around her and lower my face to her hair. She smells like trees.

“Keep going,” she whispers.

My father shuts off the feed panel and returns to his dinner. “So we get in a war with Kiran. We're running out of food, and some genius decides to go see if anything on Old Earth made it. Turns out, things reasserted themselves alright. Zoo animals took back over, plants and trees came back. And what do you know, people are still alive! Living no better than the animals, wearing leather and hunting to stay alive, but they're not gone. And suddenly the Consortium has a dilemma.”

I push my dinner away, but Father is not done.

“So what do they do? Do they make up for old mistakes, help the planet out, modernize them? No. Do they at least tell them the truth, let them know why they're in the sorry state they're in? No. Do we help ourselves to their strongest empaths and go on about our business? Of course we do.”

“Stop.”

“Reid, this is life. Sooner you learn to accept it, the less it will hurt.”

I cut the memory off with a gasp and open my eyes to find Asha looking up at me, face streaked with tears.

“And all that is true?” she asks quietly.

I nod. “I checked his facts later. He's right. We really did abandon a chunk of the planet. And you're one of their descendants. The Consortium's not proud of it, which is why no one really gets taught it, but the truth is there for anyone who wants to look for it. The only people we actively keep it from are the Natives.”

“So what was Amita going to teach us today?”

“Oh. Native culture, I expect. None of this.”

Asha shakes her head. “That would not be worth getting so angry over. I am not sure why the fight broke out.”
“Did someone insult you and Nanda? I hate to say it, but students here think the Native culture units are boring.”

Asha nods. “That was mentioned.” But she refuses to elaborate. She wipes her face dry and turns to look up at me again. “Thank you. I know... I know it is hard for you to let me in. And that you do not like it. But I needed this.”

“I know.”

“Elene told me what you two talked about the night Keven—”

My spine stiffens. “Yeah?”

“I was not going to say anything about it, because I know you will not want to talk about it, but. Your father. He lied to you.”

“Asha, what?”

“About being a bad person.” She begins to toss pieces of orange peel at a nearby rock. “You are not a bad person, Reid. You are just sad.”

“Sad?”

“Sad.” The last piece of orange hits its mark and falls into the dirt.

“Asha, I've done terrible things. To people.”

“I know. So?”

“That doesn't make me a bad person?”

She shakes her head.

“Then what does it make me?”

“Human.”

“How's what you're saying any different from what my father used to tell me?”

“He does not believe that people can learn from their mistakes. I do.”

“What, so I'm magically going to become a better person because you had this conversation with me?”

“Reid, stop that.” Her voice sounds tired.

I take a deep breath. “I'm sorry. I'm still not used to—“

“I know.”

“Okay, you stop that.”

There's a silence, then we both start laughing. She shoves into me with enough force to knock me over, and we hit the dirt together in an undignified tangle.

“You do not laugh enough,” she murmurs, resting her head on my chest.

“Could say the same to you.” Wonder if she can hear how fast my heart is beating.

“I am not used to laughing. It is hard to laugh when you made everyone sad growing up.”

Not really much I can say to that.

“My brothers never laughed around me,” she continues after a moment, tracing circles on my shirt with her finger. “They remembered my father and mama being happy, and they blamed me for him drinking so much and beating her.”

“Your father sounds like a great guy,” I mutter.

“Definitely.” She lifts her head and smiles at me. This is the first time she's ever gotten my sarcasm.

“Did he beat you, too?” I wince as soon as I hear the question aloud.

“Once. Mani was dead, and none of my other brothers would help mama. They were too afraid. He beat her senseless one night, and I stepped in. So he did the same to me. When I could stand on my own again, I left.”

“Is that when you got the scar?” I tilt my head up and trace it with my index finger. She shivers slightly, and nods.

“Which reminds me. Where's your catskin?”

Asha sighs. “I forgot it right now.”

“We could use it right now. Back's getting dirty.”

Asha looks down at her own shirt and grimaces. “Oh, no. I did not think about that.” But she makes no effort to move. We lie in silence for a few minutes, then she speaks again.

“But Reid, really. You are not a bad influence. You have taught me many good things.”

I make a skeptical noise. “Like what?”

“You made me interested in the flute. You have taught me how to read body language because it is the only way I can understand your thoughts. Being around you has taught me more about myself than being around anyone else here, because when I am with you, I am me.” She smiles at me.

“What happens to me when you learn everything there is to learn about yourself?”

“What?” Her eyebrows crease in confusion. But she doesn't press further because she hears something in the woods. She tenses against me instinctively, and I feel adrenaline surge into my veins. Pack instinct.

Nanda appears and says something I do not understand. She relaxes against me again, and I resume breathing.

“Nanda. Do not sneak up on us like that!”

“Asha, I have been looking everywhere for you! Why did you leave your wristband with Elene?”

She sighs and sits up. “I needed time to think. Why did you not just find me yourself?”

Nanda blinks. “I completely forgot to... classes have me so used to being closed off that I did not....” This revelation does nothing to improve his mood.

“I had my band, Nanda,” I offer.

He glowers down at me. “I know. I messaged you twice.”

I glance down. So he had.

“Come, Asha.” Nanda half-turns, but stops when she doesn't move.

“I want to stay here. Reid can walk me home.” Her voice has a stubborn edge.

“Asha, please. I just wasted an hour looking for you.”

“Wasted?” Asha switches to Native. Can only assume by her tone that she's being somewhat less than polite. Not good, especially since she hasn't stopped using me as a pillow.

“No, Asha,” I cut in. “Go on with Nanda. I've errands I need to run. Desmond asked me to come by and talk to him today.”

Her face sobers, but she stands moves to Nanda's side. “Good luck,” she tells me, and gives me a little wave goodbye. Nanda doesn't bother, but I'm not surprised.

Once they're gone, I start throwing rocks at the orange peels.



DESMOND
Aki looks up as I am let into her office by the smug assistant. “Glad to see you here on time” Her eyes look very tired. I experience a brief moment of guilt; my empaths are essentially responsible for her exhaustion, in one fashion or another. Seamus and Elene have been hounding her for Keven's expulsion since the night of the seeding. I told them both to be patient, but even I am now wondering why no action has yet been taken.

My eyes scan for the blue light on her desk. It winks back at me ominously. “You asked for me, Admiral de Leon?”

“Officer Doyle, do you know why I called you here today?”

“I have an idea, yes.”

She gestures at the chair across from her. “This will take a while, Doyle.”

I lean into the plush seat back and allow my spine to relax.

“I thought I should let you know the Council has come to a conclusion regarding Keven Leoni.”

I force my fingers to unclench from the armrest and keep my voice pleasant. She may be able to feel my annoyance, but the recording will not. “I was not aware a conclusion was needed. The University's rules against seeding are rather clear.”

Aki sighs and leans forward. “Officer, must be aware that there are several complicating circumstances. For one, Ms. Indrani was under the influence of alcohol. Because of this, we cannot conclusively prove that Mr. Leoni seeded her intentionally.”

It was a short charade. “With all due respect Admiral, that is the most—“

“Off the record!” She leans back and stares at me tiredly.

“Desmond, she's a natural seeder.”

“What, you think she seduced Keven?”

“It... is a factor that must be taken into consideration.”

I rub at my temples. “You told them she's a seeder, didn't you.”

“I had to, Desmond! They've not put anything on record, luckily, because Rayland is breathing down our necks. If he caught word of Asha, there would be more trouble than the Council could ever give her! You should count it as a blessing that we have the alcohol to fall back on!”

“Everyone who sees this is going to know it is a bogus charge, Aki!”

“Desmond!” Her hand slams against the desk hard enough to make me jump. “What do you want me to do?”

I sigh. “There is no way this was Asha's doing.”

“Unfortunately, your word is no longer as persuasive as it once was, especially in her case. I did what I could. Don't fight this.” She reactivates the recording with a very final stab of her finger.

“As I was saying, Officer, Keven Leoni has been demoted to second-year status and will be training privately with a tutor who will make the final decision regarding his moral character. If he can be rehabilitated, he may continue as a student. If not, he will be expelled.”
I sigh again. “Understood.”

“I would also like to congratulate you on the work of Ms. Elene Stavros during the incident. Due to her aid the situation was resolved quickly and with relative peace, and the Council believes this is a direct result of your training. Please inform her.”

“Understood.” I feel my lip trying to curl. If they believe this will placate me, they are sorely mistaken.

“Any questions, Officer?”

I shake my head. If that blue light on her desk weren't blinking, I am sure I would have several.

“Very well. Now let's move on to an issue that was brought to my attention by Amita earlier this week.”

“I assume you are referring to the fight.”

“Why yes, I am. Officer, I was under the impression these outbursts would decrease with time.”

“Admiral, it has only been three weeks since that discussion. I told you then in a year it would have stopped entirely.”

“So in the meantime, it is perfectly fine for her to hurl desks at her fellow students?”

“Admiral, I know you have seen the recording. That is not an entirely accurate assessment.”

“Fine. Let's revisit the file. Off the record!” The blue light fades, and she leans forward, accessing the file on the feed panel. Asha's classroom appears. Amita is the front, standing before a panel full of images of Old Earth. Asha and Nanda are sitting in the exact middle of the class, side by side. Behind them I see Jordan, the dark-haired boy who started the fight. Aki moves around the desk to stand beside me before ordering the video to play.

“Class, today we're starting the unit on Old Earth.” Amita directs their attention to her deftly.

“Great,” mutters Jordan. “What's there to learn about? Trees, dirt, and savages.”

Asha stiffens, but Nanda puts his hand on her arm.

“Thank you, Jordan, for illustrating just how greatly this unit will benefit you,” Amita says, smiling brightly. A few students giggle.

“Excuse me, instructor, but I fail to see how any of this matters to our training.”

“Some of you may become recruiters, Jordan.”

“To be a recruiter, you have to be an empath. Doesn't help me any, does it?”

“There will be Natives working with you where you end up, I guarantee it.” Amita's face has become stern. Her lack of composure is just as unusual as Jordan's pressing of the issue. He may be a bit of a brat, but he has no follow-through.
“So?”

“There are two of us right here,” Asha says quietly.

“And I couldn't care less about what sort of hut you were born in.”

At this, a visible ripple of anger moves through the class. Asha is at the epicenter, turned in her chair now, glaring back at Jordan. A new expression for her.

“If I have to learn about how you keep sand dunes from overtaking your cities, you should have to learn how my people survive.”

Jordan stands, his voice growing louder. “We're here to learn about the Consortium. Your rock is not a part of that.”

“My rock is where all this started!” Asha leaps to her feet. Nanda stands beside her, but she shoves his arm away when he moves to placate her. At this, he too becomes clearly irritated. I see Aki shake her head in disappointment in my peripheral vision.

“And now it doesn't matter,” Jordan continues, squaring his shoulders. “You have nothing of value. We don't care.”

“We are people!” Her hands clench and unclench rhythmically at her sides.

“That's debatable.”

And then Asha throws her desk. Every time I see it, I am amazed first by her speed and second by the fact that no one was struck. The sound she makes as she hurls it into the air is hair-raising. Jordan hits the floor reflexively, and as the desk clears the archway and splinters on the walkway outside, the class descends into pandemonium. Several start screaming at Jordan while Amita and Nanda pull Asha out of the room as quickly as possible. They are off-screen for a little over a minute before Nanda and Amita return alone. It takes the rest of the lesson for the effects of Asha's emotion to dissipate from the remaining students. Some of them, mostly the empaths, are shaking visibly for most of the class period.

Aki exhales sharply and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Desmond, we can't have this. She can't keep making scenes like this.”

“I know!”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“I'll think of something.”

“That's very reassuring.” Another light on her desk flashes, and she looks down at me candidly. “Well, that's your cue to go. Rayland is on his way.”

“Aki, why is he so interested in us?”

“Well, the Parliament shot him down over the refugees, so now he is trying to prove that we are massing and training an army of empaths for the purpose of taking over the planet.”

I blink at her.

“Yes, that was my initial reaction, but nevertheless, he is making things... uncomfortable. I'd head off if I were you.”

“Yes, Admiral. Good luck.” She is visibly surprised by the last two words. Or, perhaps, by the genuine feeling behind them. It is essentially the same thing.

I let myself out. The assistant looks far less smug now, likely because she just realized who is next on the appointment list. I give her a jaunty grin and walk briskly out the door, flaunting my ability to flee.
She seems less than pleased.

My wristband sounds as if on cue once I am back on the path outside the administration building. Reid is responding to the message I sent him earlier today, asking if I am available to meet. I tell him to come to my quarters in half an hour. I had planned on visiting Caroline, but his message has reminded me of a conversation she and I had months ago that may be the answer to Asha's problem. With any luck, it will improve Reid's position with the Fleet, as well. Maybe even mine, if such a thing is still possible. I turn back toward my side of campus and send Caroline a message requesting she postpone our meeting by an hour. She agrees without asking for an explanation, a sign that she is used to my constant rescheduling. I am not sure how I feel about that.

By the time Reid arrives I have tea waiting for us both on the low glass table in my living room. He walks in and looks around awkwardly.

“You asked for me, sir?”

“Yes, Reid. Thanks for coming.”

“I didn't really have a choice, now did I?” He gives me a level stare and sits down across from me on the other couch. It is clear he has not forgotten my outburst from our last encounter. This is unsurprising; he seems the type to hold a grudge. I'll need to make reparations if this conversation is to continue.

“Actually. I wanted to apologize.”

Reid raises an eyebrow at me. I've always found this expression infuriating on anyone, but I do my best to ignore it now. Still, a small part of me wonders if he knows about this peeve and is doing it on purpose.

“You handled the situation with Asha and Keven remarkably well.”

“Desmond, I kicked him in the face. Three times.”

I nod. “So you did.” I refrain from mentioning I would have likely done far worse to the boy. “You also kept calm when Elene needed you, and have by all accounts taken remarkable care of Asha since. These are excellent signs, Reid. Indications of good character and intent. This is why I am apologizing for the way I treated you earlier this semester.”
He does not respond, but leans back against my couch, throwing his arms along the seat back.

“But that's not the full reason why I asked you to meet with me,” I continue.

“Should hope not,” he mutters.

Again, I refuse to be baited. “I think I have found a way to prove to the Fleet that you do not need to be a practicing empath. If I am correct, you will be able to continue on as you are now for your entire life, should you wish.”

“Go on,” he says cautiously.

“I think you will agree with me that Asha is still having problems controlling herself in public.”

Reid does not reply, but I notice him tense slightly.

“We need someone who can accompany her until she learns to maintain control. I was thinking it could be you.”

“No!” He leans forward, then instantly regains his composure. “Isn't that what Nanda is for, anyway?”

“Reid. Asha is a natural seeder.”

There is a short pause as he sorts through the implications of this statement. It doesn't take him long to fully grasp the situation; Caroline was right when she said he was almost intimidatingly intelligent.
Finally, he gives me an angry stare. “Really wish you hadn't told me that.”

“Look, Reid. This should make you happy. You spend time with her three days a week in a public place. Make sure things stay under control. You're effectively immune to it as long as you remain closed off.”

“As long as I...? Desmond, no. You can't do this.”

“Reid, this is the best solution for you and Asha both. What's the problem?”

“Oh, there's no problem. Nothing I would love more than to babysit a Type Three seeder.”

“Reid, don't be foolish. This is an excellent solution! You're her friend, and you are essentially being granted amnesty simply for being around her.”

He gives me a long stare, and then sighs. “Assume I don't have much of a choice.”

“I can't see why you would want one.”

“Clearly.” He does not elaborate.

I shake my head. “Sit down with her, pick three days, and make sure she spends two hours straight in a public venue on those days until further notice.”

“So what happens if it works?”

“What do you mean?”

His eyes drop to the table and fix on his untouched mug of tea. “What happens when she doesn't need me anymore?”

“Like I said. This legitimizes your desire to be a non-practicing empath.”

“And what does that make Caroline?”

I realize with a sinking feeling that is an excellent question, but I don't want to let him know that aspect had not yet occurred to me. “She and I are discussing this issue today. I'll have a better answer for you tomorrow.”

“May I go?” He is still staring at his tea.

“Yes. Let me know what you and Asha decide on as a schedule.”

“Yeah, sure.” With that, Reid walks out the door. When it slams behind him, ripples course over the surface of the liquid within the abandoned cup. I pick it up and take it to the kitchen sink while making a mental note to never again take it lightly when Caroline refers to one of her students as “exceptionally moody.” I'm in the middle of wiping water rings off the coffee table when she walks in. As usual, she is early.

“Desmond, did I see Reid leaving a moment ago?”

“Yes, you did.” I toss the rag in the general direction of the kitchen and retake my position on the couch. She sits down next to me.

“What was he over for?”

“I wanted to talk to him about Asha.”

“I take it the meeting with Aki didn't go so well, then.”

“It could have been worse. I have you to thank for that, actually.”

Caroline raises an eyebrow at me. It's a far less annoying motion on her than it was on Reid. “What did I do?”

I'm halfway through explaining it to her when she cuts me off angrily. “Desmond, you can't possibly be as dense as you pretend to be!”

“What? Caroline, it was your idea!”

“No! No! I said they should spend more time together, not that you should ruin their relationship by making him dependent on her!” Caroline rises and begins to pace back and forth on the other side of the glass table. She had removed her shoes when she entered my quarters, so her bare feet make a far less imposing sound than I am used to. “Are you even human?”

“Caroline, what are you talking about?”

“Asha and Reid! Don't tell me you haven't noticed they like one another.”

I blink. “They do?”

“Desmond. Reid kicked Keven in the face three times before they managed to pull them apart. Three of his peers had trouble holding him back when he decided he wasn't done.”

“I would have done the same!”

“You are not Reid!” she snaps. “He has never cared what happens to other people.” She says these words with unusual vehemence. “He never gets involved. But he works so hard to protect her!”

“This is good, then! I'm giving them a good reason to be around one another!”

She shakes her head. “Did Reid seem upset when he spoke to you?”

I think back to the tea and the door. “Well, a little, but I thought that was because he dislikes me.”

She laughs at me. “Dense and egocentric! Even better.”

“Caroline. Sit down and talk to me. What is the problem here?”

She resumes her seat grudgingly, crossing her legs and tugging at her skirt hem. “Desmond, Reid is one of those rare people who has the unfortunate ability to understand the difference between being wanted and being needed. He needs Asha to want him. Now, thanks to you, he has to worry she needs him.”

I shake my head and feel more than slightly oblivious. “You're right. He asked me what would happen when she didn't need him anymore. I completely missed what he was getting at.” I drag my hands through my hair and look over at her.

“Also, did it occur to you that I might be a little angry that you decided to reassign my student without asking me first? Last time I checked, I was his Teacher, not you. If he becomes fully non-practicing, where does that leave me?”

“Caroline, what did you want me to do? Aki needs results. Reid needs proof that he's useful to the Fleet as is. Asha needs someone to help her who isn't susceptible to her every emotional outburst! It works perfectly!”

“No, Desmond. It works perfectly for you.”

“Do you have any better options for a guardian?”

“Nanda.”

“He's not strong enough, Caroline. You saw the footage from the desk incident.”
“And you think Reid is?” She shakes her head at me sadly.

“I think he's the best option.”

“I really wish you would have talked this over with me before you acted.”

“It didn't even cross my mind.”

“No, it never does, does it?” She slumps into the couch back and stares over at me tiredly. “Did you know that Asha and I had tea together a few days ago?”

I feel suddenly defensive. “She hasn't mentioned it, no.”

Caroline smiles. “Good girl. She met with me to talk about Reid, and then the conversation shifted to you.”

I feel the muscles in my back grow tense. “Oh?”

“She told me that you're very bad at figuring out how people feel on your own.”

“She's not the only person who has said that about me,” I venture cautiously.

Caroline moves closer to me and looks at me over the edge of her glasses. “And she told me that if I really want to get my point across to you, I have to spell it out.” With this she leans forward and presses her mouth against mine.

My nerves are overwhelmed by the softness of her lips, and I feel my heart rate stumble. By the time her fingers have worked their way into my hair, I am kissing her back. She pulls back slightly and I try to speak, but she covers my mouth with her fingers. There is nothing I want more in this moment than to bury my hands in the dark red of her hair and draw her back to me, but I know better. Caroline is not a woman who appreciates being taken lightly.

“No. Now I have your attention, right? I've been trying to show you that I like you for months now. I think I finally got the point across. But more importantly? If you ever fuck up this badly again, I am going to stop speaking to you indefinitely.”

I sigh. “You have a way with words.”

She snaps her fingers in front of my nose and I fall silent again. “So here is what you're going to do to make this up to me. When you tell Aki about this disastrous plan, tell her my meetings with Reid have become debriefs on Asha. I am not about to let you interact with him more than is absolutely necessary. This way I still have a bond with him, and I can gauge how things are going with them both without relying on your insensitive observations. Also, you are taking me out to dinner.”

“Caroline, I am twice your age.”

“And I am half your density.” Her eyes flash with only the slightest bit of humor. “It evens out. Are we clear?”

“Maybe. I might need another kiss to drive the point home.”

Caroline shakes her head and pulls away from me completely. The air around me becomes slightly chilly. “Oh, no. You're not getting another one until I've calmed down and you've answered a lot of questions about just what you did on Old Earth to get in so much trouble.”

I groan. “Now?”

“No. I need to get you out of my sight so my blood pressure gets back under control. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to attempt some damage control with my student.”

My heart rate is still irregular long after she walks out the door. Once she has settled down, we are going to have a lot to discuss. I don't know if I am going to be honest with her if she really does press the Old Earth issue. I don't know if I can.