Free Tani's Destiny (Hearts of ICARUS Book 2) by Laura Jo Phillips

disabled is in the control room, and she hasn’t been there.  Second of all, I have a scanner running that will sound an alarm if anyone tries to send a message, or even turn on a different transmitter which, thirdly, would also disable said transmitter.”
    Steel frowned, but he didn’t question Khurda.  If Khurda said something, it was true.  Steel felt the blood drain from his face as he realized what he’d just done, and what he’d said.  He wished he could figure out how to get control of his temper, but it seemed that the more stressed he got, the shorter his fuse became.  And anger brought out the monster in him. 
    “How did she get a message out then?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” Khurda replied.  “Maybe you should have asked her that before you went off on her.  Besides, she never said she got a message out, Steel.  She said she contacted her Aunt.”
    It seemed a small difference, but Steel sensed that it was an important one.  He nodded.  “I shall apologize.”
    “I think you should just stay the hell away from her,” Marbic said.  “She seems like a nice person, Steel.  She hasn’t said one word against us for refusing to let her contact her family, or for taking her to Garza without even asking her first.  Not to mention the fact that she healed Astra.  And you told us yourself that she’s agreed to help us.  But she meant what she said, Steel.  She has power.  A lot of it.  We all felt it.  And she’ll use it if she has to defend herself.”
    “I know,” Steel said, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.  “I can’t stay away from her, Marbic.  I will apologize though, and I will ask her to explain what she meant.”
    “Politely,” Marbic said.  Steel dipped his head in a nod.  He’d be polite.  He’d even grovel if necessary.  Not because he wanted information from Tani, or because she’d gotten angry, either.  But because beneath whatever it was that had come forth to protect her, he’d sensed a deep well of pain.  He was by no means responsible for all of it, but he had caused some of it, and that was unacceptable.  He wouldn’t rest until he found a way to take that pain away, no matter what it took. 
    ***
    Tani followed Astra through the ship in silence as she thought about what had just happened in the galley.  For some reason, she couldn’t seem to remember it all.  She remembered Steel being angry, she remembered what he’d said and how much it hurt, and she sort of remembered getting angry at him which, all by itself, was shocking.  But there was something else.  Something she couldn’t remember no matter how hard she tried. 
    When they got to the infirmary she asked Astra to sit on the medi-cot and then went searching for the supplies she needed.  She remembered where she’d found things the previous day, so it didn’t take her long.  A few minutes later she was carefully removing the bandage covering the wound when she felt something warm on her chest.  She reached up and touched the spot, surprised to feel the dragon pendant under her shirt.  She pulled it out to lie on top of the shirt and returned to the bandage.
    “What’s that?” Astra asked.
    “What?” Tani asked absently as she set the bandage aside.  “The necklace?”
    “Yes.  Is that a dragon?”
    “Yes,” Tani said.
    “It’s beautiful.  Is it new?”
    “Yes, I mean, no,” Tani said, then shook her head and smiled.  “It’s very old, but it’s new to me.  It was a birthday gift.”   Tani removed the last of the packing, shocked to find that the wound looked more than half healed already. 
    “Steel said that you healed fast,” she said as she carefully cleaned the wound.  “I had no idea he meant overnight.”
    “It can’t be fully healed, can it?” Astra asked in surprise.
    “No,” Tani said, “but it’s over half way there.  I’m not going to pack it this time.  I’ll treat it with antibiotics and cover it with a light