Corsairs: Kaspar (Corsair Brothers 2) - Page 133

I could get used to this, having a baby around.

ALICE

It's weird—it takes us a week to travel to Jerrok's asteroid base—and I'm both excited and dreading the arrival. I want to see Jade again, more than anything. I want her to hug me tight, and I want to ask her a million questions. I want to hear what she's been up to, I want to hear how everyone is doing, and I want to hear about what happened to the Star. I want to know how the hell she hooked up with Adiron, who doesn't seem like her type at all. Mostly I just miss her and want to talk to her. She's my best friend. I want to see the Little Sister, too, and meet Sophie and the other carinoux.

But…

Everything feels as if it's been changing so much over the last while that the thought of losing my “safe” place again makes me anxious. We're safe on the Jabberwock. The crew here is wonderful and there's so many human faces that it makes me weep with happiness. They're generous, too. I have clothes from Catrin, baby stuff from Fran, and Zoey has shared books and magazines with me, and told me stories about her brothers. Iris isn't very chatty, but she's a wonderful listener and can pet Sterre for hours (and Sterre loves the attention)

I ate all their chski pickles and they didn't care. They have the cutest, sweetest baby on board.

They feel like a family.

A loving, warm family. I didn't realize how much I loved that until we got closer to our destination. I'm afraid when we meet back up with the others, it won't be the same. Nothing will be the same, and I'm so scared of change at this point. I just want my world to get back to normal, and I want my friends with me so we can settle in.

I tell Kas all about my fears as we lie in bed each night, because I don't want to bottle it up and explode. "You'll love the Little Sister," he tells me. "I promise. It's a little more cramped, and a little older than this ship, but it's home."

And because it's his home, I have to love it. At least, that's what it feels like. Kaspar would never say such a thing of course, but I need to love it. I need for it to be amazing, because what if it sucks and I'm miserable there?

I know I shouldn't worry, but worrying is what I do best. So I snuggle close to my mate, scratch at the big carinoux stretched out behind me, and try not to stress.

I still stress, of course. I stress like a mighty, stressing thing. By the time we enter the asteroid belt, I'm so nervous that I've bit my nails down to the quick. I don't sleep much the night before, and I work myself into an anxious state that's so obvious that even Sterre's in a bad mood and Salvotor keeps bringing me treats from the mess hall to try and soothe my mood.

I mean, I eat them, but I don't know if my mood is soothed. The only thing that will make me feel better is seeing Jade's smiling face again. If I could see everyone, that'd be top notch, but I know only Jade is at the asteroid station. Helen is still with Mathiras over on Risda III, and no one knows where poor Ruth is.

"You're just nervous," Kas tells me as he holds my clammy hand. We stare out the window in one of the halls, watching as asteroids glide past and we head for a big, ugly one in particular. "You'll be fine once we get home."

"I think that's why I'm nervous," I confess. "'Home' is such an iffy word for me lately." I touch my stomach. There's not just me to think about, either. There's the baby, and there's Sterre, and Salvotor. We're turning into a little family of our own, and I don't want to steer them wrong. I need everyone to be okay. I need Kas's ship to be amazing. I need it all to work out.

I need a win, and so far the universe has been handing me nothing but goose eggs.

"It'll be fine, Sunshine," Kaspar reassures me. "Just you wait and see. I think you'll like the Sister." He squeezes my hand, and his expression is one of pure confidence. I wish I could be so damn confident, too. This is the start of my new life, and I need it to be awesome.

The Jabberwock maneuvers in on the asteroid, and I try not to look too horrified. It's…a space junkyard. There's pieces of dead ships floating around nearby, and a few crappy-looking shuttles that, if they were cars, would be up on blocks. The station itself is all worn and gray and looks as if it's about to fall apart with a stiff wind. I guess it's good that space doesn't have wind, right? Still, it does nothing to ease my anxiety. The doors on the station open up and we glide inside, and then the ship sets down with a gentle thump. Chimes go off and there's a rush of air as the environment adjusts, and then Kas leads me toward a portal in the side of the ship—the door, I suppose. We wait as the stairs extend down from the Jabberwock's side, and Kas tells me we're in no rush because the cargo bay we just landed in has to decompress and fill with oxygen again.

Tags: Ruby Dixon Corsair Brothers Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2024