full, practically apocalyptic.
She glanced sidelong at him. “Sinclarion Jax,” she mused. “I’ve traveled some, but I don’t recognize it. What sort of name is that?”
“Old regional family name,” he said. “Sin is good.”
Yeah, she kind of thought it would be, with him.
She paused at the narrow walkway to the cottage. “This is it. The meteorite is inside, but my roommate is already asleep, so…we’ll have to be quiet.”
He frowned. “Meteorites are not known to be loud.”
She’d started up the walk but faltered. “Uh. I meant…if you come in.” She held her breath. As far away as he might be from, certainly come in meant the same in every language, didn’t it?
His blue eyes seemed to catch and reflect the lone porch light, glowing with a ferocity that almost made her back down.
Almost.
“If you wanted to come in for a drink,” she said. When he didn’t respond, she added nervously, “Since you didn’t get one at the bar.”
“Would it be more of that coffee?” Suspicion deepened his tone.
“Oh, you mean cat piss?”
He tucked his chin. “I offended you with that comment.”
“You did sound a little high and mighty,” she admitted.
“That was not my intent. I’ve never been high and mighty before.”
“Well, it fits you well.” She continued toward the house. She did owe him the rock for his twenty bucks, whether he wanted anything else or not.
“I’m not sure what to think of that,” he said as he followed her. “The Jax family name has a long history of high and mighty behavior, not always to its credit. The Clarion line… Well, we’re decidedly less high.” He frowned.
“Maybe that’s why you feel the need to be more mighty,” she offered. “Hence military service.”
“I should confess,” he said, “less military and more mercenary.”
With her key in the lock and her hand on the doorknob, she paused again. “A mercenary?” She’d encountered plenty of those in her travels and had no use for them.
He watched her as if he knew what she was thinking. “Not so honorable as your brother?” he surmised. His lips twisted. “My family felt the same. Particularly my grand-matriarch.”
“She was the one who offered you the property inheritance?”
He nodded. “As the lesser son of a large clan, I had not many options to make my way in the worlds—world. I fought for everything as a child, and I suppose I just kept fighting. But now she’s given me another way, if I choose to take it.”
Zoe thought of the young men she’d dug alongside, taking charge of their villages and their lives. At least when circumstances allowed. Which sometimes didn’t happen. “That’s quite a change.”
“The property I’m inheriting is undeveloped,” he said. “I imagine—I hope—it’ll be like this place.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are we so undeveloped here?”
He scraped one hand down his face with a groan. “I’ve offended you again.”
“I’m getting used to it.”
“I’ll be lucky if it’s as fine as this. Although I suspect I’ll be working hard to make it so.” He sighed. “It’s harder to build than blow up.”
A not-so-polite snort escaped her. “Well, that’s the spirit. If it’s any consolation, I think you’ll be good at it.”
He eyed her. “What makes you say so?”
“Well, I can tell already you’re the kind of person who likes to make things happen, to make your mark.”
He laughed. “So much easier to leave a mark with a strafing run from orbit.”
She pursed her lips. “From orbit?”
“A figure of speech.” His gaze settled on her. “If you’re still offering that drink…”
With Tish at work and Del already asleep, the cottage was quiet and still, as if it was holding its breath. While stripping out of the alpaca sweater, she waved Sin into the living room. “The meteorites are on the coffee table,” she said. “Pick out the one you wanted.” She turned to glance back at him and was surprised to
She glanced sidelong at him. “Sinclarion Jax,” she mused. “I’ve traveled some, but I don’t recognize it. What sort of name is that?”
“Old regional family name,” he said. “Sin is good.”
Yeah, she kind of thought it would be, with him.
She paused at the narrow walkway to the cottage. “This is it. The meteorite is inside, but my roommate is already asleep, so…we’ll have to be quiet.”
He frowned. “Meteorites are not known to be loud.”
She’d started up the walk but faltered. “Uh. I meant…if you come in.” She held her breath. As far away as he might be from, certainly come in meant the same in every language, didn’t it?
His blue eyes seemed to catch and reflect the lone porch light, glowing with a ferocity that almost made her back down.
Almost.
“If you wanted to come in for a drink,” she said. When he didn’t respond, she added nervously, “Since you didn’t get one at the bar.”
“Would it be more of that coffee?” Suspicion deepened his tone.
“Oh, you mean cat piss?”
He tucked his chin. “I offended you with that comment.”
“You did sound a little high and mighty,” she admitted.
“That was not my intent. I’ve never been high and mighty before.”
“Well, it fits you well.” She continued toward the house. She did owe him the rock for his twenty bucks, whether he wanted anything else or not.
“I’m not sure what to think of that,” he said as he followed her. “The Jax family name has a long history of high and mighty behavior, not always to its credit. The Clarion line… Well, we’re decidedly less high.” He frowned.
“Maybe that’s why you feel the need to be more mighty,” she offered. “Hence military service.”
“I should confess,” he said, “less military and more mercenary.”
With her key in the lock and her hand on the doorknob, she paused again. “A mercenary?” She’d encountered plenty of those in her travels and had no use for them.
He watched her as if he knew what she was thinking. “Not so honorable as your brother?” he surmised. His lips twisted. “My family felt the same. Particularly my grand-matriarch.”
“She was the one who offered you the property inheritance?”
He nodded. “As the lesser son of a large clan, I had not many options to make my way in the worlds—world. I fought for everything as a child, and I suppose I just kept fighting. But now she’s given me another way, if I choose to take it.”
Zoe thought of the young men she’d dug alongside, taking charge of their villages and their lives. At least when circumstances allowed. Which sometimes didn’t happen. “That’s quite a change.”
“The property I’m inheriting is undeveloped,” he said. “I imagine—I hope—it’ll be like this place.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are we so undeveloped here?”
He scraped one hand down his face with a groan. “I’ve offended you again.”
“I’m getting used to it.”
“I’ll be lucky if it’s as fine as this. Although I suspect I’ll be working hard to make it so.” He sighed. “It’s harder to build than blow up.”
A not-so-polite snort escaped her. “Well, that’s the spirit. If it’s any consolation, I think you’ll be good at it.”
He eyed her. “What makes you say so?”
“Well, I can tell already you’re the kind of person who likes to make things happen, to make your mark.”
He laughed. “So much easier to leave a mark with a strafing run from orbit.”
She pursed her lips. “From orbit?”
“A figure of speech.” His gaze settled on her. “If you’re still offering that drink…”
With Tish at work and Del already asleep, the cottage was quiet and still, as if it was holding its breath. While stripping out of the alpaca sweater, she waved Sin into the living room. “The meteorites are on the coffee table,” she said. “Pick out the one you wanted.” She turned to glance back at him and was surprised to
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