Page 5 of Tomlin

“Why not?”

She shrugged.

“I have no patience with stupidity or laziness and I was a little too direct about making that clear. Fortunately, I was able to move into a research position almost immediately.”

She tapped her finger against her lips thoughtfully, drawing his attention to that pretty mouth. It looked so soft, so inviting… What would it feel like beneath his mouth? To his horror he felt his body responding to the thought. He’d been convinced that he’d rendered himself incapable of such a response, but this female seemed to have broken through his defenses without even trying.

I should leave, he thought again.

“And you prefer research?” he asked instead.

“Very much. It’s like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. I just have to keep digging until I find all the pieces.”

He believed her - which meant she was likely to keep digging into the mysteries of the morchev. That was… unfortunate, but as long as she remained unaware of its use as a weapon, it shouldn’t be dangerous.

“Have you uncovered all the pieces of the morchev puzzle?”

He did his best to make it sound like a casual question but he didn’t think she was fooled. She hesitated, then shook her head.

“Hardly. Every answer only seems to lead to more questions. As does the story you told me today…”

“It is folklore, nothing more.”

“Perhaps so, but many legends contain some element of truth. You said you knew other tales?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me another one, please.”

A warning bell sounded in his head, but he had opened this door and it was too late to close it now - and the urge to share the stories with her had not subsided. He considered, then quickly discarded the tale of the two lovers and settled on the tale of the twins instead.

“Many years ago there was a woman who longed for a child, but that happiness was denied her. She had almost given up hope when she discovered she was with child. She was overjoyed, evenmore so when she gave birth to twins - a girl and a boy. But when they were less than a year old, she had a… vision of the future. A great calamity would befall their people and the children would be separated. Filled with sorrow, she separated a morchev stone into two pieces and bestowed one piece upon each child.”

She listened eagerly, her face glowing in the lamplight, as he told her about how the disaster did come to pass and the children were in fact separated for many years. Several times they were close to being reunited but the twists and turns of fate always intervened. Yet the tie between them, strengthened by the stone, remained and they were finally reunited as adults.

“There’s a theme of connection in both stories,” she said thoughtfully when he finished. “Of a bond created, or perhaps simply enhanced by the stones.”

He couldn’t deny it, but neither did he want her traveling too far down that path. Instead he gave a noncommittal nod and rose, carrying their dishes over to the small kitchen.

“Dinner was delicious, by the way. Thank you.” She gave him a rueful smile. “I don’t usually bother to make much in the way of meals.”

“I could tell.”

The vast majority of her supplies consisted of either protein substitutes or simple components that could be assembled quickly. He needed to arrange for some fresh food, as well as additional supplies to supplement her limited selection. Perhaps he should return to Wainwright overnight after all and return with -

No.He quickly brought that train of thought to a halt. Her eating habits were not his concern and despite what his other half was trying to tell him, she was not his to care for.

He finished washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, aware that she was watching him, before turning back to her.

“Are you sure you would not prefer me to make camp outside?”

“I’m sure. You can take the bedroom and I’ll sleep in the lab.”

“I have absolutely no intention of taking your bed,” he said immediately, but she waved a dismissive hand.

“Don’t be silly. I have a bed in the lab as well and I probably sleep there more often than I do in my bedroom.” She gave an obviously false yawn and rose to her feet. “In fact, I think it’s time for me to retire. Goodnight, Tomlin.”

“Goodnight, Dr. Morgan.”