Page 12 of 3013: Wonderland

“I like holo better than VR,” Melody said. “But I’m really looking forward to checking out the live versions.”

“That’s the specialty here. I’ve tried out a few of the different locations, but we’ve mostly been busy getting the new sanctuary up and running. When we got here, there were only a few dozen of us on the planetoid. Now, there are several hundred employees living here. There are also dozens of businesses, including specialty shops, hotels, and med-centers.”

As they continued to walk toward the sanctuary, Fenris struggled to fill the silence with small talk. That was something he definitely sucked at. However, after her breakdown earlier, it seemed like Juliet wanted a distraction away from emotional subjects.

If that’s what she needed, he was willing to ramble on like an idiot.

He started to worry a little when Juliet mostly remained silent, but he relaxed again after he realized she was just enjoying the walk. He quickly caught onto the fact that Melody was helping to keep the conversation going so Juliet wouldn’t have to. That made him appreciate Juliet’s friend. He also liked the way she had positioned herself on Juliet’s other side, making sure no one could get close to her. The Tarin female seemed very protective of his tiny dancer, and he was grateful that she had traveled to Evo with her.

As they drew closer to the sanctuary, a commotion up ahead caught his attention. Two drunk humans had started to argueabout the credits they had lost at the casino, and their shouting quickly escalated into a shoving match.

Fenris shifted to place his body in front of Juliet, shielding her from any possible danger. Even though the fight was happening several feet away, he wouldn’t risk her. He wondered if he should intercede, then realized there was no need when he saw Conack, an enormous Krytos security officer, hurrying toward the arguing men. When he held an arm out to stop Melody from moving forward, she shot him an incredulous look.

“Let security handle it.”

Taking control of the situation, Conack lifted both males off their feet and shook them a little as he held them up in the air. The casual display of strength impressed the onlookers who had stopped to watch the conflict. Fenris couldn’t hear what Conack said to the men, but from the way they quickly nodded in agreement, whatever warning he’d given them had worked. Once he set them back on their feet, they trotted away from him in a stumbling run.

“Who is that?” Melody asked.

“Conack. He works security here on Evo. He’s a good friend of ours.”

Fenris blinked in surprise when she stalked toward the large Krytos male. Conack had started to walk away but paused when Melody called out to him. His eyes widened as she spoke to him, then his expression changed from shock to what looked a little like fear. Watching the security officer retreat a few steps was almost comical since he was so much larger than her.

“What is she doing?”

Before Juliet could reply, Melody linked her arm through Conack’s and lifted her other hand in a wave. “Conack is going to give me a tour,” she called out. “I’ll meet you back at the sanctuary later.”

“Okay.” Juliet waved back. “Have fun!”

Fenris frowned as the Tarin female dragged the confused-looking Krytos away. “What is going on?”

“Melody is Tarin.”

“Yeah, I noticed that.”

Juliet sighed. “Her abilities are a little different than most of the other Tarin I’ve met. She calls herself an energy addict, but really, she is a lot more sensitive to the different kinds of energy people give off.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You know how some people are attracted to different scents? Like something can smell really good to you, but someone else might not have the same reaction? She is like that with different energy.”

Fenris frowned as he watched the other couple walk away. “So, she is attracted to his energy?”

“Apparently. If she likes the energy coming from someone, she wants more of it. And the more she gets, the more attracted she is to it.”

“Ah, hence the addict part.”

“Exactly. He isn’t mated, is he?”

“No. Actually, I think he’s a little afraid of females.”

“I can see that.”

Fenris smiled when she giggled. Hearing that lighthearted sound coming from her was like music to his ears.

“What happened?” Raek asked as he jogged over to join them. “Why is my brother grinning like an idiot?”

“Melody likes Conack.”