Page 28 of The Last Hunt
Maeve sits up and gets off the bed before Aethon can even respond. She grabs a medkit and rummages around before going over to his side of the bed, a small med-scanner in hand. Her long, loose hair gives the impression of softness - something he’s rarely seen from her. She gently pushes his head to the side, scanning his bandaged neck.
“What happened?” he asks.
Maeve presses her lips together as she scans him. “You decided to race after Daik into a fucking star.”
Shit. Aethon remembers now. He remembers slamming his ship through the crack in the Narrows and after Daik into the star - CAL yelling at him - the Menace falling apart around him - Daik getting away - Maeve on the viewscreen - and then agony. Every part of him ached, his neck was on fire, his stomach cramped. His skin was slick and clammy with sweat, his clothes felt like sandpaper. Every inhale drew claws down his throat. The deck beneath him was hard and icy. And then Maeve kneeling above him, backlit by blinding light.
A shiver runs over Aethon’s body at the intensity of the memories. “You saved me,” he says. His voice is gravely, and he clears his throat, suddenly thirsty.
Maeve moves away, her eyes on the med-scanner. “Looks like I did. You won’t have any permanent damage.” She returns the device to the medkit and puts it back on the floor on the side of the room. Why isn’t she yelling at him? Isn’t she furious that she had to save him from his own stupidity? Her lack of visible anger is starting to make Aethon nervous.
“Thank you,” he says, shifting a bit on the bed. “For coming for me.”
Maeve turns around and walks to the foot of the bed, folding her arms across her chest. Her brows furrow and she stares down at him. Aethon feels like he’s an insect under her hard, green gaze.
“You might have cost me my future,” Maeve says. Her voice is icy calm. Aethon swallows hard.
“That ain’t fair, Maevey!” someone says. Now that voice sounds strange. Like a girl from the old American south on Earth. Aethon realizes it’s Maeve’s AI.
“I’ve wasted an entire day on this shit, TAI,” Maeve replies, her gaze flicking up to the ceiling. Her anger is bubbling up now, the air rife with tension.
“We’re back on track now, honey,” TAI replies. Maeve just rolls her eyes.
Aethon pushes himself up, wincing at the pain in his neck. Luckily, the rest of his body seems to be functioning much better. The radiation meds have done their work thanks to Maeve.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I know I was an idiot. I didn’t mean for you to get involved, but I’m grateful you did.” He swings his legs to the side of the bed.
“You’re sorry?!” Maeve asks. She storms over and stands in front of him. “I would have had Daik out in the Keidar Belt if you weren’t stuck in the damn corona!”
Aethon grits his teeth and pushes himself to stand. “I know my life isn’t worth six million credits to you, but -”
“I saved you, didn’t I?” she interrupts. She leans forward, her nose wrinkling as she snarls. “So I guess your life is worth six million credits to me, Aethon.”
Her words make Aethon pause. She did choose him over that bounty. He doesn’t know if anyone else would have done that. Emotion rises thickly in his throat. He’d be dead if she hadn’t given up that bounty and intervened. She had chosen him. If only he hadn’t been so stupid in the first place.
A jolt rocks through Aethon as he remembers how damaged the Menace was. Alarms had been going off all over the place - and he wonders if the shear from the tractor beam Maeve likely used to haul him out of the corona damaged his ship even more. His stomach sinks as he realizes that he won’t be able to pay his Two Roses dues. Unless he can get out of the Belt, fix his ship, and get probably three or four decent sized bounties in the next five weeks - he’s out. Daik’s bounty was his only real shot. He’s screwed. Maybe if he takes the loss and steps out of her way, Maeve can still catch Daik and get out of Two Roses. If he can’t get the bounty, she should. She deserves to have the life she wants.
Aethon exhales hard. “I’ll leave and you can get back to the hunt.”
“Lay back down,” Maeve snaps. She pushes at his chest with the palm of her hand.
“I can go,” Aethon replies, shaking his head. “I know I cost you time. The Menace can just limp along real slow out of the Keidar Belt.”
“You really can’t,” Maeve says. She backs up a step, crossing her arms again.
Aethon’s brows furrow and he frowns. “What do you mean?”
“You better tell him, Maevey,” the AI says, her voice rueful.
“Tell me what?” he asks, stepping forward toward Maeve.
She grits her teeth. “We’re already out of the Keidar Belt.”
Aethon narrows his gaze. “How? If the Menace is still in your tractor beam the navigation would be impossible -”
“The Menace isn’t in our tractor beam,” Maeve replies. She raises her chin. “I left it in the Belt.”
“You what?” Aethon feels like the gravity has been turned off. He raises a hand to his head, panic making his heart race. “You left my ship in the Keidar Belt?!”