Read Endgame for Free Online

came to a new understanding. It’s not the same relationship I have with March, but there are
feelings
, and we’ve been together for the last turn. I’m not sure how March is going to react to that, if he’ll think he’s got competition, which seems silly, considering Vel and I aren’t even the same species. It’s just not the same. Hopefully, March is enlightened enough to get that.
    He skims these messy thoughts, and then there’s silence. Not an exodus, but he locks down like he doesn’t want me to feel what he does. And that worries me.
    March?
    I’m jealous he gets to be with you,
he says finally.
But I’m not upset that you care about him. You care for Loras and Zeeka and Constance, too. I don’t want to keep you in a glass box, Jax. You’d never survive it.
    There’s a pause.
    Unless you want to sleep with him. In which case, yes, I mind. I mind to hell and back. I’m not
that
enlightened. Your sainted Kai probably would’ve given his blessing.
Touch of ire, there.
    How funny, he’s still envious of a dead man.
    It’s
not
funny.
    He wasn’t a saint,
I point out.
Kai would’ve said my desire for someone else meant our time together was finished. He wouldn’t have fought for me.
You
would. You have.
    March turns to me, smiles, and laces our fingers together. For a few moments, I just listen to the ask and answer going on up front. Maybe I should have expected it, but Vel is good with Sasha, patient without being patronizing.
    We’ll make it,
March promises me.
I know there are challenges, but we’ve come too far together to give up now.
    He’s right. We’ve faced worse than this. And the next two weeks will be glorious.

CHAPTER 5
    At his first glimpse of the house, March turns to me with a questioning look. “It’s bigger than I expected.”
    “Vel bought it. Good price, too.” The place is located in the mountains north of Jineba; from here, the view is spectacular.
    “It’s beautiful.”
    Vel depresses a button, opening the door to the storage bay adjacent to the main house. Within, there are a number of vehicles in various states of disrepair. Though he doesn’t have Dina’s fine touch with machinery, he’s nonetheless excellent at fixing broken things, courtesy of his turns on Gehenna. Like Loras, Dina was part of the team that first rescued me on Perlas Station. She’s not with us anymore; she put together her own crew, and she runs her own ship. I miss her.
    While March helps me from the aircar, Vel looks after Sasha. I haven’t asked him to entertain the kid, but this is the way it’s worked out. The boy wants to see the shuttle Vel’s modifying. I don’t look forward to the day when we use it for the first time; I’ve had enough of war, and yet here I am again, ready to fight. I don’t want to. In war, people die. But I didn’t cut the cards this time, and I
will
play the hand I’m dealt.
    March follows me into the house, where Zeeka and Lorasare watching a news program. Constance, my PA, is sitting with them, but she’s data scanning something, based on the rapid movements of her eyes. She started her existence as a small sphere; she’s evolved to running ships and inhabiting a Pretty Robotics body since then. And I couldn’t get by without her. I’ve seen her in two different casings, and this third one looks to be permanent. At least, I hope she won’t encounter any difficulty. I bought her a Paula from Pretty Robotics; this time, she’s a grandmotherly sort of woman with a round build, a friendly face, and a crop of short silver hair. Constance likes this form because it removes the issue of sexual attraction from most sentient species, and people are predisposed to treat her with respect. They also don’t suspect her of having diabolical plans behind her kind brown eyes.
    To March, Loras offers a lazy wave in greeting, his demeanor laced with subtle attitude. He remembers being
shinai
-bound to March, no doubt. And he’s not thrilled about it though it