"Kee-kee," he said flatly, and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
Winnie grinned. "Having trouble?"
The kid had two chubby arms around Keller's neck now and was nudging her chin with his head like a kitten looking for pets. He had a good grip, too. This time, she couldn't peel him off.
"It's just-distracting," she said, giving up and petting him awkwardly. It was ridiculous. How could she argue with baby giggles in her ears?
"You look kind of sweet together," Iliana observed. Tm getting dressed for school now. You guys can do whatever you want."
She floated off while Keller was trying to think of a reply.
Nissa and Winnie hastily followed her. Galen got up to help Iliana's mother with the dishes. Keller tugged at the baby, who clung like a sloth. Maybe there was shapeshifter blood in this family. "Kee-kee... pui!" That was what it sounded like.
"Pwee?" Keller glanced nervously at his diaper.
"He means 'pretty" Iliana's mother said, coming back in. "It's funny. He doesn't usually take to people like that. He likes animals better."
"Oh. Well, he has good taste," Keller said. She finally succeeded in detaching him and gave him back to his mother. Then she started down the hallway after Iliana, muttering, "Too bad about his eyesight."
"I think his eyesight's just fine," Galen said, right behind her.
Keller turned, realizing they were alone in the hall.
His faint smile faded. "I really wanted to talk to you," he said.
Chapter 7
Keller faced him squarely.
"Yes, sir? Or should I say 'my lord?"
He flinched but tried to hide it. "I should have told you in the beginning."
Keller wasn't about to get into a discussion of it. "What do you want?"
"Can we go in there?" He nodded toward what looked like a small library-office combination.
Keller didn't want to, but she couldn't think of any acceptable reason to refuse. She followed him and crossed her arms when he closed the door.
"You saved my life." He wasn't quite facing her; he was looking out the window at a cold silver sky. Against it, he had a profile like a young prince on an ancient coin.
Keller shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. The bricks didn't kill me; maybe they wouldn't have killed you."
"But you were trying to save my life. I did something that was probably stupid-again-and you had to cover for me."
"I did it because it's my job, Galen. That's what I do."
"You got hurt because of me. When I dug myself out of that rubble, I thought you were dead." He said it flatly, without any particular intonation. But the hairs on Keller's arms rose.
"I've got to get back to Diana."
"Keller."
There was something wrong with her. She was facing the door, heading out, but his voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Keller. Please."
She was aware that he was coming up behind her.
Her entire skin was up in gooseflesh. She was too aware of him, that was the problem. She could feel the air that he displaced. She could feel his heat.
He just stood there.
"Keller. Ever since I first saw you..." He stopped and tried again. "You were-gleaming. All that long black hair swirling around you and those silvery eyes. And then you changed. I don't think I ever really understood what it meant to be a shape-shifter until I saw that. You were a girl and then you were a cat, but you were always both." He let out his breath. Tm putting this badly."
Keller needed to think of something to say-now. But she couldn't, and she couldn't seem to move.
"When I saw that, for the first time, I wanted to shapeshift. Before that, I didn't really care, and everyone was always telling me to be careful, because whatever shape I choose the first time is the one I'm stuck with. But that's not what I'm trying to say. I'm trying..."
He reached out. Keller felt the warmth of his hand between her shoulder blades, through her hair, through the fabric of her spare jumpsuit. Keller shivered.
She couldn't help it. She felt so strange. Dizzy and supernaturally clear at the same time. Weak. She didn't know what was happening to her, only that it was powerful and terrible.
His hand remained on her back, warmth from it soaking into her skin.
"I realize how much you dislike me," Galen said quietly. There was no self-pity in his voice, but he seemed to be getting the words out painfully. "And I'm not going to try to change that. But I just wanted you to know, I also realize what you've done for me. I needed to say thank you." There was something swelling in Keller's chest like a balloon. Bigger and bigger. She clamped her lips together, frightened as she had never been when fighting monsters.
"And... I won't forget it," Galen was going on, still quiet. "Someday, I'll find a way to repay you."
Keller felt desperate. What was he doing to her?
She wasn't in control of herself; she was trembling and terrified that the thing in her chest was going to escape.
All she could imagine doing was turning around and hitting him, like a trapped animal lashing out at someone trying to rescue it.
"It's so strange," he said, and Keller had the feeling that he had almost forgotten her and was talking to himself. "When I was growing up, I rejected the Power of my family. All my ancestors, they were supposed to turn into demons when they unleashed it. I thought that it was better not to fight- if that was possible. It seems unrealistic now."
Keller could feel more than warmth now. There were little electrical zings spreading out from his hand, running down the insides of her arms. Not real ones, of course. Not the Power he was talking about, like the Power used by the dragon or Winnie. But it felt awfully close. Her whole body was filled with buzzing.
Some people shouldn't have to fight, she thought giddily. But, no, that was insane. Everybody had to fight; that was what life was about. If you didn't fight, you were weak. You were prey.
He was still talking in that abstracted tone. "I know you think-"
Keller's panic hit flashpoint. She whirled around. "You don't know anything about what I think. You don't know anything about me. I don't know whatever gave you the idea that you did."
He looked startled but not defensive. The silver light behind him lit the edges of his fine hair. "I'm sorry," he said gently. "Stop being sorry!"