“The ichor didn’t like to be separated from itself. When separated, it would do anything to reach the other samples. Nothing could hold it except the smoked glass.”
“But I don’t have any ichor inside me.”
Luca was right, but in the bunker where they’d been kept prisoner, Luca’s blood had moved on its own accord toward Nox’s cell. Like it knew him or knew it belonged with him.
Reese told Luca what he’d seen.
“What do you think that means?” Luca said.
“I don’t know, but there has to be something different in your genetics that makes you what you are.” Did Luca have more or less of the transposable piggy backers? Or something different altogether.
“What about you?”
“I’m going to say yes because they say I’m not human either. I think that’s why I was so drawn to your brother.” Reese touched the place over his heart. “In here. I was in love with him. I fell in love the moment he woke up, and I have no idea why. It was never a sexual attraction. I never wanted to… you know. I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships, but it wasn’t ordinary, either.
“Phillips said I talked like he was some sort of deity. He wasn’t. I know that. There was something, though.”
“And that made you love him?”
“I’m no longer sure love is even the right word.”
“Why?”
Reese didn’t really want to tell Luca, but he owed him the truth. He just didn’t know what he’d do if Luca got angry, or worse, if Nox got angry.
He’d probably die if Nox got angry.
Still, Reese had to say it. “I feel the same way about you.” He braced himself for Luca to pull away, be disgusted or at least uncomfortable.
But Luca’s expression only softened with kindness.
“Awkward?” Reese said.
“No.”
“Feels like it should be.”
“It’s not. And don’t ask me why because I don’t know.”
“That makes two of us.”
“What about Johnathan?”
Reese had to replay the question? “What?”
“What do you feel for him?”
“Why would you…?” Reese swallowed hard enough to make his throat click.
“When you tried to run today, were you scared of him?”
Reese understood the question then. He just wasn’t sure how to answer except with the truth, if he could even figure out what that was anymore. “No.”
“What about the other Mah?”
Reese had to look away. “No.” What he’d felt had been as far from fear as a man could get. “I wanted to bait them until they chased me. I wanted them to prove they were strong enough.”
“What about now? Are you afraid?”