Ruth gives her an incredulous look. “This coming from the woman that eats everything in sight and hasn’t barfed yet.”
“Maybe I just have good genetics,” Alice says, smirking.
“Can’t be better than ours,” Ruthie says. “Apparently ours are so freaking good they want to populate the damn galaxy with Ruths.”
Ruth snorts at that. She sits up once the machine finishes scanning her belly and glances around. “Where’s Sterre? We could show Helen the kittens she has in her belly. There’s six of them, all nestled together. It’s really cute.”
“Ugh, even Sterre is pregnant.” The reminder makes me even more jealous. I look over at Ruthie. “Don’t tell me that you’re pregnant, too.”
Ruthie’s eyes go wide and she gives me a flustered look. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t even have a mate.”
“Don’t you?” Alice bats her lashes at Ruthie. “What would Kazex say to that?”
“Ixnay on that,” Ruth says, wrinkling her nose. “It’s complicated and Ruthie doesn’t want to talk about it.” She holds her hand out, and her twin-slash-clone grips it.
Oh, that’s hard. I give Ruthie a look of sympathy. “I know what it’s like when you want your chosen male to have sex with you and he won’t. Have you tried talking to him? I think it worked pretty well for Mathiras, though I also made him jealous, too. And we started trading orgasms after I killed a few people and he realized I was an adult. Maybe you should try that.” I pause for a moment, and then add, “Showers are good, too.”
“You know, I feel like we missed a big chunk of…something here,” Alice says, putting an arm around my waist. “Helen, how about you tell us all about your adventures? Because they sound a lot more exciting than ours.”
“Okay,” I say happily. I’m always excited to talk about my favorite subject, Mathiras. I tell them about everything as we walk to the rec center. About how Adiron started training me and we realized I had perfect aim and amazing reflexes. How we rescued Zebah and I killed a few people, and it led to Mathiras and I having conversations. And kissing him in the gardens on Three Nebulas. And how when he made me aroused I was scared to come until we worked through it, and how I usually just preferred to jerk him off in the shower.
By the time I’m done telling them everything—sparing no detail—Alice has a traumatized expression on her face and Ruth just blinks at me. Ruthie presses her lips together as if she’s trying not to laugh, pouring a few cups of night tea as we sit at one of the tables. They’re silent when I finish, and it surprises me. “Did I say something wrong?”
“I’m not sure we needed a run-down of how many clits you have or uh, where and when—and how often—you jerk Mathiras off in the shower, but as your sister, I guess it’s good to know you’re happy,” Ruth says slowly.
“And it’s good to know that the showers need to be sanitized before we get back on the Little Sister, because yiiiikes,” Alice adds in, picking up her cup of tea. “Kas is going to shit himself when I tell him.”
I tilt my head, curious. “Why?”
“Uh, because we talk about everything? And he’s been joking that Mathiras needs to get laid for like, forever?” Alice tucks her legs under her in her chair, curling up. She looks comfortable and relaxed, and for a moment this feels like being back on the Buoyant Star. All we need is Jade and I would be so happy in this moment.
Ruthie puts down the kettle and takes a seat at the table with us. She sits differently than Ruth, their body-language fascinatingly unique. Ruth has always tended to sprawl and slouch when she sits in a chair. Ruthie’s posture is more upright, and she crosses her legs as she sits. It’s just another thing that reminds me that they’re different people, and it sends a wave of relief through me.
“So you are going to go back on the Sister?” Ruth asks, a wistful tone in her voice. “You don’t want to stick around?”
Alice shifts in her seat, uncomfortable. “I hate the thought of leaving you, but Kas wants to go with Mathiras and Adiron. He says they’re the crew and that they need him.” She shrugs. “And I’m going to go with him. It’s not as if I’m leaving you guys. We can comm each other and you know we can visit as often as we want. But his home is on the Sister, and my home is with him.”
Ruth turns to me with a hopeful look. “What about you? Want to come on board the Scarlet Gaze for a while?”
“Not unless Mathiras is with me,” I tell her. “I’m his mate.”