Chapter 39: Chapter 37

He paused, staring her down as he waited for her to respond. She gave a reluctant nod, not meeting his eyes, and he sighed softly. “Okay. I need you to tell me everything that has transpired between you two,” he stood up, closing the door to grant them privacy, before leaning against his desk to be right in front of her. “I don’t need their name, so you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Same with if you know what species they are.”

She stared down at the desk, the dark grain of the wood turning into swirls in her mind as it scrambled. His tone was calm, mostly, but she caught the thread of concern and alarm that was underlying the calm he portrayed. When she looked up, he gave her a reassuring smile.