Page 11 of Selected By the Dragon Alien
She looked up at him, then back to the table. “Are you certain we are here to eat?”
Ellion’s chest tightened. He had gotten lost in merely gazing at her. “Yes,” he replied, “I’m just taking in the transformation.”
Her gaze shot to his, then slid away. “Is it okay, then?” She ran her hand down one sleeve, a flicker of self-consciousness in her eyes. “How I look?”
“You’re perfect,” he replied, as lightly as he could through a slightly tight throat, and to change the rapidly intensifying scene, he placed a hand on the table where a flat black square waited. He pressed it, and their meals appeared on the table.
Turi gasped and recoiled from the covered plate in front of her. “What is this?” she asked.
“Nothing to fear,” he said gently, realizing he should have known how strange this would be for her. “I’ve merely transported our meals from the fabricator to here.” He showed her the square on the table. “The table itself is programmed to move food from one location to another.” He lifted the cover off his plate and a gentle waft of savory-scented steam filled the air. “See? Nothing is wrong with it.” He plucked a morsel from his plate and popped it in his mouth.
Warily, she did the same, chewing and swallowing slowly. Ellion had chosen a simple, bland meal, knowing that her diet had not been varied and she was not used to rich food—or much food at all. He rarely ate like this himself, and this was one of only a handful of times he’d actually used this room.
“There now,” he said gently. “Not so bad, right? It’s just food. And you need more of it.”
Her gaze was still furtive, but she lifted the utensils from the plate and began to eat more. They were five different types of foods, including a vegetable from the Bakaris system that he was particularly fond of. Turi ate without speaking, her brow furrowed, as if in serious contemplation.
Ellion watched, fascinated, as she methodically consumed the entire meal. It was a modest portion, considering her small meals up until now. Bombarding her with a feast would not only have been overwhelming but would have sickened her.
Finally, when she was done, Turi leaned back, placing a hand over her stomach and blinking at her empty plate. She placed her two-pronged fork carefully on the plate in the exact same position it had been when she picked it up.
“Well?” He folded his hands under his chin. “Did you enjoy that?”
“Yes,” she replied with a note of wonder. “I didn’t know food could be…pleasurable.”
Ellion raised his brows at her word choice. Somehow, that wasn’t what he was expecting, but there was definite enjoyment in her eyes and a softness around her lips.
“Well, I’m very glad it brought you pleasure.” He leaned back with a smile. “You deserve it.”
She let out a stifled laugh. “No, I don’t. At least not more than anyone else in my settlement.”
“I would disagree with that,” he countered. “You’re here because of the kindness you showed to a creature that the rest of your kind considered a pest to exterminate.” He placed his own fork down, touched the square on the table again, and the plates and utensils disappeared. “It’s not luck that you are here.”
Conflict moved over her face. “My plate…was transported back to wherever it came from?”
“That would be the fabricator, yes,” he explained. “But we do have kitchens here, if you ever wish to try cooking on your own. I enjoy it sometimes.”
“You do?” She sounded incredulous. “The overseer prepares his own food?”
He closed his eyes briefly. “My name is Ellion, and yes. When the mood strikes me, I prepare my own food.”
She leaned forward. “What else do you do?”
“Aside from watching over four settlements’ worth of Terians? I like to read. And I keep a journal.”
She nodded. “I like to draw.”
“Then I shall make sure you have drawing materials to use. If there’s anything you need here, simply ask.”
Turi’s eyes flickered with curiosity, a spark that seemed to chase away some of the wariness that had been her constant companion. “I’ve never cooked, only boiled rations,” she admitted quietly. “In my settlement, food was… It was just about survival. Nothing more.”
He nodded, understanding the stark reality she spoke of. “Here, you have the luxury to explore more than just survival. You can discover tastes and techniques, and I would very much like to try your creations.”
She seemed to ponder this, her gaze drifting away as if she were imagining the possibilities. “Maybe I could try,” she said hesitantly, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’d like to learn, perhaps start with something simple.”
“Of course,” he replied, mentally noting what he could set her up with. “We can start with a basic meal, and as you get more comfortable, we can experiment with different ingredients and cuisines. The galaxy is full of flavors that are open to you now that you’re not a—” He cut himself off sharply, about to admit her true status. “A Terian living in a settlement.”
Turi missed the near admission and smiled. For a moment, the shadows in her eyes lightened. “Thank you, Overseer,” she said. “You could have locked me in a cell.”