Fireteam Delta J. Halpin (top 10 books of all time TXT) 📖

it hadn’t affected most of his “powers.” Maybe since one was skin deep, while the other was embedded deeper. He might be able to pull it out, but it didn’t seem worth the risk.

Footsteps roused Summers from his thoughts, and he found Synel in the hall, watching him.

“I don’t suppose you’d like some company.” Synel looked at him with the slightest smile.

The gesture wasn’t lost on Summers.

“Can’t hurt at this point.”

He motioned to the seat beside him.

“How are you doing?” Synel asked.

“About as well as you could expect.” Summers rubbed at his temple. “How ’bout you? You just saw me pull something out of my head.”

“I find my ability to be surprised at this point worn thin. My time with you and your friends has been possibly the strangest experience of my life.”

“To be fair, it’s been pretty weird for us, too.” Summers cracked a smile.

They sat in silence a moment before Synel glanced over to Summers’ journal.

“Asle told me she and your friends wrote passages in here.” She picked up the book, examining it. “And a little about me, too.”

“Really?”

Synel offered him the book back.

“She was worried I wouldn’t be honest. You haven’t read it?”

“I’ve been . . . distracted,” Summers admitted.

Synel considered him.

“Is it . . . still necessary?”

“Maybe. I might have to do what you saw again . . . eventually. Either way, doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

She nodded.

“You should find the time to read it. Don’t take the people in your life for granted. I should know better than anyone, they don’t last forever, and it can be very lonely out there on your own . . .”

“Right . . .” Summers muttered. “You, uh, know where we’re heading is dangerous, don’t you?”

“I’m aware, and I assure you that I have no intention of dying young.” She sighed. It took Summers off guard for a moment; this was the most emotion he’d seen from the woman. “Whatever happens, I’ve enjoyed the change of pace, short as it’s been.”

Synel stood, moving toward Summers, and pressed her lips to his forehead.

“Truth be told, I started following you with the intention of trading with your people.” Synel put a hand on Summers’ journal for a moment before she turned, heading for the door. “But I’m not one to let my greed blind me . . . most of the time. You have no need to worry about me.”

“For what it’s worth,” Summers started, “I wouldn’t mind if we had a little more time together.”

She gave him one last smile before she left.

All Summers could do was watch her go. As he sat, he took another look at the journal before he reached down and opened it.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“Are you still reading that?” Nowak watched as Summers turned another page in his journal.

He’d been sitting in his hammock, flipping through the pages for some time now.

”Yeah . . .” Summers thought for a moment. “Cortez, what the hell is a ‘carnal’?”

“It means ‘brother.’” Cortez rolled her eyes, but she looked a little more tense than normal.

“Oh.”

That was all Summers managed as he kept flipping through the book.

Nowak eyed the two. “What else did she write?”

“None of your damn business,” Cortez responded.

Summers ignored them both as he got to Asle’s entry. He’d seen the dream she wrote for him, but he never managed to read what she’d added about herself.

It was . . . surprisingly in depth. It talked about how they met, how he’d rescued her when they first came to this world, how they’d traveled together—as well as some other things.

“Has Asle ever saved me from a pack of wild . . . kulve?” Summers turned to the others.

“No?” Cortez answered.

“Oh, thank god.”

Summers added a note that Asle may have been exaggerating, or straight-up lying at some points during her writings.

Of course, the line “this is absolutely true, and you should not question Asle about it” had tipped him off. Still, all in all, it was kind of sweet.

Even Nowak had written something about himself, though it read more like a report. Summers had asked him to fill in some blanks as he tried to keep track of their time here. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, especially with the people they’d lost.

He just hoped he wouldn’t need to add anyone to that list.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Asle had climbed her way into the crow’s nest, looking out at the ocean that surrounded them.

She watched as Ms. Cortez and Orvar sparred at the back of the ship. They’d been doing that a lot lately. She thought it might be the woman’s way of dealing with being stuck on the ship for so long, but after a while, Asle understood that it was just fun for her. The small smile of satisfaction on her face seemed to reinforce that idea.

Asle took a deep breath as the ocean rolled past them. It was peaceful up here, but it was also boring. After a few seconds, she began to make her way down to the deck.

As she landed, she noticed the group was taking bets on the fight, and that Bard seemed to be winning.

Nowak glanced over to Asle as she sat.

“And what about you, little lady? Who do you think’s going to win?”

Asle had come to appreciate Nowak a little more these past few weeks. She’d noticed that the man went out of his way to try to keep the group’s spirits up. Especially after what had happened with Summers. She’d wager the betting was something he’d started to give them all a distraction, even if only a small one.

“Ms. Cortez,” Asle replied plainly.

In truth, Orvar only won maybe one in five of his fights with Cortez, so it