Chapter 131-The price of trust

Chapter 131: 131-The price of trust

"So, can I trust you, Celyn?"

Celyn stared at Aymara. The question sounded simple enough, but she knew better than to give a careless answer.

Trust wasn’t something she could demand especially not from a woman who had already suffered betrayal at the hands of people she once considered close.

She lowered her eyes to the breakfast spread, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow. "Honestly..." she began, her voice hesitant. "I don’t know if you can."

Aymara raised an eyebrow.

Celyn took a small breath before continuing. "I want to tell you that you can trust me, but I know words are easy. Anyone can make promises when they need something. I could sit here and tell you that I’m loyal, that I’ll never betray you, and that I’ll do whatever you ask. But how would you know whether I’m telling the truth?"

She looked up, meeting Aymara’s gaze. "I can only tell you what I’ve done so far. When I found out why Daniel and Marcus had brought me here, I warned you. I knew they were dangerous, and I knew their people wanted to capture you and take your ship. I could have kept quiet and waited to see what happened, but I didn’t."

Aymara remained silent and let her finish.

"That doesn’t mean you owe me anything," Celyn added quickly. "I know you rescued me, and I’m grateful. But I don’t expect gratitude to buy me a place here. If you decide to send me away, I’ll accept it."

There was a brief silence. Nathaniel glanced at Celyn, then at Aymara. He could see the tension in the other woman’s shoulders. She was trying to appear composed, but her fingers had tightened around her fork.

Aymara, however, wasn’t looking at her fear. She was considering her words.

Celyn had indeed warned them. She had been terrified when she revealed what Daniel and Marcus were planning, and she had done so despite knowing that the men could turn against her. That counted for something but it wasn’t enough to erase her concerns.

"Who was the person who ordered them to infiltrate my ship?" Aymara asked.

Celyn’s expression changed. "I don’t know his real name."

"His?"

"That’s how Daniel referred to him. I never met the person directly. Everything was communicated through intermediaries."

Aymara leaned back slightly. "Then tell me what you do know."

Celyn hesitated before answering. "They were promised a place in a secure settlement. Food, medicine, protection, and enough resources to live comfortably. In exchange, they had to find a way onto your ship and provide information about its layout and security."

"And what did this person want from me?"

"Your ship intact." Celyn paused. "And you."

Aymara’s eyes narrowed. "Me?"

"They were specifically instructed not to kill you. They wanted you captured alive, though I don’t know why."

Nathaniel’s expression hardened. He had already heard about the attempted infiltration, but hearing the details again didn’t make him any less uncomfortable. Someone had been willing to go to considerable lengths to get inside their fortress, and their interest in Aymara was clearly more than a simple desire to steal supplies.

"Did they mention anything about the system aboard the ship?" he asked.

Celyn looked at him. "No. At least, not while I was there. They seemed interested in the technology and the resources, but I don’t know how much they actually knew about the ship."

Aymara tapped one finger against her teacup. That was troubling to learn. The people behind Daniel and Marcus had wanted the fortress intact. They had also wanted her alive. It suggested that they believed she possessed something valuable, perhaps something beyond the ship itself.

She would have to investigate that later. For now, she had another decision to make. "Do you have any useful skills, Celyn?"

The question caught the woman off guard. "I... I worked in a small grocery store before everything happened. I handled inventory, arranged supplies, and managed the stockroom. I also know how to cook basic meals and do some first aid."

"Nothing specialized?" Aymara inquired.

Celyn shook her head. "No. I’m not a doctor or an engineer."

Aymara nodded slowly. It wasn’t particularly impressive, but neither was it useless. Managing supplies was important, especially with the number of resources stored aboard the ship. Still, she wasn’t about to hand over access to her storage systems simply because Celyn knew how to count inventory.

"There’s something you need to understand," Aymara said.

Celyn straightened, ready to listen. "This ship is my fortress. I built it to survive the apocalypse, and everything aboard it belongs to me. I decide who enters, who leaves, and who gets access to its resources. You won’t be entitled to anything simply because you’re staying here."

"I understand, ma’am."

"You’ll follow the rules. You won’t wander into restricted areas, access the ship’s systems, or touch anything that doesn’t belong to you without permission," She paused to collect her thoughts. "If I give you a task, you’ll complete it. If you have a problem, you’ll speak to me instead of making decisions on your own."

Celyn nodded again.

"And if you lie to me, attempt to contact the people who sent Daniel and Marcus, or do anything that threatens this ship, I won’t hesitate to remove you."

"I won’t do that."

"Don’t promise me. Show me!" Aymara stated firmly.

Celyn lowered her head. "I will."

Aymara picked up her teacup and took another sip. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of keeping another survivor aboard.

The thought of someone unfamiliar moving through her carefully built fortress still made her uneasy. There were too many memories attached to that kind of arrangement, and she had no desire to repeat the mistakes of her previous life.

However, Celyn had warned them when she could have remained silent. She had also been honest enough to admit that Aymara had no reason to trust her yet and that was worth considering.

"I’ll allow you to stay for now," Aymara finally said. "But this is temporary. I’ll observe you, and you’ll have to prove that you can be useful and trustworthy."

Celyn’s eyes widened. "You’re... allowing me to stay?"

"For now," Aymara repeated. "Don’t misunderstand me. This isn’t a permanent arrangement, and it doesn’t mean you’ve become part of my family."

"I understand." Celyn’s voice trembled slightly. "Thank you. I won’t take this opportunity for granted."

Aymara gave a small nod. "Good. Finish your breakfast. We’ll discuss your duties afterward."

Celyn looked down at her plate, struggling to contain her relief. She had been prepared to leave the fortress and face the ocean alone. Even a temporary place to stay was more than she had dared to hope for.

Nathaniel, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, finally reached for his tea.

"You should take things slowly," he told Celyn. "The ship has been through a lot recently. There are still repairs being completed, and you don’t want to get in the way."

Celyn nodded obediently. "I won’t."

Aymara glanced at him. She appreciated that he hadn’t interfered with her decision. He had listened, considered the matter, and allowed her to handle it herself. There was no pressure from him to be kinder or more accommodating than she wanted to be.

That was one of the things she valued about Nathaniel. He understood that this fortress was her responsibility, and he trusted her to make the decisions necessary to protect it.

Still, she wasn’t entirely satisfied. Aymara set her teacup down and looked at Celyn again. "There’s one more thing."

Celyn immediately straightened. "Yes?"

"Tell me everything you remember about the settlement they promised you. Its location, the number of people involved, the names of anyone you met, and any details that might help me identify the people behind this."

Celyn’s expression became serious. "I can tell you what I know."

"Start from the beginning."

The breakfast had barely begun, but Aymara was already looking beyond the immediate problem.

Captain Rourke’s fleet had fled, Daniel and Marcus were gone, and the metallic birds were no longer circling overhead. For the moment, her fortress was safe but someone had wanted her captured and Aymara had no intention of waiting for them to make another attempt.

She had spent too much of her previous life being the prey. This time, if someone was hunting her, she wanted to know exactly who was holding the leash.