Halo Read Online Free PDF

scent of her favourite tea. Avina narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean, never?”
    “This is a reproduction of my fourth body. It was the physical representation that you could recognize, so I stayed with it.”
    Utolian pulled up the tiny rolling seat from the medical area, and he sat there while she drank her tea, his long legs taking up all the extra space.
    When half the fruity brew was gone, she asked him, “What are you, exactly?”
    “I thought you knew. After all, you have my ball in your pocket.”
    She snorted and continued to glare at him. “Not funny. You were registering as a powerful aura but nothing else.”
    He shrugged. “My people are born energy, and we live as energy. I taught myself to assemble a body from the worlds around me and eventually put myself in a position to rule. Life was very interesting as a king.”
    “I don’t want to imagine.”
    “You are right, you don’t. It was another body and another set of experiences.” Utolian’s grin was genuine but a little dark with memories.
    She had done her reading on all of her learning tools. She knew about Utolian’s history, and while it was occasionally bloody, he was known as a fair man and a bit of a flirt. He had been no worse than any other ruler of the time and better than most.
    Avina finished her tea.
    He took her cup and refilled it.
    “Why did you take on physical form now?”
    “You needed a lift, and I was unable to render it without a body. I took the mass I needed from the station, and here we are.”
    She sipped at her tea. “Why now?”
    “You couldn’t breathe. In fact, you stopped breathing twice while on this very medical bed.”
    “How long have I been out?”
    “Six hours. Whatever their air is laced with, it does not agree with your physiology.” He shrugged and handed her a data pad. “Here is the recording of your vital statistics during your nap.”
    Avina scanned and wrinkled her nose as she watched the reports that showed how her body had fluctuated. He was right, she had stopped breathing at several points, and someone had switched her to solid oxygen feed and used the emergency systems to get her breathing again before resuming a basic atmosphere.
    She was rather grateful that she hadn’t been awake for it. Her throat was still raw.
    Idly, she patted her thigh pack and sighed at the feel of the data crystals. “Time to get back to work, I guess.”
    He blinked. “Just like that?”
    “Well, yes. That is what I am here for. Your presence is unexpected, but it doesn’t change my assignment. I was sent to examine this station, report on the state of the auras and make it safe for exploration by archaeological teams. With only one aura left to deal with, it shouldn’t take much time, but I would rather spend today going through the ship records. I feel a little delicate.”
    He nodded. “Would you like me to carry you?” He didn’t wait for an answer and scooped her up, teacup and all. Utolian settled her in her living area on the couch. “What else do you require?”
    “I need a meal or two. I have skipped a few.”
    When he left her to work at her food-prep unit, she kicked the base of her couch and pulled out the sealed crystal projector. It was one of Fixer’s toys and the only reason that Avina travelled to Morganti.
    When Utolian brought her a tray, she slipped one of the crystals into the reader and stared at the display. Three thousand years of activity as a prison had been recorded day by day. She used one hand to interact with the display while the other shovelled food in her mouth.
    Utolian watched her with an amused smirk on his face.
    She finally asked him, “What?”
    “It has been a few years since I have seen a woman eat with such enthusiasm.”
    Avina looked down at her nearly empty plate. “I was hungry. Should I defer my appetite for your delicate sensibilities?”
    “No. I have just not been around physical beings in a while. Appetite is one of those things that is