I huffed out a frustrated breath. “My feelings don’t matter?”

“Of course they do. Proper vosdodite should make you feel better, not worse. If you absolutely cannot accept the gift, then I suggest you talk to him about it. But you will be hard pressed to convince him that you truly accept the apology while simultaneously rejecting the gift. If he thought vosdodite was necessary, then he will likely try to give you something else.”

Well, damn. That did not sound promising. “Thank you.”

Havil nodded and left.

I slumped back in my chair and stared at the green foliage. I would have to approach this problem very carefully or I’d make the situation worse. But Havil had given me a sliver of hope. All I had to do was convince Torran that I’d feel better without the gift—a job that would be much easier if he hadn’t already seen the state of my current comm.

Early the next morning, I made my way down to the gym. I’d finally gotten a decent night’s sleep thanks to Havil’s healing and a reasonable bedtime, so I felt like a new person. I planned to knock out some exercise, then get ready for the last wormhole traversal before Valovia.

Despite the hour, the gym wasn’t empty. Eli was on the resistance press, Chira was rowing, and Torran was running on a treadmill. Based on the sweat plastering Torran’s shirt to his chest, he’d been at it longer than the other two. I took a moment to appreciate the sheer beauty of his lean, muscular form in motion. He made running look effortless.

He glanced up and caught me staring. He paused his workout. “Do you need a sparring partner?”

I bit off the instinctive denial and considered the offer. I’d fought Valoffs during the war, but I’d never sparred with one. Perhaps I could learn something new.

“Sure, if you don’t mind,” I said. “And as long as you’re not expecting me to be as good as Eli. Give me a few minutes to warm up.”

Surprise crossed Torran’s face before he nodded. I was getting better at reading the subtle changes in his expression.

I hopped on an elliptical and eased my way up to a brisk jog. I let the movement drown out my concerns. Much like with shielding, this could go incredibly wrong, but I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. And if it went too sideways, Eli would bail me out.

Once my muscles were warm and pliable, I left the elliptical and moved to the sparring mats, where Torran waited. I wrapped my hands and reminded myself that this was just for fun. I knew my own strengths. Torran was going to kick my ass.