Page 48 of Stars in Halo

On a whim, she leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek.

‘Sante, Xion.’

‘For what?’ he drawled, flinging an arm over his head on the pillow, which only accentuated his muscled form.

‘For giving me a night of bliss to remember.’

He chuckled, the sound reverberating through his massive chest.

‘Turns out ecstasy doesn’t always have to have sex tagged to it, hey?’ he rumbled. ‘I feel we achieved something better than going all the way.’

She nodded, flushing under her skin.

Her seduction plan had fallen by the wayside.

Instead, they’d been heart-intimate that night, getting to know one another on a subconscious and profound level.

It’d been mind-blowing.

He sensed it, too, given the smile on his sensual lips.

Fokk, he was handsome, she thought, averting her eyes and relaxing into the pillows, breathing in his scent.

Overcome with an uncanny sense of security, her endorphins flowing with the intensity of a new, blissful, intense experience, she was on cloud nine.

With that, she slipped away into blessed rest.

A Temple Of Illumination

Xion’s eyes flew open.

Time?

9 AM.

He turned his head to the woman beside him, her vulnerability accentuated by peaceful slumber. He sent a cloud of metanoids over her sleeping form, ensuring she remained undisturbed.

He slid out of the bed and tracked to the safe, where he was sure he’d seen her slip the Iris into.

He waved a hand over the lock, and more noids settled on it.

In seconds, the keypad beeped, and the secure hold’s door pushed ajar, revealing the secret within.

He reached inside and pulled out the gem.

It was colossal for a ruby.

He turned it over, fascinated with its edges and planes.

It’d been polished to perfection.

He marvelled at its purity—even the dim light of the darkened hallway set off the facets of this exquisite gemstone, which danced and bounced with each movement.

More interesting, however, was the tiny vibrations that pulsed through it.

This is no standard stone, he told Mirage, sending a flow of metanoids over it. Please take the stream off my noids and assess it for me.

Will do. The frequency it’s giving out is encrypted. It will take a few hours to break if not the best part of tomorrow. So whatever it is you’re doing, take your time.

---