Page 35 of Hunter's Moon

I growled in frustration, reluctantly pulling away from Lina. She looked dazed, her lips red, her cheeks flushed. It took every ounce of my self-control not to throw her on the bed and finish what we’d started.

“We should... we should take that,” Lina said breathlessly, smoothing down her hair.

I nodded, trying to regain my composure. “Right. Let’s go to the bridge.”

We made our way back, the air between us crackling with unresolved tension. As we settled into our seats, I activated the viewscreen.

The image that appeared made me freeze in shock. The elderly Mondian on the screen was instantly recognizable, despite the years that had passed.

“General Hondarth?”

For possibly the first, and hopefully the last time in my life, my jaw dropped.

The dragon-like being on the screen peered at me, his reptilian eyes widening in recognition. “By the stars,” he rumbled. “Tharion? Is that you, boy?”

Lina looked between us, confusion evident on her face. “You two know each other?”

LINA

Istood frozen, my eyes darting between Tharion and the holographic image of Dr. Heylarth floating above the ship’s comm panel. The familiar, wizened face of my employer now seemed alien, his eyes glinting with a sharpness I’d never noticed before.

“General Hondarth,” Tharion said with surprise. “I never expected to see you again, sir.”

Dr. Heylarth - or General Hondarth, apparently - chuckled, the sound warm yet edged with steel. “Tharion, my boy. Still getting into trouble, I see.”

My head spun. I gripped the edge of the console, steadying myself. “Wait, you two know each other?”

They both turned to me, exchanging a glance that spoke volumes.

“We’ll explain everything later,” they said in unison, then looked at each other again.

A bubble of laughter escaped my lips, bordering on hysteria. “Of course you will. Why wouldn’t two people I thought I knew turn out to have some secret past together?”

Tharion’s arm snaked around my waist, steadying me. “Lina, your safety is what matters now.”

Dr. Heylarth nodded, his holographic image flickering slightly. “Tharion’s right. We can discuss old war stories another time.”

Right. Another time.

I blinked, trying to process this new reality, focused on what was important. “Is it... is it safe for me to come home to Adtera?”

Dr. Heylarth’s expression hardened. “I’ve dealt with the Obsidian Dawn, but-”

“You’ve what?” I interrupted, my voice rising. This kindly old man who needed help remembering where he’d left his spectacles had “dealt with” a notorious criminal organization?

He sighed, suddenly looking every bit his age. “Lina, there’s much you don’t know about me. About a lot of things.”

“Clearly,” I muttered.

Tharion’s grip on my waist tightened slightly. “Perhaps you should explain, General.”

Dr. Heylarth - Hondarth - whoever he was, nodded. “It turns out that Arin Tal was smuggling rare spices. A number of syndicates are very, very interested in his sources.”

My mind reeled. “Arin? But he was just a tea merchant...”

“A cover,” Tharion said softly. “A good one, apparently.”

Dr. Heylarth continued, “The Obsidian Dawn believes Arin told you the location of his source before he died. That’s why they’ve been pursuing you.”

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