Page 101 of Stars in Nova

Her star-flecked eyes searched Kisan’s face. ‘What do you think of him?’

Kisan hesitated, his aqua eyes flickering. ‘He’s a good man, a close friend who never left me, not even in the darkest night of our souls. He’s also stubborn and reckless, but his heart is in the right place. He’s not perfect—none of us are—but he’s trying to make amends in his way.’

Samira studied him for a moment before nodding. ‘It sounds like you have a lot in common.’

Kisan let out a low laugh, the sound tinged with self-awareness. ‘Maybe. But Sax doesn’t carry the same kind of sins. He channels his demons into something useful. I’m still figuring that part out.’

She reached out, her hand brushing against his arm. ‘Perhaps this mission will help, handsome.’

‘Whatever happens, as long as you’re with me, I’ll be blazin’.’

Always on Time

The vibrations of the Cephei’s thrusters were a backdrop to the cocoon of warmth in Kisan’s quarters.

The room was lit only by the ambient glow of the ship’s systems filtering through the bulkhead.

Kisan and Samira lay tangled beneath silk sheets, pressed close, skin still damp from their shared heat.

Kisan draped his arm over Samira’s waist, his fingers tracing idle patterns along her side. Her dark hair spilled over his chest, and she sighed with contentment, her breath warm as it wafted over his ink.

He brushed his lips to her forehead, inhaling the floral scent of her pores.

Their stillness felt sacred, a brief reprieve from the chaos that waited beyond the walls.

‘Kisan,’ Mirage’s node intoned, its dulcet tones cutting through the quiet. ‘We’re on approach to Skardis. Estimated arrival: one hour.’

Neither of them moved.

‘We could stay here forever,’ Samira murmured, her voice husky with sleep. ‘Let Skardis wait.’

Kisan chuckled, his torso rumbling against her cheek. ‘I don’t think Sax is the kind of guy you leave hanging around. Got to watch him in case he wanders off and stirs shit up.’

‘At this moment, right here, I don’t care about Sax,’ she said, tilting her face to look at him.

Her eyes glimmered, and the slight smile on her lips sent a pang through Kisan’s chest. ‘The last few days have been- I don’t have the words - bliss, maybe. A dangerous bliss.’

‘How?’ Kisan asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

‘Because it makes me forget what’s waiting for me to fix,’ she murmured, her expression fading. ‘It compels me to let go of the war, the kids, the constant fighting for a few brief moments, giving me relief. What happens to us after this?’

Kisan’s expression softened, his viridescent eyes glowing in the dim light. ‘We’ll figure it out when we get over the current predicament. One battle at a time. But you have to promise me something,kaissa.’

‘What?’ she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

‘That we both outlive this battle and conflict. No heroics, no unnecessary risks. You survive, I survive. Deal?’

She nodded, her throat tightening as she whispered, ‘Deal.’

Her wrist comm buzzed, and she reached for it, her face softening as she swiped open the tight-beam holo contained in the incoming comm.

Shining after a warm bath, Malik and Liora’s faces appeared, blowing her good night kisses.

‘Say hi to Kisan,’ they added before her aunt shushed them, and the video faded to black.

Knifing up and angling the phone so that her nudity and that of Kisan’s were hidden, she recorded her goodnight message and sent it.

Samira twisted her head, her eyes misted, and her gaze distant. ‘I miss them,’ she whispered.

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