Page 87 of Stars in Nova

‘And you?’ she asked, tilting her head. ‘What do you see?’

He hesitated for a moment before answering. ‘A warrior who cares and carries too much. Yet one who doesn’t let it break her.’

Her breath caught, the unexpected emotion of his words settling in her chest.

‘I could say the same for you,’ she murmured, motioning for him to follow as they left the infirmary.

Crossing Lines

Samira’s cavern home was quiet, save for the far-off, ever-present trickle of water running through the veins and over the walls of Thalassi.

She moved with practiced efficiency, gathering her gear in the small room that had been her aunt’s sanctuary since the war began.

Her armor accouterments lay across the cot she’d been sleeping on alongside Misandra’s bed.

She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of her shimmering chest plate, which was reinforced with a hydrophilic alloy. This alloy was designed to channel water and amplify her fluid kinetics in battle.

Her boots stood ready nearby, and she slipped her socked feet into them.

Nearby, her pack rested half-filled with rations, medical supplies, and a bundle containing her kinetic disruptor rifle.

Samira adjusted the straps of her carry-all, even as she fought to keep her mind from wandering to the man preparing to leave with her.

Still, her eyes were drawn to him through the open door across the hall.

In her bedroom, Kisan worked silently, his motions carrying through the stone corridor.

His knapsack, black and battle-worn, sat on the floor.

She observed as he reached for his mask, hesitating, his jaw tightening.

His hands cradled it, its dormant circuits glinting in the light. Since its last power surge, it had yet to make a sound or show a flicker.

He bounced it as if weighing the pros and cons of uncovering its energy source.

With a sigh, he sealed it in his bag and stood, rolling his shoulders,

Samira stepped out first, her pack slung over one shoulder and her disruptor rifle strapped across her back.

She glanced at Kisan as he appeared in the doorway to her room. His imposing frame filled the space. Bag crossed over his chest, weapons strapped on.

Their gazes met, locked, souls churned.

For a moment, the war, the mission, and the onus of their responsibilities fell away.

Samira once more was hit with a wild and distracting desire for this untamed man with a melancholy soul.

‘Ready?’ Kisan drawled, breaking the silence, his mouth twisting as if he’d read her thoughts.

‘As I’ll ever be,’ she replied, her tone composed.

They stood still for a beat, the charged air thick with unspoken words.

Kisan’s emerald eyes searched hers as if trying to understand what lay beneath the unruffled exterior she was working so hard to maintain.

She wondered how much longer she could keep her ruse up, around him, alone with him for the next few days.

Samira tightened her grip on the strap of her pack, forcing herself to focus.

---