Page 24 of Rescuing Mara

When Novarron comes into view, I feel her heartbeat rising and anxiety spikes with her sweet scent.

“Want me to tell you about Novarron?” I softly ask.

“Yes,” she whispers with her gaze fixed on the big windows to our front.

“Novarron is a prosperous planet located in a solar system filled with gas planets. The atmosphere is made up of a mixture of gasses, so scanners mistake the planet for a gas giant. Novarron has a select number of trading partners but mostly trades with space stations. Only we know the true location of the planet, and it is one of our best-kept secrets.”

“Why?” she blurts out, making me pause.

“The Sternotheri hate us, my star.” I gently take her hand and stroke her fingers, the bond pulsing inside of my chest at the touch. “They want to destroy all Arracate and if they can, they will destroy our allies as well. Not just for being our allies, but in the case of Novarron, because they are rich and jealousy fuels them.”

She is silent before she heaves a little sigh.

“So, Novarron is safe?” she says in a small voice.

“The safest place there is.”

CHAPTER16

Mara

Safe, I breathe in, inhaling O’Rec’s intoxicating scent. I have been on several planets. Usually, we stayed in private residences and closed compounds. Ananta made deals and did important things, and I stayed behind in her room. My hand involuntarily touches the band on my neck. Safe. As strange as it is, the slave mark I hate so much always kept me safe.

I feel my heart rate rising. This time, the band won’t do anything for me. Ananta isn’t here to keep me safe. How will I know if I can trust these people? I breathe in again, using O’Rec as an anchor to keep myself from panicking.

“Breathe, Marra,” he whispers in my ear. “I can feel you are scared, but you really do not have to fear anything or anyone on Novarron. The people are good; their queen is an example to us all.” His arm sneaks around me, holding me to him, and I melt into him. Surrendering myself to the calming effect his nearness has on me.

“How can you be so sure? How do you know they are not… bad?”

O’Rec lets out a small laugh. “You will see my star,” he says before he shifts his attention to his controls. I feel something pulse deep inside my chest at the use of the nickname. Like a heartbeat, but it’s something much more.

Sighing, I close my eyes to focus on my breathing. I feel the ship shaking, but I keep my eyes closed. I am determined to keep the anxiety at bay for as long as I can.

“Open your eyes,” O’Rec whispers in my ear. I automatically obey.

We have obviously passed through the atmosphere because before me is the most beautiful planet I have ever seen. It’s a combination of blues, greens, and large stretches of pink. No clouds are surrounding the planet, and I gasp at its beauty.

“Stunning, isn’t it?” he says. “Arracate was like this. We did not have as much water as Novarron, and we had bigger mountains, but it was just the most beautiful palette of all the green you can think of.

He looks lost in thought, so I turn toward him. “You must miss your planet and your people very much,” I say softly.

His sparkling eyes darken with grief, and his voice gruffs when he speaks again.

“Yes, we all miss our planet every day. We are lucky to have found a place where we can live together again after being hunted and divided for so long.”

My mind spins. Hunted? Divided? By who? But I think I know the answer. The Sternotheri, but why? Why would they destroy an entire planet and hunt the survivors down like their goal is to eliminate their entire species? My throat constricts because that is precisely why I am here. What Ananta wants me to do. Have them take me to their secret place, then betray them so she can kill them all.

Suddenly, I can’t breathe. Panic threatens to overflow me, so I do the only thing that makes sense right now. I throw my arms around O’Rec and hold on to him tight.

He stiffens, making me panic even more. What did I do? But before I can let go, his arms lock around me, cradling me against him. My breathing turns rapid, showing my panic. I can’t let her kill them, can I? I start trembling at the thought of even defying Ananta when O’Rec pulls back and lifts my chin, leaving me no choice but to look into his eyes. Fierce protectiveness shines through as he cradles my cheek.

“You are okay, Marra. You are safe. I will not let anything happen to you. I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you. You know you are everything to me, and if I cannot be everything to you, at least let me be something to you. Let me be your protector. Let me be the one who keeps you safe. Let me be your Warrior.”

My breath falters, and it feels like my heart just stopped beating. He misinterpreted my reasons for panicking, but his words are everything I have been longing to hear all my life. They leave me raw, exposed, and vulnerable, and I know I have to make a choice. I know I have to choose between him and Ananta. I can’t right now, but someday, I will.

Blinking away tears, I swallow. I can… I can try, maybe? I want to, I want to so badly… “I want to.” My voice is hoarse, and I hate how broken I sound, and how broken I am. “But…”

He silences me by laying a finger on my lips. “That is enough for me, my Zarra.”

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