Page 73 of Into Orbit
‘To get backup, but –’
‘Yes, because taking downtwoships would have been rather pushing your luck, I’d imagine.’ His thumb skimmed my lip in a featherlight touch. ‘Do you know what happened on your way back?’
I shook my head, then winced as pain bloomed over my temple. I lifted a hand to find it covered by a leaf bandage.
‘Don’t touch that.’ Willow took my hand away. ‘A reconnaissance drone captured footage of it. The Roth ship started shooting blindly when the crew realised they were going down. They hit the Pod’s shield and one of the larger asteroids at the same time. The direct strike from the ship destroyed your shield, and the asteroid was blown apart at the same moment. A fragment ricocheted and hit the side of the Pod. The force caved in its side.’ He swallowed. ‘Along with your temple. Cedar put you back together, but Ash … It’s been weeks now. We weren’t sure …’ He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. ‘We weren’t sure that you’d come back.’
‘Weeks?’ I said hoarsely. ‘How many weeks, Will? How close are we to Natare?’
He sniffed. ‘Three,’ he whispered.
Panic shot through me. ‘Threemonths? At normal travel speed? I’ve been sleeping for an entiremonth?’
‘No, Ash. Threeweeks. We’re threeweeksout from Natare.’
I pulled away and stared at him. ‘That can’t be true.’
He gave a shaky laugh. ‘You have no idea how pissed Maeve is that you’ve been unconscious all this time.’
‘She’s angry?’ I said anxiously.
‘Notwithyou. She’s just impatient for you to wake up. And Elswyth has been singing to you every day, and it drains herelya, and she gets weepy when she’s tired, and when she’s weepy, Maeve goes on the warpath towards anyone who so much as looks at El sideways, and –’
‘El?’ I interrupted.
He flushed a lovely dark green. ‘She likes it,’ he said shyly.
I swallowed, my heart suddenly in my throat, my stomach twisting with jealousy; whether it was for Willow getting time with them, or them getting time with Willow, I couldn’t say. ‘You’ve been with them this whole time.’
He snorted. ‘Don’t start that rubbish. They’ve beenhere, by your side, every moment of the day, and I’ve been here at night. You haven’t been left behind, Ash. You just weren’t conscious to appreciate how much attention you’ve been getting.’
I exhaled, my arms all but shaking with relief.
‘Elswyth got your dragon’s head,’ Willow said casually. ‘She’s put it in the family room. Maeve built a shelf for it and everything.’
The family room.
Yearning shot through me, so strong that my cock stirred. ‘You’ve been staying there?’
‘Yes.’ He took my chin in his hand and gently forced me to look at him. ‘I’ve moved your things there, too. I didn’t organise them for you because fuck, Ash, your shelves were a mess, but I moved everything. Tell me if I did the wrong thing.’
I stared at him. ‘Maeve agreed?’
He laughed. ‘Maeve suggested it. Well, when Maevesuggests, it’s not really a suggestion. It was more like she saidit would be good if Ash’s things were in here when he wakes up,and then she gave me a look, and next thing I knew I was elbow-deep in your unwashed uniforms.’
I gave a wheezing laugh, then winced when pain spread through my skull.
‘Right,’ Willow said, and before I could protest, he’d gently pushed me down and settled my blanket around my body. ‘We’ll try this again tomorrow.’
I struggled weakly. ‘Don’t go.’
‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He touched my cheek. ‘You risked your life for me. I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again. When you’re back on rotation, I’m going with you every time you launch a Pod.’
My eyes fluttered closed. ‘The Captain will have words to say about that.’
‘She’s welcome to say them. Whether I choose to listen is a different matter entirely.’ His fingertips stroked my skin. ‘Sleep.’
I slept.
