Page 35 of Fifth
“Efficient,” she echoed, rolling her eyes. “That’s one way to put it.”
For the first time, the silence between them cracked. She laughed, soft and shaky, but real. And the corner of his mouth tipped, the closest thing she’d seen to a smile.
He reached for another piece of fruit, held it to her lips, and this time when she opened her mouth, she sucked lightly at his fingers before taking the bite. His eyes darkened and sherealized she was playing with fire. She wanted to. She wanted to see just how close he could come to breaking.
“You cannot refuse food,” he said, his voice gentling, surprisingher.
“I’m not hungry anymore.” Her voice cracked. “Not for food.”
His gaze sharpened, and the air shifted between them. He leaned closer, lips brushing her ear. “You are hungry for me.”
Her breath hitched. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“It is not flattery. It is truth.”
She didn’t answer, couldn’t. Her body betrayed her. Heat flushed her skin. He leaned back, satisfied, and pressed another piece of food to her mouth. She ate it just to break the tension.
The meal stretched long. He took his time, drawing it out, feeding her until her belly was full and her body restless. Every brush of his fingers was a reminder of what they’d nearly done in the shower. Her thighs pressed together under the table, trying to ease the ache. He saw it. She knew he saw it. His eyes burned hotter every time she shifted.
A warrior appeared at the galley door, silent as a shadow. He bowed and spoke with the clipped fastidiousness of one who had never disobeyed an order. “Commander Sixth awaits you.”
Locus rose at once. His hand came to rest along Hannah’s shoulders, the weight firm, claiming, steadying her as though he knew her knees had gone weak. The walk stretched ahead, ahushed corridor lined with star maps that glimmered like constellations she didn’t know. The floor carried a low vibration beneath her bare soles, aheartbeat not human. She matched her breathing to it, trying to calm the anxious flutter in her chest.
The conference doors parted without a sound.
Hannah stopped short. The chamber opened around her, walls of crystal spilling into starfields so near they looked close enough to touch. Blades of light cut through the black, etching trajectories she couldn’t begin to read. Atable of glass stretched the length of the room, glistening enough to reflect both the stars and the flush in her cheeks.
Sixth waited at the head. No armor, only a dark uniform worn like a verdict. His presence filled the space as if gravity had taken form. His eyes—adeep amethyst, lit from within like a shard of galaxy—locked on her, slid to Locus, then back. Measuring. Calculating. Not kind. Not unkind.
“Come forward,” he said.
The calm in his voice carried more command than a shout. Hannah’s pulse stumbled. Locus guided her toward the table, sensing her tension, and edged half a step closer so his body stood between her and Sixth. It helped. Alittle.
“Sit,” Sixth said.
Locus drew out a chair. It adjusted to her, molding to her shape with unnerving precision. He stayed behind her, hands loose at his sides, gaze locked on Sixth. She felt him there, aheat at the base of her spine.
“You have eaten,” Sixth observed. “You have been seen by med techs?”
“Not yet,” Locus said.
“See to it after our meeting.” Sixth’s gaze returned to her. “Name.”
“Hannah.” Her voice surprised her with its steadiness. “Hannah Ward.”
Sixth inclined his head. “Hannah Ward, welcome. You are safe aboard my ship.” His eyes narrowed. “For now.”
Locus’s hand closed over the back of her chair, fingers flexing once in warning. “From this moment forward, she is under my protection. With me, she will remain safe.” His tone was iron, less a statement than a vow. “Permanently.”
Sixth’s mouth slanted the barest degree. Not a smile. “Your certainty is noted, Enforcer.”
The title landed heavy, rippling the air between them. Locus wasn’t only enormous. He carried authority like a weapon.
Sixth gestured to the stars. “You have stepped into a wider field than the one you have known. And yet this is simple. Irequire three things. Truth. Intention. Choice.”
Hannah forced her fingers to unclench. “You can ask. Ican’t promise I’ll have all the answers you need.”
“Truth. Why did you live?” His eyes didn’t blink. “On the ground. In the preserve.”
