Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Sevas
Sevas looked to the side. Sometime during their kiss, they had drifted to the ceiling without either of them knowing. A gurgle of laughter came from her. “How are we supposed to sleep like this?”
He gently pushed off from the ceiling, moving them both toward the bed. “The former occupants of this ship had something figured out,” he replied. “I wish there were grav-belts on this ship, but Bruil said he couldn’t find any. It looks like the blanket will do the job.”
“The blanket?” She didn’t know how that would do anything, but she sighed as her side connected with the mattress. It was soft as she angled herself to make room for Takkian. His tall frame eased beside her with practiced care as he kept his wings folded tightly against his back.
“Let’s try this,” Takkian murmured. He pulled the blanket up and over them both. It immediately secured them both to the mattress.
“It’s heavier than I expected,” Sevas said, running her fingers over the smooth fabric. It was oddly soothing. She tilted her head at him, curious. “What kind of blanket is this?”
“A gravity blanket, I believe.” Takkian’s deep voice was calm as he adjusted its edges across their legs. “Bruil used to talk about the outside world and mentioned the gravity devices that helped during space travel. It uses magnetically charged material that interacts with the mattress and keeps the sleeper in the bed. It’s meant to relax the body and ease tension.”
Sevas raised an eyebrow. “That sounds…” She paused, searching for the right word as she shifted under its weight, “…oddly comforting. I never thought I’d find something as simple as a blanket to feel… I don’t know, grounding.”
Takkian turned his gaze toward her. “It’s practical,” he said with a small shrug. “Bruil says space travel can do strange things to the body, especially in weightlessness. The blanket helps, I suppose.”
Sevas’ smoothed her fingers over the material. It was far softer than her blanket at Settlement 112-1. “You know,” she mused, “I’ve spent my whole life shaping stone—trying to turn something harsh and unyielding into something useful and practical. But this? I think this little blanket is the most useful thing I’ve encountered in more cycles than I can count.” She cast him a sideways glance, her lips quirking in a faint smile. “Well, this and you.”
Takkian snorted softly, the rumble of his amusement vibrating through the small bed. “Useful, hmm?” Takkian echoed dryly. “I suppose, if you need something destroyed.”
Sevas chuckled, turning fully to face him despite the tight space. “Maybe you don’t see it, but you’re… necessary. To me.” Her fingers played absently with the edge of the blanket. “Let’s be honest, you’re basically a moving wall—but emotionally, you fight for the people you care about, Takkian. You don’t give up on those you care about. That means something.”
Takkian’s silver eyes flicked to hers, searching her face like he wasn’t sure what to say. “I fought because I had no choice,” he admitted after a moment, his voice quieter, rougher. “It’s survival, Sevas. Instinct.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged, not letting him wiggle away from her point. “But taking care of Bruil wasn’t survival. Looking out for Ulo wasn’t survival.” Her voice turned lighter, because neither of them had the energy for anything heavy. “I have to say, whoever owned this ship had good taste,” she murmured as she adjusted herself under the blanket.
Takkian’s eyes went heavy lidded. “It’ll help us rest. That’s all that matters.”
Sevas propped herself up on one elbow, gazing down at him. The faint marks of exhaustion clung to his face. His muscles were relaxed now, making him look younger, less hardened. She reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over his brow. “That transformation,” she said. “It must’ve taken everything out of you.”
“It did,” he admitted. “It’s not something I’ve ever done before. I didn’t even think I could. It felt…” He paused, searching for the right word. “Like I wasn’t fully in control, but at the same time, I knew exactly what needed to be done.”
Sevas tilted her head. Her fingertips moved to the leathery edge of a wing. She’d touched them before, but now she took her time and explored the tough stretch of skin. “And now? How do you feel?”
Takkian let out a slow exhale. His gaze traveled over her face as if grounding himself in her presence. “I’m with you, so I feel wonderful.”
His words sent a wave of warmth rolling through her. She moved closer. The blanket shifted with her. Takkian rolled onto his side, facing her fully now. One hand slipped under the gravity blanket to rest lightly on her waist.
“You know,” Sevas said, her voice soft but with a teasing edge, “I think this blanket is my new favorite thing. It’s like the ship knows I’ve been floating in chaos for long enough.”
Takkian chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that made Sevas’ stomach flutter. “If a blanket is all it takes to impress you, I will get you more when we’re free. Perhaps one weighted just enough to lock you in my arms.”
Her lips quirked into a small smile, and she nudged him playfully with her elbow. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Takkian.”
“I don’t,” he said simply. His fingers traced lazy circles at her waist, the motion steady and grounding, just like the blanket.
Sevas let the silence linger for a moment, her thoughts swirling as the warmth of his touch seeped into her skin. “Do you think about what’s next?” she asked quietly. The ship had a unique sound. It was a calming reminder of how far they’d come—and how far they still had to go. “When we’re really free? What happens then?”
Takkian’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t look away from her. “Freedom isn’t something I’ve allowed myself to think about until now. But I know one thing—I want you with me wherever we go.” His voice was a steady, quiet promise.
Sevas’ heart gave an unexpected lurch. She wasn’t used to people choosing her, wanting her. Back in her settlement, her fate had always been dictated by someone else—her father, the overseer, the Axis. But Takkian’s words didn’t carry the weight of a command or obligation. They were simple, honest, and entirely his own.
“You might regret that.” Her tone was light but her chest tightened. “I’m not exactly the easiest person to deal with. Just ask my old friends. Stubborn, short-tempered—remember?”
“I remember,” Takkian said. A faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And I still choose you.”
Sevas’ face heated. She pulled the blanket higher, partly to hide her face and partly to soak in the grounding weight. “You might change your mind when you see how much I like rocks.”
Takkian reached for her hand under the blanket, his fingers closing around hers. “I have nothing against rocks…when they’re not being thrown at my head, that is.”
She laughed. “Same here. Did you know I took down Gimloria with a slingshot?”
“Those things with the rubber…?” He circled a finger, trying to explain what he meant.
“Yes, those.” She sniffed, remembering that awful fight. “Someone in the crowd threw one at me—among other things—and I used it.”
He smiled and his eyes drifted closed. “I’ll add resourceful to the list of traits I admire about you.”
Sevas chewed her lip and wondered if Takkian really would still care for her when all this was over. She was stubborn and short-tempered, and she did like rocks more than most people. But maybe there was hope for them. For a future where they could just live . The silence that filled the small stateroom wasn’t heavy—it was comforting. For the first time in what felt like forever, Sevas felt a flicker of peace. She squeezed Takkian’s hand gently, their fingers interlaced under the blanket, and let herself relax.
The rhythmic sound of their breathing synced as Sevas’ eyelids grew heavier. The ship’s gentle hum, the dim light, and the weight of the blanket combined to lull her body into a state of calm.
Takkian’s voice broke through the quiet, low and edged with something thoughtful. “What about you, Sevas? What do you want?”
She blinked, her mind sluggish as it wrapped around his question. “I want to live without being under someone else’s control,” she admitted after a moment. “I want to decide my own future.”
“You deserve those things,” he said simply. “I want them, too.”
Sevas sighed. “Easier for you to get, I think. You’re a powerful dragon warrior with a knack for terrifying everyone in your path. Me? I’m just a stubborn female Terian with a hammer.”
Takkian’s fingers tightened briefly around hers. “You’re not ‘just’ anything, Sevas. You’re more resilient than anyone I’ve ever known. Surviving doesn’t define you—it’s something you’ve conquered. It’s time you start living.”
Her throat tightened at his words as warmth spread through her chest. Living . It felt like a foreign concept, something out of reach for so long. “Living, huh?” she murmured, her voice catching slightly. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I think you do. And you’re going to be great at it.”
He talked about it as if it was already happening. As his words settled over her like the gravity blanket, grounding and real, she let the warmth of his presence wrap around her like a shield. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to think that maybe—just maybe—freedom wasn’t just about escaping. It was about finding peace. A purpose. And someone to share it with.
As sleep pulled her under, she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, “I can’t wait.”
Takkian shifted closer, resting his forehead lightly against hers. “Me either,” he murmured in a sleep-slurred voice. “Rest now, Sevas. We will have work to do.”
Sevas smiled faintly, her eyes still closed. The warmth of his breath was soft against her skin. She was tired. Even though she would have liked to do more than sleep, it was a necessity. The gentle weight of the blanket and the quiet promise in his words worked together to lull her into a peaceful drowsiness. For once, she let herself believe in the quiet. For once, she let herself believe she could dream.