Chapter 13 Lyra
lyra
Just to Be Safe
I pull away from Orion, only slightly embarrassed by my emotional display after he managed to cripple Kraxis’s ship and give us the time to jump to safety.
Well, relative safety. Kraxis will have a hard time following us, but there’s some ominous damage to my hull and I pushed the engines too hard.
We desperately need a place to lay low and make repairs.
And figure out what the hell is going on with me and the most incredible lay of my life.
The asteroid Inferis looms before us. At first glance, it reminds me of a desiccated potato, rotating lazily around a red dwarf star that glows crimson like the weary embers of a dying fire.
As we near, the Hephaestus orbits into view—a swirling mass of space junk that threatens to wrench itself apart with the slightest touch.
In short, our hope of salvation rests on somewhat underwhelming shoulders.
We approach slowly just as two small recovery ships launch from one of the salvage rig’s outer bays and descend to the pockmarked surface of the asteroid.
“Well,” I say, clearing my throat. “We know they’re home. Now we just need to knock real polite-like.”
“Are you okay?” Orion asks, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Oh, sure! Yep. Absolutely,” I force out. “You just managed to save our bacon, is all. I’m grateful.”
He studies me—glowing green eyes roving over my face and the damp tracks of tears I furiously wipe away. Sensing my discomfort, he arches a brow and flashes one devastating dimple.
“How grateful?” he teases.
I breathe a sigh of relief. This is familiar ground. Teasing, flirting, fighting. Not the naked vulnerability I felt moments ago.
“Hm…” I tap my chin, considering. “Grateful enough to give you a blow job so fierce, you’ll think I’m trying to suck your soul out through your—”
Apologies, Lyra, but the crew of the Hephaestus are hailing us. I must insist you return to comms and leave the flirting for another time.
“Spoilsport,” I say to Ada. Then, seeing the molten heat in Orion’s gaze, swat his firm ass and wink. “Another time, perhaps.”
I drop back into the captain’s chair and patch the garbled voice through.
“You’re on a course heading toward private property. This station is owned and operated by the Ripley Salvage & Reclamation Corporation. Turn around and head back the way you came or the authorities will be contacted,” the voice crackles.
“I’m trying to reach Evelyn Redfern,” I reply, praying to the stars she won’t blast my ship into dust.
“What do you want with her?” a second voice chirps—a voice I recognize all too well.
“Evie?” I hedge.
“Who wants to know?” she barks, then swears over the crash of clanging metal in the background.
“Aldrin-136 requesting permission to land for emergency repairs,” I state.
“Oh no—absolutely not! Lyra Phoenix, you two-timing, thieving, good-for-nothing bilge rat! You are not coming aboard my rig and making off with everything that isn’t nailed down—again! Put into port somewhere else,” she snarls.
“Come on, Evie, have a heart. My ship’s busted, I’ve got Void Stalkers on my ass, and I just need to lay low for a couple days. I swear on my father’s honor, I will not steal anything. I’ll even pay you back for last time!” I wheedle.
“Your daddy was even more of a thief and con artist than you are, Lyra—he wasn’t what I’d call honorable. Nah, Pinky Pie. You’ve bamboozled me one too many times. Park it elsewhere!”
Orion arches a brow. “Pinky Pie?”
I wince. “Long story.”
Smirking, he leans forward and presses the communicator.
“Ms. Redfern? This is Ranger Orion Asterth from Xylothia. Lyra may be a scoundrel, but I’m far from that.
If you’ll let us dock and lend some assistance with repairs, I assure you Lyra will be on her best behavior.
Not only will she refrain from stealing anything, but she’ll pay you the full balance of what she owes before we leave.
Including credits for the repairs, and a little extra for your trouble,” he says smoothly.
I gape angrily at him, opening and closing my mouth like an enraged fish.
“A Xylothian ranger, huh?” Evie responds. “Lyra, did you move into kidnapping for ransom since I last saw you? Because you know I don’t truck with that.”
“No, Evie,” I drawl. “He’s here of his own free will.”
She grunts affirmation, then lowers her voice conspiratorially. I almost can’t make out her whispers through the static.
“This ranger…is he humanoid?”
“Yep,” I say. “Why?”
“He sounds pretty hot. Is he hot?” Evie whispers.
“Scorching,” I reply, biting back the possessive jealousy that rears its ugly head. Now is not the time to explore that. “I take it there aren’t a lot of available romantic partners onboard the Hephaestus?”
“If my love life gets any deader, I’ll need my own salvage operation,” she says grimly.
“Well, if you let us dock, you’re free to chat him up at will,” I chuckle. Some twisting, dark thing winds its way through my belly at the thought of Evie flirting with Orion, but that’s best avoided for now. I have a ship to save.
The line goes dead for a few moments and I can practically hear Evie weighing the pros and cons of trusting me again.
Fortunately, her libido seems to win the battle and she agrees after another round of firm negotiations.
Before I steer us down to the dilapidated landing bay, I lean over and drop a kiss on Orion’s cheek.
“What was that for?” he asks, trying not to look pleased.
“That’s the second time you saved us today,” I grin.
“How so?”
“Evie’s only letting us land because she wants to scope you out,” I say, chuckling. “She’s lonely out here on that pathetic bucket of bolts and I’m sure she’s hoping you’ll be amenable to her attentions, if you get my drift.”
A soft pink blush blooms on Orion’s cheeks and makes his synesfores pulse purple.
The barest thread of anxiety weaves through my veins, knotting firmly in my stomach.
Will things be any different between us now that we’ve had sex?
Will he be clingy? Distant? Disappointed?
Reality starts to press in on me from all sides.
I was so ready to give up everything for him—all my secrets—stars, even my freedom.
What came over me? Orion is a decent sort and, sure, the sex was mind blowing, but this little adventure has already cost me too much, and if he goes back to Xylothia with the idol, it will potentially cost me even more.
No. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that I can’t stomach another year under Brill. I have to believe my patron will finally terminate our contract if I bring him the idol because the alternative is unthinkable. Maybe Orion will come to understand that…in time.
I clear my throat, but before I can say anything, he speaks up.
“Listen, Lyra…” He starts, folding and unfolding his arms across his chest in an awkward, distracting way. Why do those muscles have to be so…muscley?
“I already know what you’re going to say,” I say, holding up my hand to stop him.
I’ve heard some variation of it a hundred times before…
have even delivered the speech myself. This was fun, but it’s over.
Different wants and needs, darling. Two ships, passing in the night.
Something painful prickles in my chest—regret?
Disappointment? Nothing a liter of moonshine can’t drown.
“No, you don’t,” he says, shaking his head. “We need to talk about something important.”
Sighing, I twist my wince into a falsely cheerful grin.
“I get it. We both got carried away. There was vellia involved, and I got shot, and mortal injuries make me really horny, and we’ve been cooped up on my ship for weeks.
It doesn’t have to mean anything, okay? It doesn’t mean anything.
It’s like I told you before—whatever you think you feel for me, don’t trust it.
Let’s just get some clothes on and get ready to deal with Evie, all right?
” My embarrassment makes me feel more naked than my conspicuous lack of pants.
I tug my shirt down over the waistband of my underwear as unfamiliar pressure starts to build behind my eyes.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Dammit, Lyra, why are you crying?
I turn my attention to the console and pray he won’t notice.
Orion is quiet, something shuttering in his gaze before I can make sense of it. “Is that what you want?”
No. “Yeah, sure. I mean, not much chance of anything else, is there?”
More silence. It stretches for long enough that I think he’s left the cockpit, but when I finally look up, I see he’s come to stand right behind me.
“That wasn’t what I was going to say, but I’ll respect your decision if it’s what you really want,” he says, his low voice thrumming through me.
I peer up into his bottle green eyes and promptly forget to exhale.
He’s so handsome, standing there staring at me with so much unguarded emotion in his gaze.
Kiss me, you dummy. Just take it. Take it all.
“We should get dressed,” I hear myself saying.
A ghost of disappointment flits across his face, but he offers me a wan smile and nods. Watching him turn and leave the cockpit feels like being gutted with a dull blade. When he’s almost out of earshot, he pauses.
“For the record, Lyra, it meant something to me.”
With that, he leaves—taking all of the air out of the room with him.
After showering and dressing in a long-sleeved gray jumpsuit, I meet Orion back in the hallway in front of the ship’s bay doors.
He obviously showered after me, his damp hair shimmering green in the soft light of the cabin.
He’s wearing his ranger uniform and for the first time since we met, I find the dull khaki rather charming.
Comforting, in a way. This is normal. We can get back to normal.
So why does that feel so…wrong?