Chapter 7 #3
We ate in silence, the simple act of sharing a meal creating an intimacy that felt both foreign and natural.
Around us, the others followed our example, distributing what few supplies we had among the group.
Tyrk passed loodskins to each of us, while Vala and Ruze discussed the repairs needed to fix Vala’s ship.
“We have been salvaging functional components and power conduits from the wrecked craft scattered across the landscape ever since we crashed,” Vala was saying.
“My propulsion system is still intact, but several engine regulators and stabilization assemblies were destroyed during descent. If we can recover compatible replacements, I should be able to restore flight capability.”
“Have you encountered any other survivors since your crash?” Ruze glanced toward the shattered viewport; the jungle beyond was swallowed in darkness.
“No living survivors.” Vala shook his head. “My long-range bio-scanners sustained heavy damage during descent. I can still perform localized sweeps, but the deeper planetary scans are fragmented and unreliable.”
“How many wrecks have you located?” Tyrk asked.
“Dozens,” Vala answered grimly. “I would guess more scattered beyond scanner range. Some appear ancient.”
I listened with half an ear, my attention still fixed on Quin. She ate methodically, making each bite last, her eyes constantly scanning the analyzer in her lap. Even now, she remained vigilant, looking for any threats.
We sat in comfortable silence as we finished our meal.
The others had settled into their own spaces, the ship quiet except for the occasional creak of settling metalloid.
Outside, the twin suns had fully descended, the clearing beyond the broken viewport bathed in darkness, broken only by the faint glow of distant crystalline formations catching the moon’s light.
I watched Quin from the corner of my eye, noting the way she held herself, the subtle tension in her shoulders that spoke of constant vigilance.
“You should rest,” I said softly. “I will keep watch.”
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “You need sleep, too. Plus, you need rest to heal from your recent injuries.”
“I am Valosian,” I reminded her. “My body heals quickly, and I can go longer without rest.”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “Still, everyone needs sleep eventually.”
Sleep.
The word settled heavily inside me. Sleep no longer brought rest, only memories I could not escape.
Every time I closed my eyes for too long, I found myself back inside Uri’s cage, feeling the burn of the obedience collar against my throat while the Gorken queen watched me with cold, slitted eyes.
I would sooner face another pack of void weavers than willingly relive those moments again.
No, resting was not an option. Not while my demons waited behind closed eyes.
“Then perhaps we can take turns,” I suggested simply to appease her. “I can take first watch, and you take second.”
She considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Fair enough."
Quin extended the bio-spectral analyzer toward me. “If this starts flashing red or vibrating, wake me up immediately,” she instructed. “It means something nearby is moving toward the ship.”
"I will." I accepted the device. Her fingers grazed mine, and silver broke across my knuckles in a slow, involuntary tide. I closed my grip around the analyzer before she could see the color shift reach my palm.
I turned my attention to the screen, giving her space to settle, watching the readings scroll in steady columns while she shifted beside me and found her position against the wall plating.
The ship groaned once, deep in its metalloid bones, and then went quiet.
When I finally looked over, her features had already begun to soften, the vigilance she wore like a second skin slipping away breath by breath, her dark lashes still against her cheek.
Warmth welled within me at the sight of her trusting me enough to watch over her while she rested. Even the strange handheld device she guarded so fiercely now rested in the palm of my hand.
She didn't yet know what she was to me. Or how her trust humbled me far more than any battle ever had.
My chest tightened, fierce and aching. Not with the urge to claim her.
I had carried enough chains of my own to know I would never lay one on another living being, least of all her.
This was far more dangerous. It was the need to be the thing that stood between her and the dark.
The need to be worthy of the small, unguarded faith she'd shown me by falling asleep within arm's reach.
I will die before I let harm come to you, I vowed silently, the words settling into my bones like Valosian steel.
Whether she chose me or not, I would ensure her safety on this dangerous planet and spend the rest of my suns-rises proving myself worthy of the female my spirit had already claimed as its own.
I turned back to the viewport, the analyzer warm in my grip, and kept watch over the darkness.