Chapter 15 #2
“And the others?” She watched as Ari babbled and the map shifted again, showing the gold marker over a desert world orbiting a binary star system. “Are those...”
“I think they are the homeworlds of the Seven Key Species.” Faith’s hand trembled as she reached for her datapad, capturing images of the display.
“Emma, this is the most complete Precursor star map anyone has ever seen. Some of these systems aren’t on any modern charts.
They could lead to artifacts, outposts, maybe even—”
“The way to open the Vault.”
The voice came from the doorway, and she turned to find Doren standing there, his blue eyes reflecting the holographic starlight. He looked like he’d been there for a while, watching in silence.
“That’s what this is, isn’t it?” He stepped into the room, moving through the swirling stars like he belonged among them. “A map to all seven Keys.”
“Possibly.” Faith was still frantically capturing data. “Homeworlds are only useful if the Key species are still there. But if the markers indicate current Key locations rather than just homeworlds, this could tell us where to find them. All of them.”
Doren stopped next to her, his gaze fixed on the display. His expression was impossible to read—hunger and hope and something that might have been fear all tangled together.
“Seven Keys for seven locks,” he murmured.
“Ari can’t be the only one who can activate Precursor technology,” she said.
“She might be. All of the Keys serve a different function. The Grorn are already hunting for them. If they had this...” His jaw tightened.
The map flickered, and Ari made a sound of protest. Her grip on the disk was loosening, her attention wandering to more immediate concerns like Emma’s braid, which she’d just discovered was within reach.
As her fingers released the artifact, the holographic display faded. The room seemed dimmer without it, ordinary and confined after the vastness of the star map.
Faith caught the disk before it could fall, cradling it carefully. “I need to analyze this data. If I can match the coordinates to known systems, we might be able to identify where the other Keys are located.”
“How long will that take?” Doren asked.
“Days, at minimum. Maybe longer.” Faith was already moving towards the door, her mind clearly elsewhere. “I’ll let you know as soon as I have something concrete.”
She left, and silence settled over the room.
Emma looked down at Ari, who had successfully captured the end of her braid and was attempting to stuff it in her mouth. Such a small thing, this baby, with such an enormous weight of destiny resting on her tiny shoulders.
“You’re thinking too loud.”
She glanced up to find Doren watching her, a faint smile softening his strong features. He’d moved closer while she was distracted, near enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.
“Sorry. A lot to process.”
“I know.” He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “How are you feeling? About all of this?”
“Overwhelmed. Terrified.” She met his eyes. “Determined.”
“Determined to do what?”
“Whatever it takes to keep her safe.” Her arms tightened around Ari. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t choose to be abducted and I didn’t choose to find her, but she needs me. And I’m not going to let her down.”
His expression shifted, something raw and vulnerable flickering beneath his usual charm. “What if keeping her safe means leaving Sherae? Going back out there, where the Grorn are hunting?”
“Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Part of me thinks that the more information we have, the safer she will be. But I’ve been searching for so long that I can’t be sure if my own desires are impacting my decision.”
He studied her for a long moment, his blue eyes searching her face for something she couldn’t name. “Even if I go, you could stay here. Athtar would protect you, give you a home. You don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do.” She cut him off, surprising herself with the certainty in her voice.
“I spent the last eight years playing it safe. Staying in my comfort zone. Telling myself that stability was the same thing as happiness.” She shifted Ari to one arm and reached up to cup Doren’s face with her free hand.
“But it’s not. I want to stop hiding. I want to actually live, not just exist. And I want to do it with you. ”
His breath caught. “Emma...”
“I know you’re going after the other Keys. I know finding it has been your dream for years, and I’m not asking you to give that up.” She stroked her thumb across his cheekbone, feeling the fine grain of his golden fur beneath her skin. “But wherever you go, I want to go with you. Both of us do.”
As if in agreement, Ari released her braid and reached for Doren instead, her tiny fingers grasping at the air until he offered her his hand. She wrapped her fist around his finger with a satisfied coo.
He stared at the baby for a long moment, his defenses crumbling. When he looked back at Emma, his eyes were suspiciously bright.
“You realize you’re both going to be a tremendous amount of trouble.”
“Probably.” She smiled. “Is that a yes?”
“That’s a ‘you’re completely insane and I should say no for your own good.’“ He pulled her closer, careful not to squish Ari between them. “It’s also a yes.”
He kissed her, soft and sweet and full of promise, and she melted into it, feeling something click into place inside her chest. This was where she belonged.
When they finally pulled apart, his usual smirk was back in place, though it couldn’t quite hide the warmth in his eyes. “Well then. If we’re doing this, there’s something you need to see.”
“What?”
“My ship.” He grinned, looking for a moment like an excited child with a new toy. “If you’re going to be living on her, you should probably meet her properly.”