“Oh, you mean like how you wasted mine by choosingyouafter you spent the last week sitting on your ass?”
I pounce, taking Orion down at the waist. My dagger is at his throat within seconds. Fire reflects in his eyes; is it his rage or mine? We remain like this, taking shallow breaths, daring the other to move. Finally, he visibly swallows. “The neck, the chest, the back. Got it?” He guides my hand to each location, softly rubbing his thumb along my skin.Calm down, Zellie.
I lower the weapon. “Got it.”
“Maybe go use a dummy instead of me?”
I show up at the training grounds expecting to spar, yet Orion has different plans entirely.
“What are we doing?” A narrow platform suspended in midair hangs above me, with a staircase leading up to it. How many obstacle courses do the Kosmos have in their pocket?
“We have two weeks, approximately, until the next challenge. It’s my job to prepare you, in case you forgot.”
I climb the stairs, a faint breeze caressing my skin. “So, I’m balancing?” Orion pulls a cloth out of his pocket. “What’s this?”
“You’ll be unstoppable if you can do this blindfolded.” I skeptically eye the cloth in his hand, causing him to sigh. “You need to trust me, Zellie—I’m on your side. I know it’s ridiculous, but learning this way? You’ll be undefeated. Unlimited. You can smash the ceiling on the limits they have set for you bytrustingthat I know how to help you win.”
I consider his words, feeling the truth in them. He’s trying to give me an advantage. He wants me to win just as badly as I do. “Didn’t take you for a kinky guy, Riri. Let’s get this over with.”
He lets out a laugh, wrapping the black fabric around my eyes. I suppress a shiver as his warm fingers graze my cheek, biting my lip hard to distract myself. There’s no denying the attraction between us, both physically and emotionally. But I care about Leo, and there’s no place for these feelings—especially right now.
Orion places a hand on the small of my back, directing me towards the beam, carrying on without a clue of what’s going through my mind. “You need to feel with your feet. If you can’t use your eyes, rely on your other senses. Feel the beam and grip it. Engage your core and let your arms guide you.” I fall off onto a thick cushion below again, and again, and again, and again.
On my fourth day of balancing without sight, something clicks. I allow my feet to feel the beam beneath me, letting each part of my foot connect and stay grounded. Arms wide, I practice standing still as long as possible, taking slow steps, and even shuffling quickly. Orion has thrown items at me to catch me off guard: round balls, sticks, and the occasional rock. Learning to control my upper body’s balance feels like starting over, but my determination is unmatched.
In the last week before our next challenge, Orion removes the blindfold. Instead, he now has me throwing daggers at a dummy while maintaining my balance. As before, his mood has become solemn and focused. He’s still encouraging, yet the tone has shifted. Unlike last time, he doesn’t put me in a situation that could cause serious harm. “This is pointless,” I grumble, missing the target that is only twenty feet away. Every time I release the throwing knife, I lose my equilibrium and end up wobbling unsteadily or falling.
“Would I be having you complete a pointless task?”
“No,” I drawl, “I know all your methods are meticulously planned and well-intended.”
He puffs out his chest. “That’s right.”
I roll my eyes and keep throwing. With each flick of the weapon, I repeat to myself: win, save humanity, dismantle the Kosmos.
Fuck Pluto and his “holier-than-thou” attitude. What I lack in power, I make up for in grit, compassion, and resilience.Our worth is equal.
Lenny and I hit the Milky Whey. I’ve moved on to a mocha chip, and he is experimenting with a lemon-lime combination. He takes one lick from his cone, and his expression sours. I force myself to swallow my bite of ice cream before laughter escapes me. “That bad, huh?”
“Horrible.”
“We’ll share mine.”
“Thank the stars, I thought you’d never offer.”
We find our usual seat on the bench in the park, and I point out star clusters, teaching him how to find and read the constellations.
“Wow, do you see that one? It looks like a crown!” I trace the stars with my fingers in midair.
“What? Where?”
“Right there, Len.”
“I don’t see a crown at all. I barely see the stars where you’re pointing.”
My eyebrows furrow. “I swear there’s a crown.”
“They say some people can only see certain constellations. Maybe this one is made for you.”
