Lily tugged her hand out from Janet’s and chased after him, leaving her behind with a frown.
I don’t…The thought went unfinished in her head. Her gaze drifted over his retreating backside but stopped on his hand, which closed protectively over Lily’s as she grasped it. Janet outstretched her own fingers, losing the warmth her little sister had unknowingly given her.
I don’t want to follow you.
But she did anyway.
They made their way back toward the cabin but bypassed it and headed in the opposite direction. Zeph’s ship seemed a lot bigger on the inside, but then again, she’d only ever seen it outside and from a distance. Janet’s gaze skirted over everything: the gleam of plastic and metal, the colors of the lights along the flooring and walls, the militarized cleanliness that touched every neutrally colored panel and cross-section. Her pulse quickened when they stopped before a set of double paneled doors. Her eyes settled back on the man who led them.
“Black means excitement,” Zeph said.
“What?”
“My hair. When it’s black…then I’m, well, excited.”
“But you’re paying attention now?”
“Perhaps it’s because I can finally let my guard down.”
“Or perhaps you’re not paying attention. I’ve seen you shift. Your hair disappears when you do. I should know…”
She ate her words with the dazzling grin he flashed her way.
“You’ve only ever seen the Croc in the dark, in the water, in the middle of the ocean at night. Do you really know, Janet?” His smile widened.
“I wanna see you shift!”
They both looked down at Lily’s hopeful face.
“Open the door, Zeph. Just let us leave. Please,” Janet said quickly. She turned her gaze back to the closed doors. She couldn’t bear to look at her sister’s innocent face for too long, because if she did, she’d give in.
And she didn’t want to look at Zeph, especially since she could see from her peripheral vision that his smile had morphed into a toothy grin.
He’s a strange man.
Remember, Janet…
You barely know him.
“Well, kid,” Zeph said, “I’m about to make your dreams come true.”
The doors swished open and her lips parted in awe.
Vaguely aware of Lily’s happy screech and her tiny body racing by into the room, Janet stepped forward and gawked at the sight before her. The captain’s seat and console took up the center of the ovaline chamber, and beyond that was floor to ceiling panoramic views of...space. The design was military standard but the sight outside was anything but.
Space. So much of it, all at once, forced upon her. Endless sparkles reflecting in the dark. She stepped forward and pressed up against the glass with only one thought in mind—how had she lived so long without it? She’d been on a spaceship before, but that one had never left the thermosphere of Kepler.
Her fingers reached up to touch the glass when the stars suddenly blurred. With a gasp, Janet caught hold of the nearest railing as the ship entered warp speed.
Heart racing, she looked everywhere past the barrier for the bright blue and green planet of Kepler.
Her wonderment burned out in a flash as she turned to meet Zeph’s eyes. She opened and closed her mouth numerous times, trying to find the words she needed as anger rose within her, but Lily’s exuberant form stopped the impending explosion. Lily clutched Zeph’s hand, begging to see nebulas, starfields, and whole galaxies. Her baby sister asked for all the things Janet secretly wanted as well.
Suddenly, she was exhausted, and yet, she couldn’t ruin this moment for Lily.
“We can see all that and more,” Zeph said, turning his gaze away from her to look at Lily. “We can visit planets that no human has ever stepped foot upon.”
Janet’s heart drummed faster.
