The human’s words sent a cold snap down my spine. My organs felt frigid with anxiety.
“Escape Eukaria?” I asked in a low growl. “What is the meaning of this?”
Paz and Jaeyoung shrank back, unnerved by my question, but Levi put his hand on my arm.
“No, no, it’s okay, Zat’tor,” he said rapidly. “Nobody’s trying to escape.”
Paz was baffled. “We’re not?”
“What do you mean, nobody’s trying to escape?” Jaeyoung demanded. “Captain, you can’t be serious.”
Levi paused with his mouth hanging open, like he couldn’t gather his thoughts. Finally, he stammered, “I mean, not today, right? There’s a lot of work to do before the ship is fixed. If it can evenbefixed.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about the poor ship,” Paz mumbled.
“I’m just being realistic,” Levi insisted. “Jaeyoung is our only engineer. If he does manage to repair it well enough to fly again, it won’t be overnight. Face it. We’re going to be on Eukaria for a while, no matter what.”
The other two humans went quiet and exchanged glances.
Jaeyoung sighed. “That’s true. It won’t be an easy fix.”
I cared not for the intricacies of spacefaring. The only thing on my mind was Levi. If anything threatened our future together, I wouldn’t stand for it.
“It is settled,” I announced. “You humans will stay on Eukaria.”
The other two glanced at each other again, but didn’t reply.
I searched Levi’s face. He didn’t seem to agree with his crewmates, but he also didn’t insist on staying with me. Was he intent on leaving, too?
That was impossible. He was my filum.
Levi lowered his voice. “Zat’tor, can I talk to you privately for a second?”
I assumed he meant away from his human friends. I nodded stiffly and followed him a few steps away.
“Please don’t get upset with my crew,” Levi said, his brows pinching together as he gazed up at me. “It’s my fault they’re stranded here. I don’t blame them for wanting to leave.”
“I am not upset with them,” I told him honestly. “I am upset at the thought of losing you.”
He shook his head. “No, you won’t. I want to stay.” He grabbed my hand, holding it between both of his small pale ones. “It doesn’t make sense, but... I want to be here with you.”
That was a relief to hear. I’d been concerned Levi shared the other humans’ opinions. I could not bear a future without him.
I placed my other hand on top of his, stroking it. “But it does make sense, Levi. We are meant to be one. That’s what it means to be filum.”
Levi sighed, yet he smiled at the same time. “I still don’t know what that means, but I believe you.”
I wracked my brain. Every Maeleon was born with an innate understanding of it. How could I explain such a deep concept to Levi?
As I pondered it, one of my Maeleon siblings called out behind us. “Zat’tor! You have returned.”
It was Linn’ar. In my mind, I attempted to use the human “pronouns” while referring to my sibling, since I did not think Linn’ar would mind. His dark green scales gleamed beneath the sun. My hands were still holding Levi’s, so I reached out to touch the tip of his tentacle with my own in greeting.
“This is my sibling, Linn’ar,” I explained to Levi. Turning to him, I asked, “Has everyone decided what to do with the spacecraft?”
It took a moment for Linn’ar to react to my words. As his gaze drifted to our interlocked hands, Levi’s ears turned pink.
“Yes. We discussed keeping it as a monument to remember this day, since it is the first time other life has appeared on Eukaria,” Linn’ar explained.
