He could feel sleep trying to pull him down as well but he fought against it. Instead, Nojan took a moment to reflect. Much had happened since he’d bumped into a fleeing slave girl in the marketplace on Vanfia. Events were quickly charging off the carefully planned path he’d set out on. He wasn’t sure what might happen next.
The destination was Vartik and with good reason. For one, if they were being pursued by the likes of Evar Kange, then they needed to get out of sight. And his father had taken great pains to hide their planet away. If they could make Vartik, they could stash Mayra away safely.
His family also needed to discuss what he’d discovered. Although they’d promised to help Jazmine retrieve her brother, the task was seeming more complicated than he’d previously considered. The legends had tied the light twins to some massive battle, and it seemed Mayra was to be a part of it as well, as he’d unexpectedly discovered. This made him wonder what other pieces they hadn’t considered yet.
He was glad that they hadn’t gone charging off half-cocked toward Danzmin. They were clearly going to have to come up with a better plan. And now they had the resources to do so. One was the book Mayra’s mother had given them. According to her, the light goddess had said it was something they needed. But the language was like none he’d seen before, so it would take time to translate. Even in his lab with the advanced Vartik computers, he doubted it would be finished anytime this month. Maybe even this year.
And then there was Mayra herself. If it was true that sex really would unlock her abilities, then when she woke, she would be the oracle, a being who saw the future. Would she still be her precious, humble self, or would she change? What kind of a toll did seeing the future take on someone?
Nojan swore now that no matter what happened, he would protect her and try to shield her from any pain. If that meant limiting the use of her powers, then so be it. He understood how important she was to their mission and how important she might be to the galaxy in general, but she was also important to him, and he wouldn’t have her suffering. Not anymore.
He loved her, and he could admit that to himself. He loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone, ever loved anything. She was rapidly becoming the center of his universe. If any harm were to befall her, his life would be over. So to keep them both safe, he would have to protect her with everything he had.
Despite his desire to shout his love to the heavens, he realized it would be smarter to keep it to himself for the moment. Although his father might have an inkling, and he likely would, given the warning to guard his heart, Nojan didn’t want his love to be used as leverage against them. He had a feeling that Mayra would have many enemies, and that meant he became a target. He was fine with that. He didn’t give a shit about his own skin, but he wouldn’t be used to hurt Mayra. So he would play aloof and not let on how deeply his feelings ran, at least until he could determine what exactly the threat against them entailed.
Her even breathing against him felt so comfortable, soright. It relaxed him like a warm bath, like a massage. It was yet another sign that she was made for him. He’d never felt such a sense of rightness before.
His eyes slid shut, and his breathing joined with hers. Before he realized it, he was fast asleep.
