I mulled over her words, turning them over in my mind like smooth pebbles in the palms of my hands. The idea was alluring, a balm to the ache of separation from my twin. Could Zikkar truly be the missing piece of my fragmented existence?
“Maybe,” I whispered. As the words hung between us, uncertainty knotted in my stomach. Was I ready to entertain such an intimate notion, to open my heart to the possibility of love in a world still so alien to me?
Gia reached across the table, her hand warm over mine. “It's okay, Ro,” she said softly. “There's no rush to figure it all out. Just...don't close yourself off to happiness. You deserve it.”
Her reassurance wrapped around me like a comforting embrace, and I allowed myself a moment to bask in her sincerity. With Gia's presence as my anchor, I felt my spirits lift, a tentative hope blooming within the crevices of my guarded heart.
“And what about you?” I asked, shifting the focus to her.
“Me?”
“You and Nekko?” It was my turn to raise a brow at her. “Don’t act like the two of you can keep your eyes off each other.”
Gia’s dark complexion burned hot. “I mean, Nekko is a good-looking male, as all the Valosians are…”
“But?” I coaxed as her words trailed off.
“But, what?”
“Rowan?” Zikkar's voice called from the entrance, a deep and reassuring rumble that vibrated the marrow of my bones. His knuckles rapped lightly on my door.
“Saved by the bell,” Gia mumbled.
“Don’t think this conversation is over, girly,” I mumbled back.
“Come on in, Z,” I replied, my voice steadier than my suddenly racing heart. The door slid open, and there he stood, larger than life. His swirling gaze found mine, carrying an intensity that set my pulse fluttering like the wings of the delicate insects I’d seen skimming the surface of the shimmering dome.
“Ready for our excursion?” His tone was light, but I caught the flicker of something more beneath his casual question—anticipation?
“Absolutely.” The word left me with a breathless quality I didn't intend, betraying the tangle of emotions Gia’s words had stirred within me. “Are you hungry? We were just finishing breakfast.”
“No. I’ve already had my first meal of the suns-rise.”
“No doubt with a wrench in one hand and a biscuit in the other,” I joked, knowing he rarely stopped working long enough to eat or sleep. As Valosians’ didn’t need eight hours of rest, I knew Zikkar had been awake long before the twin suns brightened the silvery sky.
His brow wrinkled in the cutest way as my meaning was lost on him.
“Let me change my dress and put some shoes on,” I said, downing the rest of the tea in my cup.
“I’ll wait for you outside.” Zikkar stepped out and closed the door.
With Gia’s help, I changed clothes in record time, donning the new panties Isobel had fashioned for us from the soft fabrics Jane had brought back with her from Mount Jurigon and trading my night dress for the kilt-dress we all wore. Fashioned from the kilts the Huren men wore, mine had straps across my shoulders to hold it up and was belted around the middle to cinch in the waist. The hem fell to just above my knees.
“Have fun and think about what we discussed.” Gia’s wink was laden with unspoken encouragement, as if she sensed the weight of possibility hovering between Zikkar and me. “He very well could be your spirit mate.”
“And he’s standing right outside the door with his bionic hearing,” I whispered, pulling on soft, leather boots. “You know these guys can hear a mouse fart in a wind tunnel fifty miles away.”
“True,” Gia chuckled, sitting next to me on the bed and whispering back. “How can this be anything else? Like you said before, he’s always working and rarely takes the time to even eat. Yet here he is, taking you on picnics and jungle outings when he could be working.”
“What if he’s only looking to replace Rose?” Doubt began to seep in like a cancer. “What if we’re reaching too high thinking it’s more than just sexual interest?”
“Maybe you don’t give yourself enough credit,” Gia gently countered.
“Maybe.” I stood and crossed to the table, stacking our dishes on the tray.
“I’ll take all that back to the cookery.” Gia took the cup from my hand and set it on the tray. “I’m headed to the palace anyway, I can drop it off before I check on the other girls in the clinic. Maxxon said they’re waking up and will be groggy for a few days, and I want them to see a human face so they aren’t so scared.”
“Thanks for breakfast and everything else,” I smiled warmly. “You’re a good friend, Gia.”
