As she came down from the ecstatic high only he could give her, her tears tracked through the water cascading down her cheeks.
She buried her face in the hollow of his neck, his heartbeat a steady drum against her own.
He held her close, anchoring her to himself, until the tremors subsided and the only sound was the rhythmic thrum ofThe Alatyrstreaking through the dark.
17
When Divinity is a Cage
When they pulled apart, Idan located a towel, wiping the droplets from Sheba’s skin before guiding her into the guest suite’s wardrobe.
Her adrenaline was on a dying ebb, leaving a hollow exhaustion, her limbs heavy like lead.
She sat on the bed, exhaling, staring into nothing as Idan found a set of courtesy clothes in the closet.
She stood motionless as Idan steered her feet into a Sable Rider jumpsuit of navy-black compression fabric interwoven with structural gold.
‘I can do the rest,’ she mumbled, her fingers fumbling with the zipper.
She secured it and stepped into a pair of lush, soft-soled shoes and flicked her eyes to Idan as he dressed.
The jumpsuit he wore clung to the rippling muscles of his chest, sleeves rolled up to emphasize the glowing geometry of his glyphs.
No matter the attire, the man remained devastating.
Unable to help herself, she reached for him, stroking his hair, and he leaned in, pulling her into a melding kiss.
When he tore his lips from hers, he eyed her with a somber arch of his brow.
‘So tell me about these Riders you call family. Why should I trust them?’
She huffed and shot him a smile.
‘For one, my sister is married to their leader, Kainan, and I can vouch for him being an amazing husband and great father to their kids. The Riders are meta-warriors who came from planet Earth. The got experimented on by afokkin’ evil alien race, the Crats. They escaped bondage and traveled to Eden II, where they rebuilt themselves into the force they are today. To the public, they’re super-wealthy industrialists who manufacture fast ships and weapons throughout the galaxy. Privately, however, they also serve as unofficial guardians of this region, rescuing hundreds of indentured workers, re-homing thousands of refugees, and stopping countless raider vessels across the System. Kainan and Riv patrol the region to protect Eden II’s traders from pirates here and along its System’s fringe, on the borders close to Alloria. Their security team, run by Xion, targets crime and murders in the poverty-stricken catacombs beneathEden City. Kage works with a youth off-the-streets program and runs one of Eden II’s best restaurants.’
Idan jerked his chin, his eyes gleaming with a touch of respect.
‘Fascinating,’ he murmured.
Sheba nodded. ‘Tis. Zane runs a charity organization that focuses on improving the lives of the vulnerable. Including funding hospitals, clinics, and emergency evacuation flotillas and mercy ships across the sector under Ki’Remi and Issa’s auspices. Their Group vision is simple: helping those in need from a position of strength.’
‘They sound half decent.’
‘Oh, they’refokkin’ rogues when they want to be, trust me. They’re also the most menacing wraith-like warriors you’ll meet, other than your badass Sacran self, of course.’
Idan shot her a sloppy grin, kissed her temple, and glided a hand over her back.
‘You haven’t seen anything yet. Ready?’ he asked.
She nodded, her hand finding his.
They ascended to the stateroom on the upper deck, where the scent of charred meat and roasted vegetables called to them.
Sheba’s tummy rumbled, and Idan’s mouth quirked.
‘Always ravenous woman.’
‘Only for you,’ she whispered back as they walked into the galley.
