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She pauses by one, gazing in at the small pool carved into a nook in the wall; one of the first signs that intelligent beings have passed through the area. It won’t be long before we are in the tunnels, when the entire underground changes as we step foot into my kingdom.

I’ve never been more torn; I want to present her to my father, to see how magnificent she is, and yet I also want to take her and just leave, to be alone together forever.

“It glows!” Maya states, leaning closer to the liquid in a way that its shine catches upon her face, her lips parted in wonder. Will she look at my home with the same delight?

I dip my hand into the small hole, allowing the coolness of the water to wash over my fingertips like a soothing caress. The glow brightens at my touch, and I swirl the liquid to bring out its full glory.

“Glowleaf,” I explain to her. “My ancestors brought it with them from our home planet.”

Maya leans closer, studying the glowing liquid. I raise an eyebrow when she pulls out her tablet, holding the device over the pool. A light flashes over the surface, tracing the surface in a clear line, like an electronic eye searching for danger.

“It’s safe,” I tell her. “There are pools like this one scattered throughout all the tunnels and caverns, particularly around my home. Whenever you see a pool like this, you should wash.”

Maya raises a brow at me as she glances up. “You just want me to get naked again, don’t you?”

I laugh. “Honestly? Yes. But glowleaf has both antibacterial and healing properties. It’s extremely useful for when living in enclosed quarters like these caves and tunnels. It’s all too easy for disease and sickness to run rampant, and would destroy my people faster than any war would.”

“Huh,” Maya states, a line forming between her eyebrows as she considers my educational wisdom, some of her humor dulled as she realizes the implications. “It was pretty smart to bring it to Atraxis then, I guess. But how do you keep it alive without sunlight?”

I bite my tongue to tell her it was only by pure luck that it came to be here with us on the planet. The chances of a Sulthari having it on their person at the time… Since that fateful moment, no one travels without glowleaf. In a small concealed pocket of my belt, craftily stitched into the material, are a few tiny flakes of the dried plant. It’s enough for emergencies. And that’s ignoring the small pouch of powder more readily available in case of more serious injury. Powder that is likely to be more sludge now since we submerged into the hot pool fully dressed. Powder that spilled out into the water, healing wounds and aches, all while Maya was unaware of its benefits.

“The plant doesn’t need sunlight. From what I understand, it feeds off of the nutrients in the water. As long as you provide it with fresh water or top up the minerals and nutrients… It works wonders in the bathing areas.”

Maya turns to face me fully, her lips pressed into a tight line. She blinks once, a slow and measured move, and then asks, “Are you saying that you all pee in the bath?”

I laugh. It comes from deep within me, the joy of being around this female highlights my day and makes me seek out her company. It’s impossible to get her off my mind, even when I should be focused on other things. It’s honestly scary and exhilarating how quickly Maya has become the center of my world.

“No!” I choke out the words, nearly doubled over as I gasp for breath. “It’s good for your skin. For easing sore muscles.”

Maya crosses her arms over her chest, gazing at me with a less than trusting expression. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“I mean it!” I cackle, defending myself and my people’s cultural practices, all while knowing that there’s nothing I can ever say again to convince her otherwise. “Besides, you bathed with me not long ago and you seemed to enjoy it.”

Maya squeaks, eyes opening wide as she realizes the implications… that I definitely did not pee in the hot pools. Of course, the flush on her cheeks could very well be because she enjoyed what we did too.

A grin cracks my face. “Oh, my little Maya, you enjoy being naughty, don’t you?”

Her entire face blushes. She looks up at me with those panicked eyes, like she feels trapped and unsure of what to do, but stares me down with the courage of a predator. “My little halvi… are you wanting to get clean right now? Because I have to tell you, if we return to the hot pools, you won’t be getting clean. Naked? Yes. Clean…”

She pants, breaths coming shallow as her arousal perfumes the air. It’s enough to make me want to throw her over my shoulder, to rush through the darkened tunnels and hide her in a place she’ll never escape from. To keep her forever, to spend my time claiming her as my one and only.

“Food,” Maya squeaks out, choosing instead to duck under my arm and make a hasty retreat. “I think we need to keep our strength up. That would be the smart thing to do right about now. Not to go falling in…”

“Falling in?” I ask as her words trail off.

“Falling into bed with each other.” She finishes.

I scowl at her, at her abrupt answer. I can’t help but believe that was not what she had initially intended to say. But with the way she hastily walks down the tunnel, it’s clear she’s not ready to talk… yet. She’s full of mysteries, this one. Like why she felt the need to run from the safety of her village alone, and how she ended up with a map to one particular building - the very one that my people guard the secrecy of with their lives.

Each of my steps is quiet as I follow her. I stalk her like a predator would prey. Because she’s mine. I always get what I want, and I want her. Answers, body, and soul.

ChapterNineteen

MAYA

“These red plants are markers,” Volan points to a red-colored plant growing on a wall. Sure enough, beneath the tiny succulent-like leaves, there are marks etched into the rock wall. At first, I thought it was just part of the rock itself, but now that I inspect them it’s clear that tools have been used. Of course, I don’t recognize the writing at all.

“Any time you see the plant, it means there is something of interest here; a room that grows food, or a bathing pool, that sort of thing. If you travel for a while without seeing any, backtrack. It means you are no longer in the patrolled areas.”