Page 34

“In all honesty,” Maya makes small talk as we travel, “when I set out on this quest… I admit that I was afraid. A strong part of me suspected that I wouldn’t be coming back.”

My steps falter as I listen to her so casually discuss how she expected to die. She knew the risks of leaving her village, and yet she still took them. She knew she wouldn’t likely ever see her village, her colony, ever again.

“Why?” I ask. “What was so important about coming here?”

“In my case, I don’t have a choice. I came to this planet for a new life. A fair life. One of my own making. If my people want to know what’s here, then it’s for a reason. I refuse to be used again.”

I breathe deep, letting my luminae flare bright. My fingers tremble as I stare at the junction before us.

A decision has to be made.

I can lead Maya to safety, present her to my father and people, claim her as my own… but wouldn’t I be just as bad as her people, the ones she has come to despise? Would she eventually run from me? Even though I’d chase her down—she would never escape me—it would tear me up inside to know she didn’t want to be with me as much as I crave every moment to be in her presence.

I want her to run to me, not from me.

The other option is to place her at great risk. To give her all the answers she needs and wants… and then watch her walk away. Because, knowing her, she won’t want to stay. Not after she knows the truth about me, about my people.

One of us is going to be destroyed, body and soul, and I have to decide if it’s me or her.

“Is this it?” Maya asks, coming to stand beside me. She squints down the two tunnels, eyeing the blackness with anticipation. Not a hint of fear or anxiety on her face.

Because she trusts me. To protect her, to guide her, to do the right thing by her.

And all this time, I’ve lied to her. I’ve hidden my identity from her, I’ve kept her in the dark about who my people are and the threat they pose to her own…

Maya gazes up at me as I stare down at her. She’s no longer the scared female I first encountered, frozen in terror at the marketplace. With each passing day, I’ve noticed her growing stronger, more capable.

“Are we here, Volan?” Maya prompts at my silence. She reaches out and slips her small hand into my hand, entwining our fingers, our very souls.

Just like that, I know that I have to keep my promise to her.

It’s the most logical option, after all. I can take her to where she wants to go, then we can visit my kingdom and father. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. This decision has nothing to do with the fact that Maya deserves this and that I want to be the one to see to her needs, to make her happy.

“We are near my home,” I tell her, voice gruff. I nod down the tunnel that I know like the lines on my palm.

How many times have I patrolled here, watching for intruders trying to steal what my people guard so zealously? And now, I bring one to our most sacred place… Am I betraying my people with this one act? All because I need a female to parade before my father?

I guide Maya the last stretch, tugging her along. I grip her fingers tightly, almost fearful that she’ll wrench them from me.

Because she will, once she knows…

It doesn’t take long for us to come to a standstill. The door before us is both inconspicuous and out of place—the metal is scratched, and it’s so rusted that it blends in with its surroundings. In the dim light, most would walk right past it without noticing. A perfect way to hide our secrets from prying eyes. At least the ones that manage to sneak past our patrols.

“Is that a door?” Maya asks. “I guess I had expected something… more.”

“Nervous?” I ask her, raising my brow. We’ve come all this way, and now suddenly she’s back to looking anxious. Nowhere near as anxious as I am though, as I realize that I’m going to have to talk to her. I’ll have to explain everything. Starting with what this place truly means to my people. The words lodge in my throat, choking me with their weight.

Maya approaches the door, pressing her hands against the cold metal surface. I watch as she pushes with all her might, trying to force it open. It doesn’t budge.

My chest tightens as I observe her determination, her stubborn refusal to accept defeat. Even now, when her quest has led her to a literal dead end, she persists.

“Would you like some help?” I ask, desperately trying and failing to keep the smirk from my face.

Of course, Maya glares at me. Her eyes accuse me of so many things, such as why I deem it necessary to ask her in the first place right through to implying she is incapable on her own.

“It might be easier if you help push, rather than just stand there, yes,” Maya replies with gritted teeth, still shoving her body weight against the unyielding metal.

“Why. Won’t. It. Budge?” She heaves, putting more of her body’s weight behind her efforts, her feet sliding across the dusty floor. With a growl she kicks at it. “It’s rusted shut!”