Page 59 of Nova Academy

I laughed weakly at that. She wasn’t wrong.

I followed her into the kitchen where a selection of food already lay waiting on the counter. I chewed on some meat and vegetables, my taste buds finally starting to come back online again with my other senses. And then I let the tiny woman that had forced her way into my heart lead me into the spare bedroom where we climbed into bed together. She held me, singing a soft lullaby as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 26

Adara

The ship’s wake-up called screeched me into consciousness. I groaned, comfortable under the covers pressed against a warm body. Another groan clued me into to a third person in the room, except they weren’t in the bed.

Blearily blinking my sleep-crusted eyes towards the sound, I found Xander stretching himself awake in the armchair.

'Hey,’ I croaked,

‘Hmm? Oh, morning my love,’ he said, shooting me a sweet smile that was reserved only for me. I wondered if I’d ever be able to convince him to give it to another person. My gaze dropped to the body beside me, her chest rising and falling gently, and I knew in that moment that I wanted it to be her. I wanted to know everything there was to know about the mysterious woman, and I wanted him to share that with me. I wanted him to know all her secrets right alongside me, to see her the way I did.

I knew he struggled with it. That he saw her as Arty, the boy and not Artemis, the strong, incredibly brave woman she truly was. I wanted nothing more than to expose her secrets to him, lay her bare in front of him and force not only him to see her, but for her to be open and vulnerable with him.

One day, I vowed.

‘You leaving me for another man, my love?’ he teased when I continued to gaze fondly down at the woman in my bed. Was that a dark note I detected in his voice? I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t a sexual being, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate someone’s physical beauty alongside their inner beauty. Was he… jealous?

'I would never leave you, Xan. But I don’t think I could ever leave Arty, either,’ I admitted.

He cleared his throat, the sound terse and strained. ‘Yeah, I’m beginning to see that.’

I sent him what I hoped was an expression that conveyed everything I was feeling. I may not have been allowed to tell him what I knew, what was going on in my head, but that didn’t mean I had to hide everything from him. Not where it came to me.

‘You’ll see what I see soon,’ I told him, the secrets within that statement eager to be released, but they went right over his head. I could tell when he gave me a sceptical look but placated me with a vague agreement regardless of his true thoughts and feelings.

I gently extricated myself from around Artemis so I could take Xander out of the room for a quick chat. He followed without being told, and soon we were standing in the kitchen, completely alone.

‘Are you okay? Both of you,’ he asked, his concern genuine for more than just me and that gave me a warm sense of hope.

'Yeah,’ I said. ‘I’m fine. Arty’s going to be okay, but he has… some things to work through. And I’m going to help him,’ I said, my tone negating any debate.

‘What kind of things?’

‘The kind of things that need privacy and patience. And understanding, when the time comes,’ I said, and even though I knew I was being cryptic I had to try to reiterate that need with him before it was too late. It was always better to start damage control before any damage was caused, right? Better to cover all my bases just in case.

‘Do I need to be worried?’ he asked.

'What you need is to trust me. Trust that I know what I’m doing and that Arty’s worth it all. Can you do that?’

I could tell he wanted to argue. It was right there on the tip of his tongue and in the way his body expressed the emotions that he was trying to hide. But he was a good man. Loyal. He would give me what I asked for, and he would try to see things from my perspective. Or at least as much as he could, given thecircumstances.

‘Well, if you need me for anything, anything at all, please let me know. I know you want to help him, and I know I don’t have the full picture, but if you – or he – are ever in danger, you come to me.’ It was a demand more than a request, but a fair one.

‘Of course. I promise if I need you I’ll tell you.’

He relaxed almost fully at the ease with which I agreed with him. He was a simple man underneath all that fancy uniform and bulging muscle. He may have looked the part of a scary captain to be obeyed at all costs or else, but I would never know him as anything but the big old softie he tried to pretend he wasn’t. I knew his protective instincts were riding him hard…

So maybe I should find someone to ride him hard.

I dismissed the thought as soon as it arrived. The only person that came to mind was Artemis, but that wasn’t going to happen. At least not yet. But now that the thought had made itself known, it didn’t want to leave. Could Artemis be the missing link between me and Xan? Could she provide him with what I couldn’t?

It was definitely something to think about, but now wasn’t the time.

Artemis appeared in the doorway at that moment looking more ruffled than I had ever seen her. She always presented herself as a clean, put-together individual, and I had a feeling that extended further than her boy-cadet disguise. And she really did look like a little boy dressed up like that.

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