Page 14 of Honor Bound

His expression softened slightly, though his voice remained steady. “I came because I had to. I’m glad it was before it was too late to see him again.”

The hint of regret in his voice made her heart ache. Calstar had become an anchor in the storm since her arrival. She had been hesitant when Roanna suggested her coming to stay here, but the queen had been right. This time here, in the garden, with Calstar, had given her time to adjust from everything that had happened since the Gliese broke apart. One thing she was certain of, she would do everything in her power to protect the older man from harm—even from his grandson.

“You said you came from one of the capsules,” Roan said, changing the subject. His tone was casual, but Julia caught the sharp edge of intent beneath it. “Was there anyone else with you?”

Julia hesitated, her mind racing. What should she say? What did he already know? She met his gaze again, keeping her expression neutral.

“You’re very direct.”

“It’s a survival trait,” Roan said, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

She glanced back at the flowers, tracing one of the petals absently. “The capsules were designed for emergencies. A way for us to survive if things went wrong.”

“And did they?”

Julia looked up, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze. “You’re here asking me questions, so I think you already know the answer to that.”

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What was your mission?”

Julia took a slow breath, choosing her words carefully. “To learn. To explore. To understand what was out there.” She glanced at him pointedly. “I imagine you can relate.”

Roan frowned slightly, as though her response had left him unsatisfied. “And the others? Were there others?”

She sidestepped the question, gesturing toward the vibrant expanse of the floating islands around them. “This world is incredible,” she said, her voice softening. “Do you ever just stop and marvel at it? The way the islands drift, the waterfalls that vanish into mist before they touch the ocean. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s home,” Roan replied simply, his tone revealing little.

Julia turned back to him, studying the tension in his posture, the way his eyes narrowed slightly when he looked at her. He was trying to piece her together, just as she was trying to do with him.

“You don’t trust me,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

“I don’t know you. If it helps, I don’t trust anyone,” he countered, his voice low. “I can’t help but get the feeling you’re hiding something.” His sardonic smile perfectly reflected that their “conversation” had far more in common with a thorny thicket of sidestepped queries than any conversation Julia had ever had in her life.

A faint smile tugged at her lips, despite the tension between them. “You’re not wrong. My dad was a shrewd poker player. We used to play a few hands before I left for school in the morning. He taught me not to place all my cards on the table and to keep my cards close to my chest. I’m not the only one being evasive.”

His gaze flicked downward, and Julia caught the brief but unmistakable shift in focus. She lifted an eyebrow at the unabashed appreciation gleaming in his eyes. She should have been annoyed, but amusement flickered through her instead at the universal laws of attraction. Fortunately, she had worked with enough men at the university not to blush.

Her lips twitched, deliberately not looking away. “See something interesting, General?”

Roan didn’t flinch, but she noticed the way his jaw tightened slightly—as if she had just upended a game he thought he was winning.

“Just taking stock of my opponent,” he said, his voice a little too smooth and controlled.

Julia suspected he wasn’t aware of the muscle in his jaw giving away his inner thoughts. His lips curved into something that might have been a smile at her hummed response, but his gaze remained sharp.

“What are you hoping to discover with me?”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression turning thoughtful. “Answers, maybe. The truth, if you’re willing to give it.”

“That depends,” Roan said, his voice quiet but firm. “Are you?”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the faint scent of flowers and damp earth. Julia felt the weight of his focus, the unspoken questions that hung between them, and the fragile thread of understanding they were both trying to build.

“We’ll see,” she said at last, turning back toward the path. “But for now, I think I’ll just marvel at the islands a little longer.”

Roan didn’t respond immediately, but when he followed her, his steps matched hers, the space between them both a distance and a connection.

CHAPTERFOUR

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