Page 69 of Bound to the Marak

Leonie turned slowly. Karian filled the narrow hallway with his broad-shouldered frame, dressed in a long, sleek coat that shimmered just slightly wrong under the lights. His disguise still held—his features smooth, his form human—but there was something… off. Unplaceable.

Like he didn’t quite belong in this world of chipped paint and damp air.

Karian’s eyes flicked from her to Darius, unreadable. “I heard raised voices,” he said, voice smooth, rich. “I came to ensure you were safe.”

Darius stepped forward, subtly angling himself between Karian and Leonie. “You with him?” he asked her quietly.

Leonie hesitated—just for a heartbeat. Then nodded. “Yeah. I am.”

Darius didn’t look away from Karian. “He your boyfriend or somethin’?”

Karian tilted his head, amused. “Something like that.”

Darius frowned. “You sure you’re alright, Lee? You’ve been gone three months. Show up outta nowhere. Now you’re leavin’ again with some guy nobody’s seen before?”

“I’m alright,” she said, gently. “I promise.”

Darius didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press.

“You ever need help,” he muttered, stepping back, “you know where I am.”

“I know,” she said, clutching Alfie close. “Thank you. For everything.”

With one last glance, she followed Karian back down the stairs, Alfie curled in her arms like a piece of her soul restored. Behind her, Darius stood in the doorway, watching, uncertain.

And as she descended into the cold evening, surrounded by the echoes of her past, she felt both sadness and elation.

Forty-Eight

The invisible ship shimmered faintly in the alley behind her old building—just a breath against the wind, a wrinkle in the air. No one else could see it. To her, it was a surreal shimmer at the edge of perception, cloaked in impossibility. Alfie, cradled tightly in her arms, gave a nervous whine as they stepped aboard. The ramp hissed shut behind them, sealing off the cold London air.

Home.

Or what passed for it now.

She stood still for a moment in the entry chamber, breathing heavily. The familiar hum of Majarin technology filled the quiet. The soft light. The gentle vibration underfoot. The scent—clean, metallic, with that subtle trace of Karian’s presence, something wild and rich she hadn’t known she’d missed.

Karian stood beside her, silent. Watching.

Alfie squirmed, tail wagging in tight, anxious circles, and she knelt to set him down. He began exploring immediately, nose to the sleek floor, ears flicking at the strange sounds.

Leonie straightened and turned to Karian.

She didn’t touch him. Not yet.

Her voice came out soft, but sure. “I’m not going back to being locked away.”

His gaze flicked to hers. He said nothing.

“I’ll come with you,” she continued. “Back to Luxar. But I have demands.”

Karian’s brow lifted, intrigued. “Demands?”

She folded her arms. “I want to visit Earth again. Occasionally. I want a computer—or something that lets me stay in contact with people here. I’ll say I’m in Australia, but I’ll be on Luxar. I need to be able to reach my friends. To not vanish again.”

He considered this, slowly. “And?”

“I want Alfie with me, always,” she added. “No cages. No containment. He stays by my side.”

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