Page 21 of Zayrik

7

Zayrik

WHEN EVERYTHING WENTa little too quiet, I went looking for Nyla. I found her asleep on one of the bunks.

I knew exhaustion when I saw it.

Knew what it looked like when someone kept themselves upright through sheer force of will.

I ought to have counted that as a win.One less thing to argue about.

But something about it satwrong.

Nyla wasn’t the type to let her guard down.

Yet there she was, curled up, her pet menace pressed against her chest.

Zep twitched his ears but didn’t move, watching me through half-lidded eyes. Like he was still deciding whether I was worth trusting.

I exhaled, leaning against the doorway for ages.

The ship’s logs were still running in the back of my mind.

Something was off. Not just about the ship, but abouther.

And I had the feeling she wasn’t going to reveal what.

Zep was staring at me again.

Perched like some smug little sentinel next to Nyla, he hadn’t blinked in what felt like an hour. Every time I moved, his tail twitched like he was calculating the trajectory of his next face-clawing assault.

“You know I’m not the enemy, right?” I asked, voice low.

The creature blinked once. Twitched his ear. Didnotlook convinced.

I sighed and turned to go back to the cockpit to check the latest system diagnostics. The ship was still limping, but we weren’t actively dying. Yet.

Behind me, a soft sound, a sigh echoed from the bunk. I glanced back.

Nyla hadn’t moved much. She was curled on her side, one hand tangled in the folds of her jacket, breathing slow. Her pulse was steady, but her face was tight. Like even in sleep, she didn’t feel safe.

Zep made a low chuff, and nosed at her jacket. Then settled beside her again, wings folded tight, body tense.

“Yeah,” I muttered, “I know the feeling.”

I stood there longer than I meant to, just... watching her.

There was a faint bruise along her jaw I hadn’t noticed before. Her fingers twitched in her sleep. Dreams, maybe. Bad ones.

I didn’t mean to take a step closer. Didn’t mean to kneel beside the bunk or reach out.

But I did.

I didn’t touch her, just adjusted the blanket she’d kicked halfway off, tucking it back over her shoulders. My fingers hovered for a second near her arm, close enough to feel her warmth.

Something inside me eased. Just a little.

And that’s when I felt it.

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