Page 72 of Zayrik

For now, that was enough.

For now, we had this quiet between storms.

This growing thing neither of us had asked for...

But both of us needed.

And I intended to be worthy of it.

Worthy ofher.

23

Nyla

THE ROOM CAL GAVE USwasn’t much. Bare walls, stiff bedding, dim lighting that buzzed slightly when you looked at it too long. But it had a door that locked and enough quiet to pretend the galaxy wasn’t burning for a few hours. After so long running, even this felt like luxury. Like something I shouldn’t trust.

I dropped onto the edge of the bed, boots still on, mind still racing. The mattress creaked beneath me, a sound that reminded me I wasn’t alone anymore. Across the room, Zayrik was quiet. He hadn’t said much since Cal left to “find us a ship”—which we both knew meant “dig for intel.” But his presence filled the space in ways that made it hard to breathe. Hard to think.

Zep fluttered down from the top shelf and curled beside me. For once, he didn’t hiss or chirp. He just... settled. Like he knew we needed this moment of peace. This pretense of normal.

Zayrik crossed the room, handing me a sealed container. Proper food. Not rations. The simple act of him bringing me food loosened a knot I hadn’t noticed until it was gone.

How long had it been since anyone had taken care of me like this?

“Cal said it’s... stew?” he offered, like it might bite. His voice carried that dry humor I was starting to crave.

I popped the lid and blinked at the contents. “Smells like something that used to be alive.”

“High praise.”

We sat on the creaking floorboards, backs to the wall, balancing our bowls precariously on our knees as we ate. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was something close to... normal. Something I’d forgotten how to want until now. Our shoulders barely touched, but each point of contact sent awareness dancing across my skin.

For a while, we didn’t talk.

Just existed in this moment of almost-peace.

Together.

Then, quiet, the words slipping out before I could stop them:

“You ever think about what you’d be doing if none of this happened?” I asked. If we hadn’t crashed into each other’s lives. If everything hadn’t changed.

Zayrik didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was low, thoughtful in a way that made me want to lean closer. To understand everything about him.

“I used to. Not lately.”

I nudged him with my foot, trying to lighten the moment before it got too real. Before I admitted how much I thought about him. About us. “Come on. No secret dream career if you’d never joined the Protectorate?”

He smirked, and the expression did things to my pulse I didn’t want to examine. “What, like a baker?”

“Sure. I can see it. Warrior-turned-pastry-chef.” The image made me smile unexpectedly. Like something uncoiled in me before I could stop it.

He chuckled softly. “Maybe.”

The sound wrapped around me like a caress. Like something I could get addicted to if I wasn’t careful.

There was a beat of silence. The kind that felt different from the ones before. The kind that made me want to confess things I’d never told anyone.

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