Page 36 of Lunar Bound
Lunar remained silent as they drove, scanning their surroundings for threats. Poppy guided the jeep down the final slope, branches scraping against the sides as they navigated the overgrown track.
"There," she said, pointing to a weathered structure that seemed to grow from the red rock itself. The cabin's log walls had aged to match the surrounding sandstone, camouflaged by decades of desert patina. "Mack built this forty years ago when he first started his geological surveys. No electricity, no running water, but it's got a well and a wood stove. No people around for at least three miles in any direction.”
The cabin was exactly what they needed, a forgotten relic, hidden so deep in the canyon that even seasoned locals would struggle to find it.
She watched Lunar extend his shadow senses, scanning for threats. "The isolation is advantageous."
"That's the idea," Poppy said, cutting the engine. The sudden silence was profound. There were no helicopters, no pursuit vehicles, just the whisper of wind through the juniper branches.
She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself before turning her attention to her friend.
Rowan climbed out first, her movements stiff with exhaustion. "How long can we stay here?"
"As long as we need to," Poppy replied, retrieving supplies from the back of the jeep. "Mack only comes up here during his quarterly surveys. We've got at least two months before he's due back. Even then, he won’t care if we’re here."
`They entered the cabin, dust motes dancing in the shaft of moonlight that slanted through a single window. The interior was sparse but functional with a wood stove in one corner, a rough table with two chairs, and a narrow cot against the far wall. The shelves lined with canned goods and water jugs reinforced that Mack had maintained plenty of emergency supplies.
"I'll get a fire going," Poppy said, moving toward the stove. "The nights get cold out here."
Lunar watched her work, noting how she navigated the dark cabin without hesitation. Her shadow compatibility continued to manifest in subtle ways.
Rowan walked with a hand sweeping through the darkness. Her leg bumped a cot and she sank onto it, cradling something against her chest. Lunar recognized the distinctive glow of Eclipse's energy stone that Dani had recovered from their suite at the retreat.
"He's still alive," Rowan whispered, her fingers tightening around the stone. "I know he is. I can feel him. Faint, but he’s out there."
"Milano would keep him alive," Lunar confirmed. When he saw Rowan’s expression, he tried to keep his doubts about Eclipse's condition to himself. "His diplomatic status and unique physiology make him valuable for study."
The word study made Rowan flinch, but she nodded, drawing strength from even this cold comfort.
“He’ll be all right,” Poppy reassured her. “Eclipse is smart.”
Lunar stared between the two women, noting the way they comforted each other and softened their words. It was a strange human phenomenon.
Poppy had the fire crackling to life, warm light pushing back the shadows. She turned to Lunar with a slight frown. She pointed at the countertop. "Your skin-suit was in my bag, but it looks completely deteriorated.”
Lunar studied the useless garment. It would no longer help to hide him.
"I am optimal in darkness," Lunar said. The star patterns within his shadow essence emanated more brightly here, away from the harsh lights of civilization. "This environment suits my needs."
Poppy's expression softened, that particular look she got when observing his true nature. Part wonder, part attraction, part something deeper he couldn't quite categorize.
"We should establish a watch rotation," Lunar continued, forcing himself to focus on necessities. "Their search pattern will expand once they lose our trail."
"I'll take first watch," Rowan said immediately. "I won't be able to sleep anyway."
Lunar started to say that the humans should rest first, but Poppy caught his eye and shook her head slightly. She came close, touching his arm as she said quietly, “Rowan needs the distraction. Even if she could fall asleep, it would bring only nightmares of what would happen to Eclipse if Milano captures him. If it were us, I wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing you were out there.”
"I will patrol the perimeter," Lunar offered.
Poppy's hand on his arm stopped him from moving toward the door. Even through his shadow form, her touch created those familiar ripples of sensation.
"Be careful," she said softly. "Milano might have infrared scanners or other tech we don't know about. Assume nothing is safe."
"I will return within the Earth hour," he assured her, allowing his fingers to briefly intertwine with hers. The connection sent star patterns swirling through his form, a reaction he no longer tried to suppress. He liked the way her eyes followed them.
Outside, the desert night embraced him, and he felt like he was home. Though Earth's darkness lacked the absolute quality of the Lunaris Zone, it offered sufficient shadow for his needs. He moved through the canyon like flowing ink, checking approach routes and noting defensive positions. In the freedom of night, he found himself drifting, his mind straying from his purpose as his thoughts turned back to Poppy.
Poppy.
