Page 17 of Lunar Bound
"I am not affected by temperature variations," Lunar stated, then added with what might have been humor, "but I understand humans require more consistent thermal conditions."
Poppy smiled at his clinical manner of expressing concern. She sat up, gathering her scattered clothing in the dim light. As she dressed, she could feel Lunar watching her, his gaze almost tangible in the darkness.
"Your shadow stones," Lunar said suddenly, retrieving the metal container she had given him earlier. He opened it, examining the different specimens of black tourmaline within. "They absorb energy in a pattern similar to my own biological processes. How did you know?"
"I didn't, not consciously," Poppy admitted, pulling her shirt over her head. "I've always been drawn to certain stones, certain places. It's like they speak to me, in a way I can't quite explain. I just know things. Instinctively."
Lunar selected one of the larger specimens, a raw tourmaline crystal with complex facets. "This one resonates most strongly with my energy signature. May I keep it?"
"Of course. They're all for you." She watched as he held the stone, noting how the darkness of his form seemed to flow into and around it.
Lunar retrieved his skin-suit, examining it with obvious distaste. "The membrane continues to deteriorate. Soon it will be non-functional."
"Do you really need it?" Poppy asked. "I mean, in the dark, no one would notice the difference anyway."
"In darkness, no," Lunar agreed. "But I cannot remain permanently in shadow. The mission requires interaction with the human population in various settings."
With obvious reluctance, he began to reapply the skin-suit, his true form gradually disappearing beneath the constraining membrane. Poppy watched with a twinge of sadness, already missing the beauty of his natural state.
When they were both dressed and ready to leave, Lunar paused at the entrance to the chamber, looking back at the bioluminescent fungi.
"This place," he said quietly, "it reminds me of the shadow gardens in the deep canyons of my home. Places of beauty born from darkness."
"We can come back," Poppy promised. "There are other caves, other hidden places in the desert. I could show you."
Lunar nodded, a simple gesture that somehow conveyed more meaning than words could express. He reached for her hand, his fingers twining with hers as they made their way back through the narrow passage toward the cave entrance.
Outside, the desert night greeted them with a blanket of stars. The air had cooled considerably, but Poppy barely noticed, still warmed by the memory of their connection. They walked in comfortable silence back toward her vehicle, the red-filtered flashlight casting just enough light to navigate the trail.
"The others cannot know of this," Lunar said as they approached the SUV. "Not yet. Eclipse would see it as a distraction from the mission. Solar would ask questions I am not prepared to answer."
"Your secret is safe with me," Poppy assured him. "I'm pretty good at keeping things to myself."
Lunar studied her face in the starlight, his expression unreadable. "I believe you are. Perhaps that is another reason we resonate so strongly."
He reached up to touch her face one last time, his fingers cool against her skin. "Until we meet again, Poppy Jensen. Watch for me in the shadows."
Before she could respond, he stepped back, merging with the darkness so completely that she couldn't tell exactly when he disappeared. One moment he was there, the next only night remained.
Poppy stood for a long moment, staring into the darkness where he had been. The desert night surrounded her, alive with subtle sounds and movements, a world most humans never truly saw. She belonged to that world now more than ever, connected to its shadows in ways she was only beginning to understand.
As she climbed into her vehicle and started the engine, Poppy smiled to herself. She had always been drawn to darkness, to the mysteries that lived in shadow. Tonight, for the first time, the darkness had reached back.
And it had changed her forever.
Chapter
Six
Lunar sensed the approaching vehicles before Poppy did.
In the predawn darkness, he had been watching her sleep, fascinated by the human cycle of consciousness and the peaceful vulnerability it represented. Her breathing remained deep and even, her mind temporarily disconnected from awareness while her body performed essential metabolic functions.
From his position outside the window of her small cottage, Lunar monitored the surrounding desert landscape. Night creatures moved through the brush, their energy patterns distinct and purposeful. An owl glided silently over the property, hunting. A fox slipped between cactus formations, its presence barely disturbing the ambient energy field.
He meant only to watch over her as he absorbed the darkness. Then something changed. Three vehicles approached along the distant access road, their mechanical vibrations creating discordant patterns in the night. Lunar focused his senses, analyzing the disruption. Not typical tourist transport. Not retreat staff. The vehicles moved with coordinated precision, maintaining exact distances from each other, slowing at strategic intervals to minimize noise.
Hunters.
