I could kiss Renner for eternity, and it would never be enough.
As he pulls away, I run my fingers over the back of his neck and tug gently, demanding one more kiss from him. I’m hungry for it, wanting. He obliges, our noses bumping before his lips claim mine with a laugh that spreads a giddy tingling through me.
I feel euphoric, though a deep sense of foreboding lingers. The road ahead will not be an easy one—made even worse by the fact that I’m blind and without my ability. I haven’t told Renner yet, but after I released the missiles, I knew it had left me. The absence leaves me hollow where power once thrived, but his love fills the space.
Whether I’m no longer Gravless, or my abuse of my gift has sent it into remission, I don’t know. But I know I’m a shadow of who I was as Princess Talshina Zarnova Equorta, and yet I’m more myself now than I’ve ever been.
I see the lie of the Gravless throne for what it is—a way to secure absolute power over the galaxy for selfish gain. It makes me sick to think my aunt was forced to play a part in it, and I wonder whether she was the first to succumb to outside influence or if this tradition was established decades before.
A spark of something tingles at the back of my mind. Is it possible my parents were victims of this corruption? That their transport didn’t fail but was somehow sabotaged?
“What is it?” Renner’s fingers play with the end of my braid in a distracting way.
“I’m just thinking about the past.”
He kisses me again, and I’m drawn back to the present with a firm yank on my emotions. I love him. And I love the thought of freedom, not only for myself but for my people—for the galaxy—and I will do whatever it takes to fight for that.
When our lips part, I breathe in deeply of Renner’s masculine scent, spicy with a hint of the dusk mint tea he drinks in the mornings. He’s my home and where my heart rests. He’s also the closest thing I have to family, aside from Merritt.
“Do you think Leef will find her?” I ask.
Renner doesn’t hesitate at the change in the direction of our conversation. “He says he’s heard rumors of where Merritt was taken. He seems to think he will. Then again, I don’t think Leef has experienced a day of doubt in his life. I would bet in his favor.”
I smile. “Leef’s his own type of magic.”
“Hey.” Renner pulls me closer. “Don’t let that magic fool you. He’s a bundle of secrets, that one.”
“He is. As are you and I.”
“Not anymore.” He nuzzles my neck, leaving a trail of kisses there, and a delighted shiver races up my spine. “I want to be seen by you, Talie.”
I know what he means, but his words make me think of my sight. Will I gain it back? And my ability along with it? I stand, letting the doubts slip away, and walk in the direction of the door.
“Where are you going?” Renner’s at my side the next instant.
“I thought we could take a walk in the garden. The way you and Leef talked about it, I have to experience it.”
His fingers lace with mine. “I would happily take you anywhere you want, Le’è.” He kisses me again. “As long as it’s on planet.”
“I’m more than all right taking a break from running all over the galaxy.” I feel relief at admitting it.
“The Soaring Starress is putting away her renegade ident-chip?” His question is a whisper against my neck.
I think of my friends on the Phenomena. In addition to finding Merritt, Leef has been charged with sending a message from me as well as gaining what information he can on the Phenomena. He made sure I knew the news would be slow in coming, but I’m anxious to know how they fare.
“I’m letting my fly bars go in favor of becoming…” I think back to what Leef said our new names are. “Tea’ah Zev and Ruen Cath.”
“I like your new name. Tea’ah,” he emphasizes the ‘tea’ part, and I laugh, a feeling of freedom unspooling in me.
“Just because you like tea. Now hurry. I want to see the gardens.” I realize my mistake. “Um, experience them.”
“I’ll be your eyes, Le’è.”
I hear the door slide open, and heat envelops me like a thick blanket as we emerge from the safe house. The warmth of the near-sun on my exposed arms and the crown of my head is intense but different than Meloran’s humid heat. Less water in the air. I’m immediately warmed to the core, but it feels good after being in the too-cool room.
Renner takes my left hand in his and places his other at the small of my back to better direct me down a sandy path that shifts under my sandals. I smell the vegetation around us. Spicy greens, fragrant petals, and earthy moss. Renner describes what he sees as we walk.
“And to the left.” He pauses. “Do you hear it?”
“A fountain?”
“Yes.” He draws near. “It reminds me a little of that courtyard on Meloran you liked. Just not as big. There are fish too, in bright yellows and deep blues. And to the right, a large shade tree draped in gray moss that reaches to the ground.”
He continues to describe the setting, and the magic of it wraps around me. A garden to enjoy while we wait on my sight and word from Leef. A way for us to be together without the external pressures we’ve come to fear. This is a place of our own to rest and recharge but also to plan our next steps.
The calm of the moment bathes me in a surreal coolness, despite the heat of Renner so close to me. This unknown peace sinks past the darkness and fear. For the first time since I left the Phenomena, my soul takes a breath free of worry.
That’s when I think I catch a glimpse of a shadowy tree draped in moss in front of me. It’s there and gone, but it was there.
And it looked just like Renner described it.