Starborne

Chapter 6

“Come with me Holly. I love you, you know I’ll always love you. We can do this together, we’d be unstoppable. Don’t turn your back on me Holly. I know you won’t ever forget me, just like I’ll never forget you.” 

It’s winter on an unfamiliar planet. I don’t recognize the snowdrifts and icy tundra, but a part of me knows where I am. Stuck here, forced to relive this moment, the worst one of my life. I’m unprepared for the weather, and the wind whips at my unbound hair. His voice cuts through me to my very bones; where it once warmed me, now I feel nothing but ice. 

I’m so cold, and lost. He holds my hands, squeezes them, and I fight to pull some life, anything, from his touch. My heart throbs painfully in my chest as I watch him leave. Onto the ship, that dark, evil ship. I feel myself freeze in that moment, a part of me permanently detaching. He turns towards me for one last look and I know what I have to do. What my duty is screaming at me to do. I grab my blaster, lift my arm and - 

I jerked upright in a sweat, the steady hum of the train tracks reminding me where I was. I looked around me to see my companions fast asleep; Akara gave an errant mumble and moved around before resuming her peaceful slumber. 

It was a long time since I'd had that dream. It used to be constant, flickering behind my eyes every time I closed them. As the pain faded so did the images, and I didn’t know what to make of the sudden recurrence. Hopefully it was an isolated moment, my brain becoming weak in its subconscious state and forcing me backwards into painful memories. 

I steadied my breathing and looked out of the window. I couldn’t see much, it was pitch black outside the train, but I glimpsed flashes of trees and rocks skimming past at breakneck speeds. At this rate, we would certainly be to the Capital by morning. I needed to ready myself for the days to come. I had the mission information on my Nav, so the primary objective would be to get it to base. Then, I could concern myself with ship repairs and flying away. 

Speaking of reasons for why I needed to get off of Cynabar, I looked around and noticed that Stefin was oddly missing from the travel car. He was present when we boarded, carefully choosing a seat on the opposite side of the car. I didn’t blame him, but was secretly disappointed I wouldn’t get more time in his presence. 

I decided that some fresh air would help to take my mind off of the nightmare, and walked to the back of the train. There was a door that led out to a small balcony on the back, and I was willing to brave the harsh wind speed for a chance to clear my head. 

I realized as I opened the door that I was not alone on the small platform. There was a figure leaning against the railing, staring distantly out into the inky blackness. 

“Prince Stefin, I’m sorry. I’ll head back to my seat.” I awkwardly registered his presence and made a move to step back inside.

“It’s fine. Do you need something, Holly?” His voice was tired, and I wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all. 

I felt a jolt, noting that he had used my name for the first time, and then reprimanded myself for being pleased. Clearly, he didn’t want anything to happen between us, and I was fooling myself into thinking that his attempts at basic civility counted as any sign of affection. 

“I didn’t know you were out here. I couldn’t sleep, I just figured I would get some fresh air.” 

I was cautious around him, but something about the way he was standing screamed vulnerability. It was unusual, and I knew that I was probably intruding on a private moment. I stood as far away from him as I could on the small platform, my traitorous body still reminding me that he was only a few steps away. Heat emanated from his massive frame, and I had to force myself not to lean into the comfort of his masculine scent.