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She grinned at his mock formal tone and took his proffered hand.
He helped her settle into the flyer before swinging around to get into the pilot’s seat.
‘It’s a hop-on hop-off scenic tour of the spectacular panoramic views of our legendary lunar landmarks,’ he continued as he fired up the lethal machine. ‘You can pause the tour anytime, request a special stop or simply sit back and enjoy the sightseeing and storytelling.’
The flyer took off as Kage continued, with a tongue-in-cheek tour guide lilt to his voice. ‘The tour begins in the heart of Old Town, where you will find most of the historical landmarks on this rock. You can choose to remain inside our cocoon here or wander through the lanes past the restaurants and cafes of New Paris and the ancient Paladian temples and hear secret stories of the gods who left their mark long ago on the moon’s surface. You’ll see more of the spectacular beauty of the ancient ruins and the temples if we walk it. I think you’ll enjoy seeing them close up.’
‘I’m intrigued. That’s for sure. Let’s walk it. ’
She’d been intrigued all evening. The night so far had been eye-opening for Harlow. She’d felt honoured to be let into the close circle of kinship and friendship that was the Sable Brotherhood and Selene.
She’d never laughed so hard or had her mind so stimulated. Or ever felt so welcomed. Slightly buzzing from good food, one cocktail and a glass of champagne, she felt like the world was her oyster.
She laid her head back onto the chair rest and looked up at the stars flying past high above the dome. Her heart and soul felt like it was flying alongside them. No other experience had ever made her feel this way, and it felt like she was gliding to new, ever-expanding extremes.
‘Enjoying yourself?’ She heard the man beside her ask, his voice deep and rumbling.
‘So far, so good.’
That was an understatement. She shot him a glance and felt his energy wash over her. This man was killing her. He was beauty in so many ways. He was undoubtedly foxing with her heart. She instinctively knew the ride he’d take her on tonight would change them, her, inevitably. She shivered in anticipation.
Their eyes clashed, and he grinned. ‘You’ve seen nothing yet,’ he said, his voice laced with promise.
Damn the way he looked at her, with Eden II’s lunar light shining from his silver eyes.
She looked away and outside to the rushing stars once more.
Presently the flyer came to a stop.
‘I think it’s best if I park Void X, and we walk it from here.’
He’d set down under an archway on a side street. He helped her out of the craft. Then, with a touch of wrist comm, his flyer flickered into stealth mode, disappearing from view.
He reached for her hand, and they strolled through the cobbled, stoned paths that meandered past old buildings.
Old Town Eden was a draw card for the rock’s many visitors, and they milled about the streets, fanning around Kage and Harlow, also drawn by the beauty of the historic suburb.
Kage pointed out iconic landmark buildings, interesting artefacts including Paladian forms, old sculptures that no one knew who had created, and the Well to Hell at the centre of one of the squares. They wandered past ancient monasteries, expansive halls and packed squares, each built around a central temple dedicated to worshipping mythical Paladian gods. The architecture was otherworldly, with rocks hewn into strange forms and misshapen yet beautiful alien-like gargoyles so aged that no one knew who had created them.
The quarter bustled with life as tourists and locals wandered in and out of the iconic landmarks, where they bought Paladian-themed trinkets and artefacts.
Kage and Harlow held hands all the way, and he drew her closer at some point to avoid passing traffic. He pulled her close and slid an arm around her waist. And there it remained as they walked on.
Harlow felt deeply drawn to him and she pulled in even closer, her arm snaking around his waist. He glanced down at her, his eyes soft, and she smiled, lost in his haze.
He lifted a hand and rubbed his thumb gently along her lips. ‘That smile again,kara,’ he rumbled.
She ducked her head shyly.
Kage, Kage, Kage.
He so resembled everything she’d longed for. He had so many qualities she’d been hoping for in a man. Yet she couldn’t quite trust her feelings, given how much they’d led her astray in the past. Unable to deal, she pulled on his hand and dragged him into an ancient Paladian monastery.
He let her, giving her the space to gather herself. She sensed he was patiently giving her time to get used to being with him. Which she sincerely appreciated.
He let her lead their discovery tour for a little longer as she explored the beauty of Eden II under the light of stars. She was amazed at the stunning views of the ancient castles, temples and towers and palaces packed on Eden II’s surface.
‘I didn’t think the Paladians had touched this much of Eden II,’ she mused. ‘I know most of their history has been lost and that shards of the Paladians exist in all the planets of this System. But not on this moon, not to this extent anyway.’
