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He broke the shared gaze and turned his head back to the scenery.
‘Welcome to my home,’ he announced quietly.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she slowly breathed. ‘Thank you for taking me in.’
He inclined his head. ‘Anything to keep you safe.’
‘Do you live on this ridge alone?’ Selene asked, her eyes pulled back to the magnificence outside.
Kainan shook his head slightly and jerked his chin to point towards the crags beyond that had formed over millennia into a pinnacled semi-circle.
‘Each Sable Rider owns their ridge, and we have our individual lairs within. You can’t see them with the naked eye because, like my own, they all have camouflaged screens that protect the interiors on the edge of the mountain range.’
He then turned away from her and strode deeper into the space. Which was just as sublime as the view outside. She turned around, her eyes tracking him. She followed, drawing a deep breath as the space unveiled itself.
It was quite the revelation of the man himself, she thought.
The large room, a machine-hewn cave carved into the barefaced rock of the mountain ridge, was divided into generous spaces.
An expansive fireplace made of blackened metal separated the open-plan living and dining spaces.
The cave’s milky white marble walls were exact forms of right angles and precise vertical columns. The surfaces alternated between smooth planes with stunning engravings etched into the rock to stratified waves that created a sense of motion.
At the centre of the cave was a living space that featured a sunken custom-made sectional sofa that was the widest and deepest she’d ever seen. The couch was accented with throw pillows and flanked by exquisite cocktail tables. A rug of sea green ping tai moss accented the polished rock floor.
She spotted an exquisite sculpture of a space nymph to the far left, a cloud-shaped mirror, brass armchairs upholstered in a luxurious fabric, two antique fauteuils in leather and a vintage coiled Falasian tribal stool.
Through the space, large stunning mixed-media artworks that captured the skies above Eden II hung on stone walls, and she could tell that most were by the same artist. Including an oversized canvas above the titanic fireplace that depicted the silvery orb of Eden II hanging amidst a sea of swirling stars.
Also displayed were a series of framed delicate art drawings in smaller frames of aeronautical designs, spaceship blueprints and patent schematics by the same artist, going by the similar-looking scrawled signature on each exquisite piece.
The set-up was not just any old furniture thrown together, but a finely curated selection of clean-lined furnishings and art pieces warmed up with ever-so-subtle touches, luxurious upholstery and well-worn loved details.
A rare white wood table and carved bronze-like chairs took pride of place in the dining area.
Beyond the living and dining area and to the front of the cavernous space was an undercover infinity pool. It fell away into the nothingness of the force field view and invited her to step in and indulge in its warmly lit waters.
Her eyes fell on a terrace area and sports court far beyond a set of glass doors that spanned high up into the expansive ceiling. She took in a long corridor that wound its way next to the elongated force field that ran the front length of the home. It gave the dwelling a sense of openness and fluidity, as if the space was one with the sky.
It was clear this was Kainan’s hideaway, where he could express his tastes and experiment with bold ideas while displaying the art and antiques he treasured the most.
She scanned it all silently, swivelling her head from side to side, slowly sauntering from piece to piece, savouring them with her eyes. Kainan stood at the massive kitchen bench, an ankle crossed over the other and arms similarly banded across his chest. He watched her wander through the space with a hooded gaze.
After a beat, Selene turned to face her host.
‘It’s magnificent,’ she told him.
He dipped his head slowly, and his shoulders seemed to relax.
Her opinion held some weight with him, she thought, and she somehow felt her spirits lift for knowing this. Maybe, he, too, was feeling something, like she and her estimation of him mattered. Even if they were doing their best not to act on those feelings.
‘I’ll show you to our room,’ he said, breaking into her thoughts. ‘This way.’
He pushed off the bench and crossed the room. He lifted her bag from the floor of the entrance hall where he’d placed it when they’d first arrived and took panther-like strides towards the corridor.
She followed closely behind him, still mesmerised by the view outside the force field and the awe-inspiring artwork inside.
She slowed her steps at the sight of one canvas that depicted the ethereal landscape of a far-off galaxy planet lit by a dying star. The colours were a mix of bright golds, autumn oranges and ethereal fuchsias. It was awash with movement, colour and passion, and she lost her breath at its intensity.
