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Okay, she was trying to distract her own swirling mind away from the imminent conversation.
The cliff opening closed, leaving her and Taryn in a dark stillness.
“We will enter my home and you will tell me everything,” he said, voice soft, but commanding.
All of a sudden, Leah wasn’t so sure she could. Her palms were sweaty and shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her.
What if Taryn hated her when he found out why she’d come to his planet? What if he wanted nothing to do with her as soon as the words left her mouth?
Would he turn her in, to whatever the Quillon equivalent of jail was? What if she got punished, locked up, or worse? What would happen to Nana then?
“I don’t know what’s going on inside your mind,” Taryn’s low rumble brought her back to reality. “But your energy is pulsing with panic. I swear everything will be alright.”
Those simple words managed to take the edge off her bone-chilling fright. There was nobody else she could turn to.
She had to trust him. More than that, she wanted to trust him.
He was a good guy. She felt it in his aura. He was the first-born son of the leader wreaking havoc on Earth, but he’d detached himself from that life. He wasn’t the son of the conqueror. He was Leah’s soulmate.
She turned to him, sincere and convinced. “I’ll tell you. And I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”
He nodded solemnly. The doors to the ship slid to the side. A sweet, fresh scent filtered in, just as the platform they had landed on slowly began to rise.
Quillon technology, striking again.
The shadows seeping inside the vessel slowly began to disperse, as beautiful, summery light flooded the window.
The platform finally stilled once they reached the next level–a gorgeous indoor garden. Or maybe it was a small jungle. Leah didn’t know, but she knew she loved it.
Not even her nerves could prevent her from appreciating the sight before her. Tall, spindly trees guarded an oasis, filled with gorgeous vines, plump flowers, amethyst rocks, and even a small pond. In between, a blue, short kind of grass grew, just begging Leah to run her fingers over it.
Back in the Capital, Leah had been mistaken. That garden wasn’t heaven. This was.
The garden was surrounded by tall, rock walls. Right above it was a hole in the cliff, giving the plants all the light they could ever want.
It was paradise, hidden inside the cliff. Unless someone flew over it, nobody would’ve known this wonderful garden rested inside, between the unyielding rocks.
“It’s wonderful, Taryn,” she whispered, her throat seizing up with tears at the beauty before her.
“Thank you,” he said, watching her. “It was the first thing I changed about my estate. The Zavorian mega-ship doesn’t have enough greenery inside it, and what it does have was usually visited too often by my family. Since I didn’t want to see them, I stayed away. I’ve always wanted a garden.”
He got the best of them all. And it was his and his alone.
“Do you want to see it up close?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
As soon as they got out of the ship, Leah’s hand wandered closer to Taryn’s. It Ignited once more, slower this time. It wasn’t fueled by blistering passion. It was the soft, powerful want for connection. Comfort. Support.
If Taryn was surprised by the move, he didn’t show it. Leah gently grasped his palm with hers. Together, they walked hand-in-hand, into paradise–which could turn into the hell Leah had been fearing.
21
LEAH
The garden was even more spectacular standing inside it. A soft breeze flowed in from the cavity in the ceiling, in a whirlwind pattern that made everything seem more magical and vibrant.
The thick, burgundy vines swayed from the tree branches, softly patting the flowers underneath, which moved in sync.
