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The tantalizing aroma of cooked meat and exotic vegetables fills the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation.
As we eat, I try to focus on the flavors bursting on my tongue, but my thoughts are consumed by the man, er... male sitting across from me. The marauder who had once viewed me as nothing more than an object for pleasure. And yet, against all odds, our turbulent relationship has evolved into something infinitely more complex and intimate.
We eat in companionable silence for a while; the warmth of the fire pit flickers against my skin, making the silky material wrapped around me dance with every lick of flame. As we share the meal he has prepared, I can't help but notice how the charred ends of his hair catch the firelight, a stark reminder of the dangers waiting for us beyond the safety of Zeva.
"Navik," I say, reaching across the table to touch the singed ends of his hair. "You should let me trim away these burned ends.”
His gaze holds mine. "You can do anything you wish with me, starfire."
My cheeks flush at the force of his icy stare. I withdraw my hand, a flurry of butterflies flutter inside my belly. Navik's presence is intoxicating, keeping me in a state of perpetual anticipation. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a precipice, ready to take the plunge into some unknown abyss.
Every moment we spend together is filled with such passion and emotion that it's hard to catch my breath. The air between us crackles with electricity, and I can feel my pulse quickening in response to his proximity. I wonder if he feels it too.
We finish our meal and clear the table. I follow him to the galley kitchen in the back of the main living area.
The kitchen is a marvel of alien technology, with appliances that I can barely comprehend. The walls are lined with sleek, metallic cabinetry that seems to shimmer in the soft light of the solaris rocks. There are no knobs or handles on any of the appliances. Instead, they all respond to voice commands and gestures. Navik demonstrates how to use the Earth equivalent of a dishwasher. Together, we load our dirty dishes inside and Navik commands it to wash.
I follow him back outside to the patio where he hands me a wicked looking knife I wasn't aware he had tucked inside his waistband.
"Are you always armed?" I take the knife with raised eyebrows.
"Yes," Navik states flatly and takes a seat with his back to me.
"After I shocked you with an electrifying stick, you trust me with a knife at your back?"
"You earned my trust and my gratitude after you remained at my side while I healed from my injuries." Navik's words shock me. "You could have ended me while I lay incapacitated."
"I would never do anything to hurt you, Navik." The resolution to my conundrum made all too clear in a single sentence.
"I know, starfire. You are nother."
I stand behind him, curiosity clawing at me about the female in his past that hurt him, and begin to trim the ends of his hair, careful not to cut too much. His hair is soft and thick, like silk in my hands. I take my time cutting away the burned ends, loving the feel of his hair between my fingers. As I cut, Navik leans back into my touch, and I can feel the tension in his body begin to melt away.
Then he surprises me by opening up about the one thing I never thought he’d share with me.
"I fancied myself in love with her.Veeda," he seethes through gritted teeth. "One among the strongest and most fearsome of Kaul's female warriors. She would never have sat vigilant at my bedside like you did. I was a fool to have ever freely given her my trust. I had many a moon to ponder my folly and swore to never allow it to happen again."
I'm quickly captivated by the story Navik recounts. It was a daring plot, conceived by Veeda, that involved the theft of a sacred artifact of immense value from the Kaul temple, the figurine an offering to their gods. She had used Navik's trusting and guileless nature in order to pin him for her crime. As I listen to Navik weave his tale, it feels as though the air between us is growing thicker and darker.
"I spent fifty years imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit, and all because of misplaced trust," he concludes with a long, weary sigh.
“Fifty years! How old are you, Navik?”
“Seventy-six,” he says. “Still in my prime.”
“For a Kaul maybe,” I puff. “For a human at that age, I would be an old lady. So how long do Kaul’s live?”
“On average, two hundred years.”
“I’m in my late twenties.” I try not to dwell on the time stolen from me. It only leaves me morose. “Not really sure how many birthdays I’ve missed.”
Finished with his haircut, I hand Navik back his knife, my gaze roaming over Navik's freshly trimmed hair. It's a lot shorter than when I first met him on Onis, having burned off in the acid air on Yeet. As the medical cuff healed his body, so did it increase the speed at which his hair grew.
Now that I’ve clipped off the singed edges, it barely brushes the tops of his muscular shoulders. I come around to stand before him, admiring how his silky strands frame his chiseled features. Striking is the contrast between its snow-white hue and the deep, glossy blue of his skin.
So very alien, yet so very captivating.
There's something undeniably magnetic about Navik. Firelight dances across his strong jawline and the sharp angles of his cheekbones, casting shadows that only serve to enhance his fierce features. The undeniable truth is that, despite our turbulent meeting, I find myself drawn to him in ways I can't fully comprehend.
