Kiera's Moon

She returned to this thought often as they traveled for two days. Of all the things she felt, she feared he'd reject her once and for all. She'd never given him an answer about staying with him on Anshan. But he if thought her dead, and he was taking revenge on Qatwal, then some part of him must've cared! She recalled their last kiss, as hot and passionate as she'd ever hoped, despite his aloof sense of duty.

Evelyn tried to get her to eat twice, but she couldn't stomach it. She couldn't remember when she'd last eaten, hadn't had a reason to care. Now, she was too uneasy to eat. The two days were longer than any other two days had been in her life, and she grew more and more nervous, afraid the connection she had to A'Ran wouldn't be enough to make him want her again. She wasn't sure Qatwal deserved a peaceful existence after refusing to help Anshan, but for Evelyn's sake, she wanted the wars to end, even if A'Ran didn't want her anymore.

She agonized over what it would be like to meet him again. By nature, he didn't smile, but would he turn away from her or tolerate her? Would he go so far as to welcome her? Or would the fact that she never gave him an answer to stay or go make him unwilling to give her a second chance?

She slept fitfully between her busy thoughts, sheer exhaustion claiming her in spurts. By the end of the space journey, she was convinced he'd want nothing to do with her and desperate to see him. Near the end of her patience trapped in the tiny box of a spacecraft, she shot up when she felt the familiar pressure of them descending. Evelyn rose, looking as tired as Kiera felt. Kiera had bathed in the bathroom in the back of the craft, but it was too small to have a clothing unit. She stripped off her sweatshirt to be certain people could see her armband in her T-shirt.

The descent felt as long as their two day trip. She pulled her hair back in a scrunchie at the base of her neck, growing nervous once again. There was a gentle bump as they landed. She waited for Evelyn to go to the door first, uncertain what to expect from wherever they'd gone.

The door slid open. It was dark, the dual moons high in the sky. Several figures awaited them, and she saw a low building with glowing lights in the distance. One female figure moved forward, wrapping a shawl around Evelyn's shoulders and placing a translator on her ear. She handed Evelyn a small bowl of water and then moved to Kiera, handing her a translator.