Chapter 27

Silence fell over the room.

“Our alliance will pay the price if we leave now”, Karim concluded quietly. “Maybe it was a mistake to have come here.”

He put his arm around Aki, and I sighed. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have agreed to go to Marbug. My friends would still be out of reach of the Imperium if I had chosen another path. I caught myself in the middle of my thoughts. Friends…

I glanced at them. Karim, Uruk, Aki…. Selene… Could I really call them friends? I tried to shake off the idea, telling myself it was naive, but somehow I couldn't. Did they really want me with them? Or did they let me stay simply because they needed me for their cause? I shook my head. There was no use thinking about it. We had to stay together for now and find a way out.

“What about Nashka? What are her chances?”, Selene asked, but Manelia only shook his head.

“You saw her, she came to your table…”

I blinked. The girl who had sat down next to me at dinner was Nashka? I remember how fragile she had looked. Uruk said,

“Let’s sleep on it. Tomorrow, the sun will rise again”

Manelia nodded, got up and bowed.

“Take care, my friends. May Goddess protect you.”

He left, and silence once again filled the room. We were sitting in the living room of what resembled the flats I knew from home. It had several bedrooms that we would share, and with Manelia gone, Karim got up, picked up the now sleeping Aki, and carried her to theirs. Uruk stood up and walked over to the heavy table standing by the entrance. He pushed it to block the door, then wished us goodnight and followed Karim.

I felt the now familiar uneasiness creeping up on me as I saw the heavy furniture, barring the way for trespassers. At least we were together if the worst were to happen and someone tried to break in, I tried to tell myself. Selene put a hand on my shoulder, and I startled.

“Rina.. It’s okay.”

Her voice was gentle, but I could hear the strain underneath it. I put my hand on hers and gently squeezed it as our eyes met.

“Let's get some rest”, she said.

I followed her to our bedroom, and it wasn’t until I sat down on the bed that I realised that for the first time, we would be alone, without Aki. I froze as she sat next to me. It didn’t matter, I tried to tell myself. Staying together was safer. Who knew what the night would bring? But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling suddenly occupying my chest.

I glanced at her, wondering if she felt the same, but she looked away the moment she noticed my gaze. I stared at the floor. What should I do now? I had no idea why I suddenly felt so uncomfortable.

“Let's… go to bed. Tomorrow the sun will rise again”, I tried, breaking the awkward silence.

I quickly got up and undressed and then crawled into bed, forcing myself not to look at her as she did the same. I turned my back to her, and she blew out the candle and lay down next to me. Her back was against mine, and I stared into the darkness, trying to ignore it. I don’t know how long I lay there, but sleep wouldn’t come, and I sighed. Selene must have been the same, because I felt her stir and shuffle closer, and suddenly her back touched mine. I froze and then slowly relaxed. It was oddly comforting, feeling her so close.

“Rina… You know I care about you, even if I am not good at showing it,”, she whispered.

I instantly opened my eyes, staring into the dark room. Did she mean it? A part of me really wanted to believe her, but… I sighed.

“I care about you too…”, I said against my better judgment.

She turned and wrapped her arm around me, and I could feel her breath on my neck.

“Selene..”, I whispered.

Her body so close to mine was strangely comforting, and for the first time in a long while, I felt myself relaxing.