“Lie down.”
Still sleep-fogged, she sank back on the cot. Lundric slid onto the narrow bed beside her, making the legs groan with his added weight. He draped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him.
“Lundric?” she’d whispered.
“Shh. Go back to sleep.”
He’d come to sleep with her? They never slept together because his shift spanned the night. But he’d come back just to hold her. Tears closed her throat.
His hand slid down her side and covered her ass, fingertips gently exploring the welts on the backs of her bare legs. “We’ll find forgiveness, you and I.” He sounded uncertain.
She wanted to assure him she bore him no grudge for his treatment that day, but her fear he may never forgive her made the words stick in her throat. Tears slipped down her nose.
Somehow, though she’d been silent and it was pitch-black in her room, Lundric knew, because his thumb mopped them up.
“Don’t cry, Cambry. Go to sleep.” His voice sounded heavy, tired.
Because she didn’t want to cause him more stress, she obeyed, letting her lids close and matching her breath to his until she slid back into sleep, nestled against his massive chest.
Chapter Seven
Cambry walked toward the guard’s sleeping quarters. She hadn’t seen Lundric anywhere, all planet rotation.
He’d left before she woke that morning. She didn’t even know how that was possible—she always slept with one foot on the floor, alert to any danger, so she should have felt or heard him move. But she hadn’t. Maybe she felt that safe in his presence.
She didn’t know how long he’d stayed or why he’d felt the need to come in and hold her. Had it been to comfort her? Or himself? She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t find him. He’d been absent in her flight training.
She drew a breath, mustering the courage to knock on his bunkroom door.
Sten answered. He rubbed his face with one hand, looking groggy. Light poured out of their room, amplified by what appeared to be the crystal Lily had given Lundric for his healing.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She tried to peer past him into the room, but he shifted subtly to block her view. “Is Lundric here?”
Sten shook his head. He didn’t smile or offer anything more. She’d sworn Vokart and the other flight instructors were less friendly to her than usual that planet rotation, but she might just be paranoid. No being had said anything to her about what had happened the planet rotation before. She’d half expected to be kept from flying that day or even thrown in a cell or locked in her chamber. She’d certainly expected to be called up to Master Seke or Rok or even taken to the palatial pod to answer to Prince Zander for what she’d done.
But nothing had happened. She’d woken to find Lundric gone. Had dared to leave her chamber for breakfast and attended training as if nothing had happened. She’d been allowed to fly, although she suspected her trainers watched her far more closely than usual. But Lundric was missing.
“He’s not here,” Sten said.
Disappointment wilted her like a balloon losing air. “Do you know where I might find him?”
Sten shook his head. “If he didn’t tell you where he was going, I’m not going to.”
No, she hadn’t imagined the animosity. It was real.
She sank against the doorframe, needing it to hold her up. “Listen, I know I’m probably not your favorite human right now, but I—”
“I can’t help you, and I was trying to sleep.” Sten shut the door in her face.
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She stuck her boot in the door before it shut.
The huge warrior looked down at the boot then at her, lifting a brow.
She swallowed down the fear his challenging look inspired. “Please.”
“No. Move your foot.”