Page 50 of Alien in the Depths
“Did I fall asleep?” Sofia asked, blinking drowsily up at Zaraq.
He smiled down at her. “You deserve the rest.”
Entering the hotel, Sofia realized this was the first time since they’d stepped foot on the planet that Zaraq didn’t need to worry someone might recognize him.
The receptionist shot them all a shocked look, glancing from them to her desk comm and back again.
Of course, this is all over the news by now, she thought sleepily as they made their way up to their rooms.
Carmen and Elena were all over them the minute they stepped foot in the hallway, and it looked like neither of them had slept, either. It was a good fifteen minutes of tight hugs, relieved tears, and exclamations of gratitude before Sofia and Zaraq were allowed to retreat to their own room.
“I could sleep for days,” Sofia told Zaraq, and when they collapsed in each other’s arms, she did.
The group finally checked out of the hotel a full forty-eight hours later. Sofia felt revived, the days lounging in bed, ordering room service, and taking long, luxurious showers having done her good. But now, she was ready to get out of Rikuus and so, it seemed, was Zaraq.
The police interviews ended up being unnecessary. In between naps, Carmen, Elena, and Arccoo had delivered the news that was playing on every device on the planet.
It seemed Joran, who had regained consciousness right as the police stormed the building, had made a plea deal. He’d given up Slik, including the casino mogul’s secret safehouse, plus more than enough evidence to clear Zaraq for good. Which meant nothing else was holding them on Rikuus.
“Are you happy to go back to Thryal?” Sofia asked as she and Zaraq followed the others toward Arccoo’s ship. The warmth of the sun had somehow managed to cut through Rikuus’s haze, and for a second, she wondered if Zaraq would miss the planet that had been home for so long.
“I don’t care where I am, as long as I’m with you.”
Sofia smiled and reached out to squeeze Zaraq’s hand. She still hadn’t told him what she’d been longing to admit, and now she felt her heart swell with the love that had only grown since their ordeal at Vexis’s house.
Somehow though, it hadn’t felt like the right time. They were both still recovering, and though she knew she loved Zaraq, she didn’t want that confession to be made hastily. She wanted to take her time.
The whole ride back to Thryal, though, the words kept aching to be said. Sofia could feel them expanding inside her every time she opened her mouth, and she promised herself that once they got settled back at the annex she would tell him.
The warm, rich colors of her bedroom greeted them after a celebratory dinner with Arccoo, Carmen, and Elena. Sofia felt her heart flutter as she stepped inside.
Now’s the time.
As she turned to finally admit how she really felt, Zaraq hesitated at the doorway.
“Why don’t we go for a walk in the gardens?” he asked, surprising her a little.
He must have seen the look on her face because he shrugged and explained. “After being cooped up in that hotel, and all the ugliness on Rikuus, I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.”
It was a good reason, and Sofia couldn’t think of any excuse to keep him there that didn’t sound mean. Instead, she stepped forward again and slipped her hand into Zaraq’s.
“Can’t argue with that,” she admitted, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. He led her out of the room again and down the back steps into the cool of the night.
The stars were stunning out there, and for a second, Sofia forgot her mission as she looked up at the twinkling night sky. Her feet stilled and Zaraq stared back at her, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the heavens.
“God, it’s so beautiful here,” she whispered.
Zaraq was right. After a week of Rikuus’s grimy, gray streets and blank light-polluted sky, Thryal was a wonder.
The sound of the planet’s various night birds made her smile. She still didn’t know the names of most of them, but she thought she heard a sirulet. The lilting song soared and dipped, filling the stillness.
“Come on,” Zaraq said finally, tugging at Sofia’s hand. He led her gently through the garden, his hand warm against the cool night air.
“Where are we going?” Sofia had come so close to telling him how she felt about him under the stars, but Zaraq seemed to be on a mission. She wondered for a moment where he was taking her, but suddenly the answer made itself apparent.
A soft glow ahead grew steadier as she followed Zaraq through the royal grounds. When he gently guided her around a copse of pink-leafed trees, Sofia’s eyes landed on a candlelit picnic blanket laid out within a semicircle of bright white flower bushes.
Their fragrance wafted toward her, gentle and sweet. It reminded her of roses.