Page 72 of The Last Hunt
“We can do it, Maevey!” TAI says. The AI’s voice is certain. “I can minimize power to the kitchenette and a few of the tertiary systems to help the Archer recover faster. And then we can make it in an hour and forty-five minutes!”
“Do it,” Maeve says with a nod, her jaw tight.
“Just a minute, Maevey!” TAI replies.
Aethon clenches his hands into fists. All of their work over the last few weeks, and somehow they’re still on their heels.
Maeve stands and strides up to the dash, resting her hands on the smooth surface. She lets her head hang down between her outstretched arms, her neck and shoulders visibly tight. Aethon immediately moves his hand to the nape of her neck, digging his fingers into the tense muscles and tendons. She melts a little under his touch, but then she covers his hand with hers and stands, taking his hand and putting it back on the dash. Aethon captures her chin, forcing her to look at him. Maeve’s eyes are hard.
“We’ve got this,” he says, his voice low.
Her lips tighten and she nods, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. She’s vital to him. Water in the desert. Chrissah.
“Maeve -” Aethon starts.
“I have to focus on the hunt,” she says. “We have to focus on the hunt.”
Aethon swallows hard. “I know, but -”
She steps toward him and slides a hand up his chest. He presses her face between his hands.
“Last night wasn’t the last time, artrenn,” she says. “I promise.”
Aethon tries to give her his signature, charming smile, but it feels forced. “Of course it wasn’t, chrissah.”
Aethon wants to tell her how he feels. Fuck - he wants to beg her to let him follow her to whatever godforsaken empty planet she wants to live on. He wants to wake her up every morning with warm kisses and plant her a garden of strawberries. He wants to listen to her complain about the weather and the nosy AIs and grow old with her.
But Aethon knows that life will never be that simple for them - or even for Maeve alone, no matter how much she wants it. They both have horrors in their pasts, and demons in their present. And as Aethon learned from a young age, a good life in a safe place is not promised to anyone. Freehail haunts him just as Tellamar haunts Maeve.
Images and feelings from the past few days flick through Aethon’s mind. Maeve’s leadership and bravery when they rescued those Tellamari refugees. Her sharp chin raised in pride after piloting the Archer through the drones around the planet. How good it felt to be useful in a way that didn’t dirty his hands with blood. How amazing it was that they’d been able to use their skills to help instead of hurt. An idea sparks in Aethon’s head. A crazy, wonderful idea. He wants to talk to Maeve about all of it - but first, they have to catch Daik. This hunt needs to come to an end.
Aethon pulls Maeve’s face to his and kisses her nose, kisses each cheek, and bends down to press a kiss under her jaw, making her shudder. He leans back, searching her face. Her chin is sharp under his palm, her nose and cheeks dusted with freckles. Her light green eyes have flecks of gold in them he hasn’t noticed before.
“A kiss for the road?” Maeve asks. Her face is a mixture of emotions that Aethon is starting to recognize now. She wants more, but she’s holding herself back. She’s right to do so - they have to concentrate on catching Daik.
“One for the road,” he murmurs. Then he pulls her to him, and their mouths crash together in a desperate kiss. Aethon slides his tongue against hers, claiming her mouth as his heart beats so hard it feels like a drum. She’s warm against him, hard and soft, and the kiss feels like a challenge. Aethon rises to it. She bites down on his lower lip, forcing a groan out of him. They’re both panting a little as they part, and Maeve steps back. Aethon is pleased to see she’s flushed, and looks just as out of sorts as he feels.
She straightens her jacket and sits down in her captain’s chair. Instead of going to the co-captain seat, Aethon strides up beside Maeve, resting his hand on the chair behind her back. It feels like he belongs right here. Next to her.
“The Archer is charged and ready!” TAI chirps.
Maeve leans back. “Let’s fucking go.”
Chapter 19
Broken
Maeve
Scimitar Starbase is swarming with ships. It’s a similar build to Omega Starbase - shaped like a gigantic, five mile long hourglass. Maeve scans the area looking for Daik’s tiny Needle-class ship, but there’s too much traffic. Huge Yacht-class ships move ponderously through it all, forcing all the smaller ships to skirt to the side.
“Hail the starbase,” Maeve says to TAI. “Use every piece of leverage you can - every Two Roses code we have at our disposal.”
“On it!” TAI says.
“Where does the tracker say he is?” Aethon asks, turning over his shoulder.
Maeve throws the tracker up on the viewscreen again. The little red light that has taunted them for weeks now is blinking at the very bottom of the starbase. “He’s here. He’s in a bay.” Her fists clench. “We can’t sit here and wait for clearance! If we do, he'll beat us to the Lightway.”