Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

She could feel Ka’Cit’s presence beside her as she watched the robot go.

His hand came up and a finger brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tear she didn’t know had fallen.

“You are leaking.”

Nia choked on a sob and a laugh as the same time. “I guess I am. You don’t ‘leak?’”

“No.” He paused. “Does it help? When you leak. Does it make you feel better?”

“Sometimes.” She forced a smile.

“Nee-ya?” When she looked up, the concern was clear in his eyes. “I do not understand. We did the job. We were successful. You were successful. They will be saved because of you. But you are leaking because of it.”

Nia smiled a little and rested her head against his chest.

A hand came up and cradled her head, so she stayed there for a bit.

She couldn’t explain to him how she felt and he seemed content to just let her stay there.

As the other ship disengaged and disappeared once more into the void, Ka’Cit released a sigh.

“I should…take you home.”

The way he said it, the utter sadness in his voice, made her glance up at him.

She couldn’t see his face, but his eyes looked pained.

Nia smiled. “I know, it’s been kind of fun, hasn’t it?”

Ka’Cit pulled his gaze from hers to look through the view screen.

“I guess I can’t keep you. That would be against your will and wrong. You can’t just keep things you want for yourself, just because you want them.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than making a joke.

Nia looked away.

Was it wrong that she wanted him to “keep” her?

Whatever had happened between them had changed her life forever.

She didn’t know what was normal after this.

35

The trip back to the surface of Hudo III was mostly filled with silence.

It seemed they were both in their heads and Nia didn’t notice most of the journey till they landed back at the Exchange.

When her feet finally hit ground again, it felt as if ages had passed since she’d last been on the planet.

It was as if she’d spent a whole lifetime in the cosmos and she glanced at Ka’Cit as he came up beside her.

He adjusted the hood of her cloak over her head.

“We should go. They’ll come and check this ship soon. We don’t exactly have authorization to land here.”

Nia nodded as he glanced around and they headed in a direction she did not know.

He walked with surety in where he was headed and soon the busy main street of the Exchange came into view.