Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

“You are…uncomfortable in the warmth? The main engines are close. That’s what’s causing the heat.”

Nia glanced at the alien beside her. He was still watching her. She hadn’t realized that.

“If we move this panel,” he pointed at the wall to their left, “and crawl through the channel for a few minutes, we would end up at the engine room.”

Nia’s eyebrows rose a little.

First the panel in the floor and now this.

How did he even know about these things?

She thought he was a farmer.

He must have seen the question in her eyes because she was sure she picked up a soft chuckle underneath his mask.

She glanced around them some more.

It was getting really warm, almost as if they were in a closed room.

But they weren’t.

There was a tunnel in front and the light apparatus he’d set on the floor only thinned the darkness in the tunnel for a few meters. Farther down, it looked like she was staring at a wall of darkness.

Another shudder went through her and she pulled her gaze away from the tunnel.

Once again, she fanned her hand in front of her face to try and get the air moving.

It was so hot, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead and underneath her cloak was starting to feel clammy.

It wasn’t the best of feelings, but it was better than being dead.

She’d take sweaty over dead any day.

It was concerning, though, how hot it was becoming.

Maybe it was because she was thinking about it, but the heat was increasing with each second.

And she seemed to be the only one affected by it, too. Beside her, the alien appeared as if he was completely fine, even with his mask on.

“Why the mask?” she motioned to her face.

She couldn’t read what he was thinking behind those green eyes, but every time she looked up, they were focused on her. It wasn’t a hostile look either, but one of interest.

“The mask,” she repeated, putting her hands to the side of her head like she was framing it. “What’s it for? Do you always wear it? Why?”

She almost shook her head at herself.

That was quite a lot of questions to shoot at someone who couldn’t understand even one of the words she spoke.

“You want me to take it off? I don’t usually… Not in front of…” He paused.

“Oh, I wasn’t asking you to remove it.” She shook her head, but she couldn’t deny that she was more than curious to see the face of the man underneath.

He studied her for a few moments before he lifted his hands to the side of his mask and paused again.

Nia held her breath.

There was a soft click and then he lifted the mask from his head.