The Star and the Ocean (Book 1 in the Starborn Series)

Chapter Forty-Eight

[Content Warning: Strong language]

By the time they arrived in Mondova, Em had told Dom everything; from her celestial beginnings as Audrey to her miraculous rebirth. He listened attentively, nodding and frowning at all the right places. Given his own mythical existence he didn't have trouble accepting the story the way May had.

"I've heard about this Star feud business," Dom said quietly, staring across the shipyard. "That's some scary stuff to be caught up in, Em."

Em gestured vaguely. "There's not much I can do about that unfortunately." She had regained her strength over the course of the mercifully uneventful drive. Her eyes darted around anxiously, looking for any sign of trouble.

"You can be careful," Dom insisted. "Keep your head down and don't draw attention to yourself. Maybe this will blow over in time."

I doubt it, May thought unhappily but kept it to herself.

Dom parted with a promise to keep Em's existence a secret from anyone who came snooping, but not until he watched both her and May safely board the ship that would bring them back to Hoku. They watched his truck rumble away with an increasing sense of vulnerability.

"Part of me wants to be mad at you, you know," Em said suddenly, breaking the silence and startling May with her words. "For forcing me into that situation. What if I wasn't ready to tell him the truth?"

May gaped, her cheeks flushing. She wanted to defend herself - to explain she had only meant well. After all, Dom had put himself on the line for them. Didn't he deserve to know why?

But Em was right – she hadn't once considered it from her perspective. The memory of Kane robbing her of any agency over her own secret came rushing back to her. The circumstances were completely different but the crime was uncomfortably similar and May was mortified.

"You were right though – he needed to know," Em continued without looking away from the shore. "Shit, I should have told all of them forever ago."

"I'm so sorry," May whispered, ashamed.

Em took her by the hand. "It's fine. Let's get inside."

They spent the majority of the trip quietly hunkered down in their cabin, leaving only when absolutely necessary. May crept back in after one such excursion to find Em curled up on the bed, staring into nothing.

"I managed to get through to Kai," May ventured tentatively, referring to the call she had just put in to her brother. She placed Em's phone down gently on the narrow shelf by the bed. "He said he'll be there to pick us up when we land."

Em nodded but said nothing. May squirmed, worried and uneasy that Em was still upset with her. She sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and smiled hopefully down at her.

"If you pretend the last day didn't happen, that was actually a really amazing trip," she said, trying to deflect some of the awkwardness. "I'm really glad we got to–"

"Melanie," Em interrupted without shifting her gaze.

"Sorry?"

"Melanie," she repeated, rubbing her face with her hand. "That's her name, the Loyal woman."

May plucked at the sheets to hide her nerves. "Oh. What else do you know about her?"

"That she's dangerous," Em replied. The glassy look in her eyes told May she was reliving a private memory; the weight of her brow made it clear the memory was an unhappy one. "A zealot as far as Loyals go and pretty high up in their hierarchy the last time I knew her. Fuck, she looks so much older now."