Black Hole Heartbeat

Forr - 59

Forr looked over as Serpe entered the hangar. She no longer propped herself against the

wall. She walked tall. Her eyes found his, summoning him over.

"Give me a minute," he said to Lavell.

Serpe led Forr into a dark alcove behind her docked shuLle. The scent of leaking oil hung

in the air. The shadows were cold and damp.

"Your whore lays hands on me again, and I'll kill her. It sickens me that I am weak enough

to warn her."

Serpe spat on the ground.

"You hurt her and our deal is off," he said.

Her hand rose and cradled his cheek.

"Our deal? You make it sound so trivial. It's what we need."

"It's what you want!" he shouted.

Serpe slapped him, hard across the cheek she had been cradling. His metal hand rubbed

his sore skin.

"An heir. A Harkrak of my blood would be worthy of the title."

"You'll get it. To keep her safe."

"That Jahlder has made you soft, but I see that you are strong. Stay on Excha. With me."

She reached for his bleeding lip but he shoved her back.

"My exile meant nothing to me. You are everything I hate about our race," he snarled.

Elizabeth stepped around the corner into the alcove.

"Whatever shit you've got going on I need you to hit the pause buLon until we get back,"

she said.

She led them back to the group and split them between the two shuLles. Lavell,

Elizabeth and Ana would be on his shuLle.

"Oh, and Rusalka? I meant what I said. You abandon us again and you'll be wearing those

knives on your insides."

"Well, now that your ego's been sufficiently boosted by that show, Elizabeth, I suppose

we should leave."

Lavell stuck close to Forr as they climbed up the steps to the ship. She rubbed at his back,

running her fingertips across the soft fur that peeked above his armour. He looked down

at her and tried to force a smile, but he did not speak.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"It's fine."

"You can talk to me, you know."

"It's nothing," he said with a hard edge, but Lavell would not let go.

"My lion. I don't like to see you wounded."

She stroked the side of his face, the same place Serpe had slapped. The skin was still

tender. Her touch stung. He winced through it and did not move away.

"You don't need to worry," he told her.

"We're a team. When you worry, I worry."

Forr kissed her forehead with dry lips.

"Serpe wants me to return to Excha after this mission."

"Why?"

"To fullfil my Harkrak duty. She wants me to pass the honour onto her family in a

ceremony."

"Are you going?"

Forr ran his hand through Lavell's smooth white hair. She stared up at him.

"I told her no," Forr said, "I told I would not go back to Excha, that I was happy to see the

Harkrak line disappear."

"You said that?"

"I love you. And nothing can ever make me hurt you."

A lot of things happened on Excha that made him hate himself. A lot of doubts, a lot of

regrets. He had never hated himself more than right now.