Eyes In Darkness

Chapter 9

As I brought down the last of the emergency lights, Riddick came up beside me.
"I want you and the kids to stay close to me out there," he said.

"We'll be right behind you," I promised.

Everyone was running on fumes. The air inside the wreck was thick with exhaustion and fear. Imam tried to stand and walk across the room, but his foot caught on a cable and he stumbled hard against the wall.

Before anyone could ask if he was okay, a loud beep echoed through the ship. A hidden door slid open, flooding the corridor with bright, white light.

We hesitated only a second before curiosity won. One by one, we stepped through and closed the door behind us.

The new room looked untouched—sterile metal walls, a faint hum of power. Seven doors lined the sides. We started checking them.
Each opened into a small sleeping cabin, complete with a bathroom and closet stocked with clean clothes.

For the first time since the crash, it felt like we could actually rest.

It was decided we'd stay here for the night and head for the skiff at first light. Two of the rooms connected; those became ours—mine, Riddick's, Jack's, and little Ali's.

After I got the boys washed and into bed, I went to the adjoining room. Riddick was sitting on the edge of the bed, goggles still on, the faint glow of the emergency lights reflecting off his lenses.

"Do you want to shower first?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. You go ahead. I'll take mine after."

"All right."
I grabbed clean clothes from the closet and stepped into the bathroom.

The water was hot and steady—a small miracle. I scrubbed away the grit and fear clinging to my skin until the steam fogged the mirror. When I finally stepped out, I felt human again. Dressed in clean clothes, I opened the door.

Riddick brushed past me, a towel in one hand. The water started again a moment later.

When the shower stopped, he came out wearing only the towel. My face went hot before I could stop it. His skin caught the light, droplets sliding down his shoulders before he turned to the closet and pulled on a black muscle shirt and cargo pants.

By the time he stepped back out, I was still blushing.
He noticed but didn't comment, just sat back down.

"Where were you headed on the Hunter Gratzner?" he asked quietly.

"I was meeting Imam on Earth," I said. "To adopt Ali. I was going to take him back to the planet I grew up on."

He nodded slowly, as if that told him everything he needed to know.

"We should get some sleep," I said. "We've got a lot to do tomorrow."

"I'll take the floor," he offered.

"There's no reason for that," I said. "We can share the bed."

I lay down and patted the space beside me. He hesitated, then eased onto the mattress, careful—like he was afraid he'd hurt me if he moved too fast.

Sleep came quickly.

I woke sometime later, heart racing from a dream I couldn't remember. The noise must have woken him too, because Riddick sat up instantly. I tried to calm my breathing, but my hands were shaking.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. The steady rise and fall of his breathing, the low vibration in his chest—almost a purr—soothed the panic out of me.

I meant to ask what that sound was, but my eyelids grew heavy again. Just before I drifted off, I heard him murmur against my hair,
"Sweet dreams, my angel."

Then the darkness carried me back to sleep.