So? Sweat prickled at her hairline.

So I wanted to tell you. His eye protectors slipped aside.

Tell me? She balked at the familiarity and his gaze.

That it will be alright for you to leave with us.

Surrounded completely by glass she let the vertigo pulse. As long as she didn’t look out across the ragged teeth of towers piercing the skyline. She could just about concentrate on his difficulty in hiding his real feelings.

Did any of that filter through?

What? Yes, fine. She was surprised at his tone. Her lashes flicked up like a row of spines. Little burrs caught in her thought process. Her breathing steadied as she let the emotion drift through and away like dust molts.

You’ll consider us?

I will consider, yes. She swayed as she looked away at the vast ocean of baked mica underneath the dying sun. It filled the sky. Bile crawled into her throat. He was openly staring.

Your eyes, they are wet.

Excuse me. A blush further threatened her equilibrium.

But of course. His voice trailed away leaving ripples through his discomfort.

She willed herself not to blink, hoping the sun would shrink wrap the moisture against the firm jelly of her eyes. Swallowing she manoeuvred her lips for further deceit.
Please over look my episode. She realised too late that it was more a demand than plea. A slight pain reminded her she had been standing without moving for too long. Gracefully she let herself relax. No gesture gave away her inner self. Slowly, she let her head tilt slightly, as if her sentence had always intended to be a question. His lips morphed into another shape. It was an infinitesimal change, so slight she barely caught it, It was a smirk. Coupled with her senses she saw him for what he was.

He bowed slightly, a hardness moulded his flesh. She had caught him and he realised it as sure as if she had let the words take flight and assail him. His shoulders seemed to slump a little, as if he was caving in. She had to prevent collapse. His intentions weren’t going to stop her boarding that ship.

My answer tomorrow, will that be expedient in these circumstances?

Hope is all we can seek and desire.

Then I will retire and leave you with it. She hoped her bow covered the realised significance.
Her feet carried her away. It was a relief to let her muscles lengthen. I have a choice now, life seems feasible for the foreseeable future. She let the smile push her lips over her teeth and finally blinked in relief. Calculation was not acceptable behaviour, but it seemed preferable to what faced her otherwise. They wanted her womb, he wanted only to seek it. There was no other escape, she’d exhausted all her options. The sun would engulf all that couldn’t negotiate their way into one of the silver vessels and out of this furnace.

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