really looked the part of his position, like he was a guard of the entire galaxy, powerful and invincible.
Audrey found herself aching for a chance to simply look at him to her heart's content, but that was neither the time nor the place.
Still, those impossibly dark eyes were quickly becoming the void she wanted to get lost in.
Look at hot paladins later. Fix the universe now.
"We need to go get it back," she said, shaking her thoughts clear. "Prepare a ship. We're going to chase those snakes and get the stone back before they can give it to the Fearless."
Pelar and Tieran exchanged a look.
"Governor Price," Pelar began. "I'm sure the commander can handle that. You have just nearly died. We need you here, to oversee the–"
"Stop right there," Audrey said, seeing a glint of amusement in the commander's eyes. "The day hasn't gone exactly like I hoped it would, but this is still my station. If I want to leave it, I'm free to do so. Don't tell me I'm needed here like anyone aboard Verien needs me to hold their hand. I know exactly how self-sufficient this place can be."
"I don't think..." Pelar began, but Tieran cut in.
The man looked her straight in the eye and Audrey knew without a shadow of a doubt she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"I agree with Pelar," he said, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine. "The paladins will bring the stone back to Verien. In the meantime, someone needs to stay here and make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Don't patronize me," Audrey shot back seriously. "That doesn't have to be me. I will go with you and that's an order."
The Palian regarded her with his dark eyes. Being the object of that look made Audrey feel as though she was naked down to her very soul.
"You are very brave," Tieran said then. "I admire that, I really do. But your place is here."
"I am the governor of this world. My place is where I say it is. I gave you an order, commander."
Out of the corner of her eye, Audrey saw Pelar take a step back as the commander smiled ever so slightly.
"Forgive me, Miss Price, but I am not under your jurisdiction. Far from it. I will spare us both some time and say right now that you will not be joining us on that chase. It's for your own safety."
So fucking hot , Audrey thought. And so infuriating.
"You listen to me–" she began, sitting up.
"I wasn't asking, Miss Price," Tieran said, already walking away from her. "I was telling you."
From the door, he called back: "We will leave the second I'm assured the station is clean. I wish you a swift healing."
Then he was gone and Audrey was left wondering how she could even hear him through the rushing in her ears.
That fucking guy...
Pelar sneaked closer again, an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm sorry," she said. "The commander is a very straightforward man."
"Yeah," Audrey agreed, laying back and trying to ignore the way her body was reacting to the paladin, which was the very opposite of being annoyed. "I can see now that it was so much better when we never saw each other."
With Pelar nodding sympathetically, Audrey thought to herself how weird it was she'd enjoyed every second spent with him, even when she was mad.
Maybe especially when she was mad.
* * *
I t began a few hours later .
At first, Audrey had had sunspots in her eyes and they had slowly dissipated. When she held it, the glow of the stone had felt like it was coming from inside her, trying to burn its way outside right through her eyes.
After she came to, for a while she hadn't been able to see anything but Tieran. And even he had been painted with the same light.
Then, the glow had started reducing and she thought it would be fine.
It took her a while to understand it wasn't actually going away entirely. That happened around the time she started feeling weird, like there was something missing that she simply couldn't put her finger on. It was like hunger, a craving she couldn't deny. It called to her, until Audrey began to realize
Audrey found herself aching for a chance to simply look at him to her heart's content, but that was neither the time nor the place.
Still, those impossibly dark eyes were quickly becoming the void she wanted to get lost in.
Look at hot paladins later. Fix the universe now.
"We need to go get it back," she said, shaking her thoughts clear. "Prepare a ship. We're going to chase those snakes and get the stone back before they can give it to the Fearless."
Pelar and Tieran exchanged a look.
"Governor Price," Pelar began. "I'm sure the commander can handle that. You have just nearly died. We need you here, to oversee the–"
"Stop right there," Audrey said, seeing a glint of amusement in the commander's eyes. "The day hasn't gone exactly like I hoped it would, but this is still my station. If I want to leave it, I'm free to do so. Don't tell me I'm needed here like anyone aboard Verien needs me to hold their hand. I know exactly how self-sufficient this place can be."
"I don't think..." Pelar began, but Tieran cut in.
The man looked her straight in the eye and Audrey knew without a shadow of a doubt she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"I agree with Pelar," he said, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine. "The paladins will bring the stone back to Verien. In the meantime, someone needs to stay here and make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Don't patronize me," Audrey shot back seriously. "That doesn't have to be me. I will go with you and that's an order."
The Palian regarded her with his dark eyes. Being the object of that look made Audrey feel as though she was naked down to her very soul.
"You are very brave," Tieran said then. "I admire that, I really do. But your place is here."
"I am the governor of this world. My place is where I say it is. I gave you an order, commander."
Out of the corner of her eye, Audrey saw Pelar take a step back as the commander smiled ever so slightly.
"Forgive me, Miss Price, but I am not under your jurisdiction. Far from it. I will spare us both some time and say right now that you will not be joining us on that chase. It's for your own safety."
So fucking hot , Audrey thought. And so infuriating.
"You listen to me–" she began, sitting up.
"I wasn't asking, Miss Price," Tieran said, already walking away from her. "I was telling you."
From the door, he called back: "We will leave the second I'm assured the station is clean. I wish you a swift healing."
Then he was gone and Audrey was left wondering how she could even hear him through the rushing in her ears.
That fucking guy...
Pelar sneaked closer again, an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm sorry," she said. "The commander is a very straightforward man."
"Yeah," Audrey agreed, laying back and trying to ignore the way her body was reacting to the paladin, which was the very opposite of being annoyed. "I can see now that it was so much better when we never saw each other."
With Pelar nodding sympathetically, Audrey thought to herself how weird it was she'd enjoyed every second spent with him, even when she was mad.
Maybe especially when she was mad.
* * *
I t began a few hours later .
At first, Audrey had had sunspots in her eyes and they had slowly dissipated. When she held it, the glow of the stone had felt like it was coming from inside her, trying to burn its way outside right through her eyes.
After she came to, for a while she hadn't been able to see anything but Tieran. And even he had been painted with the same light.
Then, the glow had started reducing and she thought it would be fine.
It took her a while to understand it wasn't actually going away entirely. That happened around the time she started feeling weird, like there was something missing that she simply couldn't put her finger on. It was like hunger, a craving she couldn't deny. It called to her, until Audrey began to realize
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