32. Libby

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Hyx demands, not at all pleased to see me.

"I want to know what's going on!" I yell back. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Shit, Libby. You shouldn't be here!" Hyx says, shaking his head.

"No, I gathered that much by the fact that you took a new job and ghosted me. I want to know why."

"It's complicated," he replies.

"Well, I don't know where we're going, but I'd say we have a few hours free for you to explain it all to me."

Hyx runs his hand through his hair, a look of exasperation on his face. "Okay," he says. "Just let me set this to warp drive, and I'll come back here and explain everything."

I smile as I follow him into the cockpit, satisfied that I'm finally going to get some answers. I try not to let my expression show that I still feel super crazy that I've had to stow away on his ship to finally get some alone time with him.

My stomach lurches as the ship hits warp speed. I always love this moment, but today I feel a little apprehensive. I'm aware I may not get the answers I like, or want, from Hyx.

I had to dig around a lot at work to figure out where Hyx had transferred to, and I'm sure more than one person thinks I'm his crazy ex-girlfriend now. I figured if he wouldn't tell me what he was up to, I would just have to find out for myself. Still, now that he knows I'm on board, I suppose that works, too. At least it gives us a chance to talk when he can't run away.

Once the flight controls are on autopilot, we head back to the tiny cabin.

"Okay, let's talk," Hyx says, sitting down on the bed.

"Why the hell have you been avoiding me?" I demand. I don't sit, I stand with my hands on my hips. The weeks of pent-up frustration erupt from me with force.

"Because you're in danger," Hyx tells me earnestly. "I want to keep you safe."

"I know that. We saw that together, remember? It's my choice if I want to face that danger. You can't make the choice for me."

I feel so hurt that he blew me off. That he won't open up to me. That he won't listen to me. That he didn't even consult me before making decisions on my behalf.

"But if I can just sort it out, then we stand a chance of living a happy life together," Hyx says in frustration. "I don't want us to die again."

"But by not allowing me to be involved, we are being separated. I have told you before that could be worse than whatever fate was intended for us," I reply, equally as vexed.

The worried look on his face makes me feel bad for yelling at him. I go and sit on the bed next to him. "Come on, you may as well tell me what you've been up to," I say, trying to hold back my anger. "I mean, really? Running supply runs to avoid seeing me? Am I that bad?"

To my relief, Hyx laughs. "Okay, I'll tell you," he says. "I've had a bit of a crazy time actually. I've been dying to talk to you about it all, to see what you think. I think you'd be interested, and it's killed me to not share it with you."

"Okay, spill it," I encourage.

"I was thinking more about fated mates and past lives, so I decided to do some looking into the Precursors. The fated mate legacy is as old as they are, after all. I started wondering if there could be Precursors who have had more than one life, or if these life cycles that seem to carry over in multiple lives were set by something that happened back then. I don't know, really, it's just a thought."

I nod. "No, it's a good one. I mean, maybe not exactly scientific, but I understand what you're saying."

"See, I knew you would. I knew you'd be the only person to find this as interesting as me. Anyway, so I set out to learn more about the Precursors. I was using my time traveling to try to look up information on them and see what other planets and races might know. Someone suggested I go to a planet called Jwoon III. I don't know what I'll learn there, if anything, but that's where I'm heading now as soon as I've completed my supply run."

Hyx looks at me with love in his eyes. I reach out my hand and take his, enjoying how his golden skin is warm against mine.

"Wow, you've had quite a journey," I say. "Although I still wish you hadn't tried to leave me out of this."

"I'm sorry," he replies. "I just thought –"

He's abruptly interrupted by a sudden alarm sounding from near the front of the ship. "What the fuck," says Hyx, scrambling for the door.

I follow after, but I'm thrown against the wall as a force bolt hits the tiny craft with a glancing blow.

"We're under attack!" says Hyx. "Who would be mad enough to attack us at warp speed? We're a damn courier ship! Quick, grab a seat," he adds.

I climb up off the floor and dash for the seat next to him. I only just have time to get my belt on when we're hit again. The force bolts can't do much damage to the ship while we're in warp drive, but every one will knock us off course. If they throw us off course enough, we could easily collide with a planet or star.

Hyx acts quickly to drop us out of hyperdrive. We decelerate close to a small blue planet. "I don't know where we are, but the sensors say it's inhabitable," he tells me. "We should put down there. Maybe they'll overshoot and miss us, or maybe they'll follow us down. Either way is better than being sitting ducks out here."

I am filled with apprehension, suddenly afraid that maybe Hyx was right after all. I'm loathe to admit it after fighting him so hard on this, but only minutes back together, and we're being shot at?

I don't want to die again. I realize suddenly that all my protesting otherwise wasn't entirely true. The thought of actually dying now that it seems to be right in front of me chills me to the bone. Even as I feel my courage falter under pressure, I remind myself that I came here to face whatever happens at Hyx's side, and that's what I'm going to do.

I touch his arm as we come in to land in a forest clearing. "Whatever happens, even if it's the worst, we will find each other again. We always have, and we always will. Nothing can keep us apart."

At my words, his eyes soften and the worry eases. He leans over and kisses me. "Forever," he whispers in my ear.

There is a jolt as the attacking ship comes into land behind us. We leave the ship, waiting to see who the perpetrator of the attack is and what they want.

The door of the other ship slides open, and Elyzin steps out. He has a laser sword in his hand, and he's smiling.

"The fucking piece of shit," Hyx spits.

Elyzin steps forward into the clearing. "Shall we dance?" he asks Hyx mockingly.

Hyx steps forward to meet him.

"Be careful, my darling," I say, realizing that Elyzin has betrayed Hyx. Remembering that Elyzin always betrays Hyx.

"There are no rules," Hyx growls and pulls out a plasma dagger from his pocket.