Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Ellion awoke to the gentle weight of Turi’s body curled against his. Her soft breathing was a soothing melody to his ears. He lay there for a while, simply watching her, marveling at the fierce protectiveness that surged within him. He let his fingers play in the tangled strands of her hair. Last night had changed everything. He had tasted the sweetness of her lips, felt the softness of her skin, and they’d brought each other pleasure that transcended the boundaries of their species. But with the light of dawn came the sobering reminder of reality. The looming threat of the Axis, and the secrets still hidden within the fortress, brought sharp illumination to his bedroom.

He slipped from the bed, careful not to wake her. Pulling on a pair of loose-fitting trousers, he stretched out his muscles and tested his repaired wing. His body ached from the confrontation with the Hecrons — little wonder, since he was so much older than he thought—but it was also a pleasant reminder of his time with Turi the night before. His thoughts were consumed by her, by the way her fingers had danced across his scales, by the innocent curiosity in her eyes when she asked about his “seed.” A wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined sharing such an intimate moment with anyone, let alone a Terian female. But Turi was unlike anyone he had ever known, brave and kind, fiery and passionate. And, somehow, she had managed to capture his heart.

“Hello,” said a soft and sleep-laden voice.

He turned to find Turi sitting up in bed, the sheets draped around her shoulders. She looked up at him, her blue hair spilling over her shoulders in wild disarray, her emerald eyes bright and full of life. She stretched, the movement causing the sheets to slip even lower, revealing the enticing curve of her breasts, and Ellion felt a surge of desire pulse through him. He tore his gaze away, silently chastising himself for getting distracted. Now was not the time. They had work to do.

Ellion couldn’t help but drink in the sight of her, all warmth and radiance in the soft glow of morning light. “Good morning, Turi,” he replied, moving to sit beside her on the bed. He reached out, tracing the line of her jaw with his fingertips. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in a long time,” she admitted, leaning into his touch. “And you?”

He nodded, his hand moving to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “The best sleep I’ve had in centuries.”

Her smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds, a beacon of hope and light in his dark world. “I was thinking,” she began, her gaze flickering to the door that led to the library, “about what happened yesterday. We should search for that missing journal.”

Ellion nodded. “I had the same thought. There are sections of the fortress that I haven’t visited in…well, I can’t recall the last time I ventured into them.”

“Then we should explore those areas after we finish looking through the library,” Turi said. “And there may be even more hidden in here that might help us understand your past— our past.”

A mixture of apprehension and excitement coursed through Ellion’s veins. The thought of uncovering more long-forgotten secrets was both thrilling and terrifying. But with Turi by his side, they could find whatever lay hidden within the shadowy corners of his home.

“Very well,” he agreed, rising from the bed and offering his hand to her. “Let’s get something to eat and begin our search.”

Turi placed her hand in his, her fingers intertwining with his own. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through him, a tangible reminder of the bond that was forming between them. After returning to her room so she could wash and get dressed, they had a quick meal in the dining room. They discussed their plan for searching the fortress, which was imposingly large.

He told her that Ara had left a message for him that she would monitor the settlements for the day, giving him the freedom to search for the journal. She, too, had known what they had to do today. As they left the dining room and took the lift back to the library, Ellion found himself drawn to the warmth of Turi’s body, the scent of her hair, the rhythm of her breathing. Every sense was heightened, attuned to the luscious female who walked beside him.

They paused at the entrance to the library, their hands still clasped together. Ellion turned her to face him, his expression serious. “Turi.” His voice was rough with emotion, “I’ve spent so many years alone in this fortress, tending to duties I never questioned. But now, I feel…whole. You are mine. I will burn down the Axis before I allow them to hurt you.” Their gazes locked and Ellion felt a surge of gratitude for this fierce, compassionate female who had turned his world upside down.

A soft smile played on her lips as she reached up to touch his face. “We’re in this together, Ellion. I won’t let you face your past alone. We’ll uncover the truth, no matter how painful it may be.”

He covered her hand with his own, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I don’t deserve you, Turi.”

She shook her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I think, maybe, we deserve each other.”

With a final squeeze of her hand, Ellion led her into the library. His gaze swept over the vast expanse of the large chamber he thought he knew well. The room was bathed in a soft, golden light that spilled from the high windows, casting long, dancing shadows across the rows of books, tablets, and datapads. The scent of aged paper and the faint, metallic tang of devices filled the air, a testament to the centuries of knowledge contained within these walls. He moved methodically, his wings folded lightly to his back. He scanned each shelf with a sense of urgency. The weight of their task—finding the hidden journal that might hold the key to his past and their future—hung heavy in the air.

Beside him, Turi worked in silence, her fingers tracing the spines of the books, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her blue hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, her green eyes alight with a fierce intelligence. Ellion could not help but feel a surge of admiration for her and a deep, aching desire that they could not deny much longer.

They had been searching for hours, their efforts yielding nothing but technical journals and datapads full of schematics that meant nothing to them. The frustration was beginning to take its toll, a palpable tension that hummed in the air between them.

Turi pulled out a thick tome and flipped through the pages before shutting it in frustration. “I don’t think it’s in here.”

Ellion leaned against a shelf. “Perhaps not,” he said. “But it has to be here somewhere.”

Turi crossed her arms. “We need to try looking somewhere else, but this fortress is a labyrinth. The journal could be hidden anywhere—or nowhere. Maybe it was destroyed along with your memories of it.”

Ellion’s jaw tightened, his mind racing as he considered their options. He could feel the cool press of the metal implant behind his ear, a constant reminder of what the Axis had done to him—and the secrets they had buried deep within his mind. “I believe it’s here,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s the only lead we have.”

Turi’s gaze met his, her expression softening slightly. “I know,” she said, her voice filled with a quiet understanding. “And I believe in you, Ellion. But this… This is like looking for a pikworm in a sogfrut field.”

Ellion let out a sigh. His gaze swept over the endless rows of material. The enormity of their task was daunting, but he knew they couldn’t give up. Not when the truth was so close he could almost taste it—bitter and painful, yet necessary for their survival.

“You’re right,” he said, his mind already formulating a new plan. “We’ve been focusing on the areas that contain historical records and journals. But it’s time to start looking elsewhere.”

Turi nodded, her expression determined. “Where to?” she agreed, shifting toward the exit. “You know this fortress better than I do.”

He had no idea where his past, erased self had gone, and the fortress was massive. They left the library and he steered them toward a section of the fortress he had long neglected. It was the sub-levels, where the air was cooler and the corridors tighter. As they ventured into the dimly lit maze of halls, their footsteps echoed off the metal walls. They passed by chambers filled with thick wires and quiet control panels. He hadn’t thought about how vast the fortress truly was, and how much of it he had chosen to ignore over the years.

As they delved into the forgotten recesses of his home, they came upon a heavy metal slab door. Its surface was etched with intricate, blocky symbols that glowed faintly as they approached. It was a part of the fortress that Ellion had not thought about in ages, a place he had subconsciously avoided for reasons he could not explain.

“Hmm,” he murmured, his hand hovering over the door panel. “I haven’t entered this room in… I don’t know if I’ve ever been in here.”

Turi fixed her gaze on the door. “Then it’s time we found out what’s inside.”

With a deep breath, Ellion pressed the pad and the door opened, revealing a spacious chamber filled with sleek control panels, chairs, and instruments. The only light came in from a large curved window and a low blue glow that wrapped the corners of the ceiling. There were console sets for at least fifteen people. They were designed with unique chair backs for beings who needed to accommodate large wings.

“What is this place?” Turi breathed.

Ellion stepped inside the spacious chamber. Turi’s presence beside him grounded him as he gazed around in awe. A low hum filled the air as the door slid shut behind them. The room was expansive, much larger than he had initially anticipated, and it seemed to stretch endlessly before them. The control panels dominated the room, their sleek surfaces dotted with buttons, switches, and flat screens that lay dark and dormant in the semidarkness. It was a technological marvel, more complex than anything found in the main areas of the fortress, and yet, somehow familiar.

“This place feels important,” Turi whispered, her eyes wide with wonder as she approached the nearest console.

“Important enough that I haven’t visited it,” he admitted, moving further into the room alongside her. The floor was made of a soft, yielding material that hummed faintly underfoot—a sign of the advanced tech woven into every aspect of this strange chamber. He shook off the lingering disbelief, setting aside memories of his own uncertainty. “I doubt this has been used in centuries,” he murmured, cautiously approaching the nearest console. Its surface was covered in dust and a thin layer of grime, but still, some of the screens were starting to flicker to life.

Turi’s fingers brushed the surface of one of the consoles, and a cascade of lights burst to life, illuminating their surroundings in a brilliant blue glow. “Uh-oh,” she said, snatching her hand away. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

The screens flickered and hummed, showing rows of incomprehensible data and schematics. Ellion’s gut tightened with the impossible knowledge of what he was standing in. This was no ordinary room, and it didn’t belong here.

“What is this place?” Turi asked again, deeper this time. Her gaze darted from one screen to another, studying the swirling symbols and glowing charts.

“This…this is a command deck,” he said, marveling at the stark realization. “A control center, but they’re usually in large starships capable of interstellar travel, not in moldering fortresses on remote planets.”

“Amazing,” Turi said, awe coloring her tone as she leaned closer to examine one of the screens flickering with shifting numbers and data. “Can it still work?” she asked.

Ellion moved to another station and examined the interface. “Maybe, but it looks like it would take a full crew to operate it. Perhaps it was installed here at some point as a control center, then abandoned, as the Axis consolidated their power.”

Turi leaned in closer, her eyes wide as she absorbed the information. “If the Axis went to the trouble to put this here, they must have used it for something vital,” she mused, her fingers dancing across the screen. “But why just power it down and leave it behind?”

“The Axis are nothing if not secretive,” Ellion replied, lost in thought as another display blinked to life.

Turi said, staring at a screen in front of her, “Maybe it’s something else entirely.”

With a deep breath, he activated the main console in front of him, pressing his fingers on its cool surface. “Let’s see if we can find out.”

Lights blinked to life and screens filled with charts and star maps. One of the panels displayed a holographic projection of a star system, the bright suns and planets swirling in intricate formation, unlike any he was familiar with. He barely suppressed the hiss that slipped from his lips as a map materialized in front of him, displaying a vast star system filled with interconnected paths. “This is a navigational hub,” he said in awe. “Like the command centers in fleet operations. The machinery here is built for multiple control functions—communication, strategizing—absolutely incredible.”

He turned to see her bent over a screen on the other side of the room. She touched the screen with a tentative finger.

“Turi, be careful—” he began, but when she looked up, her face was pale.

Her eyes were wide. “You need to see this.”

“What?” he asked as he strode over to her.

She pointed at the large screen she stood in front of. “If I’m seeing this correctly—and I’m no expert—I’m pretty sure this command center didn’t come from a starship. The fortress is the starship.”