Krigara certainly had. When he’d left last meal the previous evening, his cousin had caught Janwar’s eye and indicated with an arch of his brow that he hoped Janwar understood how ill-advised it would be to fall for Simone.
Krigara had never felt the need to issue that silent warning before. The fact that he did now was telling.
But not necessary. Janwar knew pursuing anything beyond friendship with Simone was foolish. He had amassed many enemies in his quest to avenge his parents’ deaths. The last thing he wanted was for those grunarks to start targeting Simone or view her as a means to get to him. Though he knew from their sparring sessions—and her stunning defeat of every soldier aboard the Gathendien ship—that she was a highly skilled warrior, he didn’t want to put her in the position of having to constantly look over her shoulder and guard her back. That bura was tiring.
And that was all he had to offer her. Life as an outlaw. Isolation from everyone she loved.
Once her friends were rescued and taken to Lasara, she would surely want to join them or at least visit them frequently. Prince Taelon had indicated that King Dasheon and Queen Adiransia had thawed toward Janwar after he and his crew had located Ami; raced to Taelon’s rescue; and safely delivered the prince, his lifemate, and the first new royal heir to step foot on their homeworld in half a century to Lasara. But had they thawed enough to permit him to visit? If so (and he had his doubts), how would that work? How would it look? The Lasaran people enjoyed a world free of strife because they were such stringent rule followers. How would the populace react to their sovereign leaders suddenly looking the other way and welcoming a notorious rule-breaker like him?
Not well, he would think.
But vuan it, Simone was like loana. He couldn’t see the mouthwatering pastry without wanting a taste. Or jarumi nuggets, his favorite snack. He could never eat just one. He wanted the whole drekking bag.
Janwar didn’t want to just pass Simone in the corridors or only see her when he shared a meal with the rest of the crew. He wanted to spend every moment he could with her, laughing and talking, jogging and sparring, which was all sweet torture because he knew they could never have more than that.
Halting shortly before they reached an intersection, he turned to her. “Close your eyes.”
Simone didn’t ask why or look suspicious. She simply smiled and closed her eyes.
Vuan, that was tempting—her standing so close with her face tilted up and those lovely lips close enough to kiss.
He had intended to take her arm and guide her the remaining distance to their destination but instead clasped her hand, twining his fingers through hers.
Her lips parted.
Soooo tempting.
Lasara. She intends to make a new life on Lasara when all this is finished, he reminded himself sternly and led her around the corner where a clear, stovicun crystal doorway waited.
When Janwar pressed his free hand to the reader on the wall beside it, the door slid up.
A warm breeze buffeted them.
Simone sucked in a breath.
“Open your eyes,” he murmured, turning to watch her reaction.
Her long lashes fluttered, then lifted. Pretty brown eyes widened as she stared in awe at the room behind him. “What is this?” she asked, her voice soft and reverent.
“This,” he said, backing into the room and drawing her after him, “is what makes the air on the Tangata smell so good. It’s what provides us with a healthy environment.” He glanced over his shoulder. “And it’s what makes this our home.”
The crystal door slid shut behind her as he drew her forward.
Another breeze brushed them, lifting loose strands of hair and caressing their skin.
Bird song serenaded them with musical notes.
“It’s beautiful,” Simone said as her rapt gaze swept this way and that, trying to take everything in.
Janwar moved to stand beside her and tried to see it with fresh eyes.
As he did, satisfaction filled him.
The park was multiple decks high. It had to be to accommodate the forest it housed.
“And so big,” she marveled. “How far does it go?”
“It stretches almost the entire length of the ship.”
“That’s amazing.”
He began to stroll down the shaded path, wondering how long it would take her to realize he still held her hand. “We refer to it as the park. The forest takes up most of the space, but there are also a couple of meadows, a lake we enjoy swimming in, rocks we can climb, and the garden.”
She shook her head. “I know I sound like a broken record, but this is amazing, Janwar.” A colorful maahili fluttered past in front of them. “There are butterflies, too?”
Accepting the term his translator provided, he nodded. “Every ecosystem needs producers, consumers, decomposers, and pollinators like the maahili we just saw.”
“There’s another one!” She pointed with her free hand, her face alight with excitement.
He nodded. “You’ll find insects and wildlife throughout the park.”
“How varied is the wildlife?” she asked. “Are there any predators I should worry about?”
He grinned. “No. The mammals are all small enough not to pose a threat to you.” As if to confirm his words, a samaela scurried across their path.
“Is that a squirrel?” She laughed in delight. “It’s so cute!”
“It’s called a samaela. My translator says they’re similar to Earth’s squirrels and feed on nuts and seeds. They’re quite friendly, too.”
“This is…” She shook her head. “It’s extraordinary. They didn’t have anything like this on the Kandovar.”
“That’s because the Kandovar is a warship.”
“So is the Tangata.”
“Yes,” he acknowledged. “But the Tangata doesn’t house a full regiment of pilots and ground forces or the hundreds of crewmembers needed to feed and support so many and keep the ship running. So we had plenty of room for this.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t even feel like we’re on a ship. It feels like we’re walking through a forest on Earth.”
“That’s why we all like it here so much.” None of them had a planet they could call home, no motherland they could return to between missions like the crews of the Kandovar and the Ranasura. Instead, this ship was their home, the park their retreat.
They strolled along the path for some time, Simone asking one question after another. Janwar found it even more peaceful and soothing than their morning jogs. This moment… right now… rambling through the forest, with Simone smiling and chattering and holding his hand, was the happiest he could remember ever experiencing.
Light bloomed up ahead.
“Is that one of the meadows you mentioned?” she asked.
He shook his head. “It’s the garden.”
The trees thinned, then stopped altogether, giving them a view of row after row of carefully cultivated plants bearing vegetables and fruits.
Halting, she spent a long moment drinking it in. “Wow. You mentioned having plenty of food, but I didn’t realize that was because you grow it yourself.”
Pride filled him as he examined the results of their hard work. “The Tangata provides us with everything we need to survive.”