Night Visits Lyra laughed softly as Hassian bent to tug off his boots beside her on the porch. She leaned into him, arms draped around her knees.

“So,” he said casually, “I heard you told the girls.”

“I did,” she replied, watching him from the corner of her eye.

He hummed, tugging his second boot free. “And I could be wrong… but I think they took it well.”

“They only squealed loud enough to scare the puu halfway to Bahari,” Lyra said, grinning.

Hassian smirked, setting his boots neatly beside hers. “I’m marrying into chaos.”

“And you’re going to love it.”

“I already do,” he murmured, brushing her fingers with his.

She smiled, and they rose together, arms brushing. “Shower?” she asked, a little too innocently.

“Absolutely,” he said, already reaching for the door.

But Tau let out a low wuff.

They turned to see Subira approaching from the path, hands folded, head tilted in polite apology. She made no move to climb the steps, clearly respecting the invisible line that marked theirs.

“Forgive the intrusion,” she said softly, voice like wind through reeds. “May I speak with you for a moment?” she said to Lyra.

Tau stood at the top of the steps, tail stiff and ears forward, as if to say: This better be good.

Not the One

After a quick exchange of glances Hassian excused himself. He picked up their boots and stepped inside.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch earlier,” Lyra said as she joined her. “We had a hunting trip planned this morning. I didn’t want to let my crew down.”

Subira shook her head. “No need to apologize. I understand.”

Lyra drew a slow breath. “I went to the Underground Market last night. Watched. Talked to people. All I saw was folks playing cards and having a good time.”

Subira nodded. “I received some new information. I’ve been informed that Zeki is the owner of the Market.”

She paused, then added pointedly, “I believe you already knew that.”

Lyra didn’t flinch. “I did. But I’m not throwing my neighbors to the muunjin.”

Her voice was calm, clear. “I’m not involved in any Flow trade, and if Zeki is—it’s not like he shares those details with me. We’re not that close.”

Subira studied her, eyes unreadable. “I understand. But if we’re going to work together, Lyra, we need to trust each other. And we need to be honest.”

Lyra’s gaze sharpened. “So I can trust that you’ll be honest with me, then?”

“Of course.”
Another beat of silence.

“Are you planning to cause trouble for me or my fiancé?” Lyra asked quietly.

Subira’s reply came without hesitation. “Absolutely not. You’re both citizens of the Republic. You’re not under suspicion of anything.”

Lyra nodded slowly. “Good. Maybe I haven’t given you a fair chance.”

Her tone softened a little. “I’m all for helping explore ruins, temples, anything like what I’ve done with Jina. But I’m not interested in spying on people.”

Subira gave a half-smile, dry and just a little sheepish. “That’s fair. And it’s good to know your limits… because actually, I came tonight to ask if you’d be willing to sneak into Zeki’s house. See if there’s anything suspicious.”

Lyra blinked, then raised her brows. “No.”

Subira’s brows lifted. “Just no?”

Lyra crossed her arms. “I absolutely won’t do that. If you’ve got a temple to search, I’ll be there. But sneaking into someone’s home? No, that’s not who I am.”

Subira hesitated. “Jina seemed to think you were more eager to discover answers about the past than you appear to be.”

Lyra’s jaw tightened. “Hold up. I don’t see how an illegal Flow trade has anything to do with human history.”

She took a step closer, voice firm but quiet. “Do I want to know what happened to my people? Sure. But here’s the truth… it doesn’t really matter to me.”

She looked back at the door, a smile flickering faintly.
“All that matters to me is in that house.”

Subira followed her gaze, then nodded. “Understood. I’ll be in touch, if something comes up that’s more in your… forte.”

“Fine.”

They exchanged a cool but polite goodnight. Lyra didn’t look back as she went inside.

The Bath

Lyra stepped back into the house and let the door fall shut behind her. Hassian was already standing in the doorway to the kitchen, arms braced against the frame, watching her with that patient, unreadable expression she knew far too well.

“Forget the shower,” he said. “I’m running us a bath.”

Relief bloomed across her face. “Thought you might want to talk,” he added.

“Yes. I. Do,” she said with feeling, already heading for the bathroom.

Steam curled up lazily from the wide, square tub by the time they stepped inside. Lyra peeled off her clothes without hesitation, and Hassian followed suit—his movements calm, confident, no big deal. But his eyes caught hers once as she climbed into the water, and something in them softened.

The moment she sank in, a low sigh slipped from her throat. “Bless you sweet man.”

He chuckled quietly, easing in behind her. “Just trying to keep my girl from exploding.”

“She was real close.”

She began her story right away—everything Subira had said, and everything she had said in return. She spoke clearly, without much emotion at first, just a steady recounting of the facts. But somewhere in the middle, she paused. She’d hunched forward without noticing, tension creeping back into her neck and shoulders like it had never left.

Without a word, Hassian reached up and began to rub her shoulders.
His hands were strong but careful, thumbs pressing deep into the tight muscles beneath her skin. He worked in slow, practiced circles, easing tension out of her neck, her shoulder blades, the upper curve of her spine. Each stroke melted something loose inside her.

“You’re wound tight,” he murmured, breath warm against the nape of her neck.

“I hate politics,” she muttered.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the base of her neck. Then another. Then one just behind her ear.
“I know,” he said. “But you handled it. Like someone who knows where her line is.”

She closed her eyes, her head tipping slightly to the side, baring her neck to him in quiet trust.

“She tried to recruit me,” Lyra went on, voice softer now. “Asked if I’d go snooping in Zeki’s house.”

His hands paused for a second.

“I told her no,” Lyra said, with conviction. “I told her I’m not that kind of person.”

A low hum vibrated from his chest. She felt it against her back.

He pulled her gently closer until her spine rested against him. His hands smoothed down her arms then returned to her shoulders. “You stood your ground.”

“She said honesty has to go both ways. So I asked her if she was planning to hurt us. She said no. That we’re citizens, not suspects.”

His lips found her shoulder again, a slow kiss pressed into damp skin. “Then she’s finally got something right.”

She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye. “She also said Jina told her I was curious about the past. And I told her I am. But I don’t need Flow traders to figure out who I am. That — doesn’t matter as much to me anymore.”

His voice came low and sure. “What does matter?”

She smiled, even as her eyes stung. “This. You. Tau sleeping under our bed. Kaja’s playful little yips. The way your mother keeps dropping off fish even when we don’t need it. The way you kiss me without saying a word when I’ve had a hard day.”

He kissed her again, this time slower, firmer, just above her shoulder blade.
“Proud of you,” he said, fingers gently trailing down the lines of her back. “You set your limits. You made sure you were heard.”

Her voice went quiet. “It means a lot… hearing that from you.”

He brushed his lips over the nape of her neck once more, then rested his chin on her shoulder for a beat, just holding her in the warm water.

A few peaceful heartbeats passed.

Then, he gave her side a soft pat. “Alright. Stay here. Relax. I’m gonna throw some dinner together, feed the plumes.”

She twisted slightly to look at him, cheeks pink from heat and affection. “You’re kind of perfect, you know that?”

He let out a quiet laugh, water dripping from his skin. “I don’t know about perfect… but I like hearing you say it.”