It was my turn to smile. Star would do well if she passed the training. If.

“Enough talk,” Valek said, guiding me down between the roots. “I need to give you a proper send-off.”

My last night in Ixia was spent with Valek beneath the tree. The hours till dawn flew by. The rising sun intruded, waking me from a contented doze in Valek’s arms, forcing me to face the day that I had to leave him.

Sensing my mood, Valek said, “An execution order hasn’t kept us apart before. There are ways to get around it. We will be together.”

“Is that an order?”

“No, a promise.”