Emir lay flat on his back, hand tucked behind his head, enjoying a brief, well-deserved rest beside an unconscious Aquila.
Judging by his nigh-vibrating body, the tremors had stopped, allowing him to sink into the hard ground without complaint.
He let the tension seep from his muscles, but his mind refused to follow suit.
It was far from still. Far from relaxed.
He thought about many things—too many to count.
Just how was he still alive?
Emir had faced someone far above him in strength, a bastard of a man wielding power two entire sub-ranks higher.
It should have been a guaranteed death sentence. Yet here he was, breathing and intact.
Was it because another date had promised him death? Another place? Kar Babel?
Perhaps. And it'd all be thanks to that soon-to-be Starless Star of his.
Either way, judging by the current pace of things, it was a precarious gift.
The benefits of today were as well.
