Page 50 of Star-Born Anomaly
Clearing her throat, she tugged him forward and led him through the hallway to the lab. A white haze enveloped the world outside, stealing her breath. The wind had picked up, blowing the snow sideways. Thick swaths of it fell from the edge of the roof.
She kept hold of Iax’s hand as she rushed toward the terminal, and he willingly followed. Then she needed both hands, tapping on her systems to get a better read on what was happening to her fields.
The heat of Iax’s body warmed her arm as she worked, and she found herself leaning into him more than once. So strange that this was happening to her now, with a Calypson, when she’d felt numb inside with romantic partners for so long. Could it be because of what he’d told her? That she was Calypson too?
She pushed the thought aside—needed to if she wanted to keep her sanity—and tried to focus on her work.
Wynn analyzed the data streaming from the central hub. The probability of her seeds surviving any of this extreme weather was next to zero. She had to accept that, but wasn’t letting it beat her down. There would be a day soon when she would be out there again, planting.
The data kept her in place while the snowstorm worsened. She shook her head at it. The wonder she had felt at seeing those first flakes turned into worry for her planet. None of this was normal. She hoped people were being safe.
But no matter how much she tried to concentrate, with Iax so close, questions kept surfacing—more than she could contain. Especially overwhat would happen after the storm abated. She needed to use this time to convince him to leave her here.
Her chest squeezed at that thought, but she cleared her throat, trying to shake it off. His head turned toward her.
“How were you able to heal so fast?” she asked, her fingers moving over the terminal even though most of her focus was on him. “After being exposed to so much radiation?”
She sensed his hesitation and lifted her gaze. When it looked like he wouldn’t answer at all, she added, “How am I going to trust you enough to go with you if you don’t share information?”
His facial expression changed, the frown on his brow softening. “I have a natural ability to regenerate cells because I’m Calypson. It is the same thing you saw in the enlargement of your blood.”
Wynn rubbed at her forehead. “Yeah, but I can’t heal like that.”
“Because you are an anomaly.”
She huffed out a frustrated breath and refocused on the data in front of her. “What new information can you tell me about that subject?”
When he hesitated again, she paused. “How about this,” she said without looking at him. “How about with every truthful answer you give me, I’ll give you one too?” She lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “How does that sound?”
“It sounds fair,” he replied, but he didn’t look like he enjoyed that fact.
She couldn’t help the little quirk her lips made at an expression she could only call disgruntled. Refocusing on her terminal, she tapped to the next batch of data. “The healing thing?”
“Even the smallest of my cells are intelligent,” he said after a time.
Interesting. She really wanted to get a sample of his blood to analyze and see how it differed from hers. But before she could ask, he made good on their bargain, freezing her in place with his first question.
“Why do you cut yourself?”
Her lungs seized, and she felt heat crawl up her throat. That raw, exposed feeling returned.But fair is fair.
“It focuses me.” Tense, she regretted this game already. “Makes the world stop spinning. Your turn,” she added before he could follow up with another question. “Why didn’t you wear a UV-suit when you walked here?”
He paused before he responded. “I underestimated the effect of this planet and how far away I would land.”
“Wait. Where did you—”
“My turn,” he cut her off. “Why did you leave scars?”
Her breath left her in a sputter. “They were a reminder of what I’d lost. A badge of honor.”
His brow furrowed in confusion.That makes us even.She didn’t allow him to take a full breath before she asked, “How did you arrive on the planet?”
“In a pod disguised as a meteor. I had to adjust my landing parameters because of the storm.”
She stiffened in realization.The meteor.The one she’d seen fall while she was planting. It had been his pod.
He stepped toward her, and she tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “Why does your heart accelerate like mine when we are close?”
