in her chest at the sight of him but she ignored her body’s reaction to him. He was watching her as he filled a metal bucket with the falling water, his chest and hair getting soaked from the spray. Again, she remembered how recklessly she’d behaved the night before.
The waterfall was towards the west of the crater base, a fair distance that would probably take her a few minutes to reach. Once she was able to tear her eyes away from Jaxor’an, they flitted over everything that lay between them, cataloguing anything she thought she recognized.
There were crops growing to the north in rectangular planter boxes with dark, rich soil that reminded her of coffee grounds. Indigo-colored vines snaked up the north slope of the crater, almost reaching the mountain that blended seamlessly into it. There were three different crops, she surmised, based on color alone, but what did she know of Luxirian gardening?
Next to the crops, to the northwest, were a collection of chests and stockpiles of what looked like weapons or, perhaps, metal parts.
Towards the center of the crater was a large fire pit—one similar to those in the Golden City—and a metal spit with something roasting on it, the spit turning on its own.
To the east, near the tunnel, was a tanning rack with some unlucky, beige-colored creature’s hide stretched tight across it—though, admittedly, the fur looked impossibly soft. Not far away, there were two more racks laden with dangling bits of drying meat.
Erin couldn’t help but notice the plethora of lanterns and torches scattered around. At night, there would be enough light to see every inch of the base. There were also a variety of chests, though most were closed so she couldn’t deduce their purpose.
There were a few large sections of the base where she’d drawn a blank. Like the pulley system towards the tunnel entrance. Or the round metal slabs that covered the ground every so often—she counted three in total.
Lastly, she craned her neck up to the sky, which she couldn’t see. A thick fog bank hung over them, masking the tops of the mountains. She wondered if they were up high or closer to ground level. She couldn’t be certain and it was mildly disconcerting.
Jaxor’an was approaching her as she managed to navigate her way down the short incline from the cave she’d slept in. There were small, smooth, rounded stones placed like a staircase leading to and from the cave entrance. Erin eyed Jaxor’an, stopping next to a metal barrel, though she didn’t know what was inside it.
When he got close enough, she eyed the thin cut she’d made last night on his neck and swallowed. She remembered how feral he’d gotten, how intense. She remembered crouching over him, pressing the blade down, and the way he’d gripped her thigh in warning, his fingers just a whisper away from her sex.
In the light of day, Erin felt shame and confusion and longing. Because she could admit to herself, silently, that a part of her had felt sparked last night. She didn’t know how else to explain it. She was equally afraid and intrigued by the blaze that he might create within her.
“I’m sorry for cutting you last night,” she said quietly, holding his eyes though she wanted to shy away.
“Nix, you are not, female,” was his reply.
His words made disbelief rise in her chest and she almost sputtered as she stared at him.
“I think you wish you’d cut me a little more,” he murmured, his fingers coming up to trace the line at the base of his throat. He dropped them when he saw her looking.
“I’m trying to apologize, Jaxor’an,” she countered, already feeling her hackles rise. What was it about this alien male that made her want to scream?
He stilled at her words, his eyes suddenly sharp and cutting.
“Do not call me that,” he hissed. Until he spoke, she hadn’t even realized she’d used his name for the first time.
Her cheeks burned and she said, “That is your name, isn’t it?”
“Jaxor only,” was all he bit out before he turned from her, heading north towards his crops, the bucket of water still in his grasp. She didn’t know what to make of that.
Erin followed after him. “Who are you?”
He tossed her an unreadable look. His black hair dripped water from the falls as he walked and she stepped in a small puddle of it on the smooth rock slabs beneath her feet.