Chapter Text
“You’re kidding. You’re KIDDING!” Greez shouted, opening and slamming the empty cabinets in the Mantis’ small kitchenette. “How could this happen? I mean, this never happens!”. He opened the fridge and shut it, shaking his head. “Kid, don’t you check this stuff? I mean, we check this stuff! Ain’t no way we have NOTHING!” He opened and shut the fridge once more, as if something would magically appear that wasn’t there before.
“Greez.” Cal watched from across the table, the beginnings of a headache forming behind his eyes.
“What planet are we near right now? It’s Dathomir, isn’t it? Don’t tell me we’re still above Dathomir-”
“GREEZ!”
The small Latero turned around, exasperation and a bit of insanity in his eyes.
“I’ll go on a supply run, and everything will be fine,” Cal reassured, rubbing his temples. He loved his family on the Mantis, but sometimes, he needed a lot more meditation time than the galaxy would allow. “And yes, we were over Dathomir. A little past, now.”
Greez muttered something unintelligible under his breath, checking one last kitchen drawer before giving up and plopping himself down on the holotable couch. “Should we go back? Gotta be something down there, right? I mean, Hell, what did she eat this whole time?” He nodded towards Merrin, who had been quietly observing from the couch.
“Not anything good, trust me,” she said, a witty edge to her voice. It had only been about two weeks since the Mantis crew had discovered, and destroyed, the Jedi holocron. Merrin was, for the most part, familiar with the ins and outs of the ship; she had settled into a routine that, although unique, fit nicely with the others’. But one thing she could not get used to quite yet was the occasional fit from Greez, always one to liven up any situation.
Cal felt the twinge of a smile pull at the corners of his lips as she spoke, a feeling he hadn’t experienced enough as of late.
Until Merrin came aboard, that is.
He had spent more time journeying, climbing, and fighting his way through the darkest parts of the galaxy than anyone his age should. Not a lot can make one smile when nearly everything they encounter would like to kill them. Save for BD-1’s jokes and excitement at new discoveries, no; Cal Kestis hadn’t had a lot to smile about.
But Merrin’s presence on this ship was a sun- not a harsh, beating ray like that of Dathomir’s fiery red suns, but something more like the golden warmth on your skin after a cold rain. Refreshing and new, yet comforting and calming. Her smooth voice wrapped around Cal like a song each time she spoke, bringing those little smiles to his face that he had begun to be familiar with.
“Kid, are ya with us?” Greez tilted his head at Cal, who now found Merrin staring at him too.
“Yeah, sorry, I…” Cal felt a flush rising up his neck. “I was just… thinking. Lost in thought, I guess.”
Greez muttered something about Jedi being weird, while Merrin stood from her seat and wandered near Cal.
“We were discussing where we might find rations, Cal,” she said, that warm voice instantly soothing the sharp edges of his headache. “We do not know where the fight will take us next, so we might as well stock up on what we can get, yes?”
Cal nodded, suddenly becoming aware of how closely she was standing. Merrin did that often, he noticed. He’d turn around and she would be just inches from him, never putting what would be considered a “normal” amount of space between them. He wondered if this was a cultural difference, the Nightsisters having been very close. But if it was, he wouldn’t ever know- he didn’t have the courage, or words, even, to admit that he focused on their closeness in every conversation.
With each passing day, Cal Kestis tried to pretend that Merrin wasn’t a distraction.
Distracting him from what, he didn’t even know; but keeping himself centered in meditation had been harder, focusing on his tools and mechanics became a chore. He had often found himself lost in wandering thoughts about her. Her culture, what her life was like before him, what she was doing when he was asleep (he heard her footsteps in the middle of the night frequently- her passing presence always woke him somehow), what was on her mind when her dark eyes seemed to pierce through his very being.
“Yeah, sounds good, let’s go there.” He cleared his throat and smiled, hoping to convince the crew he had been listening.
“Do you even know where we are going, Jedi?” Something playful danced in Merrin’s eyes, the corner of a smile tugging at her lips. Cal stared at her, forcing himself to make eye contact instead of getting fixated on her dark grey lips. He definitely wouldn’t acknowledge the Gods, she’s so pretty that rattled through his busy mind. He nodded slowly, trying to piece together the conversation that had apparently happened during his daydream.
“…Ord Mantell, you been there?” Greez said now from the cockpit, probably to Cere.
“Ord Mantell, duh,” Cal said casually, leaning his elbow on the table. Merrin eyed him suspiciously without comment, shaking her head and moving to her seat in the cockpit. Cal followed, half-grateful for the distance between their seats. With a sigh, he strapped in, patted BD on his little head, and prepared for the endless blue of hyperspace.
-
“Cal, we’re here,” said Cere from across the cockpit. Cal stirred, mumbling something incomprehensible. BD trilled a series of beeps that sounded like a question, confused.
“Kid definitely fell asleep,” Greez laughed, poking his shoulder. Cal murmured as one eye opened and the other slowly followed, an immediate expression of urgency painting his face.
“Did I…” he looked around, noticing their surroundings. He could see the dusty tan & brown surface of the planet beneath them, & a little wave of embarrassment washed over him.
“Yes, Cal, you took a nap,” Cere said. He swore he heard Merrin let out a nearly unnoticeable chuckle behind him. Had he really been this stressed? Meditation usually came easier to him than sleep, but lately, his mind was on other things. He always felt connected to the Force, but… sometimes he just couldn’t reach the peace he needed.
“Well, I’m ready now,” he said confidently. “What’s the plan?”
Cere and Greez went over the basics with him: where they would land, the best route to get rations, and where they would pick him up. This he could actually focus on- he thought Greez might start seeing delusions if they went another day with no food.
“Sounds easy enough,” he noted, BD-1 beeping in agreement. “Did you pick up any Imperial comms?”
“No, but we’ll be monitoring them,” Cere reassured. “You shouldn’t run into too much trouble. Just keep your head down, lay low, and don’t get distracted.” Distracted? Never. Ord Mantell was fairly safe, certainly less dangerous than Coruscant or any core worlds. However, the Empire was everywhere- infiltrating peaceful worlds and injecting their poison into every corner of the galaxy. Nothing was ever guaranteed to be easy. Especially when, Cal noticed, a small patrol ship lingered near the surface of the landing pad.
“You, uhh… see that?” Cal craned his neck to the window, eyeing the patrol cautiously as the Mantis idled over the platform. “Maybe we should swing around again and see if we can get clear of ‘em.”
The crew discussed, a nervous energy buzzing through the air that wasn’t there before. They could land, sure; BD always had clearance codes in case of Imperials trying to interfere. But given the past few weeks Cal had been through, he would have paid a million credits to avoid seeing a single stormtrooper ever again.
“I will go with you,” Merrin said suddenly, having been silent to this point. “It is not safe.”
Cal turned to her as she stood from her seat, once again closing too much distance between them. He took a deep breath in and out, letting calmness wash over his face, keeping his composure. “I’m sure I can handle myself, Merrin,” he sighed. “Besides, BD will come with me.” The little droid trilled a sound of excitement at that.
“I know you can.” That dark gaze pierced through his very soul. “But you never know when you might wish you had a Nightsister’s magick at your disposal, Cal Kestis.”
He took another deep breath, catching the faintest wave of her amber, vanilla-like scent. Focus on the mission. Focus on the Force.
“She’s right, ya know,” Greez hollered from the cockpit. “It might be good for you!”
Cal sighed. “Okay. You’re right.” It would be a short trip, anyways. In and out with the rations in just a few hours. Merrin smiled as she moved to help him pack a bag: cloaks for a low profile, an adequate anount of credits, and of course, Cal’s lightsaber. “We’ll be just fine.”
-
Shortly after landing, the Mantis ascended out of sight, but still in range to pick up Imperial transmissions. Cal and Merrin donned their cloaks, hoping to blend in as much as possible. Along the streets of the main city center, they had no trouble- Cal even felt a little excitement at doing something out of the ordinary. Being a Jedi meant that “normal” activities were usually out of the question, but being here, he felt like he was just another market browser, a gambler, a citizen. And Merrin was at his side. He couldn’t help but think of how she looked in her cloak, shielding her face from hostiles. The dark brown material contrasted with her pale skin and hair, somehow framing her face as if it were a painting.
“This stand looks alright,” she said, nudging Cal in the arm. He flinched at the contact. “They have fresh fruit!”
Merrin had come to love the vegetables and fruits Greez prepared, having nothing of the sort on barren, dry Dathomir. Scazz steaks were great and all, but nothing beat the sweet, juicy softness of a perfectly grown meiloorun.
“We’ll take 20,” Cal said to the merchant, hastily whipping out credits from his pocket.
“Twenty? You’re buying me out, huh?” The young Rodian merchant laughed as he gathered the meilooruns into a basket, shaking his head. Suddenly, the cool grasp that could only be Merrin wrapped around his forearm.
“I do not think we need that many, Cal,” Merrin said, eyes wide. “Should we not save credits to distribute amongst several items?” Cal considered this, the plan they had discussed. Some fruit, some vegetables, and some grains & starchy foods for sustenance. But he couldn’t help but smile when he remembered the look of pure wonder on Merrin’s face the first time she tried the fruit. Anything that made her happy, he found, he wanted to make happen again and again. He would’ve spent all the credits then and there if she’d asked him to.
“No, don’t worry about it. I brought extra anyways,” he smiled, handing her the basket. Merrin closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet, summery scent of her favorite fruit. Yes, this was worth the credits.
They carried on through the marketplace, purchasing a few items to cook with as well as bars to carry on missions. Greez would be less than impressed, but it’d have to do given the circumstances. Besides, he claimed he could make a soup out of anything.
“Should we head back?” Merrin asked, nodding towards the pickup point. But Cal wasn’t looking. The air around him chilled, a sense of dread washing over him. The Force pulled him forward towards a makeshift market stall as he grabbed Merrin’s arm and pulled her with him. They crouched behind the fabric wall, silent and waiting, as two patrol troopers walked past.
“What are they doing here?” she asked, the words placed in his mind instead of aloud. He loved it when she did that- words only he could hear. And, in this case, it kept them hidden, too.
“I don’t know,” he admitted in a whisper. “I thought they would only be patrolling the landing pad, not the main streets.” Craning his neck as far as he could, Cal spotted two more patrols unloading from their ships. Sith-spit. Of course things had to be complicated. The dusky sun of Ord Mantell had nearly disappeared behind the scattered tents, stars beginning to litter the dark sky.
“We are not going to make it back to the Mantis, are we?” Merrin spoke silently.
Cal sighed deeply, mind racing with plans and thoughts and chaos. “No. We’re not.” The pickup point was surrounded, a larger-than-necessary hologram projecting in the middle of the street. The unfeeling face of an Imperial offer appeared, broken audio booming through the market. He spoke of security and prosperity, false promises and lies the Empire fed to unsuspecting citizens. There had been a tip of high-stakes criminal activity on the planet, which Cal thought wasn’t a big deal considering where they were; regardless, the Empire couldn’t resist an excuse to force order and control on its people. So, there they patrolled the streets, enforcing a curfew, interrogating anyone who innocently stumbled into their path.
“Should we find somewhere to stay?” Cal wondered aloud, the obvious answer being yes. But Merrin, mind sharp as it was, was already two steps ahead of him. He followed her gaze to a low-lying cantina that boasted a “Vacancy” sign above its door. A shared look of agreement between them, they waited until the road was clear to run as casually as possible to the cantina.
“Let me do the talking, you’ll need to keep your head down,” Cal said quietly. A Nightsister’s tattoos weren’t unrecognizable in the slightest. Merrin nodded, making herself busy by inspecting the food they had gathered. Of course Cal had picked those ration bars, she thought. Gross.
They soon headed up to their room, an unimpressive alcove with a refresher & a small cot. This lodging would’ve barely been enough for Cal and BD themselves, let alone with Merrin present. A single room and cot. With Merrin present. Cal made a mental note to do some extra meditation after she went to sleep.
“How cozy is this,” Merrin stated, running her hand along the plain, stony walls.
“Oh, yeah,” Cal responded sarcastically, “Such luxury. If I didn’t know any better I’d think we had a suite on Coruscant.”
Merrin eyed him carefully, a tiny smile forming. Cal smiled the same in return, and it filled him with warmth. “Cal Kestis, the only places I have been are Dathomir and our ship,” she teased. “This room seems perfectly fine.” He rolled his eyes, removing his cloak and bag.
After BD had masked their comms signal, Cal let Cere and Greez know what was happening. They circled the planet, planning to drop in quickly and unnoticably as soon as the coast was clear. According to the (very loud, very annoying) hologram that periodically sounded outside, curfew did not end for several more hours, though. Putting them stuck right here in this cold, run-down little cantina room.
Cal sighed, turning around, and his breath caught at what he saw. Merrin sat perched on the edge of the small cot, boots set aside, tunic on the floor. Her normally covered arms were bared to him, the black fabric loosely framing her body. And, what affected him the most: her hair was down. She fidgeted with the small tie between her slim fingers, silky, silver tresses falling in soft waves around her face. If Cal had thought he was ever going to get over his wandering thoughts, he could trash that idea right about now.
“Can I help you, Jedi?” Merrin said, her typical edge of sarcasm lacing through the words. Cal blinked, silent. A Jedi knight, who had defeated inquisitors and faced Darth Vader himself, reduced to a speechless wreck in front of a girl.
“No, I’m just.” Cal cleared his throat, neck flushing at the roughness in his voice. “We ought to get some rest.”
Merrin nodded carefully in agreement, a look of suspicion in her eyes. Cal wasn’t blind, he knew she enjoyed this game they had played lately. The way she added extra wit when talking only to him. The way she would sometimes brush her finger on his hand as they passed one another on the Mantis. The urgency with which she had hugged him the second he woke up from his injury on Nur. He noticed, he drank it in, he kept each moment tucked away into his mind, just for him. He might’ve known she would be a distraction, he considered, the minute he saw her on Dathomir. She ordered Nightbrothers to kill him, stalk him; she unleashed the dead upon him, threatened him. Despite it all, he didn’t go one minute without her on his mind since that very day.
Bringing himself back to the present, he noticed Merrin was now standing, hesitant and still fidgeting with her hair tie. “You can sleep here,” she offered, nodded towards the cot. Her voice lacked feeling, and he couldn’t tell if this was what she wanted or not. Regardless, he would be a gentleman about it.
“No, Mer, you take it,” he said. “I’ll just take the floor. I don’t mind.”
She smiled at that, a real smile, unmistakably smug. “You’ve nicknamed me, Jedi?”
Mer. He called her that out loud, didn’t he? He’d been calling her that in his mind for days, he realized. Gods.
“I’m sorry, Merrin, I-“ he scratched his neck, poorly hiding the red that rose up his freckled skin there.
“No,” she interrupted. “I like it. And, I will take the bed, thank you.” With that, she sat back down onto the cot and pulled the thin coverings over her tattooed arms.
Cal could do nothing but nod, stare at BD or anything else, and silently toss his cloak on the floor to lie on. Despite his warring thoughts and discomfort, he found himself deeply asleep soon after Merrin’s soft breaths sleepily slowed.
-
The bonfire burned bright and hot, washing over her pale skin. Dathomir was illuminated, the red, dusty surface lit up like a moon. The music wrapped around her, filling her ears with the unmistakable joy of being amongst her Sisters. She felt a cool, familiar hand grasp her arm, and smiled at Ilyana.
“There is nowhere I would rather be than right here,” the young girl spoke, a beautiful smile filling her face. Merrin smiled back, feeling utterly joyful, basking in the celebratory air.
“Did you hear that?” A Sister spoke loudly over the drumming. A sharp, whirring sound filled the air, overtaking the rhythm of their music; a dark, cold wind seemed to sweep across the surface of Dathomir, sending a chill down Merrin’s spine. Mother Talzin called upon a Nightbrother archer to look out across the rocky hills, only to see a ship touching down. Suddenly, the warm feeling that buzzed through the atmosphere was replaced by a sinister wave of fear. Ilyana’s eyes met Merrin’s, filled with panic instead of the adoration that was there just moments earlier.
A scream pierced the air as blue and green lights overtook the warm glow of the fire.
“RUN!”
Merrin grabbed Ilyana’s hand and bolted inside the temple, ducking down below a wall. Their breathing was equally heavy, filled with a silent terror. Merrin closed her eyes as tightly as she could as she listened to the painful screams of her Sisters. What was this? Who is here, and what’s happening? She wouldn't dare peek over the wall, but she knew- she felt it- her Sisters were being slaughtered. The unmistakable bright green of magick rivaled the blue and green glow of this enemy’s lightsabers. With each passing second, the air became quieter, the buzzing sound of the sabers rattling through her ears.
Then she saw him. An unfeeling machine unlike anything she had ever witnessed before. He had eyes that were filled with hatred and emptiness at the same time. He had singe marks from her Sisters’ last efforts of magick littering his cold armor, but he remained unaffected. Why was this… this thing… killing her Sisters? Her coven? The only family she had ever known? A green blade flashed down over Merrin’s head as she screamed out, watching the now lifeless body of Ilyana fall to the ground in front of her. Suddenly the familiar red of Dathomir looked menacing and evil as the dust surrounded her. Without thought, Merrin bolted away from the temple as fast as she could. She tried to cloak herself with magick, but she was not strong enough yet. Not old enough to be taught the rituals and spells of her older Sisters. She found refuge in a spindly tree, the darkness of the sky concealing her against the tree’s black trunk. She watched in horror as the half-man, half-machine lurked around the temple, her sacred home. He stepped carelessly over the scattered bodies of her coven, and she felt hot tears streaming down her face. What had he done?
After the ship ascended, Merrin dropped from her place of hiding. She could not bear to see the carnage that lie before her: dark blood soaking through cracks in the ground, smoke billowing from the comforting fire that now burned wildly, those she was closest to having no light or life left in their eyes. All she could do was fall to the ground and let tears spill onto her lap as she realized she was completely alone.
-
“No… no…” Merrin quietly mumbled, stirring in her cot, the thin sheet tangling around her legs. Despite how nearly inaudible her voice was, Cal shot up from his spot on the floor, ready to handle whatever was coming. He scanned the room for danger, but nothing caught his eye. Until his gaze settled on her. A pained expression painted her sleeping face. Beads of sweat pooled around her hairline as she rolled to the left, then to the right, breaths quickening.
“Stop… what’s happening? Why…” Suddenly, she gasped and her eyes opened wide. Cal’s pulse sped up, his mind filling with fear and concern.
“Mer,” he said, getting up to stand next to her cot. She sat up, a look of exhaustion he had never seen before painting her soft features. “Are you okay? What happened?”
She looked straight ahead, mind working overtime. “I think I had a nightmare,” she said, tired voice laced with a tinge of panic. “My Sisters…”
Cal’s expression softened as he closed in on her cot, standing a little to closely to her as she often did to him. “I’m so sorry, Merrin,” he said sympathetically. As if it was an instinct he was born with, he held his hand out over her, and to his surprise, she immediately grasped it. His breath hitched in his throat at the contact, her soft, cold skin rivaling his warm, calloused hand.
“It is okay,” she said, looking just past him into the distance. He couldn't help but feel like it wasn't okay. “Sometimes this happens. Sometimes, at night, I miss the comfort of my Sisters… my family. I miss the warmth around me as I sleep alone.”
Cal considered this for a moment, a mutual understanding passing between them. He knew what it was like to lose everyone you considered family. Without thinking, he closed the distance between them, his knees bumping up against the side of the cot. Merrin looked him up and down patiently, awaiting his every movement. He hesitated for a moment before sitting on the very edge of the tiny bed, hand still grasping hers. He reassured himself that this was just for her comfort and nothing else. This was to help her feel less alone, and he wouldn't let it occupy his thoughts or distract him.
His head snapped down to look at their clasped hands as Merrin shifted so their fingers intertwined. Cal could do nothing about the hot pink that covered his cheeks, pupils widening as he stared at their hands fitted perfectly together. Merrin gave a small smile, her eyes saying a silent “thank you” as she slowly, almost painfully so, tugged on his arm to lower him onto the cot.
She’s laying beside me. In a bed. We’re sharing a bed. Gods, help.
Cal took deep, labored breaths as Merrin pulled him against her, the two of them barely fitting on the little excuse for a bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she rested a cool hand on his chest, inaudibly chuckling at the way his breaths staggered. She knew what she did to him, and this may have been a poor decision, given that he was a Jedi and all that. But she couldn't bring herself to care. The fear washed away as it was replaced by the warmth of her Jedi, comfort and want filling her hearts. He wanted this as much as she did.
“Thank you, Cal,” she wordlessly spoke in his mind. His hand twitched on her shoulder as he turned his head to smile at her. He suddenly became very painfully aware that their faces were mere inches apart, so much that he could feel her breaths on his own lips. And then, like a hot ember sparking in his mind, he was overcome with the urge to close that distance. He wondered silently how her dark, dusky lips would feel against his. How her hands would feel wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him closer. What she would taste like.
He should've been more afraid. He knew attachment was forbidden, but that bridge had long been crossed. Since the moment Merrin stepped onto the Mantis, Cal knew he could not go a day without seeing her. He craved her presence every time she left his side. No, attachment was no longer a concern.
He should've been more afraid as she tangled her fingers in his smooth, ginger hair, and pressed her lips against his. It was sudden, impulsive, and everything he had ever wanted since he saw her on Dathomir.
He should've been more afraid as he returned the gesture, wrapping his hand around the back of her head to keep her lips against his. Her breath quickened as she gave herself to him, parting her lips just enough to let him know her wanting matched his. Without thinking, he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue tease across her bottom lip. She let him in, gently tightening her grip on his hair, eliciting the slightest moan from him into her mouth.
Her giggle rumbled through him as he acknowledged the feeling. There was no fear there, only desire, and something else. Care, warmth, adoration, infatuation. Cal Kestis had long passed the threshold of attachment. A hot feeling pooled in the bottom of his stomach, one he had never felt before. As if Merrin could feel it too, she gently ran her tattooed hand down his back and across his side. Their breaths matched rhythms as he involuntarily pressed himself up against her, this time getting a wanting sound out of her. What this feeling was, he didn't know; what he did know is that he needed to hear that again.
He slowly pressed his body against hers once more, and she matched the motion, her hips rolling on his. He froze, pulling away, eyes locking onto hers. Her brown eyes were darker than usual, pupils blown out and filled with the desire he knew they both felt.
“Is this too much, Jedi?” She placed the words in his mind. He shook his head, eyes searching her face for doubt. But all he found in her eyes, in her gentle smile, was that same adoration he felt deep inside.
“No, Mer,” he half-whispered against her lips. “It was… I feel…” Before he could finish the thought, his comlink beeped and killed the moment. Merrin let out a sigh as Cal answered the call, finding out from Cere that it was safe to return to the ship.
“I thought we had a few more hours til curfew lifted,” he said, trying to sound composed.
“We do, but we’ve got an opening. Low patrols near the West landing pad. Troopers will still be out there, though, so you’ll need to move quickly in the shadows,” Cere said, muffled voice emitting from the comlink. “Patrols lessen in the late hours, so if you stick to back alleys, there shouldn't be any trouble you aren't equipped for.”
“Sounds good, we’ll be on the move,” Cal responded, one arm still lazily draped over Merrin. She looked up at him, eyes still darker than ever, but laced with a bit of sadness.
“So much for sleeping,” she whispering, getting a little smile out of Cal.
“I should be glad we can return safely,” he said with a sigh. “But honestly, Merrin, I would like to stay here. In this moment, with you.”
She laced their fingers together once more, smiling at him as she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the cot. “I am sure we can have more moments like this back on the Mantis, Jedi.” That hot feeling arose in his stomach again as he nodded, not even bothering to be embarrassed about the flush on his face.
The two donned their cloaks once more, packing their belongings and sharing the weight of the ridiculously heavy meiloorun basket between them. Sneaking through the alleys and using BD as a lookout, they made it back to the Mantis in one piece.
“Hey, you lived!” Greez waved an arm from the cockpit, taking off as quickly as possible before they could be noticed. “I know you got me somethin’ good, right, kid?”
Merrin unhooked the hood of her cloak as she responded. “We have twenty meilooruns,” her signature monotone voice returning. Cal realized he might be the only person to have heard her softer voice, laced thick with desire, sleepily wrapping around him.
“Twenty meilo- please tell me you got something else?” The Latero looked exasperated as Cere smiled back at them smugly, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry, Greez. I got you some vegetables and grains to make that soup you like. And ration bars,” Cal added.
“The good ones?” Greez launched the ship into hyperspace.
“No,” Merrin answered for him, getting a laugh out of the crew.
“Good job, you two,” Cere said. “I’m just glad we all made it out with something.”
As the Mantis flew through hyperspace, Cal headed towards his corner of the engine room to unpack his small bag. Making his way back, he couldn't help but notice Merrin reaching her hand out just enough to brush her fingertips against his as they passed. Their eyes met, a now-familiar feeling passing between them.
“We will have more moments, Jedi. I promise,” she spoke in a silent voice only he could hear. Cal smiled, warmth washing over his body.
No, Cal Kestis couldn't be afraid of attachment. He could not bring himself to fear a thing when Merrin was by his side.