(Page 64)      Shadow's heart aches fiercely— every muscle screams in protest with just the effort of bringing herself to her knees. She sits, listening to the wind whispering around her and through the grass, watching violets bend and sway under the light of the moon; far away from the last City. She looks up into the stars through tear filled eyes. [i]Where are you?[/i] The pain and longing in her chest takes her breath away. She has never felt such heaviness— it chokes her, smothers her, suffocates her. Blinking hot tears away, she wishes desperately to hear Variks's accented voice through her comms.      [i]Why did you leave? [/i]She craves the comfort the eliksni brought, the sense of belonging and home.      She came out here to hide the tears streaming down her pale face, to remember why she feels this way. This ache in her soul, this light-shattering pain, want, need. The emptiness she had felt, until she met him.      Variks was intelligent, clever, and thoughtful. He had kept her safe on missions before, and she would trust him to do it again. She deeply admired his loyalty, the impossible choices he'd had to make. That strength inspired her, moved her. His curious nature, fascination with beautiful things, humor in such dark times, brought her a feeling of satisfaction and interest nothing else could pique. She felt his shame as if it were her own. The strain in his voice when he spoke of his people dug deep into her heart.      She wants to protect him, to keep him safe. Continue learning from him, stealing away those moments with him back in the reef. But she can't do that now.       Her heart calls her far out beyond earth and the stars, to wherever Variks has gone. And if he was dead...      Shadow would chase Variks's dream for every life she could spare. Every breath devoted to peace between their people. People she felt a kinship to, a bond to, a fascination with and a growing sense of desperation for.      She inhales sharply cold night air tainted with the heavy scent of flowers, shivering. She remembers his last words to her.   [i]  "I will see you again."[/i]      [i]It's been so long... I miss you. I love you. I need you. [/i]      She looks back up into the stars, his promise kept close to her heart— right alongside the feeling of her soul being ripped in two.