"Thank you, Viktor," Kira said warmly, lifting the flowers to her nose again. "They're lovely."
Viktor was her human tutor, and one of the quiet miracles of the past month.
Braxton had hired him in secret during her time in hiding, arranging for him to come to Crystal Moon so that Kira could join her university's live classes through his feed and not fall behind.
And over those weeks, the two of them had grown genuinely close. Viktor had felt like the only person in the world who understood her during that raw, heartbroken stretch, the only one who asked nothing of her and simply let her be.
There was nothing romantic in it, not on her side. What Kira felt for Viktor was respect, and a deep appreciation for his patience and his understanding when she'd needed both most.
Viktor adjusted his glasses and lowered his voice. "You came back to this place? After what he did to you?"
"It's complicated," Kira said.
