Thousands of Glittering Knives

Zagan walked ahead of Penelope the rest of the way to the containment facility, pretending not to notice when she started to slow down from fatigue. He kept going, determined to get there without coming too close to her again. It made him uneasy—whatever it was about her that he couldn't quite understand. It was like a mystery that he didn't want to solve but that drew him in nonetheless.

When they finally arrived to the walkway where the two wings of the facility flared out on either side of the entry, he paused at last and waited for her to catch up. She hadn't complained at all about his speed, but when she finally arrived by his side, she was out of breath with a thin glistening layer of sweat on her skin. She looked radiant, and her scent had intensified from the exertion. Zagan silently cursed himself.

"Wow," she huffed, arms akimbo as she allowed herself to catch her breath.