Chapter 2

The air in the planetarium had cooled, the hum of the overhead projectors a low, vibrating thrum that seemed to resonate in the hollow of my chest. We had moved away from the main gathering, slipping through the heavy velvet curtains that separated the grand lecture hall from the smaller, more intimate observation deck tucked into the side of the dome. Here, the light was dimmer, cast in deep purples and indigos that mimicked the night sky above. The ceiling was a vast, curved canvas of stars, some real, some projected, swirling in a slow, hypnotic dance that made my head spin just watching them. I stood near a pillar, my back to the cool stone, watching him. He was leaning against the railing, looking out at the exhibit of constellations that hadn’t yet been projected, his silhouette sharp against the ambient blue glow. He had loosened his tie, the silk knot undone and hanging loose around his collar, a small rebellion against the formality of the evening. But it was his eyes that held me captive. They weren’t the polite, assessing glances of a mentor or an older friend. They were heavy, dark, and predatory, tracking the line of