Yes: Lux wakes up safe for now

With a groan, Lux opens her eyes. The stone walls and ceiling of an underground chamber greet her, but the lamplight here is softer and somehow more soothing. She’s lying on a bed, covered by a blanket.

She’s also not alone. Atara stands by her bedside, peering into her bleary eyes appraisingly – no collar around her neck. Lux feels at her own throat and finds with a surge of relief that hers is gone too. Olan is seated nearby – shirtless, with bandages covering various parts of him. He gives Lux a tired and worried smile.

“Did we win?” Lux mumbles.

“Well, we didn’t entirely lose,” Atara says, taking a step back, “although the war goes on.”

Lux sits up slowly, wincing at the pain in her ribs from when Avin kicked her. Her realisation that she’s naked under the blanket is slightly delayed, but she pulls it up in time to keep herself covered. The room around her isn’t somewhere she’s been before, but the other beds and the general atmosphere are reminiscent of a temple sick-room.

“Can’t we just leave?” she asks quietly. “I want to get out of this place.”

“You aren’t the only one,” Atara says, glancing over at Olan, “but the answer is no. Not as long as the enemy controls all the exits.”

“Oh,” is all Lux can say. Figures. “Uh, do you have some clothes I can wear?”

Atara nods and retrieves a small pile of clothing from a cabinet by the wall. “Olan, look away, so Lux can get dressed.”

“It’s all right,” Lux says, muzzily. “He’s already – uh. Um.” She catches Olan’s look of alarm too late. He buries his face in his hands, blushing, as Atara glances between the two of them.

“What? Did he – Did you two – ? How would you have time…” Atara stares at Lux, then at Olan, and their reactions must have given it away. “No. I refuse to believe it. How are you both such incredible sluts?”

Despite everything that’s happened, Lux can’t help but laugh at that, although it hurts her ribs to do so, and after a moment, Olan joins in. Atara remains unamused.

“Well, I’m sure it’s none of my business what you two plan to get up to once you’re out of here,” she says, “but perhaps we should discuss how to make that happen…”