Ryder
Nova…
My baby sister hit me at full speed, her arms wrapping around my waist as I caught her in my arms. At eleven, she was all long limbs and wild energy, her dark hair flying loose around her face.
"Whoa, careful," I steadied her, my hands gentle around her shoulders. With Nova, I was always careful. "What are you doing up? It's almost midnight."
"I was waiting for you," she said, pulling back to look up at me with those wide brown eyes that could make me agree to almost anything. "I heard you went to deal with the smuggler. Are you hurt? Did he fight back? Are you okay?"
The rapid-fire questions made my lips twitch. "I'm fine, my little princess. Not a scratch on me."
She studied me skeptically, her hands running over my arms as if checking for injuries. "You promise? Becau
