by April Zyon
“We will not actually be meeting with Fintan and Adira. They don’t come over into our space, mainly because of the twins. They are still too young to risk the journey, but Petr will be transmitting a coded message to his sister. Fintan will be the one coordinating the search on the Craegin side, along with some allies who want this war to end as badly as the rest of us. As to what started the war…” Chevon ate some more food and took another sip of the wine. It was a long story but maybe he could compress it a little. “Millennia ago we were both ruled by royal houses, I am sure you know. They were on friendly terms, and the one son of Imara fell in love with the daughter of Craegin. They arranged to be married in secret and even had a child together. Then they decided they needed to make it more public because of rumblings of dissent on both sides. They wanted to unite our systems under one rule. But there were entities in the Craegin power structure who, along with those of the ruling body, did not want the royals to rule over them any longer. There was no money to be made if we were not at war. So they were killed mere hours before the formal, public ceremony was to be conducted. They buried the facts of the child, who was put into hiding by the nanny when word came in of his parents’ death, and they hid the fact the royals were already married. As of that moment in time, the royal houses of Imara and Craegin ceased to exist except in history. What none of us expected to find out was there is a living heir to the thrones who, should he decide to come forward, and we can damn well keep him alive to do so, can end everything immediately. The biggest problem is getting him to a place where we can prove who he is, and keeping him alive long enough for us to arrest and imprison all those responsible for keeping our peoples at war.”
“That would be a difficult task indeed. My parents served as advisers for the council on Craegin. My brother, Laurence, and I should have each taken over their positions when they passed but I had no desire to. I dislike war intensely and I would never agree to continue the war, so between the pull of my twin and some of his buddies the dual role was reduced to a singular position. Part of what I want to be made known is the fact that the role was taken illegally. Does that make sense?”
“It makes sense, little one. As a male, he should never have been able to fill the spot. Only yourself as a female or another woman should have filled it. We will pass that information along to Petr as well so he can give it to Fintan. We may not be able to right all the wrongs in our worlds, but we will do our part to correct the ones we can. The rest will take time.”
“Thank you for that. I don’t want him to have anything that he shouldn’t. I should have known something was wrong when the man took over the position without giving our family the mourning time that they needed and deserved. That’s what has me angrier than anything and why I suspect he killed them. He didn’t mourn them in the least. He didn’t even go to their burial. Instead he was redecorating their offices. But I never suspected that he and my fiancé had been lovers the whole time. I believe that Mikel assisted Laurence in the murders of our parents but I can’t prove it.”
“If there is any evidence to be found, Fintan will discover it. He has contacts there like Petr does here. Trust me, little one.” Lifting his hand to touch her cheek, he smiled when she leaned into it. “We will find the proof of his actions, and he will be held accountable.”
“Well, if the general can find evidence to convict my twin he would be summarily killed for high treason. My parents were greatly loved and their loss was felt by many.”
Chevon frowned at her words. She was right. With Craegin laws as they were, the punishment fit the crime. And if he had murdered their parents, or taken part in it, he could be put to death. “Are you prepared for that to be the end result? We could discuss this with Petr, and through him, Fintan, to figure out a better way to handle it all. I don’t want you feeling guilty for any part you might have in this.”
“Yes. If he murdered our parents, he deserves nothing less. He’s an absolute monster if that is the case. He’s been a bully for a long time and is no longer the child that I grew up with. Whatever our society deems is the appropriate punishment for him is what is necessary.”
Nodding, he leaned back in his chair. He would receive all the information first, so he could potentially soften the blow of whatever came. But she knew the Craegin laws better than he did, which meant she was likely already resigning herself to the outcome.
“I don’t know how it will be proven,” she continued. “I’m just hopeful that they will be able to prove it so that he will pay for his crimes. Everything that he did, everyone that he’s wronged, he has to pay. I should, however, thank him if he had a part in what had me beaten and slammed into a pod for certain death, because it brought you to me.”
Chevon grunted. “No matter the outcome, the end result was clear. Enough of that, though. Finish your dinner so that I can show you the next part of your surprise and the evening’s plans.” He wanted her off the topic mainly because the more worked up she became, the more agitated he got. And as there was no one there for him to hurt for harming her, it was a no-win situation.
“Oh yes, the surprises. I can’t wait.” She was grinning now, and he saw the happiness in her eyes. “I can’t believe that you did all of this for me. That you went out of your way like this.”
“You’ve had a rough go for the last while. It was only fitting I do something to make it a little better. Now finish your meal, and then we will begin your evening of surprises.” Touching her cheek lightly, he leaned in to give her a kiss. “Eat.”
“I’m eating.” With rapt attention he watched her lift a bite of the food and bring it to her lips. When she closed her mouth over the utensil, he felt a greedy and eager need for her. “See, eating.” She did it again. The little minx was trying to shake his control, he knew it.
He narrowed his eyes and watched her for a moment more. When she continued to eat, Chevon turned his attention purposefully to his own plate. If he did not, he would ruin his own plans. As much as he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her to the bedroom, not letting her out until he had to be back on shift, he had gone to great lengths to give her a night out around the cruiser. No way would he ruin that.
When their meal was over and he had served them an amazingly delicious Craegin dessert, she leaned back with a smile. “That was incredible, Chevon. Truly. I can’t believe just how good that tasted but it was more than the taste. It was the fact that I got to share that meal with you.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he said. Smiling, he got up from his seat to tidy up the dishes and set the tray by the door. He would take it back to the dining hall later that night. Returning to her side, he held out a hand. “If you’re ready we should get started.”
“Should I change clothes or am I okay like this?” she asked, her hand sliding into his. She was nervous, that much he could tell by the way her hand shook in his.
“You are perfect.” Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her tight and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Let me confirm with Malek that all is ready, and we’ll head out.”
He watched her walk away from him and slip her feet into the soft slippers she’d had on when she had arrived in the pod. He would need to get her more clothing and shoes, soon. He needed to take her shopping so that she could be more comfortable on his ship.
A quick check-in with his first, then Chevon tucked the earpiece into his pocket. Moving behind Laura, he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. He gave her a hug before shifting around to take her hand, then led her out of their quarters.
Chapter Seven
When he had told her that he’d arranged some time around the ship for them, she had been surprised, to say the least. She stood there at his side, however, and smiled up at him. “I’m ready.” She trusted him with her life. “So, what’s the surprise? Other than being able to get out of our rooms, that is?”
“You have to wait to see.” Pulling on her hand, he led her down the corridor to the lifts. Inside he g
ave the AI a floor, then stood there waiting patiently. Here she was, practically ready to crawl out of her skin, and he looked calm as could be. The fact that he knew where they were going was in his favor of course.
Reaching their floor, he guided her through the empty corridors and stopped before a large set of doors. Chevon punched in a code, and when the doors slid open she knew exactly where she was. The scent of flowering bushes and humid air rushed out into the corridor.
Laura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She had never smelled anything so sweet before. She knew they were in some sort of hydroponics bay but she wasn’t sure what kind. Opening her eyes, she looked at the lush greenery in the massive space and smiled. “This is really lovely. Thank you for bringing me here.”
He urged her inside, the doors sliding shut behind them. “The entire floor is for hydroponics. A little under half is this public space where the crew can come to relax among the various trees and flowers. The other half is where our vegetables and fruits are grown. It allows us to keep them fresh and unstored. It also provides some of the crew the relaxation therapy of gardening.”
Laura nodded. “There’s just something fabulous about getting your hands dirty and watching something grow from the fruits of the labor that you put into the dirt.”
Tucking her hand through his arm, he led her deeper into the space. “There are some benches among the trees where you can settle in to relax, or read, too. Any areas like this one that is cordoned off, do not go into. Either the plants are endangered or they are mildly poisonous. We don’t have any that are truly dangerous, but there are a few that can cause minor skin rashes and so on.”
“I’ll be doubly careful because I’ve never been around any of your greenery or flowering plants before.” The last thing she wanted was to have a sudden allergic reaction to something that was in a space created for peace and tranquility.
“The doctor will have run the full screen of possible allergens. I’ll check the report to see if there’s anything we need to be worried about. I should have looked beyond foodstuffs but it wasn’t a concern until now. You have no known allergies to any Imarian foods or spices. Come, I want to show you my favorite spot in here. I don’t get here nearly as often as I would like anymore, but I spend time down here when I can.” He led her deeper into the room to a spot where a waterfall tumbled in such a manner that it appeared to come through the hull and down into a pool of water where fish darted around. A little beyond the pool was a swinging bench seat he settled down onto, with her in his lap.
She shifted slightly so that she was more comfortable, sighing when she leaned back against Chevon. “I could get used to this.” The sound of the water, the slight breeze created by the hidden fans, all of it was utterly perfect and so romantic. “I can see why this would be your favorite spot, Chevon.”
“All the better now that I have you to share it with. This is one of the few places on the cruiser where all the sounds the ship makes are completely drowned out. There’s a constant hum, mainly from the engines, that fills the ship at all hours. Down here there’s nothing but the sound of water.”
“And the breeze from the silent fans that are blowing. It’s perfect. I’m sure that many of your crew have claimed this as their favorite spot.” Hanging suspended as they were was perfect. It was comfortable and relaxing, the gentle sway as Chevon pushed his foot against the ground to set them into motion from time to time.
“Thank you for sharing your space with me,” she told him as they rocked. “And if you ever need time here away from me, you’ll tell me, right?” She looked up at him. “Because I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something or share something with me all the time if you don’t feel like it.”
“I will never need time away from the one person who makes me feel whole. You are my world, little one. Never suggest I will not want to spend every moment I can with you.” Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he held her close. “Now, shall we continue on with our night of surprises?”
“There’s more?” She moved so that she was just a bit closer to him and gave him a hug. “I’m ready for more surprises if you’re ready for us to go.”
“There’s more,” he said. Helping her up, he led her out of the hydroponics bay and back into the lift. They had gone down a few more floors before he led her through the corridor to another heavy door. He walked inside with her, and she discovered it was a small ante-room. Beyond it, through the window in the second door, she could see a large, empty room with handles at various spots on the walls, floors, and ceiling. “Our anti-gravity chamber. The crew have to train in here on a regular basis for space walks. We don’t do many over the course of a career, but when it becomes necessary it is training we are all grateful for. It’s also a fun place to mess around in. Are you willing to give it a try?”
“Yes. Oh, my heavens yes.” She couldn’t wait. “I’ve never done zero gravity. I can’t wait to try it,” she admitted. “Now, do we change clothes or is what we are wearing okay?”
“Take off your shoes, and as long as you don’t have any loose items in your pockets you are fine.” Chevon toed off his own shoes and went to the control panel. The inner door slid open, and he stepped through. “Once you have hold of the railing, I’ll turn off our artificial gravity. And then you can float and push yourself around. There’s always a little gravity because of the ship, but not enough to affect our movements.”
She moved to do as he’d instructed, walking inside and grabbing one of the railings. She looked at him and gave him the nod and watched the door close behind him. When he asked her if she was ready, she nodded again and told him yes. He switched off the gravity and she began to laugh as she was lifted off the ground.
He followed her around for the first little bit until she got the hang of it. Then he floated around watching her doing spins and flips.
After flipping and turning in every possible way she could, Laura made her way back to Chevon. There in the center of the room, both of them floating freely, she wound her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his hips. “Hey there.” She rubbed her nose to his.
He circled one arm around her while he used his other one and his legs to keep them from bumping into walls. “Did you enjoy yourself?” He grinned. “You were laughing enough I wasn’t sure if you were not slipping into hysteria.”
“I really did. I had such a great time. Thank you so much for this.” She brushed her cheek to his and sighed in contentment. “I really hope that my surprises for the night aren’t done already. Please tell me that tonight we’ll be able to make love?” He had been so careful of her, making sure that she had all she needed in every way, but now that she felt healed she wanted her mate. She needed that bond.
“There are still a couple more surprises to share with you before we head back to our rooms,” he said with a wink.
Laura beamed. “I don’t know what you can do to top this part of my night so far.”
“I’m not sure if it will top it, but we have two more stops.”
“I’m ready to move along to the next if you are.” There was only so much tumbling and flying one could do before they got bored or their stomach decided it didn’t like the actions going on.
“When I turn the artificial gravity back on, take a moment to regain your legs. Flex your knees, and relax.” He pushed off a wall they’d floated toward and got them back to the door.
She let her legs down from around his waist and when he had them in position she grabbed the railing as well as his shoulder. “I’m ready now, Chevon. Go ahead.”
He tightened his hold around her waist, then hit the button. A good thing, too, because even though she’d thought herself ready, she wasn’t really. “Steady. Flex and straighten your knees, little one. Keep hold until you feel steady. Then we’ll move to the outer room where you can sit down to put your shoes back on.”
“Holy smokes, that took a lot more than I expected. It is so odd to go from weightless back to our solid
weight. Although now my stomach is protesting the gravity.”
“It takes some getting used to,” he said. Pulling her closer, he led her into the outer chamber and helped her sit down on one of the benches. “Lean back against the bulkhead and focus on a point while you breathe slowly. Each breath you pull in for a count of three, hold for three and release on three. The focus will help to settle your stomach.”
Once she was feeling better, he held out a hand to her and tugged her up into his arms. Chevon winked as he drew her out of the room. “To the next surprise. This one will be fairly quick. I want you to have lots of time for the last of this evening’s surprises.” On the lift, he took her to another floor, then led her through the quiet, semi-dark corridors. Opening a door, he ushered her into a room that appeared to be filled with stars. Laura quickly realized it was an observation room of sorts, lots of heavy glass allowing the occupants to feel like they were among the stars. “I had to share this with you.”
“Chevon,” she whispered, stepping closer to the massive glass that was between them and the stars. “This is incredible.” Tears filled her eyes, then spilled down her cheeks. “It’s so beautiful.” She pressed her hand to the glass.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, little one.” His arms closed around her, his warmth at her back and his reflection in the glass.
“These are good tears,” she told him with a grin and turned in his arms. “It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in all of my life. It’s as if we could reach out and touch them. Amazing.”
“It’s nothing in comparison to you, little one.” Resting his forehead to hers, he rubbed his hands over her back. “One last surprise before we return to our rooms for the night. Hopefully, this one doesn’t elicit tears. I’m man enough to admit they make me uncomfortable and seriously out of my depth.”
