“Stop, Allele. I don’t want to be the catalyst for tearing my people apart.”
“You’re not,” Eluni says. She, Blaize, Fieri, Jorusk, and Talros gather in the hallway. “You are saving the dying half. You are giving them a chance to become like Jovie, to reach out into the universe, and to find love and hope.
“Jovie is not someone being naturally selected out. She found an opportunity and took it. Now she’s with you. You are giving our people an opportunity to listen to their Storms.”
“And what if my father and the other kings turn on those innocents?”
Fieri pushes through. “Then we light their asses up and remind them who does the heavy lifting around here!”
Everyone turns to him.
“What? Elder Allesyndra is my sister,” he growls.
“Okay, you’re going to have to explain how you’ve kept that from us in a minute,” Blaize remarks. “But first, we need to get this guy in for the final ceremony.”
“But that isn’t for several hours.”
“Nope. Twice as many couples for this heat, remember? They want to start ASAP.” Eluni waves me out.
“Alright, alright. I’m going.” I walk to the ramp. “I’m starting to feel like you don’t want me on my own ship.”
They all quiet.
For a moment, I wonder if they’re doing this to me like I was doing to my father—a family betrayal apart from values. But then Eluni smiles. Squeezes her hands into fists and shakes like she’s excited.
“Go get her already!” she says.
“Aren’t any of you coming with me? They allow in-person witnesses.”
“Give us five,” Talros says.
I walk to the hallway and up the stairs to the top floor. The rooms are closed up, but joyful sounds of many women laughing and talking echo through the walls. In the main auditorium, surrounded by glass, I find a few other males already dressed for the event. A familiar blue-eyed devil offers me a hand.
“You found one, I take it,” I say.
Sa’Tai adjusts his glove and shakes my hand. “I did. She is open-minded enough that she accepts thedarkestparts of me.”
“Sounds dirty,”
“That too. It’sgood. I’m not sure we had as much fun as you two had. Saw the replay,” Sa’Tai remarks.
I worry the cameradrones caught us doing it, but the replay on the screen by the entrance shows me shoving cake down Jovie’s suit and the shock on her face.
“Are you up here early because of the Denarso sightings?” he asks.
Dread crushes my mood. “No. My crew pushed me in here.”
“Ah. They probably know.” He rubs his neck like it’s stiff. “I hope we can get this over with so we can arm up and get on patrols.
Allele, are the Denarsoan ships close?
Yes. Please get a move on, Aura. We have a pending battle to deal with. Terran forces think they can handle it, but my calculations say they cannot. We must assist.
Understood. Get the crew ready. I’ll be back soon.
They’re headed to your position, remember?
Right.
