“What’s taking so long?” the drone asks.
I glare up at the lens. “In the real world, trust takes time. You can’t read reviews or analyze data points with AI for a projection of trustworthiness. You must display your intent with consistency and patience and not have expectations, just goals.”
“Sounds like a lot of sacrifice for no guaranteed result.”
“True. But when it does work…” I keep slowly wiggling my fingers. “It means something much more because I created it.”
The meratadon crawls out and licks my finger. I smile and slowly gather the creature into the nook of an arm. “Forcing a connection only traumatizes life forms. True strength starts with vulnerability.”
The drone follows me into the back, where the door is open to the caretaker’s area. I find the meratadon’s home and ease him back inside. “Huh, the door is wide open. No claw marks or arcs. Someone let him out.”
I turn around and let the cameradrone inspect the door.
“On purpose?” the drone asks.
Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am to have Allele. Then, I meet a drone with dumb questions. “Letting something out is on purpose.
“It looks like it.”
The meratadon turns around and lights up but doesn’t release its charge. Behind me, the cameradrone jolts, then powers down to the sound of crunching metal before bashing into the floor.
A set of familiar eyes cut into me from the shadows. My father’s favorite guard. “Aurelius.”
“Pronkus, how delightful to see your fugly face again.” I taunt him because I’m secretly freaking out that he’s broken through security, and I don’t have eyes on Jovie.
“Your father is very upset with you. But he decided, last minute, he didn’t want you dead. Not yet.” Pronkus throws something at me that plants hard in my chest, spreading a sickeningly cold feeling through me and stealing the breath from my lungs. It wraps icy threads around my arms.
I lose control of my legs and collapse.
“Disgusting how weak you are.” Pronkus picks me up by the massive Storm arrestor on my chest and carts me deeper into the facility. A small portal appears in fiery purple.
No! You can’t take me away from Jovie!I wriggle in the net, but it’s useless.
Pronkus chuckles with a murderous undertone. “Brought the biggest one we had for you,Torchbearer.”
Allele! Pronkus has me! Fry the tracker! Portal open. Tell Jovie I love her.
I will protect her. We will find you,Allele says in my mind before a crackle like rapidly popping ears makes my chip fizzle.
No one gets Allele but me. And no one should be allowed to track her through me. It’s the only way.
Pronkus drags me through the Royal Guard portal, and my hope vanishes like my view of ABR’s facility.
My worst fears have come true.
23: Jovie
Many racers gather outside with us, wondering why they can’t go in the doors near the alien zoo. I try to wait patiently, but when I hear a crash, I push past the guards. They try to grab me. But a fear I can’t quite explain moves me faster than them.
Inside the creatures’ tour area, through an open personnel door, I see a hulking purple male lean over, grab something, and turn toward a faintly crackling ring of light. I ease closer and see him hauling my limp mate through a portal.
“Aura!” I charge inside, sprinting with everything I have across the room, straining to get to him before he’s gone.
The male dragging him off glares back at me, and I have no doubt he’s the one I saw earlier. My mate, my gorgeous purple alien prince—my hope—vanishes before I can get to him. All I’m left with is one pained glance back at me and the apology in his green eyes.
I can’t slow myself fast enough as the portal sputters out and slam into the back wall. In my frustration, I rear back and punch the metal. Pain flares in my right hand.
Of course, I don’t get to have him.It was all too good to be true. Inside, I’m simultaneously tearing apart from the pain of being so close and losing him and combusting with anger that someone else wants to control my man.
