Page 82 of A World Enough

Brogan was looking so sexy in her suit, but she looked sexy in her ordinary clothes too. Her big, tall, dominant wolf frame made Camber weak at the knees. She remembered when Brogan brushed her lips down the curve of her neck and inhaled her scent. The very thought of it made her shiver.

The lift stopped, and Camber brushed down her dress. Brogan exited first and offered her arm. Camber gladly took it.

“It’s busy, isn’t it?” Camber said with no small amount of worry.

“Don’t worry, I’m scanning around us all the time. No one is getting past this wolf.”

Camber let out an inner sigh. She realized that this was the only time in her life where she felt protected by someone else.

Vorka and the rebels couldn’t make her feel like that, because they had other battles to fight in the rebellion, and Vorka insisted that Camber tell her nothing of where she travelled, even on her last visit to Danus when the Abnobians attacked.

Vorka would kill her if she knew how much Brogan knew, but she couldn’t explain it. She simply trusted her.

“Let’s go and wow them,” Camber said. “Just like you said.”

Brogan gave her the biggest smile. “We will.”

There were so many restaurants on this moon, but Ziggy told them she had chosen a restaurant and a table where they could look out over the gaming hall. They made their way to the restaurant called Apsu.

At the door, the head waiter was taking reservation details. But before they could speak, he said, “Camber, Brogan, welcome. I have your table all ready for you. Please come in. Ziggy will be with you soon. If you just follow your waiter Onar here, she will take you to your table.”

Camber said to the head waiter, “I’m sorry we’re late. I hope that hasn’t caused you any trouble.”

“Not at all. We are here for you anytime.”

Onar took them over to a booth that looked out over the middle of the gaming floor. It was a raised VIP area with the best views.

When they sat down, Onar said, “I’ll be bringing you out some pre-dinner snacks, would you like drinks?” They gave their orders, and she said, “I’ll be right back with them. Anything you need at all, just let me know.”

“That’s really kind, thanks,” Camber said.

“Ziggy has told us you’re both to be treated like royalty today.”

Onar left, and Camber said to Brogan, “Is this what it feels like to be famous?”

“You’re famous, Camber. You are the Map Keeper,” Brogan said.

“Maybe don’t tell the whole restaurant, Wolf,” Camber said with a smile.

“Sorry, let’s enjoy this,” Brogan said. “It might be a while till we can do this again.”

We? Camber thought. No, because this wolf with blue—sometimes yellow—eyes was leaving her.

“They are falling in love,” Kartog said to Ziggy.

They were standing at the bar, looking over Brogan and Camber through the glass separating the games hall from the restaurant.

Ziggy was due to join them but wanted to get the state of play from Kartog herself.

“Yes, they are gone on each other. Which makes this a whole other kind of problem. Camber is supposedly taking Brogan to find her way home. Meanwhile Camber is being hunted,” Ziggy said.

“They will make choices made by love, not the safety of the Map Keeper and the realm,” Kartog said.

“That’s what’s worrying me,” Ziggy said.

“Have you ever been in love, Ziggy?”

“No.”