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“This portal of yours–mind if I look over your notes?”
“You did it all by yourself? No help, no assistants? Not even a robot? Curious.”
“I do wonder why the Deruzian government doesn’t want to share your findings with Earth. We all use the portal, after all.”
“I cannot reveal that information at this moment,” Nazyn would say each time. “But I will give more details during my speech, I hope you can join us.”
“That’s a good way to fend them off,” Darcy whispered when the crowd began to thin, satisfied with their few seconds in Nazyn’s presence. She couldn’t blame them. She wanted to be by his side, too. And, yeah, she noticed the envious stares thrown her way, thank you very much.
“Kiara taught me to say that. She rewrote my speech, too,” Nazyn revealed. “Deruzian and human presentations are very different.”
“How long was yours?”
“One minute,” he said. “Who needs more than that?”
Darcy laughed as they finally and mercifully reached the front of the line at the reception. But people still looked Nazyn’s way, whispering in awe. He didn’t seem to enjoy the adulation, though, not one bit. His muscles were as coiled as a snake underneath that black shirt of his.
“What’s wrong?” Darcy asked from the corner of her mouth.
“I’m not used to this. Kiara told me I had tomingle, but I find it hard. Inventions don’t require long discussions. And they want to talk about things I truly cannot reveal.”
“I see. If they keep pestering you, just turn the conversation to some tech you can talk about. They’ll eat it up.”
“Thank you.” He looked at her with such a grateful, sincere stare, Darcy’s heart jumped in her throat, squeezing all the air out of her lungs on the way. “I’m so glad you came with me.”
“No problem, we make a great team,” she managed to say. “I’m happy you asked me to come.”
But all that happiness died the second the receptionist greeted them, a tired and concerned look on her face. Darcy soon found out why the woman had such a furrow between her brows and why, instead of greeting them, she instantly apologized.
But she still didn’t believe the Universe had played such a trick on them.
Not after Nazyn called Kiara to fix the problem.
Not after they spent twenty minutes checking in.
Not even when they went up the stairs, since the elevator was full.
But when Nazyn finally opened the door to the room, Darcy had to accept reality.
“Ireallyneed to have a discussion with Walter,” Nazyn said, sounding as awkward as Darcy felt.
She only nodded. Her words were caught somewhere in her throat, and all she could do was stare.
Stare at theonelarge bed in theoneroom she and Nazyn had to share for the entire weekend.
Universe help her.
8
NAZYN
“There’s onlyonebed,” Nazyn whispered furiously to the miniature hologram of Rynar that kept blinking in and out of view.
Rynar squinted at Nazyn, who toweled the last beads of water off his body. “Where in the Nines are you? And what’s that awful noise?”
“The bathroom. And that is the blastedblow-drier, to cover up this delightful conversation we’re having.” Nazyn exhaled sharply. The sound of theblow-drierwas grating on his nerves which had already been stretched to the absolute maximum. “What in the Nines do I do? Darcy is out there, probably worried. I can’t sleep in the blasted frozen forest.”
Though he had considered that possibility. He doubted his human suits would survive the ordeal.
