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Luca had enough grace not to reply that it was too late to ask those questions now. “I sent a drone through and back again on a test run. All readings indicate that the journey is within tolerable limits for humans.”
Baris made a contemplative noise. Tolerable but not pleasant. He had traveled in a tunnel drive ship. The sensation of being stretched when the ship entered and exited the tunnel was not one he would recommend. He disliked the idea that Lenore would experience even temporary discomfort. The notion that the portal could fail and she could be lost…
It was unacceptable.
He had no right to feel as possessive as he did about Lenore. They had only spent a night together, yet that brief time felt more substantial and more real than anything had in ages. They knew it was temporary, enjoying each other before the opportunity escaped.
He wanted more. More time. More quiet conversations over tea. More of her intelligent eyes watching him. Definitely more kisses.
He would have her safe, even if he couldn’t keep her.
“How soon will the portal be operational?” Baris asked.
“The rings are building the kinetic energy necessary to puncture space. An hour. It is not a fast process.”
An hour. Not time enough to do anything other than torture himself over Lenore’s wellbeing, and far too long to brood on his feeling of unease.
“That’s the subsonic frequency you’re feeling. It is unnerving,” Luca said, anticipating Baris’ next question.
“Is it damaging?”
“With prolonged exposure. Days, not hours. The portal is safe for our purposes.”
The humans were corralled at the far end of the hangar, receiving treatment to help ease the discomfort of the journey through the portal. That would take some time. Lenore’s stern and efficient voice drifted over the noise of the crowd. She had a commanding presence.
She’d make an excellent queen.
Baris had no clue where that sneaky idea came from, but the more it sat with him, the more he liked it. Yes, she was a poor choice politically with her lack of connections or the potential of an alliance. He’d be much better off settling for whoever the council picked.
The council’s decision had two possible outcomes. One, they’d pick some aristocrat from a well-respected family that could bring stability to his reign. His chosen mate would be a stranger, and there would be no expectation of love between them. If they were fortunate, Baris and his unknown mate might grow fond of one another.
Only he had done that before. It did not end well. He did not want to tread that path again.
If the council wanted to emphasize Arcos’ return to the galactic stage, they’d choose a candidate that brought trade and connections. A scion of some merchant or entrepreneur, that would be more interesting than another noble from a good house. Perhaps a Khargal.
Still, they wouldn’t be Lenore.
This was pointless. She was returning to Earth, and even if she wasn’t, she brought nothing to a union. He enjoyed speaking with her. That was hardly the foundation on which to build the kingdom’s future.
He was duty-bound to the kingdom. It came first. Always. He could not serve the crown and have Lenore as his mate. It was fortunate that she was leaving, to spare him the torment of wondering what would happen if he listened to his heart instead of his councilors.
Luca followed Baris’ gaze. He made a knowing sound. “If I may speak freely, Your Majesty?—”
“You may not,” he said, forcing himself to look away from Lenore. He did not need advice from a male who did not understand the burden of he faced. Luca would spout nonsense about following his heart, and it did Baris no good. Better to quell that now. “I will not keep you from your work,” he said in clear dismissal.
By all measures, the project would launch smoothly. His personal feelings about a certain human did not matter.
Yet he could not shake the sense of wrongness.
LENORE
“Keep the line moving. Take an emergency kit and see the medic.” The guard paced up and down the line while people shoved the emergency kit into their backpacks. The line shuffled forward.
Lenore handed over a pill and a small cup of water. The man looked as if he would refuse. “It’s a motion-sickness pill,” she said. “You’ll regret not taking it now. Remember how you got here. It’s a bumpy ride.” Because he had a stubborn look about him, Lenore placed a hand on her stomach and stuck her tongue out, making a retching noise.
That did the trick. The first trip through the portal was rough, and several people lost their lunches. The anti-nausea pill was preventative. She didn’t want to have to hold the hands of two dozen vomiting people on the other side when she’d be in just as rough shape.
Lenore’s gaze kept drifting across the hangar to Baris. Who could blame her? He had a presence that filled a room, a regal bearing. Haughty and cool, with his dark hair neatly held back by a circlet, and she knew exactly how he looked with his hair undone and spilling over his shoulders.
