Kann stood and smacked his best friend on the arm, but he was grinning. “It took you long enough to ask her. You know, I always envisioned us having a double wedding.”
“A double wedding?” I croaked as I sank into a chair, still trying to catch up with the rapid way things were unfolding.
“Not without me,” Fiona announced, appearing beside our table with Commander Vyk in tow. She was stunning in a pale green dress that set off her blonde hair, and even Vyk looked less intimidating than usual with the collar of his formal uniform loosened. “Ariana’s my best friend. If anyone’s having a group wedding, I’m in.”
I turned to stare at Volten, who was watching my reaction with obvious amusement. “You’re creating chaos.”
“Am I?” His eyes sparkled, but I could tell he’d noticed I still hadn’t answered his question.
Fiona pulled out a chair and plopped down beside me. “Speaking of weddings, Vyk, shouldn’t you tell them our news?”
I looked between Fiona and the stern commander, noting the way his usually rigid posture had relaxed slightly and how his hand rested possessively on the back of Fiona’s chair.
“You’re engaged?” I practically shrieked. “Since when?”
“A little while ago,” Fiona said, her cheeks flushing pink. “But we’ve been so busy with rescues and holochamber malfunctions and fake weddings that became real weddings, I hadn’t found the right time to announce it.”
Commander Vyk cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable with the attention but unable to suppress completely what might have been a smile. “I thought the timing was right.”
“The rescue made him realize that life can turn on a dime,” Fiona whispered to me.
Morgan and Jess then joined our table, both of them looking like they’d been enjoying the free-flowing alien booze.
“What’s all the excitement?” Morgan asked, pulling up an empty chair.
Britta leaned forward conspiratorially. “Did you know that Fiona and Commander Vyk are engaged?”
Both women’s mouths fell open in perfect synchronization, their gazes darting between Fiona and the stoic commander.
“Engaged?” Jess squeaked. “When did this happen?”
“A few days ago,” I supplied, still processing the news myself. “Apparently, they’ve been too busy to mention it.”
Fiona waved a hand dismissively. “Enough about me. What about you two?” She fixed Morgan with a pointed stare. “I see the way you and Tivek are together.”
I watched with interest as Morgan’s cheeks turned pink and she suddenly became very interested in her glass of champagne. Maybe there was more I didn’t know about the enigmatic adjunct and his Assassin girlfriend.
“Jess and Morgan are still cadets,” Fiona said before Morgan could respond. “No one gets hitched when they’re still in school. At least, they shouldn’t.”
Jess nodded emphatically. “Exactly. Torq and I are focusing on our training right now.”
The music shifted to a slower song, which I recognized as “Baby’s Got Back” arranged as a jazz ballad. Across the tent, I watched Sasha and Deklyn rise from their table and move onto the dance floor, her train trailing behind them.
“They look perfect together,” Jess sighed as she rested her chin in one hand.
I had to agree. Sasha’s face was radiant as Deklyn spun her carefully, mindful of her dress, and when he pulled her close for the slow parts of the song, she looked like she was exactly where she belonged.
Britta’s hand found Kann’s on the table. “After everything they went through, it’s nice to see them get their happy ending.”
“Agreed,” said Vyk, his voice gruff as he curled an arm around Fiona.
It felt a little surreal that I was sitting beside the man who’d just casually asked to marry me, feeling like the ground had shifted beneath my feet. I could well remember the day I’d arrived at the academy ready to prove myself and honor the memory of the sister I’d thought had died. I recalled being determined not to be distracted by cocky Drexian pilots who weren’t used to working with females or humans. A couple of years later, I was happily teaching at the Drexian Academy, I’d met my future husband, who was the first cocky Drexian pilot I’d encountered on Drex, and I’d mounted a rescue to save my sister. I couldn’t imagine a better turn of events for all of us.
“Another round?” a server asked, appearing beside our table with a tray of champagne.
“Definitely,” I said, reaching for a fresh glass and draining half of it in one gulp.
Volten’s eyebrows rose. “Easy there, pilot. We still have to fly home tomorrow.”
