“You want to court me?”
“Well, yes. And as I understand it, the first step is flowers.”
I look down at his empty claws, still flexing in that nervous way, and back up at him.
“Well… where are they?”
“I am going to bring you to them.”
His confusion grows and his ears flatten adorably. The butterflies are quickly winning the battle which should irritate me, but instead I’m just flattered and slightly out of breath.
“Well, you’ll have to wait until after I’m working,” I say, even though all I really want to do is hop over this counter and fling myself into his huge arms. He is bringing me to the flowers. I don’t even know what that means, but it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
“I’ll finish your orders!” Furga practically shouts from behind me.
I realize now we have an audience. Not only Furga, but several other citizens are staring at us like we’re putting on the best show they’ve seen all year and I can feel my face start to heat with embarrassment.
“Erm, ok. Let’s go then.”
13
Khur
The elevator is filled with electric energy as it rises, entirely too slowly, from the fifth division to the twelfth. Next to me, Destiny is bouncing on her pink shoes with excitement. It’s infectious—I can feel it in my own feet, softening my usually stoic stance and making me tap my toe in impatience.
“What about a hint? Can I get a hint?” Destiny’s brown eyes are warm and pleading.
It’s honestly an exercise in willpower to stand my ground and say, “I told you it’s flowers. The rest is a surprise.”
Furga told me she loves surprises.
I am rewarded with a squeal and a grip on my forearm as she steps closer.
“Ok, so it’s something that has to do with flowers. Something I’ve never seen before. And I don’t need any special attire to visit this place.”
She places a finger to her chin, twisting her lips and releasing a contemplative hum.
“My mind is full of possibilities. I couldn’t begin to guess without more information.”
“Good. I don’t want you to guess. I want you to be surprised.” I say, a bit exasperated. She loves surprises, but she wants to know them beforehand? That’s not the Dhugaren definition of a surprise.
Finally the elevator dings our arrival and the doors slide open in front of us.
The twelfth division is set up similarly to the fifth. Like most of the divisions, the elevator comes out in the middle of the level, into a small corridor. Doors to our left and right and a sign in front indicate which subdivisions are on which side.
As we step into the corridor, Destiny slips her hand in the crook of my elbow, where it seems to fit so perfectly, and looks up at me with shining, excited eyes.
“Lead the way, oh captain.”
My legs lock up, feet feeling like iron blocks. All of a sudden it feels like I can’t get enough air in each breath and my lungs refuse to expand further. I put my hands on my knees and brace myself against the panic leaking into my veins.
“I am no leader,” I choke out between gasps. What am I thinking, bring Destiny here? Anything could happen! Will I be able to protect her? She’s so small and delicate. What if one of the flyers goes off course and veers into the crowd?
My vision is tunneling a bit, so I don’t notice Destiny reaching for me until I feel her cool palm brush my brow. She gently brushes the fur from my forehead and runs her hand across my scalp, between my horns, brushing my hair with her fingers.
I feel vaguely embarrassed by my breakdown but that's brushed away by Destiny’s cool touch. I haven't had a breakdown in years but all it took was a few words and I'm back to the panicked fool I was when I first arrived here. Afraid to step in any direction, make any decision that might affect others.
“Hey big guy, you back with me?” she asks softly once my breath has evened out a bit.
