He slides me a new mug filled with a shimmering purple liquid. “Moonberry mash. Very popular. Very smooth.”
I take a sip. It tastes like berries and sunshine. The warmth spreads through my chest immediately, and my head goes fuzzy around the edges. “Smooth,” I wheeze.
Leah snickers. “Smooth doesn’t mean weak.”
“Could’ve mentioned that.” I take another tiny sip because I can’t get enough. “What’s the alcohol content on this thing?”
“You don’t want to know,” Leah says cheerfully.
The two flower-costumed females wave goodbye and disappear back into the crowd, one of them calling over her shoulder, “Enjoy the ball, tiny human.”
I’m going to have to pace myself or I’ll be unconscious by midnight.
I turn with the drink cupped in my hands, my lips on the rim and pause because there’s a break in the crowd around me and my body freezes as I gaze upon a mysterious-looking masked Xylan male, dressed entirely in formal black, wearing dark green gloves.
I lower the mug and stare a beat too long, because holy crap, he’s so freaking handsome. It’s as if there’s a spotlight shiningon him from above. Wide shoulders, long, braided dark hair with streaks of gold. His skin is an amazing shade of luscious brown. His regal head turns, and I swear he’s looking right at me. I instantly feel drawn to him.
And then the crowd shifts, and I lose sight of him. He’s gone as if he never happened.
Who was that guy?
“Seeing you in person is always better than through a screen,” my friend gushes from beside me. “And I can hardly wait to introduce you to Saxon’s family. We didn’t even tell any of Saxon’s brothers or their Brides yet that you were coming because I wanted it to be a surprise.”
I turn to meet Leah’s bright gaze and focus on her comforting features and smile. We clink our glasses together for a mini toast. “I’m happy to see you too,” I confirm. “I still miss you as my roommate. Just because you’re married and a mother now doesn’t mean we can’t sometimes hang out like old times.”
“I agree.” She gives a throaty laugh. “Being married with children isn’t so bad, though. I think you’d like it too.”
I nod in agreement because it’s true that I’d love to have a partner in life and the ability to start a family. Yes, I want to get my career restarted, but it’s true that I’m also ready for something serious beyond the occasional not-too-serious boyfriend.
Leah leans in and whispers, “And now that I know you’re attuned to the Illibrium, I think you should find a job here and move to Timbur too. I want you with me all the time. Timbur needs more humans.”
“Are you drunk already?” I laugh. “I can’t move to this remote mining planet. It was difficult just getting a visa to come and visit and even if I wanted to work here, they’d never hire me. What type of job could an artist do here? The only reason I’m on this outpost right now is because the request for my visitationwas finally approved and you’re staying in employee housing which offers me a guest suite. This isn’t exactly a vacation hot spot.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Girl, there’s nothing tying you down anymore to New Earth, you might as well make the jump. I’ve wanted you with me the moment you told me about how you were banished, but I didn’t know if you were attuned to the Illibrium. But now that I know you are, that changes everything. A world of possibilities has opened up.”
I nod, remembering that odd moment when I was ushered off the transporter disk and into a small cubicle where they made sure an Illibrium crystal would retain its glow with me nearby. Luckily the Illibrium crystal glowed brightly in response to my nearness—so they calibrated my universal translator chip to include the Xylan language and also gave me the highest level of clearance, which mean full access to the mine and this event. I was surprised because I’d never been close to Illibrium before or seen it in real life. I assumed I wouldn’t be attuned. If I wasn’t, I still could’ve visited Leah, but my movements would have been restricted to the outpost buildings and the surrounding town but not allowed to enter the actual mine. All Admin and employees and visitors to the mine, are attuned to the Illibrium crystals, it is a requirement.
“Now that you’ve gone through the attunement and it was positive, I can let you know there’s a job opening which would be perfect for you.”
“Wait. Is that why you really invited me to visit? To tell me to apply for a job and move here?”
She smirks. “Maybe.”
I glance around, discreetly trying to find that amazing male I glimpsed earlier, but he’s still nowhere to be found. I can’t keep my mind off him. Those wide shoulders and trim waist need a second glance. “I have to admit this place is much nicer thanI thought it would be and I understand why you choose to live here and make it your home, but don’t think this idea would work. They couldn’t possibly have a position open for someone with my degree.”
She shrugs. “Well, if you don’t want to hear about a job I think is perfect for you with high pay, a signing bonus and free housing, I totally understand. Ill shut up about it.”
Now she’s got my attention. “Housing? Signing bonus? What job offer?”
“Yeah, that spacious guest suite you’re staying in right now is actually the apartment where you could choose to live if you remain. It would be considered employee housing and part of your contract.”
I take another sip of my drink. “It sounds too good to be true. Theres got to be a catch. Am I going to work for them and then discover I’m doing projects that are harmful to other beings?”
She waves a hand. “I know how important your creativity and your business ethics are to you. Id never suggest you do a job that wasn’t a good fit. This would be a great match. Mine Corp needs someone to do artistic renderings of the Illibrium and turn that artwork into its own following. They saw your last exhibition on other gems and minerals in the four sectors, so they know your area of expertise is perfect for this. They will pay for your Illibrium artwork and you won’t retain the rights to any of the art that you produce of Illibrium. But you can still freely produce art under your own name of other gems.”
“Dammit. It does sound perfect,” I grumble. “More like a collaboration than actual employment, which I would enjoy.And there will be a generous signing bonus?”
“Yep. And they will even set up a little studio for you.”
