“I’m not sure I trust Q,” Kaede grumbled, appearing with Z’fir in his arms. “That birdbrain loves to get his beak into messes—”
“And B, it seems,” I teased, rolling my eyes at his complaint. It was safe to say those two would always be bickering.
“Perhaps he has rubbed off on her over the years. Who knows?” He peered down at Z’fir, who seemed to be clinging to Kaede for dear life. “Where do you want to sleep for the night?”
I waited with bated breath for his reply.
I had six mates now—two were still in stasis, three had missed me as dearly as I had them, and Kaede… well, he was new and needed to find his place among the rest.
“I am fine with sleeping on the edge of the bed tonight,” Z’fir replied, glancing toward the center of the room. “My vines can enjoy the water.”
“The water?” I repeated.
I had been so amazed by the dome view I hadn’t thought to examine the bed. Now, I gaped at the layout. Z’fir hadn’t been referring to the waterfall flowing down the windows, but to the pool of water surrounding a platform in the middle of the room.
A circular walkway surrounded the pool, allowing us to reach the bed, or the dome, to witness the waterfall up close. Peering into the water, I noted it was as deep as the pool in my backyard and teeming with aquatic plants and fish. Four glass bridges crossed the water, one in each cardinal direction. Both the walkways and bridges sported lit borders, providing enough light for me to cross safely at night.
The island in the center of the room had a ring of rainbow-colored grass native to Destima, softer than a carpet for us to lie or sit on while soaking our feet in the water. The night lamps I loved so much bordered the island, completing the dreamy ambiance. The grass surrounded a violet nestbed, much larger than the one in my villa’s master bedroom, with an amethyst, padded headboard to lean against.
This nestroom felt more personal, more meaningful, than any other room I’d been in. It was as if my mates were evolving with me, learning about all our wants and needs and meeting each as we grew closer.
“Do you like it?” Zirene murmured. “I can have the builder bots make changes, but it may take some days—”
“No, there’s no need.” I pressed my hand on his chest. “It’s perfect.”
“Which side of the bed do you want, Z’fir?” Kaede asked, sounding irritated. I could tell he was holding back his usual cocky demeanor. Knowing him, he wanted to threaten to drop him in the water and let Z’fir figure out how to get out. “You may be ill, but you aren’t light.”
“Pick a side; I won’t complain.”
Kaede disappeared and reappeared on the right side of the bed. Taking his time, he gently placed his new nestbrother on the bed and eased him into a sitting position.
“Is this fine?”
“It’ll work,” Z’fir breathed, tilting his head toward the sky. “Everything will be fine.”
Kaede nodded wordlessly, glanced up at me, and teleported away.
“I will never get used to him disappearing like that,” I muttered, crossing the bridge and stepping onto the rainbow grass. It felt like a mattress, soft and spongy. I made my way to Z’fir. Trailing my hand along the headboard, I took in the delicate fabric and wondered if it was as expensive as it felt.
“How are you feeling?” I gripped Z’fir’s shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Do you need anything?”
“Just you.” He tilted his head up until his emerald eyes met mine. “No matter what, don’t feel guilty about what happened. This”—he gestured to his ashen skin—“isn’t your fault. Blame our Circuli dependence on a nestqueen, if you want, but don’t beat yourself up for something none of us can control.”
“You say that, but… I can’t stop thinking about what might have happened if I had stayed and fought Kaede—”
“You wouldn’t be able to fight Kaede, Selena,” Zirene chuckled, wrapping an arm around me. “Not many can defeat him in hand-to-hand combat, and those who do, don’t live long enough to walk away.”
“I could have tried.” I frowned, feeling the rumble of Zirene’s laughter roll between us. “I could have persuaded him to not leave me alone in the shower. If I had only delayed him, perhaps the outcome would have been different.”
“It wouldn’t have been,” Kaede huffed, appearing on top of the mattress with V’dim in his arms. If my Ulax prince hadn’t already been pale, he would have paled now, judging by his terrified expression. “I have already gone over a million scenarios and what-ifs in my mind. In the end, I focused on the important things—the ship was safe and your Favored were dying. Z needed someone he could trust to assist his takeover. The betrayal we suffered was unfortunate, but we’ve all learned from it.”
“Still…” Sighing, I tucked my hair behind my ears, wishing it were longer. My longer strands had been easier to keep out of my face. “It’s hard to not think about the mistakes you’ve made when the consequences are laid out in front of you. I’m trying to focus on the future, but knowing most of my clan is injured guts me.”
“That is why I am thankful for what you have,” V’dim said, pausing while Kaede placed him beside Z’fir on the bed and propped him against the headboard to allow his tentacles to breathe. “Most of your mates are war veterans. Not of some petty territorial skirmish, but of a galaxy-wide war against invaders. We saw—and felt—our people die before us; we killed to survive and defend what was rightfully ours.”
“What he is trying to say, Selena, is that we are grateful to be alive,” Z’fir added, placing his hand on V’dim’s tentacle. “All we could ask for was a place to call home. We have it. You are our home, Selena, and we don’t regret a second of our time together.”
“I don’t regret our time together on the Abyss, either,” Kaede announced. “It happened for a reason. Now that we’ve marked each other up, there’s no going back.”
