Would she want to taste him too?
“Keep focused, V’dim,” Z’fir scolded. “Now isn’t the time for such thoughts.”
“It’s becoming harder as the day goes on. I can feel my body changing, can’t you?” V’dim asked as he gathered everyone’s orders from the drink dispenser.
“Of course,” Z’fir confirmed. “Whenever I pick up a faint thought from her, my vines react, wanting to reach out to her no matter the distance. It is becoming a distraction.”
“Perhaps we should see if she would—”
“No. We agreed to wait until we reunited on Destima. I don’t want to put any more pressure on Selena when everyone seems to want something from her at the moment.”
“We aren’t any different, Z’fir,” V’dim said,smiling as he handed Selena her drink before sitting down next to her. “We want the shelter she is providing and the chance to be together in a clan—no matter if she is capable of continuing our lines or not.”
“We will not become a nuisance to her, V’dim. We will make sure our position in the clan is worth the sacrifices she has made—no matter if our relationship with her remains political.”
“You know I believe the same,” V’dim replied, sipping hisXowyn.
“Focus on Selena,” Z’fir commanded. “My shift is almost over, and I will join the clan shortly. Until then.”
“Until then.”
Silence fell on the group as they nursed their drinks.
Xylo grabbed the empty glass from Selena and placed both of theirs on the table. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close. She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest, taking one of his vines in her hands.
V’dim watched in awe as she aimlessly traced Xylo’s vine’s flower with a finger.
How could he handle such intimacy? Not even Circuli nestqueens played with their Favored like that.
“Kaede,” Selena said, drawing everyone’s attention. “I want to know: how did you… we… move from one place to another? I am assuming your new suit has something to do with it.”
“You mean teleportation? Location jumping?”
“Yes, if that is what it is called. Is that how we got from the Assembly’s Waiting Room to your bedroom instantly?”
V’dim’s focus was turned to the conversation, forgetting about the provocative display Selena was putting on.
“Correct.”
“That is dangerous! How can you be so irresponsible and use such new tech on Selena? Do you understand all the trouble you would cause if something happened to her?” Xylo demanded.
“You mean your own sanity? Of course, I know what consequences there would be if I failed. But I didn’t,” Kaede said matter-of-factly. “I knew exactly what I was doing and took all necessary precautions before attempting to jump with her.”
“That doesn’t explain how you can teleport or how safe it is. You jeopardized Selena’s life for your own experiment and didn’t tell her. That was selfish of you and doesn’t make you better than anyone else who has recently crossed her.”
“As I said, I knew what I was doing.”
“Everyone knows what they’re doing, but that doesn’t mean someone or something else won’t come around and ruin everything they planned,” Selena said. “You tested a new tech on me without my consent; the least you can do is tell us exactly what the tech does.”
“I can’t say much,” Kaede began. “Since it is so dangerous”—Kaede rolled his eyes—“I am the only one testing the technology’s limits. My new suit lets me teleport to any of my drone’s locations at any given time. It is based on the new Aldawi tech Prince Zirene found, and my sisters helped develop. If all my tests succeed, it will become the primary technology for every special agent—and perhaps even citizens—to travel within limits.”
“You have the new Aldawi tech?” V’dim asked in disbelief.
Kaede smirked. “I helped make it.” In an instant, he blurred and appeared across the room. “We based it on Aldawi’s shadowstep ability.” He jumped again and leaned against the glass wall. “And made it better.”
“Better how?” V’dim asked, confused.
“We learned their ability’s requirements and limits—studied everything about it, added it to the Yaarkin tech we stole, and made it ours,” Kaede explained before teleporting back to his chair as if he never moved. “We can travel farther, but we also have our limits.”
