I gathered up my screen and tried to dart out of the door, but it didn’t open. I growled. I pinged Qinlin. It took several moments before she snarled, “What do you want?”
“I need to report to Captain Talvax. Do I have permission to leave the cargo bay and go to her room?”
“For all the stars in the universe, yes. You can go wherever you want tonight. Now don’t bother me again.” She didn’t wait for me to respond before ending the session.
I didn’t bother to walk sedately; the excitement running through me was too powerful for me to remain calm. Sliding into the lift, I slammed the button for deck two and bounced on my toes as I waited. Why was the lift moving so slow? Was the lift even moving? I checked my screen and ran a quick diagnostic. The lift was performing normally.
That fact still didn’t stop the growl rumbling in my chest or the urge to strike the wall. The stupid lift needed to move faster. Perhaps the internal sensors weren’t working correctly, because this lift was moving way too slowly. Monqilcolnen needed me… or perhaps I needed him. But to get to him, the lift had to move faster.
Finally, after eons, the doors opened at a ridiculously slow rate. I snarled, not waiting for them, and dashed down the corridor, only to pause in front of Talvax’s door. She might not be in her quarters. I should’ve asked first. “NAID, where is Captain Talvax?” I asked, hoping she wasn’t abed, but I would wake her up regardless—she would want to know.
NAID’s voice came out shaky, “Captain-Captain Tal-talvax is in-in-in her office.”
I frowned. The virus had to be affecting its speech patterns or the voice. Something I would have to work on in the morning, though I supposed there were more critical areas to focus on. But none of that mattered right this moment. No, all that mattered was informing Talvax so I could return to Monqilcolnen. That—Monqilcolnen was the most important. Not anything else.
With a quick turn, I ran back toward the lift and up a deck to the captain’s office all while humming under my breath, my tail flicking. I was so close. It seemed impossible to be so closeand yet so far away. Monqilcolnen was right there… well, on deck two in bed, I assumed, but still so close I could almost smell him. I groaned. A deep instinct burned within me to cover Monqilcolnen in my scent so he could never be free of it and no one could question who he belonged to. Me.
Once I reached Talvax’s office, I pressed the panel to signal I was outside. After a long moment, she called out, “Enter.”
The door slid open, and my eyes went to Talvax as my soul stumbled in my chest. I had never, not once, seen her look so rough. Her orange hair was stuck up in all different directions, her brown scales were dull, and her tail hung limp by her leg. I hadn’t seen her since she’d banished me to only working on the virus, but it appeared as if she’d been having as hard a time as me.
“Captain,” I said, offering her my throat.
She waved me off, then dragged her claws through her short hair. “I hope you have something good to share.”
“I do.” Something I could only describe as pure relief washed over her face and broke my soul. I’d done a lot to harm the Drakcol Empire and to theAdmiral Ven, but I never really considered Talvax in the whole scenario. I’d been, and still was, furious about her separating me from Monqilcolnen. But claws raked me at the sight of her so exhausted.
“Tell me,” she ordered, and I was all too happy to comply.
“I severed the link between us and the main hub.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Thank the Crystal.”
“It wasn’t easy, but the rest of the NAID, including the stations and ships, are all free of the danger of this virus spreading.”
“This is a very good start.”
“It is,” I agreed, giving her a slight smile. I wanted to apologize again, but I didn’t want to remind her of what had happened or add to her stress.
“Hopefully, you will continue to be as successful and save my ship. You are excused,” she said without looking at me and giving a dismissive wave, like I meant nothing. Perhaps I didn’t anymore, but I couldn’t not ask.
“What about Monqilcolnen?”
“What about him?”
“Can I finally return to his side?” I hated the need I heard in my voice, but I could hardly repress it. I needed Monqilcolnen. I needed the silence to end. I needed to be seen again. Not to be an invisible thing everyone walked by.
“Why would you think that?” she asked, interlacing her hands on the desk.
“Because I severed the tie.”
Talvax scoffed. “You have doomed my ship and nearly destroyed the empire. You think breaking one measly link was enough. Nothing you do will ever be enough.”
Something inside of me cracked. I hadn’t heard that since I was a child. I’d worked my hardest. I’d fought everyday to be where I was. Never had I thought I was less than since childhood, and even then, my caretakers had always told me how worthy I was.
But now… I wasn’t. I wasn’t worth anything, was I?
“You can leave.”
