After a quick apology, I assisted them, numbly listening to the barrage of angry words. As soon as they were on their feet, they skittered off. Fuzzy noise filled me as I watched them vanish around the curve of the ship. Without much thought, I changed directions and headed toward Seth’s quarters. I needed to discuss this with someone, and who better than my closest friend?
I rang the chime, and only a moment later Seth called out, “Come in.”
The door slid open and revealed Seth on the custom couch Kalvoxrencol had designed for him. It allowed him to recline. Unlike traditional Drakcon couches that had no backs, one part of the couch had an over-stuffed back and the rest was back-free for Prince. Lucy was sprawled on his lap, completely disinterested in my arrival, and a book was in his hand. I glanced around his quarters, and while I saw plenty of baby clutter, I didn’t catch a glimpse of Bobbinvoxlyn or Kalvoxrencol.
“Can I speak with you?” I asked.
Seth waved at me, gesturing to the space on the end of the couch. When he moved his legs slightly, Lucy cracked open her golden eyes in warning. Seth was about to disturb her lovely nap, which wouldn’t do.
“Careful, don’t break your Earthen law,” I warned him. For some reason, it made him smile, but he didn’t shift again.
“What’s up?” Seth asked, setting his book down.
I cleared my throat, readjusting a few times before I found my voice. “I was accepted to take the engineer position on the Vvekian ship.”
His eyes widened. “How long until you leave?”
“Once we rendezvous, I will go aboard their ship and remain until we reach Earth.”
“I know you must be excited,” he commented, fiddling with his thick sweater, “but I’ll miss you.”
“I will miss you too.” And I would. Seth, Bobbinvoxlyn, Urgg, and Edith were now my family, but they weren’t who I was concerned about.
“We’ll have to spend as much time as possible together until then.”
“Indeed.”
“And we’ll talk when you’re on the Vvekian ship.”
“I would like that.” He didn’t seem to be understanding my true concern. Swallowing the urge to keep silent, I forced out, “I don't know how Monqilcolnen will react to my news.”
Seth’s eyebrows drew together. “Doesn’t he already know? I know I’m a bit underinformed when it comes to anything regarding the drakcol or navy regulations, but I thought the commander of a ship was in charge of all personnel. So didn’t he approve the assignment?”
“No,” I replied. “Monqilcolnen relinquished anything regarding me to Doctor Qinlin. She’s the one who accepted my application.”
“Oh. Now I get it. So he has no idea?”
“None. I'm concerned Monqilcolnen will react badly or be hurt about my decision, like I’m abandoning him.” The word made me wince. I was loath to do that to anyone. Oh, I’d healed my wounds from childhood, but at the same time, they had shaped part of who I was. I never wanted anyone to feel as if I’d left them behind, especially not Monqilcolnen.
“So you intend to accept?” he asked.
“I do. It will be an excellent move for my career.” My tail hooked around my ankle while my fingers played with the hem of my shirt. “What if what we are doesn’t survive the separation?”
A gentle hand on my wrist made me look up into Seth’s deep brown eyes. He squeezed my hand before letting go. “Then what you have wasn’t all that strong to begin with.”
“We’re just starting,” I defended.
“I know.” Seth ran a hand through his hair. “Shit, that sounded so bad. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. But, Wyn, if you and Monty are permanent or going to become mates, wouldn’t such separations happen in your careers?”
I offered my throat in concession. The navy did try to keep mates together, but unless you had a genetic bond forged by the Crystal—like Kalvoxrencol and Seth or anyone who sought the Crystal for their soulmate—it wasn’t guaranteed for a placement together. And there was the matter of my current work. I was on Tamkolvanloknol studying Edith; Monqilcolnen was here on theAdmiral Ven—a long-haul passenger ship. We would spend a lot of time apart.
Perhaps we weren’t meant to be together.
But I wanted us to be, so badly. I’d never thought of forever until Monqilcolnen, but now that I had, I couldn’t accept anything less—I was fairly sure.
“I can delete your application or any record of it,” Edith suggested as she appeared on the abnormally large screen in the middle of the shared space.
I wasn’t shocked about her appearing. She was now limited to Seth’s quarters on theAdmiral Ven, and she was always checking on Seth and Bobbinvoxlyn as well as doing whatever it was she was doing back on Tamkolvanloknol.
