“It’s hardly a mystery,” Kerra responds.
“There’s a disappearance.” Scarlett lowers her voice to a gravelly rasp like a movie trailer announcer. “A woman left behind. What ever happened to the Sarkarnii warlord?”
“You’re an idiot.” Rosalie chuckles.
Scarlett shrugs and turns to Cestapal, our Paralnyi friend. “Can you watch the kids while we go check out Lydia’s love nest?”
“Wait. No,” I say. “Not love nest.”
“Has a great ring to it. Lydia’s love nest.” Maggie grins. “Because I presume you have done the nasty with Mr. Dark and Brooding.”
If my cheeks were hot before, they are flaming as if I’ve walked into a stream of Sarkarnii fire.
“Well, I never.” Rosalie gasps.
“It’salwaysthe quiet ones.” Kerra laughs.
I open my mouth but nothing comes out.
“Deus and Lydia sitting in a tree,” Scarlett chants. “K-i-s-s-i-n-g.”
“That’s quite enough of that.” I finally find my voice. “And you lot could have prepared me better forit.”
“We tried.” Maggie sighs. “We tried so hard, but you wouldn’t look at my bum gallery.”
“No one should have to look at that,” Kerra says. “Especially now it’s all Driok.”
“And exactly what are you saying?” Maggie bristles.
“I’m saying let’s go do the whole Scooby Doo thing before Lydia changes her mind,” Kerra retorts. “If Cestapal doesn’t mind.”
“I assume Lydia knows all about the dangers in the forbidden sector,” Cestapal says. “And she can keep you safe?”
“I do and I can,” I reply.
Cestapal nods sagely, as she often does around us, even though I know she thinks we’re all bonkers.
“What dangers?” Gillian asks.
“Killer plants,” I deadpan.
“Why am I not surprised?” Scarlett sighs. “Okay, if Cestapal doesn’t mind.” She hands over her baby to the little Paralnyi, who takes him with her paws.
There is a round of smooches to sarkarnling faces, and I have a veritable army of friends at my back as we make our way through the neutral sector. We get a few puzzled looks, given we are not accompanied by any warriors and at least two of my friends are quite pregnant.
“This way.” I press my hand against the airlock, and it hisses open. A wave of humidity hits us as the door spirals away into the wall.
“Why does Deus’s sector smell of old socks?” Maggie grumbles.
“It…shouldn’t,” I say, puzzled as we head down the short tunnel and out into the light.
Maggie attempts to turn the wrong way, but I grab hold of her arm and steer her down the right path.
“Not the cave then?” she queries.
“Deus might have seemed feral, but he didn’t keep me in a cave,” I respond.
“Lucky you,” Kerra huffs. “He took me there.”
