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“Just this long work schedule. I’d like to be done before midnight.”

Tegor chuckled. “Whatever you say, buddy. It’s good you’re here early. The boss was on my back yesterday, insisting we make the Retar ship repairs a priority, even though they don’t leave for a week.”

Elias grimaced. Princess Isolt was here for a whole week. That gave her plenty of time to hunt him down. “How do you know when they’re leaving?”

“I read the departure schedules. I guess they’re staying a while, so they can have their inductions and the human can get used to what life will be like fucking a female who bites.”

Elias shook his head. He still couldn’t figure that one out. Why would a human male subject himself to that risk? He was in for a seriously unpleasant ride when they coupled.

“You’re squeezing that wrench like it’s done something to offend you. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?” Tegor opened his work bag. “I can give advice as well as fix engines.”

Elias dropped the wrench. “It’s nothing that can’t wait. Come on. We’ve got work to do.”

He spent the next three hours elbow deep in repairs, pushing away all thoughts of Princess Isolt or Hayley every time they came into his mind. He could do nothing about either of them, and dwelling on it would only make him frustrated.

“You two!” Claydon yelled as he strode across the docking bay. “I told you the Retar ships are your priority.”

“This one’s going out today, boss.” Tegor raised his head from inside the exterior panel he looked in. “If we don’t get it out in time, it will mess with everyone else’s departure slot.”

Claydon scowled at him. “Finish this and then move on to the Retar ships. I promised Princess Isolt the repairs would be done as a matter of priority.”

“They don’t need the ships for a week,” Tegor said.

“I gave her my word,” Claydon said. “Are you suggesting I go tell a princess that my grease monkeys can’t do their jobs or follow simple orders?”

Tegor glanced at Elias, who pretended not to hear the discussion. The less he had to do with Princess Isolt, the better.

“It’s not a problem, boss,” Tegor said. “We’ll finish up here and get right onto it.”

“No more stalling.” Claydon walked away and shouted at another repair crew.

“I’m sure he didn’t learn that yelling skill in management school,” Tegor muttered as he walked over to the repair bench Elias stood by. “He thinks that, by shouting louder, it makes you work harder.”

“It works on me,” Elias said. “I keep out of his way. That’s effective as well.”

“I taught you that trick. It’s just that I missed him come in, or I’d have ducked behind the ship and hidden.”

Elias grinned at Tegor. “I’m done with my repair. I’ll start on the Retar ship and see how bad things are.”

“Sure thing. I’ll only be ten minutes here. You get started unscrewing things, and I’ll do the tough bit.”

Elias shoved Tegor before walking to the Class One Retar ship. Despite the horrible cargo it had transported into his life, it was a beautiful piece of equipment, with jet black sleek lines and a glossy exterior. A hyper-drive cell and immersive camouflage technology made it one of their finest ships. These ships were almost self-flying and needed a minimal crew. As long as the programming was accurate, you hit the button, sat back, and worried about nothing until you reached your landing site. Elias loved working on Retar ships. Not many came into the docking station, so this was a rare treat.

He opened the ramp, climbed aboard, and powered up the systems. He smiled as he walked along the silent corridors. Princess Isolt had kitted out the ship, so the walls sparkled. They looked like they had tiny crystals embedded in them. Maybe they were crystals. The royal family was not short of money.

Elias heard someone shouting outside the ship, their voice muffled so he couldn’t hear what they were yelling. It was most likely Claydon, cracking the whip over another poor engineer doing something he didn’t like.

Elias walked into the cockpit. He plugged in his diagnostic tool and started a scan to identify the problem with the ship’s systems. He strode around the cockpit, admiring the sleek design. The scan would take at least twenty minutes, so he took the opportunity to look around the other rooms. It wasn’t every day you got to see the inside of a Class One.

Everything was immaculately clean and tidy. He paused as he opened one door, and his throat tightened. A large bed dominated the room. He got a scent of heavy jasmine perfume, and his nose wrinkled. He’d never forget that scent. It reminded him of Princess Isolt. His stomach turned over if ever he passed another woman wearing that perfume. He associated the scent of jasmine with his death.

There was something else in the room that gave off an unpleasant odor. It smelt a little of rotting flesh.

Elias inched into the room. Maybe there was a blockage in the filtration system. That happened occasionally on these ships. You had to run a diagnostic along the length of pipes to locate the blockage before flushing it out. He hated those kinds of jobs. They were messy and smelly, and you had to be careful not to get yourself covered in disgusting waste matter.

Elias moved farther into the room and inhaled sharply. The smell was more intense. It was in here somewhere. He pulled out a handheld scanner and passed it slowly over each wall, identifying the pipework and technology behind the smooth panels. He identified the waste pipe but found no blockage. Occasionally, they didn’t show on the scans, and you had to do a manual search. He was definitely not pulling apart panels in Princess Isolt’s bedroom unless he absolutely had to do so.

His scan of the rest of the room found nothing that could make that disgusting smell. He did a slow turn, taking in every corner to make sure he hadn’t missed something.