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And I think he likes you, too, Jace said.
His father confirmed that by answering, “We’re making our peace. I’m pretty sure I’ve proven to it that we work better together than separately.”
One set of data hardly proves that. But he was adequate, the Osiris was tart.
Ooooh, adequate! High praise coming from you! Jace giggled.
Yes. Very tart Osiris.
“Dad, I think we can risk one night. There’s something important I need to tell you and… Mom’s here,” Jace said. He turned the comm towards her. She waved and his father perked up even more. “See?”
“Well, if I had any concerns, now you’ve overcome them,” his father said, his voice going soft and loving.
“Get down here as soon as you can,” Jace said. “Everything will be fine.”
He cut the connection. He hoped what he had said was true. No, he felt it was. Besides, the truth was that he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. If they didn’t celebrate the little things–let alone the big things–they might forget what they were fighting for.
You would never do that, Khoth told him.
His voice was like a mental caress and Jace sighed in pleasure. His mother’s forehead furrowed as she was looking at them but then it cleared.
“You’re talking telepathically! It’s just like when you speak to the Osiris or Gehenna, Jace, but the color of your eyes is a little different. Amazing!” She shook his head. “I hope that being able to hear each other’s thoughts is always a blessing.”
“Little white lies are necessary for social lubrication, I know. But Khoth and I don’t just hear everything each other thinks. Just what we send to one another and share on purpose,” Jace assured her.
He leaned his shoulder against Khoth’s, loving the warmth and sense of mental and physical touch.
No lies between us, Izail, Khoth said firmly.
No lies between us. You’re right.
“I am in awe. And so happy for you both,” his mother said.
His mother reached out for him again and he caught sight of her diamond wedding band. He suddenly had an idea for one of their selchitte.
It’ll be perfect. Just perfect.
Near Escape
“What are you doing?” Khoth asked Jace’s dangling legs.
Jace had climbed halfway up one of the garden walls. The Pilot turned his head to look back down at Khoth with one of those irrepressible grins on his lips that Khoth had learned to love–and fear–a little bit.
“I’m trying to find us a way out of here,” Jace explained.
They both had on their soft suits, which were solid black. Jace’s boots were polished to a mirror-like shine and his suit had a high collar that flared around his throat. He looked beautiful in Khoth’s opinion.
“I believe you may cause your outfit to become dirty if you continue this activity,” Khoth pointed out.
“Ooooh, and you look sexy, too! I do love you in anything that clings. But, then again I love you in everything, and perhaps best, in nothing at all.” Jace gave him another grin that was slightly lascivious.
Khoth blued–a little bit–and said, “As I do you, Izail. Now why are you climbing the wall to get out of this location when we have a perfectly serviceable door?”
He gestured back towards the interior of their quarters.
“Because there are people outside that door. And once we go out that door, Khoth, we’ll be inundated with yet more people,” Jace said as he turned back to the wall that was covered with an igea vine.
The igea was a hardy plant that was rumored to have covered nearly all of Haseon when the Thaf’ell first discovered the planet eons ago. It had to be hacked away and burned in order for them to have access to the planet’s buildings and other structures. Now it was mostly tamed. It’s silver vines and golden leaves were kept to cover walls in gardens or to soften some of the more harsh architecture of the planet. Jace was using it as a means of gaining purchase on the sheer garden wall that stretched up nearly five times Jace’s height.
