Chapter Forty-Eight
The day of the escape has me on edge all day. A host of worms has taken up residence in my stomach, and I can hardly eat my lunch. The thought of leaving Kalen is enough to douse the thrill of going home.
“You’s not like the way I’s cooked your’s fugon meat?”
I look up from my untouched food and smile at Vermilia. “I’m sure it’s delicious. My stomach is just a little upset today.”
She begins to stand. “Let me make you’s soup, then.”
I lift my hand. “Please, don’t bother. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep it down.”
She studies me a moment, then nods and sinks back into her chair, finishes her lunch.
After I eat all that I’m able, I step outside and sink onto the bench by the fountain, soaking up my last day in this estate. I put in my ear dials, let the calm music wash over me and watch the bright green and blue fish swim in the clear glass of the fountain, losing myself to the smoothness of their movements.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
I melt at the sound of Kalen’s voice. Reaching up, I slide the volume down as he sits beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine.
“I think this might be my first brisk day in Neket,” I say.
“Winds from the cool south are blowing in.”
It’s almost like an omen, something telling me that chaos is on the horizon, and maybe I shouldn’t go. Maybe I should just hang back, stay here where it’s safe, where I can remain close to Kalen and get another cure for Mom. But this thing, this wonderfully impossible thing I have with Kalen, is no match to what the Renegade is doing. I can’t turn my back on my people because of him.
“Lark.” His voice is a husky whisper as he reaches out and gently pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “I know we already talked about you not leaving. We’ve a few weeks before the trip. But promise me you’ll at least consider staying during that time.”
I squeeze his hand, but don’t allow myself to look at him. “Your offer is generous, Kalen. But…”
“You don’t belong here,” he finishes for me.
I nod.
He releases my hand, leans forward, links his fingers between his knees. “Perhaps you’ve only seen the darker side of Neket.” He looks at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What if I introduced you to the more…pleasant sides?”
I draw back. “Like what?”
“I was thinking about introducing you to seaboarding.”
I almost choke. “That sounds like a terrible idea. If anyone recognizes you, your cover as a slave trader will be shot. I don’t see the need to sabotage your reputation before I leave.”
He chuckles, the sound a deep rumble in his throat. “I hate to break it to you, but you’ve already sabotaged my reputation.” His lips curve into that grin and it’s dazzling and dimples and dancing lavender eyes. “If you being looked down upon is your only concern, I can show you we can make this work.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about. I’m already looked down upon. Every day.” I place my hand on his back. “Kalen…you need to look out for yourself. Everyone believes you built this ship to bring in more slaves to sell, right? But how are people going to believe that when you’re seaboarding with one of those slaves? You’ll be sabotaging your own plan. You have to keep up this ruse. You have to leave your ruthless slave trader mask on.”
He smirks and arches a brow. “Ruthless?”
“Brutal.”
“Is that how you saw me that first day by the river?”
The memory of him striding down the river bank, his violet cloak of nobility whipping in the wind, flashes through my mind.
“When I first met you…you were the most beautiful creature I’d ever encountered.” I move my hand into his hair, then run my index finger along the outline of his pointed ear. “You shattered my preconceptions about Tavdorians. And during the time I’ve stayed here, you’ve shown me that not all Tavdorians are the enemy, and that someday, perhaps, we can live together in unity and not against each other.”
“Then let’s start making someday happen. Let’s show the world it’s possible. Please, Lark. I want to spend as much time with you as possible these next few weeks, before you leave…forever.”
My heart tugs at the loss in his voice when he says that last word. How can I refuse? And how can I pass-up spending my last day with Kalen?
“Okay. I’ll go, if only to watch you humiliate yourself while showing off.”
“There’s my bold native.”
I reach out to pinch him, but he’s too quick and pulls away. “I already purchased your swimming suit.”
“Of course you did.”
“Meet me by my hovercycle in fifteen clicks,” he says as he stands, “and we’ll see if my seaboarding skills are impressive enough to make you stay.”
I rise to my feet and flick an imaginary piece of lint off my shoulder. “I suppose it doesn’t matter which type of alien you are, men will always adhere to their most base instincts of trying to impress.”
His answering grin is primal. “Despite our evolved and highly imagined humanity, we will possibly always be beasts at heart.”