Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Yeah, well in this case, a lie might be less scary than the truth,” I pointed out.
Rylee nodded thoughtfully.
“Maybe… But Leah told her mom about her Braxian hubby, you know, and how she’s living on a different planet now and her mom rolled with it.” She frowned. “But I’m not sure how well our family would take it.”
“Well…I know my dad loves Star Trek,” I ventured. “And Aunt Celia is his big sister—they used to watch it together sometimes, I think.”
“Yeah, but loving a sci-fi show is different from living one,” Rylee pointed out. She sighed. “I’ll have to think about it some more. Either I introduce my guys to them or else I’ll have to tell everyone I’ve taken another job somewhere really distant with bad cell reception.” She smiled at me. “Of course, if you and Vik’tor decide to stay together, you can tell them you got a job at the same company.”
“What am I going to tell them about the past six months, though?” I asked. “I mean, I’ve been missing now for a lot longer than you were before you left again.”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Rylee admitted. She pressed my hand. “But I’m sure we can think of something. And then you and Vik’tor can stay together.”
“What about my PhD, though?” I asked, still thinking of spending my life with Vik’tor. “I was getting so close to finishing it!”
“Look, hon, a PhD is nice, but don’t you think exploring the galaxy is nicer?” Rylee asked. “I mean, think about it—your whole world is bigger now. You don’t have to settle for someplace on Earth—you can go anywhere you want.”
“But that’s the thing—Vik’tor’s business is on O’nagga Nine and I already told you what a frozen hellhole that world is,” I pointed out. “I just don’t know if I can stand to live there the rest of my life, never going outside because I’ll freeze to death if I stay out longer than a few minutes. And there’s hardly any sunlight—it’s gray and cold and miserable all the time. I’ll miss Florida too much—all the sun and the beaches…”
“Well, you have a point,” Rylee admitted. She sighed. “In the end, I think you’re just going to have to decide for yourself. But let me know what you’re going to do before too long, okay? Like I said, I’m taking a trip back home and you and I need to be on the same page before I go.”
“All right,” I promised. “I’ll tell you. Though to be honest, it’s not all up to me. I mean, Vik’tor hasn’t said that he loves me or he wants us to stay together forever or anything like that. Like I said, we only met a few days ago.”
“A few days is enough,” Rylee said firmly. “When you know, you know.”
At that point the ship started its landing sequence and before I knew it, we were settling on the ground of the Female side of Tangella Alpha-Prime once more.
But as we unbuckled our safety harnesses and got up, I realized that the talk I’d had with my cousin had given me a lot to think about. I knew now that I loved Vik’tor and I wanted to be with him, but would he feel the same way about me? And how could we work out the logistics if he did?
I didn’t know but that couldn’t be uppermost in my mind right now. Rylee and I had to concentrate on getting the Emperor and Empress together again—only then would we be free to return to our own lives—whatever they might be.
FIFTY-THREE
NATALIE
“Please be patient, Your Highness. The Empress will see you in just a moment,” Thallia—the same woman who had led Vik’tor and me to the throne room on our own visit—spoke politely but firmly.
The Emperor frowned, but didn’t complain or act like an asshole about being kept waiting, so that was good. We were all standing around outside the Empress’s throne room, waiting in front of the huge double doors made of crystal.
Our guys were on the way—Rylee told me they were making their way through the palace—but they hadn’t reached us yet. It occurred to me that this was the last time we had to make sure this meeting between the two rulers went well. You know that old saying, “You only get one chance to make a first impression”? Well, that’s what I was thinking of as Rylee and I stood there waiting beside His Majesty, Shadout the Twenty-second and one half.
“Your Majesty?” I said tentatively, craning my neck to look up at him.
“Yes, Visionary?” he asked, looking down at me from his great height. He had taken to calling Rylee and I by our La-ti-zal powers so I was “Visionary” and she was “Binder,” which was fine—I didn’t really care if he knew my name or not.