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Serge’s eyes widened. “You know they’d been drifting for days when we found them. Then they emerged looking absolutely disheveled and shellshocked. Who could blame them, of course, with nothing but ration packs to survive on…?“ He trailed off, his gaze sharpening on my face. "Why? Is there something I should know?"

I thought about what Britta and Jess had said.

"Reina?" Serge prompted, his hair roots deepening to a darker pink. "You're being suspiciously quiet."

I shook my head quickly. "No, nothing important. The Admiral was worried when they were lost and is eager for his adjunct to return."

"Mmm," Serge hummed, unconvinced. "Well, Zoran will be disappointed. I heard Tivek's planning to leave for Earth soon."

My stomach dropped. “Earth? With Morgan?

Serge wrinkled his brow. “Why would he go to Earth with Morgan? As far as I know, he has an assignment on Earth.”

“So, he’s going alone? To Earth? Does Morgan know?”

“Yes, Earth, and of course alone. I don’t know if Morgan knows or not. Why would it concern her?" My Gatazoid friend narrowed his eyes at me. “Why the questions? What do you know that I don’t?”

“Nothing!” I laughed, perhaps too forcefully. “I just need to be sure before I tell Noora.”

Serge crossed his arms over his chest as the inclinator pinged. "You're clearly up to something. Out with it."

I stepped out of the lift as soon as the doors flipped open. Time was running out if Tivek was truly planning to leave. “Would I keep secrets from you, hon?”

He tapped a finger on his chin. “You never did before, but…”

“Nothing has changed,” I assure him, “aside from my need to freshen up before I help you prepare for the new brides.”

Now this distracted him exactly as I’d hoped. “You do that.” He waved a hand at my traveling dress, which was more subdued than what I usually wore. “Once you’re changed into something more fitting the Island, you can help me review the biographies of the tributes. There are some interesting prospects and some who might require more attention.”

“High-touch tributes are our specialty,” I reminded him with a giggle that I hoped sounded more cheery than nervous.

“Too true, darling.” Serge released a long sigh. “I must admit that it’s a relief to have you back. I don’t know how I survived without you.”

My cheeks warmed at the sweet comment, especially since I knew Serge prided himself on being the driving force behind the weddings.

He sniffed and squared his small shoulders. “Enough of that. You hurry off to your quarters, which are exactly as you left them. Naturally, I had them cleaned every week in case you returned, but we didn’t disturb a thing.”

I blinked rapidly, more touched by that than I wanted to let on. As much as I’d valued my time at the academy, being back on the Island showed me just how much I’d missed it, and how much I’d missed Serge.

“I’ll swing by later and we can go over the tributes over dinner,” Serge said as he backed away from me. “I know you’ve missed the chefs here.”

Serge rushed off with a backwards flap of one hand as I continued down the corridor to my quarters, hesitating outside the familiar door. If what he’d told me was true and Tivek was leaving, I needed to find Morgan.

I didn’t know if Jess and Britta were right, but I needed to be sure they weren’t before Morgan and Tivek were separated for good.

I turned from my quarters and hurried down the hallway. Changing would have to wait, and, perhaps, so would Serge.

Chapter

Fifty-Seven

Morgan

Ilay on the enormous bed, watching the gossamer fabric drift lazily around the four ornate posts and breathing in the slightly salty air.

It should have been paradise. Instead, I felt hollow, like someone had scooped out everything inside me and left an ache in its place.

I hadn't seen Tivek since I'd told him to take the promotion on Earth. Since I'd watched something shutter behind his eyes before he’d returned to his suite and left me to stifle an unwanted sob in the darkness.