Page 11 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species

“You said she was engaged to the sexiest man, love.”

Kathrine knew the butcher’s daughter, and she wasn’t engaged… or, at least, she hadn’t been. “Who is the butcher’s daughter engaged to?”

“Branko. They got engaged while you were on Earth. They came to the castle to ask for the Queen’s permission.”

Kathrine huffed. “Branko? The guard from the lab?”

Unlike Sevar and Kathrine’s team, the lab guards were low-ranking soldiers, at best. They didn’t put their lives on the line, nor were they trusted with important missions. All they did, day in and day out, was protect a building wherein the Queen had set up a laboratory to keep up to date with all the technological advances on Earth. Though they were in hiding, the Queen was determined her reptilians wouldn’t fall behind, and would be as advanced as humans and the other species once the migration took place.

“That’s the one.”

“But… he is repulsive.”

Sevar’s lips twitched. “Just seconds ago, you described him asthe sexiest man in at least a few realms.”

“I wasn’t talking about him.”

Sevar lifted his eyebrows. “Really? I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

Kathrine laughed. “You must have seen wrong. I’m in love with someone else.”

“I deeply hope you’re talking about me now.”

“Would you be jealous if I wasn’t?”

The car halted in the middle of the street.

“Very.” Sevar leaned towards Kathrine and kissed her. Despite her exhaustion, her body responded immediately to his touch. Their tongues tangled and Sevar pressed her back against the seat.

“We… should… stop,” Kathrine sighed, feeling an inexplicable shame, as if she had been caught behaving indecently, even though the tinted windows ensured their privacy. Yet, there were too few creatures who used electric cars in Antambazi for someone not to recognise Sevar’s black vehicle.

Not that anyone would dare criticise the improper parking of the Queen’s right-hand man.

Sevar pulled away after a moment, restarting the car, and Kathrine sank back into her seat. They were now in the central part of the city – the Circle of Arius – with its spacious houses and neat backyards, beautiful fences, and a view of the lower circles. Not all creatures in their realm could afford to live in the Circle of Arius, and not every creature wasallowedto live here, either.

“Let’s buy a house after we get married,” Kathrine said.

Sevar gave her a sideways glance. She knew the idea seemed to come out of the blue, but she had been thinking about it for years. She had been afraid to mention it to Sevar, fearing he would refuse her. Sure enough…

“Why would you want to leave the castle?” he asked.

“Don’t you want to have our own place?”

“But we have our own place, my love. In the castle.”

Of course. As if he wasgluedto the Queen.

“We have a room there,” she corrected, “and it isn’t really ours. Just like everything else in this realm, our room belongs to the Queen.”

Kathrine knew that whether inside or outside the castle, in Antambazi or any other realm, there would be no mercy for her if the Queen discovered what she had done.

Despite the chill settling in her bones at the thought, sometimes she caught herself wondering whatwouldhappen if the Queen found out. Kathrine had nothing. What could she take from her, or do to her, in retaliation? Then she thought about her work, her team, and the man who meant everything to her. And she realised shedidhave much to lose.

Maybe if Sevar had proposed before her betrayal, she might never have committed it.

Maybe.

“My love, let’s take it slow. Besides, if all goes according to plan, we’ll have many other places to choose from for our home,” Sevar said.