Page 83 of Dark Space

The cephalopod prince snorted. ‘So you would beg us for support to bolster your claim to the throne,’ he said, unimpressed. ‘Was what you said about anew chapterjust pretty words?’

‘I meant every one,’ Alcide answered softly.

The Tirian Captain’s gaze slid to Anna. ‘Your consort is human,’ she said, her tone tinged with surprise.

I bristled.

‘Queen, not consort,’ Alcide corrected. ‘And yes.’

Morgan’s eyes went to Vesper for the first time. To my surprise, the cephalopod paled, his mouth parting in shock. ‘Fuck,’ he said.

I tapped my translator, thinking I must have misheard, but it beeped, telling me it was charged and working properly.

‘Ah,’ he said, not taking his eyes off the starling. ‘I … Ah. Cy?’ he said, his voice strained.

The most beautiful humanoid being I’d ever seen appeared at Morgan’s side and touched his shoulder. He was grey-eyed and red-haired, and too perfect to be completely organic; I’d heard of Machina, where flesh was combined with mechanics and systems, but I didn’t think cyborgs left their home planet.

‘Fuck me,’ he breathed, his eyes falling on Vesper.

‘Thank you for the offer,’ Vesper said politely, ‘but my hands are already rather full.’

Morgan let out a sharp bark of laughter. ‘Thishasto be the sibling.’

‘All available evidence would strongly support your hypothesis,’ the cyborg answered tightly.

Morgan crossed his arms. ‘And what the everlovingfuckis Aster’s twin doing with the Roth King?’

‘You know Aster?’ Vesper said warily.

Morgan gave a wide, dangerous grin. ‘Ineverysense, starling.’

Vesper stared at them. ‘Stars. You’re his –’

‘Yes,’ Morgan interrupted. ‘We are. Are you going to come and see him?’

Vesper blinked, looking suddenly unsure.

Anna reached over and tugged his sleeve. ‘Of course you have to see him, Vesper!’ she hissed.

Vesper took a tentative step forward. I echoed it, my hand still hovering over the weapon at my hip.

Morgan surged towards me. ‘Not you,’ he snarled.

Vesper dissolved into his trueform in a heartbeat, wrapping me in darkness and jumping me out of Morgan’s way. ‘Mine,’ he snarled back at the cephalopod prince as we reformed, his voice echoing across the pavilion. He stepped in front of Alcide, Anna,andme, his arms spread at his sides to shield us. ‘He’smine. They’reallmine. You don’ttouchthem.’

My throat narrowed with some strong emotion before Morgan Eventide threw his head back and roaredwith laughter. He elbowed the cyborg.

‘Did you ever suspect we ended up with thecalmone?’ he chuckled.

Cy cocked his head, studying Vesper. ‘It’s not something I considered.’

Another Tirian approached. ‘Captain –’ they began, before trailing off.

‘Oh, dread gods,’ I murmured.

Because he had fair hair and moss-green eyes, and his pretty face was uncomfortablyfamiliar.

Willow cleared his throat. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Anna. How are you?’