Page 19

Quinn

I’ve spent the last two days inside and doing pretty much everything to avoid running into both Horek and Bannik. We finally took advantage of the chef in our own kitchen instead of eating in the market. His food was almost as good as what we got from Erik’s. I suspect we’ll eat in more often to save money, but head into the city for special occasions.

Luckily Olivia, Devon, and Lindsey have helped me pass the time. Including all of yesterday when I spent the day in bed crying and depressed after finally talking to my mom. I was able to tell her about everything happening on Bohna and how it was going here. She even listened to me explain my dilemma with Horek and the mating fever.

I’ve always trusted my mother to give me solid, unbiased advice. Yesterday was no different. It was almost like I hadn’t left even if the connection was, at times, a little staticky.

“Are you tired of hiding yet?” Olivia’s gaze remains on the cards in her hand.

Johnna had come over the night before last and taught us this Bohnari card game. I’m still not a hundred percent certain of the rules, so we’re making up some of them as we go along.

I glare at her. “What if I say no?” Although I am, and I need to woman up and go talk to Horek.

“Then we’re going to have to drag you out of here.” Devon doesn’t look like she’s joking either.

“You guys are supposed to be my friends, remember?”

Olivia huffs. “Which is exactly why we’re going to push you out of this room if we have to. This isn’t you. The Quinn Brooks I know doesn’t run away. She faces things head on even when they’re uncomfortable. Well, eventually, she does. Now is your eventually and you know it.”

I sigh. “I know.”

“Good, because I just won.” Olivia lays down her cards and the others groan in disappointment.

None of what she had in her hand says she won to me, but I’m not going to argue.

“I let you win.”

“Ha! Let me win? You don’t even remember the rules.”

Oops. I guess I didn’t hide my cluelessness as well as I thought I had. I toss down my cards as well and take my empty glass to the sink. There’s still quite a bit of sunlight left for me to go try and find Horek, I suppose.

“I’m going for a walk.” I glance at each of them and none volunteer to go with.

“Let us know how it goes with your boyfriend,” Olivia teases.

Arguing with her will only make her dig her heels in harder so I bite my tongue and nod instead. “I’ll be back later.”

The three of them get up as well and head for the door.

“We’ll see you then. Good luck,” Devon offers.

“Thanks.”

Alone, I walk down the hallway and take the lift to the ground floor. Like usual, a few of the women sit scattered about doing their own thing.

Sure enough, the sun still shines brightly, and all the copper buildings sparkle with newness. It’s a sight I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to. Every time I’ve gone outside, I expect to see the dreary, gray-hued sky of the bottom tier and smell the dirt and grime.

I breathe in the fresh, clean, and fragrant scent of Preska. I’m assaulted with earthy and floral notes, but in a good way. Now I regret staying cooped up in our building for two days because I missed this. I could have been visiting the botanical garden again or even just walking around the city and soaking it all up. From here on out, no more hiding. No more ignoring things or people. That’s not why I let my mom talk me into leaving her back on Earth.

Whether it’s the mating fever or something else entirely, I have a guy—two guys, in fact—showing interest in me. It’s a matter of whether or not Horek’s is merely a physical reaction or something more. If it is more, I have no idea what’s going to happen, but I need to give it—him—a chance. Except, I don’t actually know where to even start my search for Horek. I ask the first Bohnari—one of the guards stationed outside our building—I come across.

“Excuse me. Where would I find Commander Horek?”

The guard straightens. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, not at all. I just needed to speak with him.”

He still has a mild look of panic, like he’s worried I’m going to tattle on him for some unknown offense. “He’s probably in the barracks this time of the evening.”

I glance around in confusion. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know where that is. Could you give me directions?”

He rattles them off and I do my best to memorize the route he’s given me. I only hope I don’t get lost. “Thank you so much.”

The guard nods, and I head in the direction he gave me. I silently repeat his instructions while I walk and carefully watch where I’m going until finally I arrive at what I’m guessing is the right place. I’ve never actually seen barracks before. As far as I can tell, they appear similar to nearly every building in Preska. Shiny copper beams, large bolts connecting giant round pipes that run vertically along the exterior walls and horizontally along the rooftops, and lots of reflective windows that conceal whatever’s inside.

I make my way to the first set of doors I find. Before I even start searching for a bell or knocker, a camera in the corner turns so it’s pointing directly at me and the image of a Bohnari from the neck up appears on a monitor just above eye level.

“Can I help you?”

There’s no intercom button or anything for me to push, so I hope he can hear me without it. “Um, hi. I’m looking for Commander Horek, please.”

“Enter and I’ll let him know you’re here.”

The monitor goes black and a disengaging lock sound comes from the doors. I grab the handle and pull. It easily opens and I step inside to a lobby area. On one wall are framed pictures of various Bohnari men. Copper nameplates are centered along the bottom of each one and I walk down the line, studying them. Every male showcased here has the title of Commander. I reach the last one and sure enough, it’s Horek.

His long hair is tied back and the tight-fitting black, sleeveless shirt he wears displays his rounded, muscular shoulders and bulging biceps to perfection. The only thing missing in the picture are the dark scales I noticed while he was burning up from the mating fever. Is that another one of the side effects?

“Quinn?” The familiar gravelly voice comes from behind me. “What are you doing here?”

I turn to find Horek standing there with a stunned expression. His skin darkens to a deeper shade of copper and there’s a flicker of light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Is the fever hitting him again? A sudden case of nerves hit me now that I’m here and my mind goes blank. Shit, what am I doing here? Oh, yeah. I came here to figure out this thing between us and what it means. I swallow.

“Sorry to show up unannounced. If you’re busy, I can come back another time.” I’m offering him the perfect out that a part of me prays he takes.

He shakes his head. “I’m not busy. Is everything okay?”

I shift from one foot to the other. “Yeah, it’s fine. I was just, um, wondering if we could go talk somewhere? In private?”

“Of course. Follow me.” He waits until I’m within reach before he turns and heads down one of the hallways that branches off the lobby.

The silence feels a bit awkward, but I don’t break it. Not yet. I’m still rehearsing what to say in my head. I keep changing the words even though once it’s time, I’ll forget whatever I planned on saying anyway. Lining the walls of the hall are doors spaced evenly apart. They’re all closed so I can’t begin to guess what’s behind them. Personal rooms of the guards maybe?

We turn down another corridor. This one is not even a fraction of the length of the others and there’s only a single door. Horek comes to a stop in front of it and lays his palm on a bioscanner. A teal light scans its length and the door opens. He gestures for me to go first, and with only a single glance, I can tell we’re in living quarters. His living quarters. The fluttery sensation starts up in my belly, but I ignore it and just stand in the middle of the seating area.

Horek closes the door and the space that felt large seconds ago shrinks. Although it’s just my imagination, I’m almost struggling to take a breath. Like he’s taken all the air with him.

“Quinn?” He cocks his head and his stare intensifies, but he doesn’t move any closer.

I chuckle, the sound more uncomfortable than natural. I could swear I see actual flames burning in his eyes, but they can’t be real. “Right, sorry. Tell me more about the mating fever and this plant you take to calm it.”

Horek blinks like my request has surprised him as much as my visit itself has. “Perhaps it would be best if we sat.”

“Probably.” Since the only piece of furniture is a couch, I sit at one end of it.

He takes the other end, and despite the distance between us, I can still feel the heat radiating off him. “What would you like to know?”

Everything . But that’s a broad scope, I suppose. “How about we start with the fact that this plant you trade for is used to keep your mating fever at bay, right? Then why isn’t it working for you?”

Might as well get straight to the heart of the matter.