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The next two days went by in a blur of flirting and stolen kisses. When she was able to think straight, she knew that there was only one thing to do. She had to talk to his mother.

Ula made the arrangements with Darthuun, and he left her alone in his office while she waited nervously for the connection to be made to the Light home world.

A woman finally filled the screen, her midnight hair showed streaks of white and silver. “Greetings, child.”

“Hello, Maurikan. I am Ularica of Gaia, and I want to ask you something.”

The woman’s clear features smiled, “So my husband has said. What do you wish to know?”

“Do all of the People of the Light separate when they have children? Darthuun has no answer for me.”

Maurikan grimaced. “I did not marry him for his tact. No, our choice was so that Deniir could get his position on the mother ship. There was no other way for Deniir to leave home as we always travel with family until we are mated, and he had to leave. There was nothing for him here.”

“No woman with big wings begging to be his?”

She grinned.

She laughed and then sobered. “Not one that made his heart beat faster. When you can’t find your mate at home, it is time to take to the stars.”

“Oh. I see.”

“No, I don’t think you do. You must understand that the Nine do not find their mates via casual contact. Our very souls cry out to us when we meet the one we are destined to be with. In the case of the Light, our minds reach out first and determine if we are like-minded. Once that is out of the way, our bodies follow suit. When Darthuun asked me to let him travel with Deniir to the stars, I said yes, because we were of the same mind. Our daughters grow and flourish in his absence, and it hurts him, but he is doing it for our son, which enriches us both.”

“So, if Deniir gets married, Darthuun can go home?”

Maurikan nodded. “Yes, Deniir will have his new family to start. So, if you say yes, there will be more than two hearts involved.”

Ula blushed, “What do you mean, if I say yes? He hasn’t asked me anything.”

“Really? Close your eyes and listen for a moment to what your soul is hearing. Listen to the question that you have been avoiding.”

Deniir’s mother widened her snow-white wings and raised them high until they framed her completely in the screen.

Ula closed her eyes and heard the question she had avoided. Will you be mine?

It echoed in every corner of her thoughts, and she couldn’t believe that she had missed it.

Blushing, she opened her eyes. “I didn’t hear it.”

Maurikan smiled. “I know. I ignored Darthuun for two months before I gave in.”

“Does it bother you that I don’t have wings?”

She blurted it out.

“No. I have known that he was going to find a wingless woman for his mate. It was a logical direction. Now, while I have enjoyed this conversation, Darthuun is waiting restlessly outside the door and talking to both of you is giving me a bit of a brain ache.”

“Well, it was nice meeting you.”

“The same here, also your grasp of our language is quite impressive. Your bond is quite strong.”

Ula snorted. “So I have been told. Have a good day, Maurikan.”

Maurikan inclined her head and disconnected the call.

Ula straightened and headed back to her workstation. She opened the cabinet she had ordered and checked on her private project. The wings were almost complete, she just needed two more components, and when she checked her inbox, they were waiting for her. The energy cell was amazing and could power more than her simple construction.

The wings were her first truly personal project in years, and she wasn’t sure that she would get the help she needed to test it.

“Excuse me, are you Ularica?”

Ula turned her head and smiled at the woman that she knew by reputation only. “Signy?”

“Call me Ziggy. I got your message, and I was surprised that they have managed to sneak another Gaian on board.”

She came forward and embraced Ula. “Belated welcome to the ship.”

Ula returned the hug. “Thank you. Now, will you help me with my project?”

“Right to the point, huh? Well, if you don’t want to use one of the People of the Light as backup, I suppose I can ask Tonos. He can probably manage a catch if he has to. Well, if Tiera lets him.”

Ula smiled. “Do you want to see them?”

“Of course. Would you like to come for dinner?”

Ziggy looked hopeful.

“If I survive, I would love to as long as Deniir is also invited.”

“I will have Rothaway extend the invitation. Give me a moment to make the arrangements and I will have Tonos meet us at the central hub.”

“I will finish the wings. My com unit is available to you.”

With her heart humming, she put in the final components before she slipped the wings on her back. The straps held them snugly to her body, and she moved into an open space to do the first extension tests.

The wings flared at her movements, and they flapped twice before tucking up and out of the way.

A wry voice said, “I hope you aren’t thinking of flying without me.”

She blinked. “Ah, Deniir. Yeah, I was going to take these for a maiden flight with someone else for backup.”

He was immediately in front of her, bristling with jealousy. “Who?”

“A friend of Ziggy’s. Tonos, I think she said. He is the husband of another Gaian.”

Air slowly left him. “Oh. The Prince of the Air. Of course. He’s a good choice, but I am going to be there anyway. Wait, where am I going to be?”

“We are going to the central hub. It’s the least gravity and the longest fall. If I can even get these to stick out enough to glide, that is definitely something.”

He nodded. “Sensible. You can have Tonos there as backup, but I am going to be there as his backup. You are not plummeting into the unknown with a piece of flapping metal at your back if I am not there.”

Ziggy returned and smiled. “All set. He can meet us there now if you like.”

Ula shifted with her wings on her back. They were surprisingly light, but that was the point. These were not for serious flight; they were purely recreational.

Deniir disappeared and came back with one of his cloaks. “No sense gathering more attention than is necessary.”

He settled it over her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss. She could feel his question hammering at her, but now was not the time. If she didn’t splat in the arboretum, it would be time to answer him.

Ziggy stood next to her friend Tiera and held her hand. Tonos was grinning and flexing his Fairy wings.

“I will head out and keep out of your way as you launch. I will be ready when you are.”

His tone was calm and encouraging.

Deniir removed her cloak and said, “When you first jump, you want to scoop the air. Once you have slowed, use the wings to flap for height and control your descent.”

She nodded and touched the head-based controls as well as the emergency devices on her harness. The harness controls were a last resort.

The walkway that they stood on was half a kilometre from the floor of the central hub. If she couldn’t figure it out, she would know soon enough.

Ula nodded to Tonos, and he flitted up and over the safety railing.

Deniir lifted her chin. “I can’t move as fast as Tonos can, but I will be there before anything bad can happen, all right?”

She nodded and breathed in. “All right. Now, shoo. I need to get into the air before I lose my nerve.”

He kissed her again before climbing to the railing and falling backward. His wings opened with ease, and huge sweeps kept him airborne twenty metres away.

The ladies gave her thumbs up, and it was now or never. Before anyone could stop her, including herself, Ula climbed the railing, extended her wings and jumped.

The wings beat slowly, and it was fifty metres before she got the rhythm. Tonos was on one side of her and Deniir the other as she changed direction and began to scoop her way through the air current being pushed up from the vents far below.

She climbed up and up, past Ziggy and Tiera and toward the observation bubble crafted in the centre of the ship. Deniir kept pace with her, beat by beat. Tonos zipped around and switched from side to side far more rapidly than she could.

The wings were a success, though she would definitely advise users to get some ground practice before jumping into the air and hoping for the best.

She heard Deniir call out. “Time to land, Ula!”

She nodded, and together, they started a slow spiral descent, controlled and careful. It took five minutes for her to touch down in the gardens, and by the time Deniir was next to her, a crowd was applauding wildly.

He put his arm around her and kissed her in full view of all the watching men and women. A gasp of surprise was the first sound, but soon, the applause returned.

“We have been asked to dinner by Councillor Rothaway and Ziggy. I think we should get ready.”

Deniir kept his arm around her as they made their way through the crowd, his wings out and curled around her protectively.

She was heady with triumph as they made their way back to the VIP quarters, and once inside, she unbuckled her wings and casually said, “My answer is yes, by the way.”

Before he could respond, she dove into her quarters and locked the door a moment before a thud marked Deniir’s moment of impact.

Dinner was going to be entertaining.