Page 31

I slap the buzzer, and my pedestal lights up. “Earthlings would say eighty-five, but it’s actually eighty-nine. They just haven’t scanned far enough into space yet.”

“Ooh, burn!” a male behind me jeers.

There are hundreds of contestants, but I see we’re actually in the second round of the day by the central reader board. Some of the females play with their hair, looking bored. Others quietly chat with nearby friends. Most of the males look focused and ready.

“Why is space silent?”

I tap the button again and get the green light. “Because of the vacuum, so there’s no air particles or otherwise to transfer sound. But it’s only silent to humanoid ears. With the right equipment, you can pick up the sounds of charged particles bumping into one another.”

“So space is not quiet to you?” the host asks.

“Not entirely. Hell, my Storm makes noise in space.”

A whisper down my row gets my attention. “Bet it’s jerking off his ego.”

I glance over at the male. “I work hard to remain at my strongest and smartest version of myself. Your insult is uncommon of your people, Mindor. You should consider how you are representing your species on this intergalactic stage.”

The host continues. “There are many types of galaxies in the universe, but which type is least explored?”

I get the mic again. “Likely black holes, but the truth is the toughest to explore are the binary blazars, by your terms. We call them Graftissions. Peel each other apart, then slam through one another, eating each other, then spitting everything out. It’s a looping galactic chaos that’s basically a suicide mission. ”

“But you rescued my species,” someone says.

I swivel in my seat and see a Faerillan with opalescent skin two rows up from me. “With mostly luck, many losses, and huge balls, my friend. But I am glad to see you here.”

I turn to the host. “I won’t take any more points from others unless you have no one who can answer.”

She fumbles through her notes. “Point taken. Okay, let’s continue.”

I lean back and listen, monitoring who can answer and who struggles. As the civil war breaks out in my home fleet, I may need more allies. When no one can answer questions, the host turns to me. I give them the straight version so we can move on.

Back and forth, males and females answer questions until I’m so bored I feel like I’m in primary school again.

As the trivia game winds down, the Gragoraphor male I’ve beat up twice now mutters two rows below me. “He’s a real cocky piece of work coming in here like that.”

I lean forward. “Even the poorest of offspring in our ships learn these things because they are as essential to surviving our homes as picking berries on a planet. But I do not know how to play music with an instrument, sing, or play sports. In order to excel at something, it must be a priority. So I have sacrificed games and creative things for practice and research, guarding my people and others. Please do not treat my dedication and confidence as arrogance. I did make sacrifices to get here.”

“Doubt it. You’re a prince, aren’t you?” he challenges.

“I was born into a commoner’s home, taken and made into a lie. I am no prince. But I love my people the same.”

Jovie’s voice steals my attention as her buzzer goes off.

“Flickering lights often means that the voltage is unsteady on a ship, and there might be a faulty power regulator. But it could also be a bad connection, transformer or, if it’s a new vessel, it might need a capacitor bank if there’s a lot of unexpected draw.

It could also be a bad regulator in the charging system. ”

“Right. Well, inconsistent voltage was the answer I was looking for.”

Jovie pumps a fist in the air. “Whoo! I got one!”

I’m proud of my little female. She knows things about ships, something that will help her survive life with me. But the longer I watch her talking with the other females, laughing and high-fiving each other when they get an answer right, the more I hate the idea of keeping her all to myself.

I don’t want to be like my heartless father. I won’t lock her away like Queen Avarylis and force her to go with me on every diplomatic mission. I want her to be safe but also free.

Now, I have a new burden on my shoulders. Where do I take Jovie so that she is safe and happy?

The game finally ends. A Nytheralian male has the most points.

A green-banded female has the second most points.

I don’t listen to the prizes because I don’t care.

I’m anxious to touch Jovie again with everything going on.

I fear she’ll vanish in front of me. I need the comfort of her energy close to mine.

She bounds up to me as the group files out of the auditorium and outside. “Can you show me some of those places that the questions were about? I’d love to see a nebula or visit another world.”

“Whatever you want, amamora.”

Jovie looks up at me with a pained expression.

“I know I’m up and down right now. I’m still working through everything.” I’m secretly terrified someone’s going to take her from me. I did not get to stay with my guardian as a child. I’m more certain of it now that I’ve witnessed the Oramma orb with Jovie.

Living under my father’s thumb for years, if he even is my father, has torn apart my confidence and made me run from him more than once.

Every time I’ve tried to go home, thinking things have changed, they haven’t.

It’s not about survival with the royals.

It’s about control. And I’m fearful of what they’ll do if they get their hands on my mate.

“Team up in a few?” she asks.

I don’t want her to go, but Jovie seems ready. She worked hard to get here. She wants to have fun.

I let her leave without protesting this time. She is mine. She is claimed. All the other males here will smell our recent bonding and not bother her. It’s just the ones who don’t care, the ones I can’t see, that worry me.