Page 46

Chapter

Forty-Six

Tivek

T he door slid closed, and I leaned against it, finally allowing my composure to crack.

The timing couldn't have been worse. After years of dedicated service, after countless missions where I'd risked everything for Drex, the Shadow Council was finally recognizing my work with a position most operatives could only dream of.

Autonomy. Influence. The ability to shape our dealings with Earth.

It was everything I'd worked toward, and it had arrived precisely when I'd found a reason to stay exactly where I was.

I pushed away from the door, suddenly desperate to see Morgan, desperate to talk to her. I needed to sort through the tangle of thoughts and emotions churning inside me, and somehow, despite knowing her for such a short time, she'd become the person I trusted most to help me make sense of it all.

Without bothering to check my appearance again, I left my suite and strode the short distance to her door. My knuckles had barely grazed the panel when it slid open, revealing Morgan in the pale green dress Serge had selected for her.

She was breathtaking. The fabric clung to her curves before flowing gracefully to the floor, and her pale hair had dried into soft waves that framed her face perfectly.

But something in her expression made me pause.

There was a stiffness that hadn't been there before and a distance in her eyes that set alarm bells ringing in my mind.

"Morgan," I started, not entirely sure what I wanted to say, only knowing I needed to say something.

"We should go," she interrupted, stepping past me into the corridor. "We're expected for dinner with the captain, right?"

I frowned, falling into step beside her. The sudden coolness was jarring. Had I done something wrong? Had she regretted what happened between us?

"Is everything all right?" I asked quietly as we walked along the pathway over the water.

"Fine," she replied, too quickly. "This place is amazing, isn't it? The holo technology is light-years beyond what we have at the academy. It really feels like we're walking on a beach somewhere on Earth."

She was chattering nervously, a behavior I'd never observed in her before. Morgan was typically measured, thoughtful with her words. This rapid-fire commentary about the station's technological achievements felt like a deliberate distraction.

"It's impressive," I agreed cautiously. "But Morgan?—"

"I wonder how they create the sensation of humidity without making it uncomfortable. If they could transfer that technology to Earth, they’d make a fortune.”

As we reached the end of the walkway, I gently caught her elbow, determined to understand what had changed in the brief time we'd been apart. "Morgan, what's going on? You're acting?—"

The doors of the inclinator swished open, and Serge emerged, resplendent in a lavender suit that contrasted with his purple hair. He clapped his hands at the sight of us.

"Perfect timing!" he exclaimed. "I was just coming to collect you. Can't have our honored guests late for dinner with the captain, now can we?"

Before I could protest, he had ushered us both into the inclinator, continuing to chatter as the doors closed and the compartment began to move.

"You know, retrieving tribute brides and other important guests isn't always as straightforward as your rescue was," Serge informed us as peppy music filled the small space and recessed lighting pulsed in soft pink waves above our heads.

"Once, I had to track down a tribute bride who’d taken refuge in a therapeutic mud spa and refused to leave.

The mud was holographic, of course, but the smell never fully came out of my favorite jacket. "

He shuddered dramatically, his hair tinged pink at the roots. "I've seen more than any Gatazoid should see in this line of work, let me tell you."

I tried to catch Morgan's eye, desperate for some clue to her sudden change in demeanor, but she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly fascinated by the inclinator's control panel.

Had I imagined our connection? Had it all meant something entirely different to her than it had to me?

The inclinator doors slid open, revealing what Serge proudly announced was "The Promenade,” a spacious area designed to resemble an Earth town center, complete with cobblestone paths, quaint shops with striped awnings, and café tables set along the thoroughfare.

Drexians, humans, and a few aliens strolled leisurely through the space, creating the illusion of a bustling downtown.

"This is incredible," Morgan said, her eyes widening as she took in the details. "It looks so much like Earth. Fancy Earth, I mean. Not towns I lived in." She turned to me then, finally meeting my gaze, even as her expression remained guarded. "If you like this, you’ll like Earth."

My heart sank as realization dawned. It all made sense now. Somehow, she knew about Kax's visit. She must have overheard our conversation about the promotion, about me potentially leaving the academy.

"Morgan, I need to explain—" I began urgently.

"Captain Kalex! How lovely to see you," Serge called out, cutting me off as the tall Drexian approached us.

Captain Kalex wore the same uniform he had earlier, but he had a woman accompanying him. “May I present to you, my wife Zoey?”

“You’re human,” Morgan said to the stunning woman with short, black hair who was dressed in simple black pants and a glittery blue top.

Zoey laughed, her dark eyes sparkling. “I am.” She nudged the captain. “My husband has excellent taste in women.”

The corners of the captain’s mouth quirked as he looked adoringly at his wife. “Shall we proceed to dinner? I'm eager to hear more about your mission."

As we followed Captain Kalex, I managed to fall into step beside Morgan, close enough to speak without being overheard. "Whatever you think you heard?—"

"Doesn't matter," she whispered back, her voice tight. "It's your career, your decision. I get it."

"No, you don't," I insisted quietly. "This isn't as simple as?—"

"Maybe we should talk about this later," she cut me off, forcing a smile as Captain Kalex and Zoey glanced back at us. "After dinner."

I wanted to argue, to make her understand that the promotion that had once been my greatest aspiration now felt hollow. Instead, I nodded and tried to focus on Drexian protocol. Yet with every step, I felt the distance between us growing.

And despite all my training, I had no protocol for fixing that.