Page 56

Chapter

Fifty-Six

Reina

I walked down the transport’s ramp, the familiar scent of engine oil and recycled air washing over me as I descended into the hangar bay of the Island. Home. After months at the Academy, the sensory rush hit me like a wave.

Everything at the Academy was ancient and filled with symbolism. Here, everything was new and bright. The dark stone had grown on me, but I was thrilled to be back on a modern space station.

“Reina, thanks heavens!”

Serge barreled toward me with such enthusiasm that several mechanics turned to stare. His spiky purple hair was even higher than I remembered, and his turquoise suit was accented with an orange striped ascot, which matched his platform boots.

"I thought you'd never return," he said, tipping his head back and gripping my hands in his. "Do you have any idea what I've been through? Three dozen weddings and not a single competent assistant to help me navigate the one bride’s ridiculous demand for vegan everything and another’s desire to have attendants dressed like wood nymphs, whatever those are.”

I laughed, the tension in my shoulders finally releasing. "I've missed you too, Serge."

He sniffed, examining me from head to toe. “You look unchanged.” Then he leaned closer. “Did life in a military academy change you? You aren’t fond of epaulets and dark colors now, are you?”

“Never!” I fell in step beside him as he led me through the hangar bay. The sound of maintenance droids beeping, hammers pounding steel, and fighters engaging engines were both familiar and comforting.

“Well, you're home now," Serge said, waving his hand dramatically. "And just in time. New tributes arrive any day now.”

We passed through the open doorway and into the corridor, Serge chattering nonstop.

"—and then a bride insisted on bringing her emotional support lizards to the reception. Lizards! Do you know how many decorative pillows were destroyed?" He paused mid-sentence. "But enough about my brides. Tell me about yours. How's Noora? Has she come to her senses about that brute yet?"

I smiled, remembering that the last time I'd seen Serge I’d been rushing to join Noora as she was forced to leave with the admiral. "Actually, they're disgustingly happy. She's thriving at the Academy, and Zoran is very different with her now.”

Serge's eyebrows shot up and his roots became pink. "Zoran? Different? The man who practically dragged her off the Island?"

"I was skeptical too," I admitted as we stepped into an inclinator compartment, and the doors swished shut.

"But it's true," I continued. "They're good together. She challenges him, and he mellowed. Slightly. Of course, he’s still intimidating to everyone else."

Serge snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

“Does that mean you want to visit, hon?”

Serge sagged against the wall, the light pulling lavender behind him. “Me go to a dark castle filled with nothing but young Drexians and no weddings to plan? Perish the thought.”

I laughed at that, not mentioning that because of all the recent pairings there would be weddings to plan eventually.

“How do you bear it, darling?” Serge asked in a whisper, as if we weren’t alone in the inclinator.

"It took time to adjust to the austereness, but I’ve made friends. The human women have an incredible solidarity.”

Serge's eyes lit up. "Speaking of humans from the academy, Morgan helped me review the new shipment of wedding gowns this morning.”

My heart skipped. "Morgan's still here?"

He bobbed his head up and down. “So is that adjunct of Zoran’s, the tall, brooding one with the cheekbones."

"Tivek," I supplied, keeping my voice casual. “So, tell me more about how they arrived.”

Serge’s eyes widened. “You know they’d been drifting for days when we found them.

Then they emerged looking absolutely disheveled and shellshocked.

Who could blame them, of course, with nothing but ration packs to survive on…

?“ He trailed off, his gaze sharpening on my face.

"Why? Is there something I should know?"

I thought about what Britta and Jess had said.

"Reina?" Serge prompted, his hair roots deepening to a darker pink. "You're being suspiciously quiet."

I shook my head quickly. "No, nothing important. The Admiral was worried when they were lost and is eager for his adjunct to return."

"Mmm," Serge hummed, unconvinced. "Well, Zoran will be disappointed. I heard Tivek's planning to leave for Earth soon."

My stomach dropped. “Earth? With Morgan?

Serge wrinkled his brow. “Why would he go to Earth with Morgan? As far as I know, he has an assignment on Earth.”

“So, he’s going alone? To Earth? Does Morgan know?”

“Yes, Earth, and of course alone. I don’t know if Morgan knows or not. Why would it concern her?" My Gatazoid friend narrowed his eyes at me. “Why the questions? What do you know that I don’t?”

“Nothing!” I laughed, perhaps too forcefully. “I just need to be sure before I tell Noora.”

Serge crossed his arms over his chest as the inclinator pinged. "You're clearly up to something. Out with it."

I stepped out of the lift as soon as the doors flipped open. Time was running out if Tivek was truly planning to leave. “Would I keep secrets from you, hon?”

He tapped a finger on his chin. “You never did before, but…”

“Nothing has changed,” I assure him, “aside from my need to freshen up before I help you prepare for the new brides.”

Now this distracted him exactly as I’d hoped.

“You do that.” He waved a hand at my traveling dress, which was more subdued than what I usually wore.

“Once you’re changed into something more fitting the Island, you can help me review the biographies of the tributes.

There are some interesting prospects and some who might require more attention. ”

“High-touch tributes are our specialty,” I reminded him with a giggle that I hoped sounded more cheery than nervous.

“Too true, darling.” Serge released a long sigh. “I must admit that it’s a relief to have you back. I don’t know how I survived without you.”

My cheeks warmed at the sweet comment, especially since I knew Serge prided himself on being the driving force behind the weddings.

He sniffed and squared his small shoulders. “Enough of that. You hurry off to your quarters, which are exactly as you left them. Naturally, I had them cleaned every week in case you returned, but we didn’t disturb a thing.”

I blinked rapidly, more touched by that than I wanted to let on. As much as I’d valued my time at the academy, being back on the Island showed me just how much I’d missed it, and how much I’d missed Serge.

“I’ll swing by later and we can go over the tributes over dinner,” Serge said as he backed away from me. “I know you’ve missed the chefs here.”

Serge rushed off with a backwards flap of one hand as I continued down the corridor to my quarters, hesitating outside the familiar door. If what he’d told me was true and Tivek was leaving, I needed to find Morgan.

I didn’t know if Jess and Britta were right, but I needed to be sure they weren’t before Morgan and Tivek were separated for good.

I turned from my quarters and hurried down the hallway. Changing would have to wait, and, perhaps, so would Serge.