Page 42 of The Dreamer and the Deep Space Warrior
“I prefer the pirate. He was more capable than Nolan, stronger, but … I didn’t like that his bruvya betrayed him. I could never imagine Kravis becoming a traitor. Such an act is unthinkable and dishonorable.”
Isobel exhaled a sigh of relief. This was safer territory, but the feeling of impending combustion was still there beneath her skin. “It was shocking when SV revealed who had set Wesley up. I liked Thomas, too. The author has a way of making you fall in love with all the characters, and so it hurts that much more when one of them dies or does something awful.”
“How do you know the author is a female?” “Because no man can write men the way she does, of course, nor women so fierce and free.” Isobel had known from the moment she met her first book suitor and heroine, that SV was a woman.
Ved made a thoughtful sound before pushing himself back under the panel to continue his work. “There are many books, or something like them, in the galaxy, too. I wonder if I could find more stories like these.”
“I can only imagine all the great love stories out there, waiting to be devoured,” she said wistfully. The mere thought made her heart ache. She wanted to readallof them. “You have to promise you’ll look when you leave. I bet they’re filled with daring space lords, epic star battles, and grand balls set on the sun.”
Ved didn’t respond, and she let her imagination take her away. If only she were up there, among the stars, what kinds of flower fields could she get lost in with a good book in hand? She would find a planet where she could read her favorite books without fear of being caught. And maybe she’d own her own bookstore, boasting the largest book collection in the galaxy.
“The halo wrench?” Ved asked, pulling her from her daydream.
When she handed him the large tool, his fingers closed over hers, his touch lingering. The softest of whimpers slipped from her lips before she pulled her hand away quickly.
Ved stiffened, his abdominals bunching into solid blocks. But he mercifully stayed beneath the table.
“I meant to tell you,” she said quickly over her discomfort, “I won’t be able to visit tomorrow.”
“Why?”
Isobel swung her legs from her spot on the control table. “Careful. That almost sounds like you’ll miss me.”
“Miss you?” he scoffed. “I never miss.”
“‘Miss me’ meaning you’ll be unhappy about my absence and wish I were here.” Though saying it aloud made her feel presumptuous. “Tell Exxo to keep up.”
“I will miss you,” he agreed and something swooped in her stomach. “And Exxo says that it isn’t his fault the Queen’s language is anything but royal. It’s more like the ass-end of a black hole.”
She smiled. Though she had no idea what a black hole was, the meaning was clear enough. “Well, I’ll only be gone for a day. Unless you plan on having the ship powered by then and departing?” It was something she thought about every day. The repairs were coming along quickly. Every time she visited, he had new areasfunctional. Soon, he would be finished working on the ship, and then he’d be back to the stars.
Gone forever.
“It won’t be ready by tomorrow, but where will you be?”
Relief flooded through her. “Good. I’ll be at a dance tomorrow night.”
Silence.
“A ball, to be exact,” she continued. “The royal family won’t be in attendance, but otherwise, it is one of the bigger events of the social season. Out of all the events one must attend, dances are my favorite. There’s a sort of magic in the air. It kind of feels like anything is possible. Even…” She trailed off before she rambled herself off a cliff.
“Even what?”
She chewed on the inside of her lip. “Well, even love.Actuallove. Not for me, of course, but for others. The kind where one doesn’t feel trapped or like they have to be someone they’re not.”
Ved slid out from beneath the console, setting the halo wrench to the side. “Why not for you?”
Isobel lifted a shoulder and gestured to her being. “Because of who I am, I suppose.”
Ved grunted, but he must have sensed how uncomfortable she was, because he did not press the issue. “Tell me more about these dances. They are a type of courtship?”
“Yes, they are a very important aspect of our customs. Is that not how it’s done on Runus?”
His chest shook with a throaty laugh. It was night thunder over a restless ocean. She immediately wanted to hear it again. “No, this is not the Xaal way.”
“Well, here, these types of events are a time for people to show interest in each other. Declining a gentleman’s dance invitation is asgood as saying you’re not interested in him and is considered rude unless your dance card is full. A man asking for a dance says he is interested at least on some level, even if it’s more in keeping good standing with the woman’s family. But there are plenty of men who will dance with anyone at any time, so it is hard to tell. The rules aren’t as severe for them.”
“Show me,” he commanded.
