An impossible relationship
Sherv stared at the text message on his com, his emotions roiling. You’re leaving soon. We won’t have many more opportunities to see each other, and you aren’t playing tonight. Can I visit your ship after my performance?
It wasn’t signed, but as his com had been forced to translate the words from English to Kalquorian…his ability to read the alien language lagged far behind his speech…he knew it had come from Irene.
It had been two days since he’d last seen her. Two days that had crept by in excruciating slowness. Two days of her voice singing in his head. Two days to think about kissing and holding her. Two days of wondering what she was doing in a given moment.
Rusp was quiet, moodier than he got after talking to his parent clan. Jemi was the opposite. He kept begging to go to the opera again. “We don’t have to talk to her. Just seeing her and hearing her sing would be enough.”
Except it wouldn’t be enough. Sherv knew it just as sure as he knew letting Irene return to the ship would be a huge mistake. Give her permission to court being caught by those who’d harm her? It would be the height of selfishness to let her put herself in danger so they could what…play music no one else would ever hear because he couldn’t imagine anyone else singing it? So he could look into those deep, dark eyes? So maybe, if they hadn’t scared her into eternal chastity by going too far when he’d kissed her, he might be able to wrap his arms around her again?
Only to let her go in the end, probably to never see her again.
“What’s up?” Rusp sat at the dinette across from him and brushed crumbs from their breakfast to the floor, where the robotic sweeper would eventually collect and dispose of them.
Sherv hesitated, then pushed his com over for his clanmate to read.
“Ah, shit.” Rusp spoke quietly, his gaze darting to the corridor to make sure Jemi was nowhere in earshot. Their Imdiko would clamor for the visit if he knew Irene had asked. Rusp rubbed his hand over his eyes, then scratched his bearded chin. “It’s like dangling a ronka steak in front of starving zibgers.”
“No kidding. Of course she shouldn’t come here. It isn’t worth the threat.”
“I don’t see you sending her the message.” Rusp managed a grim smile. “Wrong to say yes, impossible to say no?”
“Why does her government have to be so fucked up?” Sherv scowled at his com, fighting the urge to fling it across the room. He couldn’t afford to replace it. “And why is this so hard? We’ll be out of here in a few days and probably never see her again. What’s the point?”
“One-two punch. Music and her. Mostly her. Mother of All, she’s the total package.” Wistfulness sat strangely on Rusp’s strong-featured face.
She was more than the total package. She was magic.
Releasing June 23
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