Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"How will I manage to live in such squalor," I joke. Good gravy. Six servants. Twelve bodyguards. Sixteen rooms.
An entire moon. It's ridiculous.
Zhur watches me quietly, his ears flicking. "Do you regret that you cannot go back to Risda? I do not wish for you to feel trapped."
Trapped? With him at my side? I've never felt so secure or content. I put my arms around his neck and haul myself over him, settling my weight on his chest. "Do you really think exile is the end of things? That we're going to dodder off into the sunset? Please. It's just the start of a new adventure for us."
He smiles, playing with a lock of my hair. "I can only imagine what sorts of schemes you will drag our poor servants into. That you will drag me into."
"Well, for starters, someone owes me a pet..." I sit upright, gazing down at him. "But I have one condition. Can we please have anyone, anyone but Zebah drive us to our new home?"
"If I see that female again in this lifetime, it will be far too soon." Zhur shakes his head, and then pulls me down against him. "Now come and kiss your mate—"
"Oh, now you want kisses," I tease, and then dissolve into squeals when his hand slides under my dress. A moment later, I suck in a breath as he finds just the perfect spot.
"Turn around," we both bellow at Mrrrkuss at the same time.
And then we get back to kissing (and other things).
EPILOGUE
Three Years Later
MAEVE
In a world of vids and comm channel connections, a paper letter feels like a special treat. Of course, it's not paper as I know it on Earth. It's plas, the all-uses material that the aliens love so much. But the intent is still the same, and I'm just as delighted to unfold it as I would be any other letter.
I move to the big window full of sunlight in my study, examining the lettering on the front.
"It's from Simone," I tell Sanassa as I open the letter. As I do, a small, sealed packet of herbs falls to the floor and I automatically scoop it up.
"One of your human friends?" the calico female inquires politely. She doesn't look up from the datapad she's working on, no doubt fussing over the details of the dinner party for Zhur's birthday next month. Heir Remrrrtel and Heiress Leah will be joining us, which means that instead of the two dozen or so people that normally live and work here in Paradise, we'll be swarmed with ten times as many.
She'll gripe about all the fuss, but secretly I think Sanassa likes the challenge of hosting. I've offered to help, only to be met with flattened ears and a reminder that I hired her to be the steward of our new home and to let her do her job.
"A human that lives under Lord va'Rin's protection, yes." I don't say more than that. Some people are aware that Risda III is a human refuge, but I figure the less that know specifics, the better. Sanassa knows that I lived in the same place, but not more than that.
"Mm," is all Sanassa says, and I know she's a world away, no doubt picking out napkin colors and what sorts of fruit slices will look best in finger bowls.
I read the letter, scanning it quickly and then savoring it a second time.
Hello friend!
I thought I'd send a handwritten letter since I was told you were out of your personal supply of noli. I'm including a bit for you, but I'm told that this particular harvest was potent. Maybe touch the herbs and rub behind your ears and then put the rest away quickly or else you're gonna have to clear your schedule for a few days.
I hope you and that man of yours are doing well! Things are quiet here. Well, quiet-ish. Do you remember Lucy? She just had twins—a boy and a girl. I've been bringing food over daily because she looks tired as heck. There's a few new custodians working in Port, because our population keeps expanding. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing for humanity. Good for business, though.
There are more strangers showing up in Port by the day it feels like, and there are so many kids running around town now that there's talk of a school. One of the custodians (Ainar, remember him?) and his wife are on baby number four. One boy, twin girls, and she's pregnant again right now. That is a lot of kids! And a lot of twins in the area, though it's probably because of fertility treatments. I'm not ready to contribute to those numbers yet but maybe next year? Have you and Zhur thought about kids?
Speaking of business...it's booming. The cookies are a hit and my eclairs sell out every morning before noon. I can't keep up with demand. Tell Zhur I have a girl that delivers meat sandwiches to the docks every day and she gets cleaned out. Makes a pretty penny, too! I guess he was right, though maybe don't phrase it like that. Between my stand and baking for the cantina, I've had to hire two helpers and the store is having to special order baking supplies for me. Who knew that sweets were so popular, right?