AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How will they decide?”
“There’s a whole schedule on scouting proposed locations and traveling parties in the upcoming cycles… Then once that stage has passed, the council will conduct a vote on where to settle, and we will land the Revenge nearby to begin truly rebuilding our community in a completely foreign place.”
“It will be a unique experience,” I say. “We’ll have to document it well.”
“We’ve been living like fish in a bowl, and we’re about to be dropped in the ocean.” Viro lets the leaf he’s been clutching fall from his open palm. Then with one great breath, he blows it away. “It might be the ocean we came from, but it’s going to feel like uncharted territory for a while.”
We’re quiet for a moment, watching the families on the lawn that are lazily enjoying the afternoon.
“Mak will be spending a lot of time away, then? That’s fine. I don’t mind alone time.” It sounds like the perfect arrangement for a marriage of convenience.
“Do you think he would leave you here?” Viro’s black brows rise. “I know you haven’t signed that contract with Mak yet, so maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I hope you don’t have some human impression of how this will go. Mak might be a modern thinker, but he is a traditional Kar’Kali male to his core.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
He chuckles. “He’s not letting you out of his sights.”
CHAPTER NINE
FRANKIE
Viro and I pass the rest of the afternoon pleasantly in the atrium, and he introduces me to some of the Kar’Kali that are curious enough to approach me. Many of them recognized me, or simply assumed who I was based on the gossip. But when a small crowd starts to gather around the two of us, Viro is quick to whisk me away.
“It’s nearly dinnertime,” he says, thankfully not mentioning the way I was tensing up. “I’ll drop you off at Mak’s office and let him know he can meet you there.”
When we arrive, the secretary is waiting for me.
“Viro,” he sighs the greeting in a mildly annoyed tone.
“Havi,” Viro says with a grin. “Don’t look so thrilled to see me.”
“I have to speak with you about this document, my lady.”
“Okay,” I agree.
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave.” Viro gives the elder secretary a rub on the head that causes his grumpy expression to intensify. “Don’t worry for your safety in my absence, my dear Frankie, the only pain this one can inflict is entirely mental.”
“Thanks again for today,” I say, waving him goodbye before turning my attention to Havi.
“We can’t have the Ka’lakka sign this without alterations,” he starts.
“Why not?” I ask innocently.
“Some of these clauses go entirely against the Kar’Kali way, and as the Ka’lakka’s mate, you cannot possibly want to project an image of such potential for disloyalty. This is a flagrant insult to the great spirit itself!”
“I am not Kar’Kali,” I remind him. “If your all-knowing spirit had a problem with that, they should’ve taken it into consideration.”
He scoffs at me.
“You invoke the spirit without knowing or respecting it!”
“I was in a coma when the Kali’Ka pulled this stunt, so how’s that for respect? Look, if these terms can’t be met, I’m more than happy to leave the ship immediately.”
“No!” he shouts before clearing his throat and saying calmly, “No, that won’t be necessary. We can resolve this if we review the problem areas.”
“What do you consider the problem areas?”
“Let’s see,” he says, combing through the highlighted sections of the contract I sent him. “Your continued Alliance citizenship… The citizenship of potential heirs… Divorce! For the love of all stars in the universe, I near fainted. Divorce? It’s unthinkable! To divorce Makiva, the thrice-chosen, beloved Ka’lakka, who has led us home to Kar’Kal—”
