Page 23 of Interlude

“Ah, yeah, I mean you were pretty damned focused on killing Glup. I don’t think that would have done us any favors.” A rush of embarrassment prickles at my skin. I can’t believe I just forced him to kiss me.

Phoeall, you didn’t have to try very hard, trust me, Xavier reassures me. He enjoyed it very much.

Brannock is still staring at me with wide-eyed surprise—or as wide as the little piggy eyes they have can get. “You kissed me?” he repeats, sounding bewildered, and my embarrassment rises. Time to go.

“Ah, um, we should get moving.” I break away and fly the rest of the way to the bar, waiting for the two men to reach me. There seems to be a large crowd of people hoping to get hired on to be halla harvesters.

When they catch up, Xavier doesn’t wait at the back of the line, instead pushing through the crowd like a bulldozer. I allow the two of them to take the lead, and I follow behind—flying above the crowd is faster anyway. We make it to the front where there are two people sitting at a desk, talking to prospective employees.

“Why is it so busy?” I whisper in Xavier’s ear.

“Because the amount they pay far outweighs the perceived danger. People are idiots, and greed plays a big part in the decision to be a halla harvester. It’s what the brewers are counting on. It’s also why halla mead is so expensive.”

The two beings sitting at the table are a species I recognize. “Didn’t you have one of these in your harem?” I say quietly out of the side of my mouth, and he gives me a wink. I glare at him. Both of them are like human trees, with foliage for hair, and their skin looks like bark. The one on the left’s eyes brighten when they see Xavier.

“Dopnoo! Finally, someone who knows what they are doing. We haven’t had many people return from the last outing.” He exchanges a nervous glance with his counterpart.

Xavier scoffs. “Oak, Elm. Good to see you both. Is it any surprise? We lost four harvesters. I would say people are starting to wise up.”

“Shh,” the other one hisses, looking wildly around the room in the hope nobody heard Xavier’s comment. “Let’s not make that common knowledge. We need to double our crew this trip, and you’ll scare off the prospects.”

“Well, I’m here, and this is my brother, Dipee, and our little friend Vika.” He points first to Brannock and then me. He makes “little friend” sound suggestive, and the two tree dudes eye me skeptically. Right, do the corn dudes even have dicks? I mean, I can’t see anything that looks like one.

If I had the ability to mimic like you, I could show you, Xavier muses inside my mind, and it takes all my control not to roll my eyes with the attention of the two overseers still on me.

“Excellent. Earth elementals are always welcome. You did warn her that she wouldn’t be able to control the plants though.” Oak looks at Xavier who nods, or I guess bows, really, in acknowledgement.

“Yes, but she’s been in space for too long and needs to be one with her element. She’s aware of the danger.”

“Right then. Sign here, and welcome to the crew.” Elm slides a tablet over, which looks like an indemnity form releasing them from any responsibility should we be maimed, injured, or killed on the job. The three of us sign our aliases, and Oak and Elm give us instructions to meet them at their ship in the docking bay in an hour.

We get pushed to the side as the next person steps up, and we make our way back through the crowd of aliens, returning to the outside of the bar.

Lila

“Right, so we have an hour to kill. Should we find a few more aliens for you to mimic?” Xavier says, rubbing his stubby hands together and looking around.

“Probably shouldn’t,” Brannock grumbles, not meeting our eyes. “We need her to save her strength for Husadavia. She would use up a lot of energy shifting back and forth between forms, and then she would have to refuel.” His words trail off as if he’s embarrassed to remind me that I need sex to refuel.

Xavier eyes the Aaz’axian, mulling over his words before a sly smile crosses his lips. “I mean, that’s not a problem if you’re willing to help out.”

Brannock and I have exactly the same reaction. Our mouths drop open in surprise, and we stare at my warlock husband in shock.

“Seriously?” I ask, sounding a little miffed, and he shrugs—or this glamour’s version of a shrug, which almost looks like a jump.

“Look, we both know you’re attracted to each other, and honestly, I don’t know why you’re dancing around it. As far as I’m concerned, we’re killing two birds with one stone. You get more forms to choose from, and Brannock gets to fuck a woman who he is compatible with. For God’s sake, Lila, the man hasn’t finished inside a woman in over six hundred years. Take pity on the poor guy.”

I’m speechless, but Brannock isn’t. He glares at my husband, and his glamour flickers again. “I don’t need a pity fuck,” he growls.

Xavier rolls his eyes. “Hardly a pity fuck. She’s into you, and you’re into her, so what’s the big deal?”

What the actual fuck? I can’t believe this male. Is he really this fucking clueless? I know warlocks are blasé about sex, but he should at least know me better than that by now. I mean, yeah, I’m most definitely attracted to Brannock, and I know he feels the same way, but I kind of want it to happen organically, like maybe go on a date and see how that goes. That might be a little naïve, considering all but one of my relationships has been forced, so to speak, but a girl likes to be wined and dined and not just sixty-nined…Well, I mean, the sixty-nine is a lot of fun too, but not essential until maybe like the second date.

Anyway, I digress. I want to throttle Xavier. If he had a neck, I would wrap my hands around it and squeeze while I watched him turn even more purple than he normally is.

Brannock and I look to be on the same wavelength, if his glare is anything to go by, but Xavier just huffs and changes the subject. “Fine, it was just a suggestion. You don’t have to get pissy.” Now he appears like he’s sulking.

We head back the way we came, an awkward silence falling between us. I keep looking at Brannock out of the corner of my eye. I want to make sure he knows that I wasn’t rejecting him so much as the timing.

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