Page 50 of A Delicate Conquest

He thought there would be misunderstandings, frustration, and differences in communication.

The rest of their time together had felt like an alternate version of reality, where only good things occurred. Mavrel had never experienced anything like it. Delighted by her human curiosity, he’d taken her through all the different showcases and exhibits, indulging her questions and slowly learning more about her life on Earth.

She was a rare soul, a kind of individual he’d never encountered before.

She might be a soft-skinned, defenseless human, but she was more free in spirit than he’d ever comprehended to be possible.

How fortunate he was.

The Goddess had smiled upon him. Mavrel didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her blessing, but he would take it.

For a short, blissful time, the Universe was at peace. The Krael had been dealt with, and the old empire was no more.

Tarak was free to reorganize the rule of law in the Nine Galaxies as he saw fit, and Mavrel understood very well that Tarak’s so-calledselfishreasons would dictate how the Universe ran from now on.

The strongest species had become intertwined with one of the most vulnerable.

And biologically, they were one and the same.

He’d seen her off in the docking bay, delivering her to the small cruiser that would return her to her home on Earth.

How could he forget the warmth in her dark eyes, the glow in her features, the gentleness with which she kissed him before she turned and walked up the ramp, elegant and graceful in her newly created shoes?

He’d watched as the hatch closed, dark Qualum fibers swallowing her up, stealing her from his hungry sight.

And then, just like that, she was gone.

I’ll see you soon,she’d said.I never expected any of this, but I don’t regret a minute of it. Please understand, though, that this is a lot for me to take in. I just need a couple of days, okay?

The Earth equivalent of three rotations, in fact. She’d invited him to her home, giving him a time and a date.

Mavrel wanted to go and see her right now, but he sensed that this was some sort of test—it was important to her.

So he refrained.

Brief discussions with Rykal and Kalan and further reading of the so-called Manual convinced him that it was the right thing to do.

He would wait.

It was bearable now, even though she invaded his thoughts at every waking moment.

He possessed enough discipline to concentrate on the task at hand, at least.

To his surprise, Tarak hadn’t given him any additional tasks, making his workload relatively light for the time being. That meant he could focus ononeparticular project.

A personal one.

Something had stuck in his mind.

Zharek.

If Zharek could play at manipulations and matchmaking, then so could he. Mavrel had been around. He knew a few tricks, too.

That’s why, right now, he was painstakingly delving through the labyrinthine databases of theSylth,trialing different algorithmic combinations, searching through obscure pockets of supposedlydeadrecords.

He was sifting, catching micro-particles of information, piecing them together bit by bit.

He was patient.

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