Page 102 of Violet

“Stephan—” He rests his hand on my shoulder, but I jerk away, anger biting.

Why doesn’t anyone understand? The pain, the absolute torment I went through when I lost them…

But then, like usual, the rage deflates into a heavy, heavy sorrow.

How could they understand? There’s no way to put that kind of loss into words.

I don’t know what this is, what I feel inside for Violet, but it’s big and there and fierce. I could spend forever trying to satiate myself on her sweetness. I’d kill for her. Maybe that’s enough, so I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment and draw in a deep breath. “I-I won’t lose her too.”

When his hand returns to my shoulder, I let it stay.

“Gardener,” I begin after a beat or two, “I have some stuff I need to do before the ceremony. Do you think you could come tag along? We can make it like old times.”

“Without the girls?”

“For me, yeah, but you’re still available.”

His brotherly touch turns into a fist, which he hits me on the arm with. “Not interested.”

“Okay, not like old times then.”

“What did you have in mind?” he asks.

“I don’t know. I figure we’d say fuck it to the traditional bachelor party bullshit. Maybe take some days, go somewhere, away from here.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. There’s a lot to do. I don’t shop for fucking dresses, but Violet?—”

“I’ll pay. Or I will through Pen or Clea,” I say. “As for arrangements, something tells me the Monarch will deal with that. She seems very fucking invested in this for some reason. But I like to think we’re both overdue for a vacation.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’ll only be for a day or so. Three tops.”

“Three’s pushing it.”

I smirk. “So is that a yes?”

“Fuck no.”

My lips split into a full-on grin. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The drones are working overtime, getting ready for a royal affair…or as near to one as we’re going to have here on Sabine.

Call it Emporian Royal.

But there’s more buzz than just the drones at work.

GOSSIP

From everywhere.

One Fine gal who twinkles like a star is having a field day chewing through the scenery that this mating ceremony’s littered her film set with. It should be her moment, she’s saying. Cue a shiny award for Felicity. Maybe she should have invented a baby.

Speaking of…

Come closer, my brood, and get that Hivemind spinning. We knew the ceremony was coming and in time for it to be a Season highlight.

But this soon?

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