Page 28 of Night's Fall
However, as much asIneeded to hash this out (andIneeded that badly),Ididn’t want to interrupt them at work.
With the showing coming up fast,Catwould be super busy.Gaylewas up to her neck in an upcoming rollout of a huge ad campaign her company had dumped a ton of money into.AndMonique, one of the top aestheticians in the city ofNocturn, was on a mission to do some renovations to her flat (this being why she wasn’t with us last night—she had a late client and then would be “Inmy bath pod for two hours” (her words)), and as such, would be covered in clients.
No, it was better to do the conference comm after work when we had plenty of time to suss it all out.
Though, it was killing me to wait.
I sipped coffee (my fourth cup,I’ddecided hyper-caffeination was the best way to go after my sleepless night and inexplicable morning) and tipped my head down to the new tablet sitting nestled on the crossed legs of my lap.
“Screen engage,”Imurmured.
The screen came up to whereIleft it (obviously,I’dset up voice acknowledgement, but for some reason,Ihadn’t changed the password).
It was the contact list.
At the top, it saidHRHPrinceAleksei, and then there were two sequences, one labeledOffice, one labeledPalm, with a subcategory ofMuriel,PersonalAssistanttoHRHPrinceAlekseiand again withOfficeandPalm.Underthat wasAllain,RoyalAidetoHRHPrinceAleksei(so that was what he was).Andhe had three sequences:Office,PalmandUrgent.
I couldn’t imagine what would ever be urgent, butIwas sensing thatAllainwas a thorough kind of human.
“Holo conference,”Imumbled my decision about what to do with the girls that evening, moving to reach to myPalmsoIcould sync it with the tablet, which, among other things, would enter my friends’ sequences.Then,Icould send them a text comm to set it up.
While doing this, my ringer from the vestibule went again.
Ugh!
Well, that twenty-four to forty-eight hours didn’t last long.
It didn’t surprise me thatPrinceAlekseimight be impatient (or even insulted), and he’d send his aide to speed things up (or tell me off).
But it did annoy me.
I set the tablet aside, snatched up myPalmand snapped, “Engagevestibule,” then immediately continued, “Forty-eight hours isn’t what it used…”
I trailed off.
Because on the screenIsawHRHPrinceAlekseihimself standing in the vestibule, staring right at the camera.
And if that wasn’t enough to strike me mute, the silken cords of his voice drifted around me as he stated, “Iwas hoping to convince you only to take five.”
By the gods.
TheTrueHeirwas in my vestibule.
The prince washere.
“I—”
The one syllable came out strangled, so it was fortunate he interrupted me by commanding, “Laura, let me in.”
“Allow entry,”Ipushed out.
He disappeared off camera andIsat frozen.
ThenIleaped off the couch, sending three cats flying, and raced to the bathroom.
I looked in the mirror.
My blonde hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, the haphazard part being tendrils falling around my face and neck.
