Page 31 of Devin
“He’s uh- I don’t know. Did he head back into the jungle?”
There was something in her tone that made him think she knew exactly where the creature was. He had stated multiple times that they were not going to domesticate it. It was venomous and likely to grow at least three times larger than its current form. It was, despite its desire to cuddle, a wild animal.
But Devin didn’t want to leave it behind. He chose to ignore his suspicion and lifted off. He took the craft up to suborbital to shorten the trip. Val looked at him nervously as the shuttle shuddered, tightly gripping the arms of her chair but released her death grip when she saw that he was not worried. They landed about twenty minutes later and Devin stormed off the landing site and down into the base camp. He was on a mission to find Athen and give him a full report of Kave.
Athen was currently in the middle of a training session with four of his warriors. The moves were practiced, learned at the academy until every Mahdfel body could complete them without thinking. Devin joined right in. The warriors turned and made room for him and they worked through the complicated routine.
It was no coincidence that Athen had just started a training session. Devin knew that he had seen the ship coming, or perhaps been notified by Jane of what was about to occur. Athen was giving Devin time to calm down, to think, like a moment of meditation before a big match.
His body settled into the motion and his mounting rage seeped down and eased out. His report to Athen would be logical, calculated and cool. He would not need to ask for Kave to be disciplined. It would be clear that he would need to be disciplined just by the simple facts of the matter.
Out of the corner of his eye, Devin caught sight of Val, surrounded by women sitting on the refectory benches. She didn’t look all that happy. Distracted, he missed a move and ended up flat on his back with an eye smarting from a glancing blow. Athen held out a hand and Devin took it, lifting off the ground and into another set of seamless moves. He would not let her distract him again.
When the sequence ended, Athen headed directly towards the command center. Devin followed. No one needed to be privy to this conversation. He was not out to humiliate Kave, nor did he want to be pegged as the warrior who went over his warlord’s head when he had a problem with his leadership.
“Kave is simultaneously my best friend and my worst enemy,” Athen said preemptively. “And if you let him, he’d probably serve the same function for you.”
“He put my mate in danger.”
“Your mate? The same one you wouldn’t have without him?”
“Yes. I did not want-”
“I did not want Odette either, but I cannot imagine breathing without her close by now. And I tried. I honestly did. But the months-long separation was the worst time in my life. And despite being a favored of Etlon, I have seen the bloodiest of Suhlik battles.”
Devin knew it to be true. Etlon did not favor his sons, and had lost many for it. Etlon had only heeded his mate’s cries to put Athen far away from the fighting when he was the last grown warrior left. Even then, he’d turned a lowly outpost into a soon-to-be-bustling colony, ready to go into production of the most important weapon they’d ever possessed against the Suhlik.
“I’m not questioning your decision to put him in command-” Devin started.
“I did not put him in command. Etlon did. And I cannot counteract my father’s orders with something he sees as a little push for a stubborn warrior. My father will do nothing more than laugh at you being forced to take a mate. The only option I can offer is to request a transfer and have another architect assigned to the project,” Athen explained.
“This is my city.” Devin would not let his dream be ripped away from him and handed off to some incompetent copycat.
“This is our city,” Athen reminded him.
Devin bit his tongue. “So he is not to receive any reprimand at all?”
“I did not say that. Kave’s alternate style of leadership cannot go unchecked. That would lead to utter chaos. But until I determine the best manner to handle him, I will ask you to return and continue your work.”
Athen was clear. This was a request, not a command. Devin could decline and start again, somewhere else, and there would be no questioning of it. He would only leave with whispers and rumors. However, it might be years before he managed to get asimilar post, especially if he abandoned a special project that he had been assigned to personally by Etlon.
“A shipment is expected shortly. I should return to the site,” Devin conceded.
“You may go with or without your mate. She may remain here, safe and guarded for as long as you wish. But I will tell you from personal experience, that may not be the easiest choice.”
Devin nodded. He needed to think. To return with Val was to give Kave exactly what he wanted. It would prove that Devin was not strong enough to resist the allure of a tempting mate. And it would put Val in danger of all the creatures that still inhabited that part of the jungle.
But it would mean separating from Val. It would mean tearing out the new part of him that burned for her touch. He was not strong enough to resist her when they were close so would he be strong enough to keep her away?
Chapter 18
Val
Val was surrounded by women and they were all talking at once. They were nearly all human, and ranged the gamut of sizes, shapes and skin colors. Some of them bounced green babies as they spoke, but all of them seemed excited to make her acquaintance. They all seemed to speak at once.
“Totally unfair that they’ve been hogging you.”
“How can you live without a beach? What’s the city look like?”
