Page 82 of Into Orbit
I mean,tentacles.
‘Not the Queen,’ Elswyth said impatiently. ‘Look.’
As the Captain and her family moved to speak with a blue-skinned female dressed in a long, diaphanous gown of gold, I caught sight of someone standing next to the Nataran Queen’s throne.
Someone who had wild, ashy-brown curls and wide green eyes; someone whose hair was caught back in what looked to be suspiciously like acrownand whose emerald-green dress was stretched tight and proud across a belly that was clearly growing something else inside it.
I staggered. Elswyth kept me upright as Willow wrapped an arm around my waist. ‘Tessa?’ I whispered.
Ashton loosed a long, soft growl that stopped the conversation around us dead.
‘Tessa?’ I repeated, my voice wavering in the sudden silence.
The green eyes fell on me and widened. The goblet she’d been holding dropped to the floor.
‘She’s pregnant,’ Elswyth breathed.
‘Maeve?’ Tessa screeched.
‘Green gods,’ Willow said.
Tessa started down off the throne podium. The dark-haired man with the built shoulders appeared out of nowhere –literally just appeared– to help her down. She hissed, but after a moment, leaned her weight on him a little as she walked with difficulty towards us.
Tessa would rip my hair out if I called itwaddling, so I tried to forget the word existed.
‘Maeve, what thefuckare you doing here?’ Tessa cried.
I strode forward and enveloped her in a tight hug, keeping well away from her belly. ‘I came to find you. Christ, Tessa, your tits are fuckingenormous.’
‘Told you,’ Willow muttered from behind us.
Tessa pulled back and stared at me. ‘You didwhat?’
‘Next time, leave a better note.’
She let out a startled laugh, then sniffed, her eyes welling with tears. ‘I can’t believe you came across the fuckinguniverseto find me.’ She caught up one of my hands and pressed it to her damp cheek. ‘God, I’m going to ruin my makeup. Wait – why thefuckare your eyes green?’
I waved a hand. ‘Long story.’
‘Tessa, starlight, please don’t cry again,’ the black-haired man coaxed. ‘Mor is going to lose his shit.’
‘Last time it was his fault, the asshole,’ Tessa said crossly, wiping under her lashes.
‘He didn’t know it was the last block,elyn, I promise.’ A red-haired beauty appeared at Tessa’s side – walked up, not appeared from thin air like the black-haired one – and handed her the pocket handkerchief from his fifties-style suit like a perfect gentleman. ‘I’ll make you more.’
‘I know you will, handsome,’ Tessa said, dabbing at her cheeks. ‘And if that dickheadtouchesit, he’s sleeping in the pit for the rest of his fuckinglife.’
‘The last block of what?’ I said warily.
‘Peppermint chocolate,’ Tessa said matter-of-factly, as if this was a perfectly normal conversation to be having, and we weren’t on an alien planet for an intergalactic peace summit with a whole range of non-human beings staring at us. ‘It’s all I want to eat, and Morgan –’
‘Tessa?’ The call came from across the pavilion.
The black-haired man rolled his eyes. ‘Your father is insufferable,’ he said to Tessa’s belly, smoothing her dress over the swell. ‘It’s my turn next time, and I promise I will behavemuchbetter.’
‘You’re both getting the snip,’ Tessa told him. She turned to the red-haired man. ‘Not you, Cy. You’re perfect.’ She patted his cheek.
‘Because I can’t get you pregnant,’ he muttered.
