Page 81 of Into Orbit
Natare’s atmosphere was almost the same as Earth’s, so we didn’t have to worry about breathing. The landing pads were like long, unnatural jetties, jutting straight into an expanse of green-blue sea. It was breathtakingly beautiful; the water shone with reflected light from the planet’s small suns.
I’d already been warned not to put so much as a toe in the sea unless I was given the okay by one of the cephalopods. Apparently, the water was full of aquatic nightmare fuel, although I was pretty interested to see how they compared to Earth’s own sea-based prehistoric monsters.
‘You look amazing, Maeve,’ Elswyth whispered as we climbed out and straightened our dresses. I tucked a strand of shining silver hair behind her ear, and she adjusted one of my borrowed earrings, a beautiful concoction of woven rose gold.
I took her hand.
Make sure you mark your family, the Captain had warned me.The Queen of Natare enjoys trying out different species.She’d paused.She usually eats them afterwards.
I mean … That was kinda badass, as long as it wasn’tmyTirians she was trying to eat.
Maybe I’d feed her Adair.
Ashton had landed right behind us, and he and Willow climbed out of their Pod, Ashton with a green flush darkening his cheeks.
‘What the fuck were you two doing?’ I demanded, curious.
‘Willow decided it was an appropriate time to tell me all about what you three did yesterday when I was reporting to the Captain,’ Ashton said grumpily.
I grinned. ‘Oh.’ I nudged Willow in the side with my free elbow. ‘You are surprisingly sadistic. You know that, don’t you?’
Willow’s lips curled up. ‘I can’t help that I always notice details. Lots andlotsof details. About you and Elswyth, specifically. I thought Ashton would enjoy it.’
‘I did,’ he grumbled. ‘That’s the problem.’
Ashton tried to subtly adjust himself beneath his tunic – without much success; he was lucky the tunics weren’t tighter – and they both flanked us as we waited for the Captain to alight. She didn’t take long, climbing out of her Pod in a dress much like Elswyth’s, her badge of rank pinned to her breast, her hair held back with a circlet of Nataran wild pearls that she’d chosen specially for the occasion.
We followed the Captain and her bonded off the landing pad and towards a massive sea-green pavilion, decorated as if it were catering for a ridiculously expensive wedding. Large flowers had been arranged in bunches and to drape down as if the pavilion were half alive; a heavy floral scent filled the air.
‘Sea lilies!’ Elswyth said, delighted. ‘A different kind to the ones on Tir. How beautiful they are!’
I took Willow’s hand and squeezed his fingers, then exchanged a glance with Ashton. I knew we were all thinking the same thing:They don’t compare to you.
The pavilion was packed with beings, including a very liberal sprinkling of humanoids wearing navy blue, high-necked uniforms that were clearly military.
Ashton tensed as he took them in. ‘Nataran soldiers in their humanoid form,’ he murmured. ‘Where’s your knife, Maeve?’
‘I have one in each boot, elf-boy. And one in my bodice, just as an FYI.’
‘I cannotbelieveI find that arousing,’ Willow muttered. ‘I’m supposed to be a pacifist.’
‘You can get it out for me later,’ I said cheerfully. ‘Preferably with your teeth.’
One of the Nataran soldiers shot me a startled look; Elswyth cleared her throat.
I grinned at the fair-haired guard. ‘Right, the super fancy, super formal, super important diplomatic thing we’re doing right now. I have officially stopped talking about tits.’
‘I give it five minutes,’ Willow said under his breath.
The crowd shifted as Elswyth’s mother walked through it; either the other beings knew who she was, or her general demeanour ofget-the-fuck-out-of-my-waywas working its usual charm. She was heading for a fuck-offhugethrone that looked to be entirely made of some kind of shining, silver-toned metal that shifted colour slightly as I stared at it, as if it were shimmering. There was a fair-haired female sitting upon it comfortably, inclining her head every now and then, with sapphire-blue eyes that shone even from a distance.
I didn’t stare too long at her eyes, though, once I noticed the tentacles.
‘Fuck me,’ I muttered under my breath, taking in the blue-green limbs coiled loosely over the sides of her throne. I cleared my throat. ‘Um. Wow.’
Elswyth’s hand found my arm. ‘Maeve.’
‘Yep, sorry. I’ve stopped staring,’ I said, continuing to gawk from the corner of my eye.
