Page 93 of Malliko
My throat suddenly felt dry. We had known all along that he would be moving on, but not when exactly. “Did they tell you what day you’re leaving?”
“No. But they told me to wrap up things here. I said I needed more time.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I asked, “Because of me?”
“Yes.”
We curled up together, and Malliko held me as I whispered, “I always knew this would happen, but it’s going to cut me in half with my boys and you leaving at the same time. The thought of you all gone makes me feel nauseated.”
“I’m sorry.”
For a long moment, we didn’t talk. Sadness filled the room, but then I sighed and tried to focus on the positive. “At least it sounds like a very interesting study. You’ll meet people from different cultures and maybe I can visit you at the new destination. I’m hoping to travel and as long as you’re on Earth I don’t see why not.”
“Would you?” He squeezed my body closer. “How long could you stay for?”
Lifting my head to rest on his torso, I said, “It depends. My boss already agreed that I can work remotely. I would need to be in a place with an internet connection but there might be visa and immigration rules to how long I can stay. How long are you staying in this new place?” I asked him.
“It sounds like I’ll be moving around to a different number of countries over the next year or so.”
I sighed. “I would looove that.”
“Then come with me.” His tone was almost begging.
There was a second of hesitation before I smiled and said, “My brain is warning me that I’ll fall even deeper in love with you, and that it will make it unbearable when you leave Earth. But I don’t care. I want as much time with you as I can get.”
Pulling me on top of him, Malliko held me tight. “Thank you. I can only say the same thing.”
My ear was against his collarbone and the sound of his heart felt comforting to me.
“Clara.”
“Mm?”
“What if we applied for permission to be together?”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?” Lifting my head, I looked into his eyes.
“Mixed breed relationships happen between descendants of the doomed. Just never with humans. At least, I’ve never heard of anyone being in a relationship with a human.”
“Because we’re a protected species.”
“Yes, and because you don’t travel, so where would we meet you? I just feel like I’ll blame myself if I don’t try to get a permit. The question is, would you come with me when I have to leave Earth?”
“To Eidrona?”
“Yes, and other planets that my work would take me to.”
My eyes were wide. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It wouldn’t be possible for you to keep your work at Go2Match. You could communicate with Earth if you needed to, but the connection might be unstable.”
One question burned on my tongue. “Could I study?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I came with you. Would you teach me about the different species and maybe let me help you with your work? I’m curious, and I can’t just sit back and wait in some room while you go and explore. I would love to become a speciologist as well.”
Malliko grinned. “Like a team.”
