Page 28 of I Married Kayog
Although clearly bummed out to be excluded, Tala nodded and gave me a friendly smile. As much as she shamelessly loved good gossip, my best friend was also the most trustworthy person I knew. She would never pry about private matters and would never reveal a secret that had been confided in her without express consent.
“I’ll be in the eastern garden when you’re done,” she said before walking away.
I gratefully smiled at her before turning my attention back to the stranger. She waved towards a discreet alcove where we could speak more freely, and I followed in her wake.
“What can I do for you?” I asked, intrigued when we stopped.
“My name is Isobel Biondi. I am Kayog’s closest friend.”
I recoiled, shock and betrayal slamming into me. “You’re his girlfriend?!” I blurted out, immediately annoyed by my stupid mouth running away with me.
She burst out laughing and shook her head. The sincerity of her reaction and emotions instantly crushed whatever doubt I might have had. This further increased my mortification that my mind should have gone straight there when he had given me no reason to suspect foul play.
“No,” she said in an amused tone while waving at her outfit. “This robe marks me as a doctorate student in the galactic clerical program. As part of our training, we must remain celibate for five years. This is only the second year. So no, there’s no romantic involvement between Kayog and me. He’s just a really good friend, who I consider pretty much a brother.”
“I see,” I replied, although I didn’t actually see anything. “Did he send you to talk to me?”
Seeing her flinch took me aback.
“No, he didn’t. In fact, he’ll probably kick my butt once he finds out,” she said sheepishly.
I frowned, always instantly suspicious of anyone who would betray or act behind the back of someone who trusted them.
“Then why are you?” I asked, my voice a bit cooler.
“Because he’s my friend, and he’s in an incredible amount of pain. In the six years I’ve known him, he’s never spared any female a second thought. The moment he met you, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
My cheeks heated, and I shifted on my talons, feeling both flattered and embarrassed.
“Kayog says you’re the one, his soulmate,” Isobel continued with a conviction that left me reeling. “But he also believes that he’s not worthy of you.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, flabbergasted by both her statements.
“He thinks he’s crazy, but he’s not,” the priestess said in a tone that brooked no argument.
“He said as much,” I conceded pensively. “Why does he think that?”
She hesitated then gave me an apologetic look. “As much as I would love to answer your question, it is not my place to say. He needs to tell you himself.”
I clicked my beak in annoyance, even though I appreciated that she would extend him that respect.
“As an empath, I can sense that you mean every word you’ve just spoken. But Kayog doesn’t know me. So his claim that I’m the one seems extremely farfetched. After all, we spoke for barely an hour for the first time yesterday,” I replied, choosing my words carefully not to say that it in fact sounded crazy.
She smiled in an indulgent fashion. “With anyone else, I would agree that such a statement would be outlandish. But Kayog sees and hears things in a way that no one else can. I assure you that he’s not crazy. He’s just unique.”
“You mean the same way that autistic people can perform insane mathematical equations in seconds?” I asked.
She pursed her lips as she weighed my words for a couple of seconds before hesitantly nodding.
“It shares some similarities, I guess. But like I said, Kayog is unique in a way I’ve never seen before,” Isobel replied carefully.
“So heisautistic or neurodivergent?” I insisted.
The priestess shook her head firmly. “He’s not. Kayog has simply been misdiagnosed his whole life.”
I nodded slowly. “Considering that he was raised in a Darwandir colony, I can definitely see how that could happen.”
Isobel recoiled, and her eyes widened in the strangest mix of shock and hope.
