Arms wrapped around me. “You should be excited, Selena. Don’t let Kaede ruin today with his harsh words.”
“Xylo… will everything be okay?”
“When you officially claim more nestbrothers?” Xylo asked. His vines slowly wrapped around my legs, creeping up my nightgown.
I shivered as I leaned back into his arms. “Will you be okay?”
“Yes.” He pressed his nose to my hair, breathing in its scent. “You make me happy… even before you owned all of this.”
“What about Odelm?”
“What about me?”
I jerked in Xylo’s arms as Odelm stepped next to us. I was so absorbed in Xylo’s touches, I hadn’t kept track of my connection with Odelm.
“She is afraid you will be upset about her taking in the princes,” Xylo replied.
“Is this true?” Odelm asked, brushing my hair back.
I turned in Xylo’s arms and faced Odelm, searching his face.
“It’s too late now… but yes, I am.”
“There is nothing I want more than to sire your offspring, but that can wait… and only if you want to.” He stepped forward, sandwiching me between Xylo and him. “I was a fool to pressure you on the space station. You are all I need.” He cupped my face, glancing at Xylo behind him. “All we need.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine, staring deeply into my eyes. “Please forgive me,” he begged. His pale green eyes swirled with the emotions he sent through to me.
“I love you both.”
“I know… and we love you too.”
Nervously, I stood on the largest dock of the new spaceport, dressed in my official Aldawi uniform as Xylo and Odelm flanked me. Kaede stood off to the side, his presence keeping the bystanders away. I knew I still needed to have an assembly and introduce myself to the citizens, but I wasn’t ready—not now.
Deep down, I hoped Zirene would return to guide me and be present while I addressed the planet. I knew my nestmates would proudly support me, but it was Zirene who gifted me Destima, so it only seemed right for him to be there with me.
Vagren was a nice enough male and he took his job seriously, but he wasn’t his brother.
A crowd had gathered, watching the sky as they sent curious glances my way.
I tried covering my eyes with my hand but failed to block the brightness of the sun to allow me to look for the ship. Xylo was surveying the crowd, and his vines weren’t wrapped as tightly as they normally were around his torso. His twitching violet petal wings caught my attention. They were just what I needed.
I reached over and gently grabbed a petal wing, feeling its delicate silky texture between my fingers as I expanded it over my head like a hood.
“Selena? What are you doing?” Xylo asked, peering over his shoulder as his petal wing fluttered in my hands.
“You weren’t using this at the moment, so I figured I could,” I said, turning my focus on the sky.
“Is she using your petal for shade?” Odelm asked in awe.
“I never thought to use them as cover…”
A large boom echoed through the sky. I jumped, startled by the deafening noise as I scanned for its source. Odelm moved closer, pressing me against Xylo. A large domed ship flew through the sky, blue energy exhaust burning behind it. Loud murmurs came from the crowd. Their attention focused on the Destiny instead of us. We watched in silence as the Destiny flew down, slowing as it got closer.
“Shouldn’t it be moving slower than that?” Odelm asked.
Screams and shouts sounded as members of the crowd ran.
Kaede turned, his focus on me as he sprinted over to us. His black cape waved behind him as the Destiny skimmed the water, creating waves as it traveled our way.
He leaped and wrapped his arms around us.
I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming next. The world shifted around me, sounds muted as the salty taste of the air disappeared. I landed backward onto something soft as something heavy and hard landed on top of me, a groan escaping me.
“What was that?”
The weight instantly disappeared, and I opened my eyes to figure out where Kaede sent us.
We were in the middle of my bed in our master bedroom, my nestmates flanking my sides. Kaede paced the floor, his focus on the ceiling. It was a safe assumption he was doing something with the data on his visor.
“The gravitational pull was too much for the Destiny. We figured it would be a close call, but this confirms we were right about the Destiny not being able to leave Destima once it entered the atmosphere,” Kaede explained. He jerked in my direction. “Selena, I have to go. While the Destiny landed safely, it did a considerable amount of damage to the space deck.” He held out his hand as his focus landed on Xylo. “Time is of the essence. All medical personnel is required to report.”
“I didn’t want my first patients in the new hospital to be from an emergency like this,” Xylo murmured as he claimed out of bed.
“Let me know if there were any casualties…”
“I will make sure he reports to you and gives you an update about the princes,” Kaede said as he gripped Xylo’s shoulder.
Their bodies shifted, folding into Kaede’s chest-piece before disappearing.
A sob escaped me.
Today was supposed to be a joyful day, filled with new beginnings and reuniting with the princes. But instead, the Destiny crashed, causing damage, injuries, and possibly death.
Odelm wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his body. He placed his hand on my head and guided it to his chest. Tears streamed down as he rubbed my back, sending calming sensations through me.
“Selena… Selena…” Odelm whispered, shaking my body gently.
I opened my eyes to familiar light speckles glowing in the darkness. Rubbing my eyes, I lifted my head off Odelm’s chest.
“What time is it? Do you have any news?”
“There was some damage to the spaceport,
