“They come from the same cave as the gem of your necklace, on the nearest neighboring island,” Xylo explained. His voice rang with the excitement of a scholar, instantly pulling my smile into a wide grin. “The Aldawi discovered that they absorb the day’s sunlight, only to burn off the energy at night, causing them to glow,” he paused as he grabbed my necklace with a vine, pulling the ornament nearer to the night lamp. “What is particularly fascinating is how your gem seems to be reacting to it.”
He was right. The galaxy-like swirl inside my necklace’s gem seemed to be moving faster; its core’s light pulsing brighter than I had ever seen before.
“Why do you think that’s the case?” I asked, pulling my hand away from the night lamp and closing my palm around the gem. “Perhaps because they come from the same cave? Are they composed of the same type of rock?”
“I will have to ask Vagren if a geologist on the island is available to meet with us,” he murmured, his vine releasing the necklace as he met my gaze. “That is, if you would like to.”
Raising the gem between us, I twirled it around by its chain, realizing its colors matched Xylo’s glowing space-like patterns.
“Why would you think that I wouldn’t?” I asked, dropping the necklace as I met his gaze. “I know how much you enjoy this subject.”
He gave me a shy smile and looked away, combing back his glass-like hair nervously. “I do, but I didn’t think you would be interested in such things.”
“What?” I asked, confused by his sudden demeanor.
What had happened to my confident scholar?
“I overheard Kaica advising my crew about how to attract a nestqueen,” he sighed, vines slumped. “Honestly, I was waiting for an opportunity to ask you out on a . . . an . . . an outing.”
“You want to ask me out on a date?”
His teal eyes met mine, widening in shock. “Yes! I mean, only if you want. I mean—”
Grabbing his face, I leaned forward and smashed his lips to mine, pouring all my love through our bond to my nervous male. Xylo was the first being I met after escaping my masters. His acts of kindness drew me to him, accidentally triggering our court bond through a single kiss. His devotion and loyalty attracted me to him. Though I still got lost in the beauty of his body’s pattern, it was the unexplainable magnetic pull I felt to his character that made our relationship more than simply nestqueen and nestmate.
I loved the male for all that he was, and every day he tried to show me how much I meant to him.
Pulling away, I dropped my hands from his face to grab his hands, giving them a slight squeeze. His teal eyes fluttered open lazily, stunned by my sudden kiss.
“Yes, Xylo,” I giggled, unable to resist the tickling sensation from the buzzing Euvrel wings in my stomach. “I would love to go on a date with you, on one condition!”
“Anything,” he muttered, his eyes sharp with determination. “What do I need to do?”
“Surprise me.”
“But that goes against one of your most important rules,” he mumbled, shaking his head in confusion. “I would never keep secrets from you.”
“Xylo.” I raised an eyebrow. “Feel our connection. What do you sense?” I paused for a moment as his eyes unfocused, a sign he was probing our bond. “You should sense nothing but happiness—”
“And stress.” His gaze snapped to mine. “I’m sorry, Selena. I just want to make sure you have the same experiences as the other demi-humans. They flirt and touch and . . .” He sighed, eyes softening. His vines pulled me close as my hands released his, finding his starry, velvet-like chest. “I have always read about how your species enjoys companionship, whether from a friend or lover, and how your process of courtship puts the Circuli’s own to shame. I just don’t want to deny you anything that you deserve.”
His confession stunned me into silence; only the sounds of nocturnal wildlife surrounded us.
Haven’t I shown him how much I appreciate him?
“I don’t understand your logic.” I licked my lips nervously as I tried to summon the right words without accidentally upsetting him. “I may be demi-human, but I wasn’t raised like others of my species. Beyond what I’ve read, I don’t have any connection to my heritage or life on Earth. I am just as blind as you when it comes to what is ‘normal.’ You were the one who first discovered me, and has been by my side since, so you understand how incredible my journey has been. What I’ve been through following my escape isn’t normal. I went from a science experiment to a pregnant refugee to a nestqueen of two incredible males.” I paused to let those words sit in. “In the end, I discovered that I’m fated to a powerful prince in one of the galaxy’s strongest territories, who gifted me an ishing moon.”
I glanced at my mark on his neck, admiring its fluorescent glow in the night. I tightened my grip upon his chest, digging my nails into the soft moss of his skin and relishing the cool squish around my fingers.
“Other than my lack of extra appendages, I consider myself more of a Circuli than a demi-human. I am like you, Xylo—lost without direction or purpose. I was thrust into this position, and now I’m doing the best that I can to adapt. Am I happy? Yes. Do I wish things were different? Yes, but only because I want more time to settle down and get to know my clan better.
“But no matter how much I want the world around me to slow down, it seems like the Stars have a different plan for me. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to introduce myself to my citizens. There will be over one hundred thousand sets
