“People like me,” Blake jumped in, “who have a legitimate excuse for actually being there. You know, since it’s my job to liaise with the other races.”
Alex could have kicked herself. Blake’s work with the Inter-Species Diplomatic Service meant he should have been one of the first people she’d consulted for advice on the other races, but she’d never once considered asking anyone other than her teachers. She realised now how shortsighted she’d been, how unprepared she truly was.
With a pointed look, Blake’s next words mirrored Alex’s thoughts as he said, “You really should have come to me, since I’m guessing you have no idea what you’re doing.”
“We know a bit,” Jordan defended. “Just not… all the bits.”
“Like the bit about the closed borders,” D.C. mumbled, still huddling behind Jordan, for all the good it did her.
Jeera sighed. “I’m not going to drag you back to your parents, Princess. You don’t have to hide.”
D.C. looked torn between wanting to trust the Warden and questioning whether she could. She also flicked worried eyes towards Blake, but he didn’t react to the royal title, showing that he already knew her identity. Hesitantly, she stepped out from Jordan’s shadow and, true to her word, Jeera didn’t pounce.
Instead, the Warden turned back to Alex and said, “Once I realised you were coming today, I asked Blake to make a few holo-calls. He’s organised a meeting with the Clan—the leaders of the Flips—claiming that a delegation of humans have something urgent to report.”
“I’m probably going to lose my job for this,” Blake said, aiming a not-so-happy look towards Bear, as if it were solely his brother’s fault, even if only by association. “Or at least be put on suspension until I can prove it was for a good cause.” His gaze softened considerably as he looked at Jeera, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You’re lucky I think you’re worth the trouble I’m going to face once I get back.”
When Jeera smiled brightly and pushed up to kiss him lightly on the lips, Alex, while surprised by this unknown development, still struggled to resist melting at the sweetness of the moment.
Bear, on the other hand, made a strangled-sounding noise, revealing that he had also missed the memo about Blake and Jeera being… well, Blake and Jeera.
Hearing the sound, Blake turned to his brother with a half grin. “You need to check in with me more often, little bro.”
“I saw you two weeks ago!” Bear spluttered. He waved a hand between the two of them. “How long has this been going on?”
Blake looked thoughtfully at Jeera and answered, “A few months, give or take. But we’ve been keeping it under the radar. I didn’t say anything when we were home for Kaldoras because I didn’t want to risk Mum or Gammy overhearing. Can you imagine?”
Bear’s shoulders relaxed and a hint of a smile touched his lips. “Mum would’ve started designing the wedding dress.”
“And Gammy would have begun experimenting with cake recipes,” Blake said.
Jordan smacked his lips together. “Mmm. Wedding cake made by Gammy. I’m happy to volunteer as a taste tester. Anytime, day or night.”
Jeera, Alex noticed, looked partly amused and partly terrified at the unanticipated marriage talk. Considering she’d only been with Blake for a few months, Alex didn’t blame her and decided to intervene before the Ronnigan boys and Jordan made the young Warden run for the hills.
“So this meeting that you may or may not lose your job over,” Alex said, redirecting the conversation. “When is it?”
Blake pulled his ComTCD from his jeans and checked the time. “I told them we’d be finished with them before lunch. Flips are notorious for napping in the afternoon, so the sooner we go, the more time we’ll have and the better their attention spans will be.”
“Plus, the sooner you get out of here, the less chance there’ll be of someone trying to stop you,” Jeera put in. “Advisor Jaxon’s on a war path against you, Alex. He’s determined that you’re just telling tall tales to get attention, and he’s warned both the increased military scouts and the Wardens to keep an eye out for you.”
Frustrated, Alex had nothing she could say in response that would be anywhere near appropriate to verbalise in public.
“Fortunately, Commander Nisha has more sway over them than Jaxon does,” Jeera said, her blue eyes twinkling. “And my aunt seems to like you, Alex. Which means, should you be recognised, your spotter just might be willing to turn the other way.”
Alex felt her own smile grow. “Is that what you’re doing, Jeera? Turning the other way?”
Jeera laughed. “Goodness, no. I’m actively disobeying direct orders by helping you. I’m also breaking about a thousand secrecy regulations by bringing Blake into the fold.” She tilted her head and finished, “And, of course, exploiting him in the process.”
“Then why…?” Alex trailed off, but she didn’t have to finish her question for Jeera to understand.
“Drock spoke with you, didn’t he?” When Alex nodded, Jeera continued, “He offered you assistance in his way, now I’m doing the same for you in mine. I’m sure he would have mentioned that our hands are tied, politically. But even the king and queen wish we could do more.” Jeera gestured to Blake. “This is me doing more.”
“Technically, it’s me doing more,” Blake said dryly.
“And you’ll receive my gratitude for it,” Jeera told him sweetly, before pointedly finishing, “later.”
Grinning at her and ignoring Bear’s gagging sound, Blake looked back at Alex and said, “I presume you know what you’re going to say once we get there?”
Alex decided not to admit that she had no idea and intended on winging it. “Sure.”
He nodded once and pressed a kiss to Jeera’s temple before releasing her. “Right, then. Let’s signal our transport.”
Intrigued, Alex watched as he pulled what looked like a glowing piece of coral from his leather jacket and tossed it over the railing and into the ocean.
“No one can know I had anything to do with this, so I need to go before your escort arrives,” Jeera said, looking to where the coral had submerged. She then turned serious eyes to Alex and whispered, “Good luck,” before she threw a Bubbler vial to the ground and stepped through it.
Seconds later, the water started bubbling. Great, heaving gasps of air rippled across the ocean until a vessel rose up from the deep. About the size of a large car, it was spherical in shape and fully transparent, like a glass dome bobbing to the surface. Upon closer inspection, Alex could see the bottom surface was flat, making her liken it to a human-sized snow globe.
In the centre of the vessel stood a female Flip, her luminescent green skin splashed with bright orange tribal markings. She was covered just enough to be considered decent, with clothes made entirely from seaweed, shells, coral and other oceanic matter, including what looked like live starfish attached to her webbed hands and feet.