WIP Wednesday - First Mataras: Irene

 

 An impossible relationship

Sherv stared at the text message on his com, his emotionsroiling. You���re leaving soon. We won���t have many more opportunities to seeeach other, and you aren���t playing tonight. Can I visit your ship after myperformance?

It wasn���t signed, but as his com had been forced totranslate the words from English to Kalquorian���his ability to read the alienlanguage lagged far behind his speech���he knew it had come from Irene.

It had been two days since he���d last seen her. Two days thathad crept by in excruciating slowness. Two days of her voice singing in hishead. Two days to think about kissing and holding her. Two days of wonderingwhat she was doing in a given moment.

Rusp was quiet, moodier than he got after talking to hisparent clan. Jemi was the opposite. He kept begging to go to the opera again.���We don���t have to talk to her. Just seeing her and hearing her sing would beenough.���

Except it wouldn���t be enough. Sherv knew it just as sure ashe knew letting Irene return to the ship would be a huge mistake. Give herpermission to court being caught by those who���d harm her? It would be theheight of selfishness to let her put herself in danger so they could what���playmusic no one else would ever hear because he couldn���t imagine anyone elsesinging it? So he could look into those deep, dark eyes? So maybe, if theyhadn���t scared her into eternal chastity by going too far when he���d kissed her,he might be able to wrap his arms around her again?

Only to let her go in the end, probably to never see heragain.

���What���s up?��� Rusp sat at the dinette across from him andbrushed crumbs from their breakfast to the floor, where the robotic sweeperwould eventually collect and dispose of them.

Sherv hesitated, then pushed his com over for his clanmateto read.

���Ah, shit.��� Rusp spoke quietly, his gaze darting to thecorridor to make sure Jemi was nowhere in earshot. Their Imdiko would clamorfor the visit if he knew Irene had asked. Rusp rubbed his hand over his eyes,then scratched his bearded chin. ���It���s like dangling a ronka steak in front ofstarving zibgers.���

���No kidding. Of course she shouldn���t come here. It isn���tworth the threat.���

���I don���t see you sending her the message.��� Rusp managed agrim smile. ���Wrong to say yes, impossible to say no?���

���Why does her government have to be so fucked up?��� Shervscowled at his com, fighting the urge to fling it across the room. He couldn���tafford to replace it. ���And why is this so hard? We���ll be out of here in a fewdays and probably never see her again. What���s the point?���

���One-two punch. Music and her. Mostly her. Mother of All,she���s the total package.��� Wistfulness sat strangely on Rusp���s strong-featuredface.

She was more than the total package. She was magic.

 

Releasing June 23