She interceded on a whisper. “Stop that. ” Merl smirked, but he lowered his arm. “You’re worse than my brothers growing up. ”
“Stop what and who’s worse?” Jeannie asked.
“Nothing and nobody. Listen, as soon as I’m out of this fix, let’s get coffee, okay?”
“You bet. Now how can I help?”
“I need a secure location, probably the palace, to bring over a Third ascender with a Peter Pan complex, myself, and Warrior Samuel. ”
“A Third ascender?”
“You heard me right. ” Jeannie whistled. “I’ve already got orders from Her Supremeness to do whatever you wanted. I have the fold set.
Tell me when. ”
“Let me check. ” She held her phone by her leg and asked if the men could stop posturing long enough to join Endelle at the palace.
But Samuel held his hand up for a moment, then waved it once over his body. Poof: flight battle gear, including that damn sexy leather kilt.
Vela may have weaved slightly on her feet. After swallowing hard, she asked, “Can I give Jeannie the word?” Samuel nodded.
Merl did the same.
Bringing her phone back to her ear, she said, “Fold at will. ” Central had a lot of power and the sudden brisk ride through nether-space was smooth as silk. Some believed that the disappearing-reappearing power typical of all five Upper Dimensions wasn’t about dematerialization at all, but the folding of space, hence the term. The debate still raged in all the major universities, but it was one of those theories hard to prove.
Whatever it was, Vela had always enjoyed folding-travel.
And as before, the moment she started down the ramp, Samuel took her hand in his.
Merl glanced around. “Some digs.
Ro-tun-das. ” The sing-song way he spread the word out made Vela chuckle.
“White mar-ble,” he added.
More sing-song, more laughter.
She turned to smile at him, but Samuel caught her eye and glared. He’s flirting.
Now she smiled at Samuel. No he’s not. He’s just being himself and he’s funny.
What-the-fuck-ever.
She chuckled some more, but squeezed his hand. I think he wants to meet Endelle more than anything else.
Ya think?
Then you should stop worrying about his designs on me.
He’s the kind of man who has designs on every woman.
This time, she met his gaze as they moved into Thorne’s Command Center.
And you don’t?
This time, his lips curved and he didn’t quite meet her in the eye as he said, Used to.
Just as I thought, though she squeezed his hand again.