“You don’t sound sure,” Jessie said, and there was a sad note in her voice.
“Yeah, I guess I’m not sure,” Mia admitted. “Korum is fine with it, but I just don’t know if I’ll be able to return to my internship if I leave for so long . . .”
“So you like it there? At the K Center, I mean?”
“I do,” Mia said. “Jessie, it’s so nice here . . . I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome some of their inventions are. Korum has a zero-gravity chamber in his house. Can you imagine that? And he’s got a floor that massages your feet as you walk on it.” Not to mention the fact that Mia was now pretty much immortal – but that was something she was not allowed to talk about outside of Lenkarda.
“Really? A floor that massages your feet?” Jessie sounded jealous now.
“Yep, and a bed that does the same thing to your whole body. All their technology is amazing, Jessie. Believe me when I tell you this: it’s not a hardship to be here at all.”
“Yeah, sounds like it,” Jessie said, and Mia heard the resignation in her voice. “I guess I just miss you, that’s all.”
“I miss you too,” Mia said. “Maybe I’ll swing by for a visit in a couple of weeks. Let me talk to Korum about that, and we’ll figure something out.”
“Oh, that would be so nice!” Jessie sounded much more excited now.
“We’ll make it happen,” Mia promised, smiling. “I’ll let you know when we’re coming over. But, anyways, enough about that . . . Tell me about you and Edgar. How are things going on that front?”
And for the next ten minutes, Mia learned all about Jessie’s new boyfriend, his latest acting gig, and the stuffed panda he’d won for Jessie at an amusement park. It seemed like the two of them were becoming increasingly close, and Mia was glad he made Jessie so happy. If anyone deserved to have a cute, caring guy, it was her former roommate.
Finally, Jessie had to go to dinner, so Mia said goodbye and went to change before Korum got home. He’d mentioned taking a post-dinner walk on the beach, and Mia wanted to make sure she had her swimsuit ready.
* * *
“So when do you think the Council will finally decide about the Keiths?” Mia asked, taking a bite of sweet pepper stuffed with mushroom-flavored rice. “Are they still doing the investigation?”
Korum nodded, picking up a piece of mushroom with the tong-like utensil the Krinar used in place of forks. “Loris is being difficult, as you’d expect. He’s got a couple of Councilors on his side, and he’s claiming there’s no way Saur could’ve erased the Keiths’ memories. Supposedly, someone from the Fiji lab told him that apprentices don’t have access to that kind of equipment.”
“Really? So, what, he’s still saying that you and Saret are responsible for this?”
“I think he gave up on the idea of framing Saret,” Korum said, a mocking smile appearing on his lips. “He’s now seeking evidence to come after me.”
Mia stared at him, concerned about this development. The black-garbed Krinar she’d seen at the trial didn’t seem like someone who could be trifled with – and he truly hated Korum. “Do you think there’s any chance he could cause trouble for you?”
“No, don’t worry, my sweet,” Korum said reassuringly, though his eyes glittered with something that looked like anticipation. “He’s just trying to delay the inevitable. He failed as the Protector, and he knows it. Once his son and the rest of those traitors are sentenced, he’ll lose all of his standing – and his position on the Council along with it.”
“And you don’t mind that in the least, right?” Mia asked, regarding him with a wry smile. For better or for worse, her lover tended to be quite ruthless with his opponents – a personality trait that made her glad she was now on his good side.
Korum shrugged. “It was Loris’s choice to risk everything for his son. Now he’ll pay the price. And if I have fewer people who stand in my way as a result, then all the better.”
Mia nodded and concentrated on finishing the rest of her stuffed pepper dish. Despite everything, she couldn’t help feeling just a tiny bit sympathetic toward the Protector. After all, the K was only defending his son. She imagined she’d do the same for her child – not that she had to worry about that anymore, she reminded herself. Pushing away the unpleasant thought, Mia looked at Korum instead, studying him covertly as he finished his meal.
Sometimes it was still difficult for her to believe they were so happy together. By Krinar law, she belonged to Korum ?
? a fact that still made her very uncomfortable. As a charl, her legal standing in K society was murky, to say the least. If she didn’t love him so much – and if he didn’t treat her as well as he did – her life could’ve easily been miserable.
But she did love him. And he loved her back, with all the intensity in his nature. As a result, he seemed to be trying to suppress his inborn arrogance, knowing that it was important for her to be regarded as an equal. There was still a long way to go, of course – the gap of age and experience was too wide to be bridged easily – but he was definitely making an effort in that direction.
After they were both done with the meal, Korum stood up and offered her his hand. “Up for a walk, my sweet?” he asked, giving her a warm smile.
Mia grinned. “Sure.” She loved these after-dinner walks on the beach. They’d done them almost every night when they were in Florida, and she’d learned a great deal about Korum during those quiet times.
Taking his hand, she let him lead her outside.
They walked for a couple of minutes in silence, enjoying the soft evening breeze. The sun was just setting behind the trees, and an orange glow lit the sky, reflecting off the water shimmering in the distance.
“You know,” Mia said, thinking about their first meeting in New York, “I still don’t know your full name. You said I wouldn’t be able to pronounce it if you told me, but I’ve never heard anyone call you anything but Korum.”