I take a deep breath and hold it.
“I don’t know anything else. I swear. I just know that I have to at least try to save Tycho. That’s why I’m here.” Then she sighs. “Well, that’s not the only reason anymore.”
I wait for her to explain, but she just stares at me behind a few stray strands of hair falling over her eyes.
“Go on,” I say.
“Don’t you feel it?” she says. “Can’t you feel the… I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I think we have some kind of connection.”
I nod my head, cautiously. I do feel it. It’s hard not to, in fact. There’s definitely something going on between us.
“She told me a little about what my father was doing back on Cygnia. How they were trying to make second-generation offspring. I know I was part of that program, and now I’m starting to think Tycho was too, but I didn’t know much else before she filled me in.”
“What did she tell you, Delphi?”
“Those eyes of yours?” she says. “That means you’re part of the program too. They genetically engineered you. They tied you to one special princess.”
“And do you think that princess is you?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. I just know… I like you.”
I nod my head, feeling much the same.
“Do you think I belong with you?” she asks.
“It’s hard to tell,” I admit.
“Why? I mean… I thought this was supposed to be instant true love or something.”
“Yeah, that’s how I heard it goes too.”
“So we’re not?”
“Like I said, it’s hard to tell. Here’s the thing,” I say. “I first learned about this link between Cygnian princesses and Akeelian males a long time ago when we escaped to ALCOR’s station. It’s called Harem Station now.” She nods, like she knew this already. “I escaped Akeelian System with some friends and we were sent to ALCOR by a princess from long ago.” I’m not sure how much I can trust this girl, so I leave Corla’s and Crux’s names out of it. It’s not important, anyway. “But it sorta freaked me out. We stayed on ALCOR alone the first several years. Until we were all grown up. Then he sent us out into the galaxy with missions. Mine was liberating bots and bringing them back to Harem so we could populate the station. But the very first thing I did when I left all those years ago was seek out a medical lab. I hired them to make me a DNA signature scrambler, so if I ever did meet my one true mate it wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t be caught up in their little plan. I’ve been getting boosters ever since. In fact, I was on my way there to get another one when you intercepted us.”
“Because it’s wearing off?” she asks. And do I detect a little hope in her voice?
“It shouldn’t be,” I say. “Not yet. I should technically have enough transferase in my system to keep it going for much longer than a year, I just… don’t like to take chances.”
Delphi lifts her chin in a slight nod. But there’s no mistaking the fact that she’s uncertain and worried.
“But I feel it too,” I say. Her eyes widen a little. “I don’t know if it means anything, I just get a weird feeling around you.”
She narrows her eyes a little, thinking. “But that kiss…”
I agree. “Yeah. That kiss… I dunno. Calmed me down.”
“Made the feeling… not go away, but it’s definitely not as strong as it was. What do you think that means?”
“I think it means we should eat.”
She smiles at me.
“And,” I add, “we have a whole night to figure it out.”
“Oh, but… I didn’t tell you the rest.”
“That can wait,” I say. “We’ve had quite a day and I think we’ve earned a nice dinner and a quiet night.”
Her little dragonbee bot buzzes over and lands on her shoulder. Delphi tilts her head, like it’s talking to her. Then she looks at me.
“What’s she telling you?” I ask.
“She says…” Delphi sighs. “She says she likes you. And we should trust you. And I should stop talking now and kiss you again.”
I smile, then chuckle. “She didn’t say that.”
But the little bot begins buzzing like crazy and even I, unable to speak her language, can understand the meaning of that behavior.
She’s sincere.
The bot is on my side.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – DELPHI
“What is wrong with you?” Flicka is buzzing by my ear. “This man is the total package!”
I swat at her again, but she’s on to me and easily zips away before my smack can land.
Jimmy smiles, leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head. “She likes me,” he announces.
I just suck in a breath of air and try to hide my smile.