Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Oh, Light…” Lili was overcome by the Light Twin’s eloquence. Her heart was pounding as she looked into his silvery-gray eyes. “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I accept.”
“Thank you. You honor me,” Light said formally. He pressed the backs of her hands to his lips, kissing her gently, and then rose and nodded at Dark. “Brother? Make your vow.”
It was Dark’s turn to kneel before her and take her hands in his. The size difference between them was so great that he was still taller, even kneeling.
“Look, you know I’m not good with words like Light is and I’m still trying to figure out feelings too,” he rumbled, looking earnestly into her eyes. “But nobody’s getting to you unless they go through me first, little Lili—I’ll rip their fucking head off if they try!”
Lili suppressed a smile.
“Thank you, Dark,” she murmured. “I know you will.”
“Then you accept my oath?” Dark asked anxiously. “Because I know I didn’t say it just right.”
“Yes, of course.” Impulsively, Lili drew one of her hands out of his and cupped his cheek. “I know how brave and protective you are,” she told him. “It doesn’t matter how you said it—I could feel it. I know you and Light will keep me safe.”
To her surprise, the Dark Twin turned his face into her hand and placed a gentle kiss in the center of her palm.
“Thank you,” he murmured huskily. Then he rose and stood by Light.
“Well—and do you believe now that Lilibet will be safe?” Commander Sylvan asked Rachel.
Rachel still looked skeptical, but she nodded slowly.
“I believe they’ll do their best to protect her. I just worry about her going so far from home!”
“Sometimes we have to leave home to find ourselves,” Liv murmured, smiling at Rachel.
“And you know I always intended to visit f’loon,” Lili reminded her. “I’ve got a whole lecture series planned around their collection.”
“I know…” Rachel sighed. “Will you at least spend the night with me before you go? Brock won’t mind if we have a girl’s night and we have some catching up to do.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” Liv remarked. “It will give my friend Kat time to get you a wardrobe that’s suitable for your visit.”
“Oh, can you just whip up clothes overnight?” Lili asked.
“She has a machine called a ‘replicator’ that can make just about anything she can get a picture of,” Liv told her. “I’ll ask her to come over to your friend’s suite so she can get your sizes and you’ll be good to go in no time.”
“Well, it sounds like we’re going to F’rith Three tomorrow then,” Light remarked.
“We’ll meet you in the Docking Bay at oh-eight hundred,” Dark added.
Lili felt her stomach flutter with excitement.
“I’ll be there!” she promised. “This is going to be an adventure to remember!”
She had no idea how right she was or how soon everything was going to spin completely out of control.
10
LILI
Lili could barely contain her exhilaration as Light helped her strap into the long-range shuttle and Dark prepped for take off. She was so excited she was finally going get to meet f’loon and view their collection! It was certainly more exciting than teaching Art History to a bunch of bored freshmen.
Trying to contain her excitement, she settled in between the two huge Kindred warriors and prepared for her first time folding space.
“What’s it like—folding space, I mean?” she asked Light, who was sitting on her right.
But it was Dark, on her left who answered.
“Like everything and nothing all at once,” he growled. “Feels like you’re living an eternity crammed into a few seconds.”
“But it doesn’t hurt at all,” Light assured her. “And it won’t cause you any harm. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Lili demanded, feeling nervous.
Light and Dark exchanged a look over her head.
“You didn’t ask her?” Dark said.
“Not yet.” Light shook his head.
“Ask me what?” Lili was beginning to get exasperated.
“If you’re pregnant,” Dark said bluntly. “Sorry, little Lili, but we have to know.”
“The only people who can’t fold space are pregnant females,” Light explained. “Because it’s bad for the fetus.”
“So are you?” Dark asked. “Pregnant, I mean?”
“Am I pregnant?” Lili couldn’t help laughing. “I haven’t even had sex in the last four or five years!” she exclaimed.
“You haven’t?” Dark frowned. “Why not?”
“Dark! You can’t ask her something like that!” Light scolded.
“No, no—it’s all right,” Lili said. “It’s because after I divorced my ex, Mitch, I kind of swore off men and relationships completely. I decided to be SFL—Single for Life.”
Dark shook his head.
“That ex-mate of yours must have been a real bastard to put you off males entirely.”
“He was horrible,” Lili said frankly. “He refused to help out around the house in any way. All he did was lay around playing video games and watching golf and then, when I got home I’d have to clean up all the messes he’d made while I was working. Oh, and he hounded me for sex constantly,” she added, making a face. “Which turned it into a chore—just another thing I had to get done and check off my to-do list.”