brother, but instead of focusing on the sky, he
let his senses range out. He sensed nothing. “I need to run some simulations.
The camouflage shield should not have let any Spiders find Earth, yet it seems
to be functioning properly.”
Greyson glanced at him. “Do you think a simulation will tell you
why we missed this infestation?”
Solomon shrugged. “I do not know.” The thought of Lucy at the
mercy of the Spiders and no way to detect them made him shudder. He’d kissed
her earlier, and that was a mistake. Because now you want more, and that is
impossible, he told himself.
“We should head back. Eva is waiting for news,” Greyson said,
walking back the way they’d come.
“I must go bring Lucy back to my tower,” Solomon said. Inside, his
emotions roiled. He wanted her, but he didn’t want to want her.
Greyson stopped. “You’ve chosen to accept her, then?”
Solomon shook his head tiredly. “No.”
Greyson stared at him for a long moment. “You are going to hurt
her. And yourself.”
“It does not matter.” Solomon brushed past his brother, not
wanting to dwell on the implications of his impulsive decision. “She will be
fine, as long as we don’t pair. She is mortal.”
“You would deny our nature, Solomon,” Greyson said quietly,
keeping pace with him.
Solomon laughed harshly. “No. I know better than that, but Lucy
deserves more. I will keep her safe until we figure out what is happening with
the Spiders.” He broke free of the forest and headed for the starship. “And
then I will let her go.”
Chapter Six
Lucy waited for a few minutes, but when Solomon didn’t return from
his mysterious errand, she went back inside the inner office. Why did he
even bother to come see me? she thought, frustrated and embarrassed.
“Oh my God, he kissed you!” Shari squealed, accosting her in the
doorway.
Lucy flinched. Shari had her giant purse slung over her shoulder
and when she grabbed her, it fell down her arm and whacked Lucy.
“Ow,” Lucy complained, rubbing her elbow. “Your purse just tried
to kill me, Shari. Have mercy. And that kiss didn’t mean anything.” Lucy
hurried past her. “I only came back for the leftovers from lunch that I forgot
to grab earlier.”
“Sentry Dusk kissed you and you’re seriously trying to tell me it
doesn’t mean anything? Are you insane?” Shari grabbed Lucy and towed her to the
desk. “How do you even know him?”
“From what I could see, that wasn’t a just-friends type of kiss,
either,” Melinda added, powering down her computer. “Whew, the look on his
face.” She fanned herself. “Hot.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’s not important.”
Kathy snorted. “Uh-huh. Lies. All lies. I have three kids. I can
smell a lie from ten feet away.”
Lucy tried to edge toward the mini refrigerator under the long
desk by the window, but Shari cut her off, stepping in front of her. “I just
want my lunch,” Lucy begged.
“Spill,” Shari ordered, pulling out a chair and spinning it around
for Lucy. “This is the official interrogation.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t know why he kissed me.” Lucy sat
down and crossed her arms. “It was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”
She glared mutinously at her co-workers.
Melinda nodded. “Even so, it’s obvious that you know him.”
“That’s true,” Kathy said, nodding.
“How did you ever meet him?” Melinda asked.
Faced with the three women’s united front, Lucy caved. “I met him
before I started working here.” She shifted uncomfortably, then gave in and
rubbed her right arm. The habit soothed her.
“And?” Shari asked, rolling her hand in a keep-it-coming gesture.
Lucy sighed. “Remember I said I was in an accident?”
“Yeah, at the beginning of the summer, you told us.” Shari cocked
her head. “That’s when you met him?”
Lucy wondered how much to tell them. “I was with my best friend,
Eva, helping her, and we were
let his senses range out. He sensed nothing. “I need to run some simulations.
The camouflage shield should not have let any Spiders find Earth, yet it seems
to be functioning properly.”
Greyson glanced at him. “Do you think a simulation will tell you
why we missed this infestation?”
Solomon shrugged. “I do not know.” The thought of Lucy at the
mercy of the Spiders and no way to detect them made him shudder. He’d kissed
her earlier, and that was a mistake. Because now you want more, and that is
impossible, he told himself.
“We should head back. Eva is waiting for news,” Greyson said,
walking back the way they’d come.
“I must go bring Lucy back to my tower,” Solomon said. Inside, his
emotions roiled. He wanted her, but he didn’t want to want her.
Greyson stopped. “You’ve chosen to accept her, then?”
Solomon shook his head tiredly. “No.”
Greyson stared at him for a long moment. “You are going to hurt
her. And yourself.”
“It does not matter.” Solomon brushed past his brother, not
wanting to dwell on the implications of his impulsive decision. “She will be
fine, as long as we don’t pair. She is mortal.”
“You would deny our nature, Solomon,” Greyson said quietly,
keeping pace with him.
Solomon laughed harshly. “No. I know better than that, but Lucy
deserves more. I will keep her safe until we figure out what is happening with
the Spiders.” He broke free of the forest and headed for the starship. “And
then I will let her go.”
Chapter Six
Lucy waited for a few minutes, but when Solomon didn’t return from
his mysterious errand, she went back inside the inner office. Why did he
even bother to come see me? she thought, frustrated and embarrassed.
“Oh my God, he kissed you!” Shari squealed, accosting her in the
doorway.
Lucy flinched. Shari had her giant purse slung over her shoulder
and when she grabbed her, it fell down her arm and whacked Lucy.
“Ow,” Lucy complained, rubbing her elbow. “Your purse just tried
to kill me, Shari. Have mercy. And that kiss didn’t mean anything.” Lucy
hurried past her. “I only came back for the leftovers from lunch that I forgot
to grab earlier.”
“Sentry Dusk kissed you and you’re seriously trying to tell me it
doesn’t mean anything? Are you insane?” Shari grabbed Lucy and towed her to the
desk. “How do you even know him?”
“From what I could see, that wasn’t a just-friends type of kiss,
either,” Melinda added, powering down her computer. “Whew, the look on his
face.” She fanned herself. “Hot.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’s not important.”
Kathy snorted. “Uh-huh. Lies. All lies. I have three kids. I can
smell a lie from ten feet away.”
Lucy tried to edge toward the mini refrigerator under the long
desk by the window, but Shari cut her off, stepping in front of her. “I just
want my lunch,” Lucy begged.
“Spill,” Shari ordered, pulling out a chair and spinning it around
for Lucy. “This is the official interrogation.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t know why he kissed me.” Lucy sat
down and crossed her arms. “It was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”
She glared mutinously at her co-workers.
Melinda nodded. “Even so, it’s obvious that you know him.”
“That’s true,” Kathy said, nodding.
“How did you ever meet him?” Melinda asked.
Faced with the three women’s united front, Lucy caved. “I met him
before I started working here.” She shifted uncomfortably, then gave in and
rubbed her right arm. The habit soothed her.
“And?” Shari asked, rolling her hand in a keep-it-coming gesture.
Lucy sighed. “Remember I said I was in an accident?”
“Yeah, at the beginning of the summer, you told us.” Shari cocked
her head. “That’s when you met him?”
Lucy wondered how much to tell them. “I was with my best friend,
Eva, helping her, and we were
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