Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Yeah, well…he seemed to think it was long overdue for me.”
“So…um…” Kaleb didn’t seem to know what to say. Looking up at her twin, Kara realized that if she followed her plans, she would be leaving him for the first time. They had never been apart before—not even for a day. And now she would be gone for who knew how long when she left for Tranq Prime.
On impulse, she hugged him.
“Hey…” Kaleb’s arms came around her and he squeezed back uncertainly. “What’s that for?”
“Because I love you. And…” Kara cleared her throat. “And I’ll miss you.”
“Miss me? What do you mean?” Kaleb’s green eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Where are you going? You’re not chasing after that Unbondable are you?”
“No, this has nothing to do with Raak,” Kara said firmly. “It has to do with me—something I have to do for myself.”
“What?” Kaleb sounded mystified. “What do you have to do?”
Kara hesitated for a moment—should she tell him? Normally she could always trust Kaleb to keep her secrets but she knew that if he thought she was in danger; her twin would tell her father and mother for no other reason than to keep her safe. And her father had said that the treatment on Tranq Prime was dangerous.
That thought made her a little uneasy but Kara shoved the feeling away. It was probably only dangerous for male Blood Kindred and since she was female it should be no problem.
She hoped.
“Kara?” Kaleb was looking at her worriedly and she realized she’d taken too long to answer.
“I’m…moving out for a little while,” she said, which was technically true. “It’s time, you know?”
“I’ve been thinking that too,” Kaleb admitted in a low voice. “So, do you want to get a suite together?”
“Oh, uh…” Kara swallowed hard. She ought to have anticipated that her twin would make such an offer. Most sisters and brothers wouldn’t care to live together but Kaleb was more than her brother—he was her best friend and closest confidant.
“Kara?” he asked again, frowning.
“I’m sorry,” she said as gently as she could. “But…I think I want my own space for a little while. Do you understand, brother?”
“Oh…oh, yes of course. I just thought…” Kaleb shook his head. “Well, I’ll help you move your stuff if you want,” he said, a bit stiffly.
“Not that much to move,” Kara said brightly. “You know all the suites come fully furnished. And I’ve never been much of a clothes horse like Ziza.”
Their second cousin was a fashion icon—with her creamy brown skin and gold-on-black eyes she was a striking beauty and she made the most of it.
No one ever says Ziza is deformed or strange, Kara thought, suppressing a surge of resentment. Her eyes are way more visible than my fangs but nobody ever makes fun of her.
Of course, Ziza had a natural flair that seemed to carry her through life. And she had an added advantage—her father wasn’t the head of the Kindred High Council. Plus, she liked being the center of attention.
Whereas I just want to blend into the crowd, Kara thought ruefully. Well, soon enough she would. She’d be on her way to Tranq Prime to take care of her pesky fangs once and for all.
“Well…okay, I guess.” Kaleb’s face, which still looked worried and uncertain, brought Kara back to the present.
“Love you, brother,” she said and gave him another hug and a swift peck on the cheek. “But now I have to pack. Oh, and…” She bit her lip. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
He gave a confused-sounding laugh.
“You sound like you’re moving to a different galaxy, not just half-way across the Mother Ship.”
“No, of course not,” Kara hastily denied, but she couldn’t meet her twin’s eyes while she lied. “I’ll just…miss living close to you and Mom and Dad—that’s all. But…it’s time I left.” She took a deep breath. “Past time. You know?”
“I know. You take care of yourself too then, Kare-kare,” he murmured, squeezing her tight. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you. I love you; you know that—right?”
“Of course I do. I love you too.” Kara squeezed him back and then extracted herself from his embrace. She had to hurry if she was going to be ready to go when the cadre of trader ships left for Tranq Prime.
“See you later, brother,” she said, smiling wide enough to show her fangs. Next time he saw her, they would be normal sized and regular-looking, she was certain. Next time Kaleb saw her, she would be a whole different person.
She had no idea how right she was or how scary her journey to “normal” was going to be.
Six
“All ships, you are cleared for take off. The Fold is open. Repeat, the Fold is open and you are cleared for take off,” came the voice of the Flight Controller from her ship’s com.