Dark Nine ❈ Dark Nine Universe Bk1 ❈

Chapter Sixty-Four

Diana's POV

I asked Ninth Squad to take Jitters home to Light Metro. She let me tuck her in bed and then she admitted with the blanket tucked under her exhausted chin, that Alpha Centauri took her out to some fancy restaurant at Evoni Central.

I thanked her for the information and then I went walking with Ninth Squad tailing me and my adventure. They were all dressed in their space gear or fancy suits. Eight Elion security guards on the Galactic Queen's ass.

I'll admit, I kind of liked the attention.

I put on a plain coat to cover my breasts since I was only wearing the Krown and Plume beneath.

Inside the restaurant called Nine Stars – seriously, it was called that... anyway, they didn't have a table for a squad, but they did have a table for four.

Mars, Neptune, Uranus and I sat at a table to eat.

Which obviously means it only looked like Mars and I were sitting down, but the other two sexy giant Kors were invisibly sipping on different white wines.

With what appeared to be the magical floating wine glasses as company, Mars and I sat opposite one another.

He was all prim and handsome in that black suit with a green tint, accentuating his dark eyes. Even though I missed his long wild hair... oh well...

"Are you ready to discuss your heart, Diana?" Mars asks softly over the empty plates, as he sees my turmoil simmering beneath the surface.

"Hmm?" I murmur back.

"Neptune witnessed a moment with you and the Estori," Mars weirdly doesn't sound jealous, weirdly he sounds... impressed? I cock a brow and he smiles, "Empress, we share, it's what you are. A shared body between us. I am pleased to know you cared enough about one of us, to react so quickly. No matter that it was our cruellest."

"The thought of that large blue dude dropping dead with poison, seemed an unfitting way to go for a badass King of the Universe," I make a joke of it, "But seriously, thanks for understanding and not feeling left out or something. I love you Mars. I think I... I love that bastard too. I love Kors. I... I'm just shocked I felt so much for him. You're all technically keeping me prisoner, still, by the way... in case you thought I forgot. I know you're on the look out for escape attempts. But for the first time, I don't want to run. I'm... happy. My heart. It's happy."

I feel a soft hand on my thigh, then a possessive squeeze. Uranus nudges me, his warmth welcome over my thin coat. I smile and lean over to kiss Uranus on the cheek spontaneously. He shimmers to visibility when my mouth caresses his skin. I notice then his liquid mirror eyes are focused right on me, wide and entranced by my sweet kiss.

I lean down with a smug smirk and I feel Neptune's boot slide along my sandaled foot.

I look across to Neptune and tease him, "I love you too, don't be so anxious."

"I'm not anxious, I just like it when you smile like that," Neptune growls over at me, and I hear Uranus laugh, which causes a tense silence between the brothers.

"Don't make them fight, Empress," Mars chuckles, at least he finds it amusing too, "They're protective of you and apparently possessive of who you smile at, so be careful."

"As they should be," I chuckle too as the food finally arrives.

I look at the gourmet green pea soup, as Mars, Neptune and Uranus have a juicy steak in blood gravy.

"We could live here," I suggest as I stir a spoon through my soup, "With subspecies, and all the shops and all the fun places we could visit together. Rather than being isolated on a planet no one can find. Dark Ninth is cool but it's literally a graveyard of sparkling dead Fey, and I have other interests besides Kor cock and popping out your cute babies. Hmm? What do you think? Let's move to all the action."