Aquarian Awakenings - A Collective Saga Sci-Fi Romance

Chapter 10

Jon barely noticed as the cascade of turquoise and brown balloons flowed around him, rebounding cheerfully off of food-laden tables, empty chairs, and cheering observers. The hollowness in his heart made him unable to hear the applause, to take in more than a general sense of movement.

It was over. She was leaving.

The thoughts circled his mind, baffling him, refusing to settle down into any logical sense. How could it have happened so quickly? One moment he was pinning the diamond on his breast, was standing shoulder to shoulder with the other men, was so close to Nicole that he could breathe in her intoxicating scent. A heartbeat later she was shaking hands with Xerxes, was accepting a congratulatory embrace from Martin, and all too soon she would be shimmering out of sight. Her ship, and the men in it, would retreat to the distant reaches of the galaxy, and she would be gone.

It was almost too much to fathom.

She made a spiraling motion with her hand, and Jon's feet were in motion before he realized it, pushing his way through the crowd to her side. As he approached he saw Richard on his right, Stephen on his left, and the other two quickly arrived as well.

Her gaze was apologetic as it came around to meet his. "I am sorry, Jon, but I need to talk with the others alone for a moment."

Jon's cheeks flushed with heat. "Of course," he bit out. He was not one of them. He was not sure why he thought her call even included him. He stood still as she turned and moved the men into a side conference room, one with the word "Cybian" still embossed in amethyst letters on the door. And then that door closed solidly shut.

He stood staring at the door, oblivious to the swirl of music and celebration around him. A green-suited waiter was at his shoulder, offering a flute of Champagne, and he absently shook the man away. Were they planning how far to sail away this time? Would it be a year before they came back toward the core?

At long last the door opened, but only Sean slipped out, moving through the throngs to stand at Marcus's side. A whispered comment in his ear and Marcus was nodding, accompanying Sean back to the conference room. The door sealed behind them.

Jon shook his head, desolation soaking into every bone, but he could not turn, not move away to sink into meaningless conversation with the laughing, joking people on every side. If all he could do is be this close to them for these final few minutes, then he would do it. He knew that in the mere beat of a heart it would all be over.

Long moments passed while his darkness swirled and thickened. Then the door pressed open and Marcus was standing in the entryway. He scanned the crowd, spotted Jon, and waved him in. Jon nodded in acceptance. They would be making their farewells now. A few words, some handshakes, perhaps a brief, formal embrace, and then only empty space would remain.

He stepped through the door into the room. An ivory marble table had been pushed to one side. Seven plush chairs in a rainbow of colors lined the opposite wall.

Nicole stood in the center of the room, the four men behind her, all still decked out in their silver phoenix outfits. The screw through Jon's heart turned even more harshly. Her honor, her strength, called to him with a power almost beyond his comprehension. The men behind her would be more than brothers; they would be comrades in arms, men he could rely on with his life.

Nicole's brow creased as he came to a stop before her. She started to say something, gave a slight shake of her head, and then asked in a low voice, "Is everything all right?"

He steadied his face to be even. "I am fine."

The look in her eyes said that she did not believe it, and she glanced at Marcus for a moment before speaking. "This might seem an odd question but ... what do you think of our group?"