Chapter 23 #2
“Of course, Captain. I am, something’s loading… Trust me, this work is like my soul, like if you could cut my head open, all it desires is to ruin The Commons and… to um… make friends of anyone who has a similar sentiment.”
Pesh looks away and very concisely but calmly articulates, “I don’t keep friends.”
“No worries, I can keep us friends,” Swin replies with a smile.
Pesh suddenly turns back to him. Swin gulps, almost afraid.
“Just keep doing your work,” Pesh states, watching Swin like he’s decoding him. “And I might not expose the one hundred and eighty-three crimes you’re wanted for in the system after this.”
“That’s a very exact number.”
“You’re a numbers guy, aren’t you?”
“Well, not technically. That’s actually your girlfriend, Newto—”
“Don’t.”
Swin shuts up instantly, drawing back. “Got it. Your royal Patron highest… Highness. Sincere apologies for offending the queen of this ship. I will continue my work… and speak no other word the entire night…” Swin’s eyes meet mine in the reflection of the monitor in a teasing, yet shy smile.
I shake my head in a smile. Pesh’s eyes almost hit Swin’s gaze, who clenches his teeth as he looks away, instantly focusing on his work, knowing he is threading.
Pesh looks my way. I turn away instantly, directing my gaze to the last two girls next to me.
I instantly make conversation with them.
I don’t want Pesh to think I was eavesdropping.
I keep my gaze continually on the students, but all I can see is Pesh’s reflection in the electric fire-mirror burning in front of me.
Pesh won’t stop staring at me. Oh my goodness.
His eyes lock on me in a flame of hunger, igniting within me a burning thirst for his affection.
I’m trying to keep talking, but my lips begin to fail me.
I’m unable to continue. He notices my stammering, and I audibly hear him scoff at my resistance to the heat of his gaze.
I can’t believe he just did that. I slide my hands down my thighs, determined to keep talking to the girls, but he directly sabotages me, commanding them both to go to sleep.
In the fire-mirror’s reflection, I notice Swin’s face is puzzled. He turns to Pesh, no doubt wondering why he did not let me go along with the girls. He continues to work, as do I, in silence.
But I’m too tense to stay here, so my lips stupidly inquire from Pesh, “I’m finished with my work. Can I leave?”
“No,” Pesh responds.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not finished. You’re just getting started.”
Swin’s eyes linger through the reflection, eyes merging with mine, then he looks away, continuing to work.
Instantly, I turn away in my rolling chair, grabbing the papers in front of me and checking through my work for God knows how many times now.
But my legs are beginning to jitter. He’s still staring.
I proceed to turn to the documents in front of me, again, flipping the pages to make sure I did everything right, knowing full well that I did.
My hands are shaking, so I stop pretending like I am doing something useful before he sees this as well.
Just as my head jolts to the right, my mouth opening to say something bold, my eyes flutter to see he is not here. What the… Where did he go? How?
I tilt my head back, my lips contemplating what just happened and how fast he left without me seeing, hearing or even sensing.
My fingers fiddle, eyes tracing the floor.
He just left… Exhaling a suppressed breath, my palms slide up my dress to touch something…
an envelope. How on earth…? My hands grab it and rip it open in a single strap, totally forgetting that I’m not alone in this room.
My eyes race, reading it, heart pounding, and I don’t even know why.
The note reads, You are being summoned to meet with Patron Pesh.
My head jolts to the left again, looking all around.
He’s really not in sight. My lips fold, hands scrunching the paper beside my dress.
I slide my arm under my thighs fully now, clasping my skin to contain the pressure that’s suddenly surging through me.
Summoned to where? My feet push backward, moving the chair in the process, but Swin does not turn or alter. His eyes linger as I walk past.
I walk by him, smiling. “Goodnight, Swin.”
His eyes, a-glint, slide to the right, examining me, like he knows something I don’t… Why does he have that hidden smug on his face? “Goodnight, Shantavia!”
I stare, silent for a hot second, then I smile and continue walking. What could he possibly know? In the distance, I overhear him whisper to himself as he slides down his chair.
I drive my feet forward. Meet him in the hallway, I suppose?
I don’t know where else… there’s so many indistinguishable places here.
It’s all foreign. I drag my feet, not sure where to go next.
That’s when I feel something behind me. I look around, attentive.
A silhouette follows me through the dark hallway.
That has to be Pesh. I catch glimpses of his shadow; my eyes fixed; following his shadow to predict his next turn.
I turn and smile, enjoying the game, anticipating his presence, but I do not see him.
I feel his gaze from the side. Instantly, I turn right, but he is not in sight.
His playful pursuit melts my heart to ignite in delight, and just as I long for him, he touches my hands from the left and spins me.
I giggle, returning from the spin. But as I look to my hands, his hands are not there.
He disappears into the dark, and I cannot see him.
I try to predict where he went, and I push myself into the dark to catch him, but I grasp thin air and feel his movements in front of me.
I take one more step, and that’s when I see glowing lights around me.
I look around and see it—a room surrounded by water.
The walls are made of glass, and fish swim behind the glasses.
I look to see the water glowing in bioluminescence.
The only light in this room comes from the fish.
I gravitate closer to touch the glass. I notice a glowing, yellow fish swimming up to me.
I touch the glass and smile. I look around me, but I cannot find Pesh. That’s when I hear movement.
I take a deep breath, nervous. “Pesh!” I call out, looking around me, but he is not here.