COMPETE: The Atlantis Grail (Book Two) - Preview

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (draft)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Logan Sangre strides quickly in our direction from the end of the platform where apparently he's been waiting for us.

At the sight of Logan's striking tall figure, and his familiar handsome features, my pulse starts to race with excitement, while pleasant warmth floods my cheeks. Logan looks so damn good in the Fleet uniform!

"Thanks for coming, Gwen," he says, with a casual light smile, but a very intense look in his eyes. And then he bends close to plant a kiss on the side of my mouth, grazing my cheek and trailing up, and simultaneously whispers in my ear, "Perfect timing."

"Hey, of course," I say, somewhat flustered, and then I glance back at the others in my party, expecting all kinds of things.

But no one is looking at me. Anu and Gennio have set the trunk down temporarily, and now they stand at the staircase leading to the open hatch of the shuttle, ceremoniously allowing Consul Denu to climb up the stairs ahead of them, followed by Kem.

Without looking around, the Consul disappears into the shuttle, followed by his attendant.

That's when I open my mouth and say, "Guys, this is Logan, he is coming with us."

The two Aides turn around. Anu blinks, glances from me to Logan and frowns. "What?" he says. "He's what?"

Gennio just looks on with a slightly nervous expression.

I take a step forward assertively, and pull Logan by the hand after me.

"Hey," Logan says to them with an easy smile. "I am Cadet Logan Sangre. I will be coming with you to ICS-2."

"You what?" Anu frowns and turns his head sideways, examining Logan.

"Who exactly is this, Gwen?" Gennio says.

And then Anu looks down and notices my hand holding Logan's. "Oh," he says while his brows rise. "Oh, hell no! This is your boyfriend, Earth girl! So that's why you wanted to come along with us to the flagship? So you could see him? No way are we taking your boyfriend for a ride! And you, get lost, Cadet! Don't you have some classes you should be in right now? I am reporting you to your commanding officer—"

"Whoa! Hold it," Logan says, putting up his hand with a very businesslike change of expression, going from easygoing to stone-hard in the span of a second. "I am going on an errand, and this has nothing to do with Gwen. You need to let me come with you, this is Fleet business."

"Oh yeah?" Anu continues looking sideways. 'What kind of Fleet business? I was not informed of any kind of—"

"Anu Vei." To disguise my uncertainty and my nerves, I make my voice as firm as possible. "Enough. He is coming with us." And then I turn to Gennio. "Look, I will vouch for Logan, he is an excellent and exemplary Candidate and now a Cadet, and he needs to see our CP. . . . Okay? This is important, no joke."

Gennio purses his lips. "Okay, Gwen, we were not told about this. I am sorry, but this is really not appropriate, I'm afraid. Unless we are ordered by the CP directly, we cannot just pick random people up on the shuttle."

I take a deep breath. "Understood," I say. "But this is an exception. Please, just this once. At worst, you can blame it all on me. But you'll see, the CP will approve this, I know. Trust me, okay?"

"This is crazy," Anu says. "I say, no."

"Hello?" In that moment Kem is back, peering at us from the doorway of the shuttle. "The Consul says to hurry up!"

The Aides glance at him. "Tell the Consul we are coming!" Anu exclaims.

"I don't know." Gennio looks at me then at Logan. "If maybe you can tell me what this is regarding? You say Fleet business, but what is it?"