Page 45 of Dark Princess Emerging
When the three loaded their belongings in the trunk and got inside, Aru allowed himself to feel actual relief for the first time.
The trackers had been successfully transferred, the hosts were none the wiser, and soon he and his teammates would be free to join their mates in the village.
"I can't believe we've actually pulled this off," Dagor said once Aru returned to the penthouse.
"Time to celebrate?" He walked over to the bar.
"It's barely past noon," Negal pointed out, but he was already reaching for glasses.
"Where are Merlin and Hildegard?" Aru asked. "They are our ride to the village."
"Down in the clinic," Negal said. "Cleaning up and making a list of supplies they need to order."
Aru accepted a glass, feeling the smooth crystal against his palm. It seemed surreal that, after all this time, they were finally free to stop pretending to search for pods that would likely never be found.
"To our freedom," he proposed, raising his glass.
"To our mates," Negal added.
"To the village," Dagor concluded, and they clinked their glasses together.
The whiskey burned pleasantly, going down, warming Aru's chest. He savored the sensation, knowing it would be one of his last memories in this place that had been their base of operations for so long.
It had been lovely, but according to Gabi, the village was even lovelier.
"We should start packing," Negal said after emptying his glass. "Margo's waiting for me to get there to choose our house. She's been sending me pictures of potentials all morning, but to be frank, they all kind of look the same and not nearly as nice asthis place. I'm not complaining, though, especially since we are getting them rent-free."
"Yeah, that's an important factor, given that our budget is significantly diminished now that we are paying our replacements and covering their expenses. I hope we all can get jobs in the village and earn an income."
Negal waved a dismissive hand. "Stop worrying so much about finances, Aru. Toven said he's going to help us if we need it."
Aru winced. "I'd rather not accept charity when I can work."
He also hoped Kian wouldn't demand the rest of their Anumatian tech as payment. They needed it in case someone came for them. It was possible that the commander would call and announce that they were about to get picked up.
The chances of that happening were slim but not negligible.
In addition to the trackers that had to be moved, their Anumatian communicators had to be rigged with a gadget that William had come up with, and although it had worked when they had tested it, there was always a chance the commander would notice that there was something wonky about the signal.
Dagor put his glass down and headed to his and Frankie's room. "Do you know if we are supposed to clean up before we leave?"
Aru shrugged. "No one said anything about it, but we should leave the place in a decent state. Making the beds and putting the dishes in the dishwasher should do it. Kian will probably send a cleaning crew to do a more thorough job."
"Then why bother?" Negal asked.
"Because that's the decent thing to do after enjoying the guy's hospitality and getting to stay here for free."
Negal grumbled something under his breath before heading to his room.
When Aru closed the door behind him, he didn't start packing right away, though. He stretched out on his bed, which he had already made, and closed his eyes.
Reaching out with his mind to his sister, he waited until the familiar sensation of connecting with her washed over him.
He could feel Aria's joy through the tether connecting them.
Hello, Aru, she greeted warmly.I was just thinking about you.
I was thinking of you, too. I have good news. The transfer of the trackers was successful; the humans are on their way to begin the search for the pods, and we are moving to the village today.