know more about her past, all he had to do was ask.
“No,” he insisted and his emotions told her that it was true. “Natalie told Salvo and Salvo asked me to tell you about the orphans. I asked why he wanted you to know about them, so he explained about Geoff.”
They had warned her that soul-bonded mates had no secrets from each other. But Orphans? That was an unexpected twist. She propped her head on her hand and watched him carefully. “What orphans?”
“Ghost City has long been a dumping ground for unwanted children. I’d love to say it was just the elite, but it has been known to happen at every level of Sarronti society. The poor do it because they are struggling to feed their ‘normal’ children. The middle designations do it—”
“What does normal have to do with it? Are the orphans unusual in some way?” Already her compassionate heart was engaged. She loved children and had always hoped to find a vocation that helped them. Geoff had taken her far from the future she had planned for herself.
“The biological weapon that made us allergic to the sun also created a variety of other mutations. Every Sarronti alive today is a mutant, but those born with physical manifestations are shunned. They are known as urbanites.”
“Aren’t there orphanages to see to their care?”
“Of course, but the problem is so pervasive that the orphanages frequently fill up and the urbanite children overflow into the streets and abandoned buildings of the city. Salvo and Natalie are doing everything possible to find solutions to this problem. Natalie thought with your educational background that you might be a good addition to the team.”
“But what about you?” she cried. “You love Lake Walker Village.”
He looked deep into her eyes and said, “I love you more.”
Her heart slammed into her ribs. He hadn’t just claimed to love her, he offered to relocate and prove it. Tears filled her eyes and a rush of poignant emotions made it impossible to speak.
“You don’t have to give me an answer now.” He seemed to have misunderstood the reason for her silence. “Talk to Natalie. She knows a lot more about it than I do.”
Finally recovering enough to swallow, she pulled his face to his for a lingering kiss. “You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I’m not sure what I did to deserve you.”
He chuckled. “Does that mean you like the idea?”
“I need to learn more about it, but it definitely sounds like a worthy cause.”
“Good.” He was quiet for long enough that she thought he’d drifted off to sleep. “Salvo can inject you with translator lenitas. It will allow you to interact with anyone who doesn’t know English.”
“Are you sure the tech is safe for humans?”
“I wouldn’t have suggested it if it weren’t. It’s my job to protect you.”
Thrilled by the realization that she had a champion, she smiled and snuggled closer to his warm body.
AS PROMISED, SALVO arrived bright and early the following morning. Jaron had asked him to bring the translator lenitas for Nikki and Salvo held up the injector as he stepped out of the portal.
Nikki saw the alloy cylinder and asked, “What is that?”
“A present for you.” Salvo sounded cryptic and her gaze flew toward Jaron.
“It’s the translator injection,” Jaron reminded. “Salvo likes being dramatic.”
Salvo administered the injection and tossed the cylinder in the recycler.
“You should start understanding Sarronti within the hour,” Jaron predicted. “Speaking it requires some practice, but it’s a simple technique. If you haven’t figured it out on your own by tonight, I’ll train you. But we better get moving. We all know how much Malik likes to be kept waiting.”
Salvo opened a portal connecting Jaron’s living room with the detention center in Ghost City. The detention center had taken over the ground floor of the old municipal building when the last official government of Ghost City disbanded three years ago. Now the city was run by a group of volunteers who focused on practical matters rather than politics. They kept the utilities operating, the subways running, and not a whole lot else. The most egregious crimes were submitted to the United Council, but for the most part everyone just took care of themselves. The only reason there were still functional holding cells in the detention center was for criminals awaiting transport to the capital.
After a brief strategy session with Malik and Salvo in the control room, Jaron and Nikki prepared to faceoff with their nemesis. Rather than parading