Synnr's Hope - Kate Rudolph Page 0,10

before giving him a chance.

Not that she was exactly sure what she was trying to get them into. Oz and Emily were living in their own little world, and Lena didn’t need that. But Emily had been drafted to work for the Synnr military because of the powers given to her through her bond with Oz. That was what Lena wanted.

And apparently this whole Matching thing was a big deal. It didn’t matter that she was a penniless human. Solan would see her value.

She hoped.

The guard waved her through and gave her directions to Solan’s house. Because, just like with Crowze, there was more than one house on this estate.

Rich people.

It was the same wherever she was. How many houses did a single family need?

But she’d be glad to have this conversation without an audience. She didn’t notice she was walking up a hill until her calves started to burn, and she was covered in sweat by the time she made it to the mini-mansion that was apparently Solan’s house. Great. Just how she wanted to make an impression.

Whatever. She wasn’t here to seduce the guy.

She knocked on the door and expected a butler to answer, but Solan was there, looking nice in dark pants and a black top. He smiled when he saw her, but there was caution in it. Probably because of the way she’d scowled at him the last time they’d met.

Good. It meant he paid attention to others. That was a must for any partner. She didn’t need some oblivious rich guy.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “Would you like to come in?”

She wanted to get this over with, but the niceties had to be observed. She followed Solan inside, and they ended up in an atrium full of lush plants and colorful flowers. It was warm and humid, but the smell was pleasant enough for Lena not to mind. He pointed her toward a small bench and took a seat opposite. “I hope this is fine.”

“It’s beautiful.” She reached out and stroked her fingers over a blue-green leaf. It was softer than she expected and the leaf curled away as soon as she lifted her hand.

“My grandmother was a cultivator,” Solan said, watching her with a strange look in his eyes. “This place used to be bursting with flowers. I’m not nearly as talented.”

“I could barely keep a cactus alive,” Lena had to admit. “Apparently you’re not supposed to leave them in a box and forget about them when you move.”

He gave a vague smile, but Lena got the feeling the words didn’t make much sense to him. Maybe they didn’t have cacti on Aorsa. Or maybe he’d never had to move.

“Right,” Lena said brightly. Time to get to the point. “Apparently your dead captain entered my information into the Match testing database.”

Solan leaned closer and a strip of sunlight highlighted his face. Lena was struck by the strong line of his jaw and the way his skin glimmered in the sunlight. It was slightly iridescent, a faint sheen that made him look inhuman.

Well, he was.

She had to keep that in mind.

And she had no place getting caught up in how handsome he was. No. There would be none of that.

“I’m sorry,” he replied. “You should have had the choice of whether or not you wanted that information known.” He sounded sincere. And Lena remembered he’d been the one to ensure the rest of the humans who’d been rescued from Kilrym hadn’t been tested.

“It’s done now.” And Lena didn’t really care that the choice had been taken from her. There were much worse things that could have happened. This was a minor blip. And an opportunity. “I received my results.”

Solan’s eyes narrowed. “You have a probable Match?”

She nodded and pulled the paper out of her pocket. She should have brought Emily’s glasses with her, but she had memorized what it said. “I do.”

He didn’t have any reaction and just remained sitting with a polite expression on his face. “I’m sure the Matching Bureau would be willing to help put you in contact with your Match. Or did you want to find out more information about the process? Or about—”

“It’s you.” She spit it out before he could make any more offers. She shoved the papers towards him forcefully enough that he had no choice but to grab them or let them fall to the floor. “According to the test, we’re a probable Match.” All of the paperwork stressed that word. Probable. There was no way to be