Bleu raised an eyebrow.
“You know they have cloned things... creating a duplicate of a living creature.” Bleu motioned with his rigid index fingers, holding them with their full lengths pressed against each other at first, and then moving them apart but keeping them identical. “Some of their science seems dangerous to me.”
Loren frowned. “How is it you know about things I do not?”
Bleu smiled at last. “The benefits of being able to travel freely to the mortal world whenever the mood strikes me. I think I had relations with a doctor once... or a journalist who was writing about cloning. I cannot remember.”
Loren wasn’t surprised. Whenever the ‘mood’ struck him, Bleu took off for a night to the mortal world to satisfy himself with loose women all too willing to give up their bodies, and their blood. The mood struck Bleu often, at least three or four times in a lunar month.
He was probably the most well-versed in human affairs of all of Loren’s staff, yet he was also the one with the lowest opinion of that species. Perhaps spending so much time in the company of females who slept freely with strangers affected Bleu’s opinion of the species in general.
“I am looking forward to discovering more about the advances in science when I spend time with Olivia at Archangel.” Loren banked left, past the statue of his mother, and pushed the first set of arched dark wooden doors on his right open.
“What?” Bleu reached for him, stopping just short of grabbing his arm, the volume of his voice causing the five males in the library to stop their work and stare at him.
Loren looked across his shoulder at Bleu. “I mean to spend time with Olivia in her world. She needs laboratory equipment in order to do her research.”
“Bring it here. We will build her a laboratory.” Bleu had that look again. The one that Loren had often seen in their four thousand years together. He thought Loren crazy.
“I cannot. I brought this upon her—”
“You will be too vulnerable there,” Bleu interjected, shocking the five males in the room and Loren too.
Bleu had never dared to speak over him before.
They were friends, but Loren was still a prince. The flicker of nerves in Bleu’s purple eyes was apology enough for Loren. He knew his friend meant well, but he couldn’t speak to him in such a way in front of others. He didn’t want to have to punish Bleu for such a thing. He valued what they shared and never wanted the difference in their statuses to come between them. If the council heard of Bleu’s disrespectful behaviour, they would demand Loren punish him.
“Forgive me.” Bleu lowered his head and Loren placed his hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it to let him know that he forgave him. Bleu lifted his head. “You will be vulnerable there... both to your brother and to an attack from the hunters within that place. You know I cannot allow you to venture there, and neither will the council.”
Loren intended to visit them next. The moment he had agreed to Olivia’s plan and had offered to be her escort, he had known he would need to convince the council of elders to agree to it too. They were not going to be happy with him. He was going to pull rank on them.
“I will speak with them and make them see that my mind is made up on this matter and I will not be swayed.” Loren stepped into the expansive double-height room that served as the library. There were two levels, although the upper floor didn’t cover the entire length of the room. There was an open rectangular space above him with a balcony running around it. White oak bookshelves lined every inch of wall space and elegantly carved stacks filled the area to his left on both floors.
Above the open area, rainbow colours swirled across the sheer crystal roof, softly illuminating the room.
“I still believe you should bring the female here.” Bleu wasn’t going to let this one go, was he?
Loren sighed. “Olivia needs her laboratory to conduct her research and I cannot leave her alone and vulnerable.” He held his hand up to silence Bleu when he went to speak. “And I will not bring her here, where she feels afraid and unsafe, or allow any other to protect her in my stead.”
He turned to face his friend, wishing for all of his kingdom that Bleu would see in his eyes that his mind was truly made up and no one was going to change it.
“I disrupted her life, Bleu. I caused this problem for both of us, and I will deal with it.”
“Your brother is to blame here.” Bleu’s frown returned, turning his eyes cold and dark. “Meaning your brother plans to attack her. I cannot allow you to place yourself in danger—”
“What do you suggest then?” Loren shoved his fingers through his black hair, his frustration mounting and getting the better of him.