The Mask of Omegon (Gwen Farris Book 6) (28 page)

“He’s great. Um, we’re getting
married? In three months? I-” She was going to say that she could use some help
planning the wedding, but the screaming and carrying on was a bit too loud for
that. So Gwen just took her hugs. Ethyl had been about the same when she passed
the news to her.

“Gwen! I’m so happy for you! This
is amazing. Fast, too. Are you…” She looked at Gwen’s stomach.

“Still a virgin? Why yes, I
am
.
Thanks for asking. Though Pete did set me up with some birth control. It’s just…
After this training, Tomas is going into the military. There’s a war on. I have
things to do as well. We need more people doing that. I don’t suppose anyone
has volunteered yet?”

Bethany seemed surprised, but
happy.

“Gwen…
Hundreds
have
applied. We have one hundred applicants just for the women’s side of the
Special Service! We’ve…” She looked around, then had Gwen sit on a low sofa
like thing. It took a moment, but her best friend settled directly next to her.
“This is a secret, but we have twenty men and women that have volunteered to
learn using the old protocols.
Powerful
individuals. No one thought
that
would ever happen. Adam cried when Peter and Manly told him about that part. I
mean, publically
wept
. He wasn’t the only one either.” She teared up a bit,
but smiled at the same time. “They even know what they’re going into. I
suggested that they use the new protocols as well. It’s a bit kinder. Not much,
but…”

Gwen nodded.

“Yeah. I get you there. We’ll
probably have to do both. Now, I need to get to work! First though, I owe a
certain Katherine about a day and a bit of pure pleasure. Hopefully that won’t
burn her mind out. Or mine. After that? I think we need to get things set up to
take out the Europans. They made a mistake, attacking my people.”

She said it that way on purpose.
Because it was true. Finally. These were her friends. Her
family
.

No one was going to harm them. Not
if she could stop them.

Working together, she was almost
certain they could set that up.

For the first time, Gwen didn’t
feel like she had to face the world alone. That made her dangerous, she
decided. She liked the feeling and wasn’t going to let it go so that some crazy
idiots could feel like they were big men. Or whatever the real issue was.

That part wasn’t important. What was,
in that moment, was that her people were under attack.

She grinned then and talked about
the wedding. They couldn’t stop living after all. Not if they were going to
keep going on after the battles came.

Which she fully intended to do. No
matter what it took to make that happen.