Catalyst by Viola Grace

eyes.”
    Nothven sighed and took Mae by the hand. It was as if he was going to keep contact with her as long as he could.
    “Commander, I think you have a day job to get to. I will be fine. You do what you have to do, and I will spend some of my six years of accumulated pay.”
    “Now I am commander?” He raised a brow.
    “You always will be commander in part of my brain, Nothven in another part and simply mine in the majority. Get used to it.” She smiled.
    “If such is my burden to bear, I will. Now, get dressed before I lock my cousin out and find out how fast you can run.”
    The sensual threat made her blush, but the seriousness in his tone sent her scurrying to Dotha to get her bodysuit. She slipped it on in the living room and sighed at the secure feeling that being covered in armour gave her.
    Dotha was amused. “You slipped that on and I didn’t see a thing.”
    “I had to share a room growing up. It’s a learned skill.” She checked her hair in a mirror over the mantle and turned to Dotha. “Where do we start?”
    Dotha rubbed her hands together. “Back to Rehani’s. She is eager to do a ceremony gown.”
    With a wave to Nothven, Mae got in Dotha’s skimmer and allowed herself to be whisked away. It was only for a few days, and she had been in far more dangerous circumstances with far shadier characters. So why was she more edgy than a bag full of cats?

Chapter Eleven
    Four days of fittings, measuring and digging through her family genealogy later, Maeryn Lassiter was facing Nothven Harring in front of his community, her Tuulor guests and all visiting dignitaries.
    Their vows had been simple. They would keep and comfort each other all their days, protect and cherish one another and never let the other face danger alone. That last vow was because they were both still technically in the Enforcers. They would now be dispatched as a couple if they were dispatched at all.
    With the vows done, they stepped together and Mae held her hand up to stop him in his tracks. A laughing Dotha ran forward with a step stool, and Mae dropped the hand as she stepped onto the booster that would let Nothven kiss her without lifting her until she was even with him.
    The crowd roared with laughter, and Nothven folded her in his arms, kissing her fervently at the gesture that indicated she was willing to meet him halfway.
    She laughed against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
    He dipped her back, and she shrieked before he stole her ability to make a sound. The crowd continued to applaud, when Nothven finally set her back on her feet, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen.
    He held her tight to him. “Nice move with the stool.”
    She grinned. “It solved my problem and started a trend. In the next six years, we will be to ten ceremonies that involve the chair.”
    He snickered. “Shall we proceed to our reception?”
    She nodded and hopped down, walking beside him to the pavilion erected in the gardens of the mayoral residence.
    “I love the gown.”
    “It was a compromise in styles.” Mae held his arm, and the wide sleeve reached the centre of her thigh.
    The end style was a crystalline kimono that was translucent, stiff silk with a heavy corset that wrapped Mae to just below her crotch. It was difficult to sit in but a lovely piece of artwork. Rehani was going to get quite a few orders for it in the coming weeks.
    Professor Thop came up to her and clutched both of her hands while he pressed his beaked nose to her knuckles. “Agent Lassiter. Thank you so much for having the historian join us. The Oefric are delighted with the new discovery.”
    “New discovery?”
    Even Nothven looked confused.
    “The details on the ancient Oefric library of T’han. It has been lost to history, but now, we may have discovered some traces that will lead us to that repository of Oefric knowledge.”
    Maeryn smiled, “I am very glad it is working out for you. You deserve success in your endeavour.