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“Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing.” —Dolly Parton
Kinger stacked up more spare pillows he had found in the corner of his room. He was still a few dozen shy of building his project, something he felt sure would help in the long run. Caine made more pillows here and there every time Kinger confiscated them so that was working in his favor. He swayed a bit as the room swirled around him. It wasn’t that the room was moving but his mind thought it was. He wasn’t recovered from their last adventure. Gravity hadn’t been a thing in Caine’s latest adventure. In spite of himself, Kinger had to admit he enjoyed being on a starship. Caine had outdone himself up to the point where the ship got boarded and things got scary.
A soft knock sounded on the door before Queenie opened it. She eyed the growing pile of pillows.
“You’re still determined to do this?” she asked.
He nodded and changed the subject immediately. Kinger wasn’t ready to hear if Queenie thought him mad for wanting to build a fort to sequester himself in. “How are you after that adventure?”
Queenie leaned against the doorframe with a soft sigh. “For me, it wasn’t bad. I got to be the ambassador to our allied planets. I wasn’t in the fire fight. You?”
He nodded. “But I am good in a gun fight, apparently space laser guns too.” If he actually had lips, he’d smile for her. Kinger hoped his eyes conveyed it.
“All things considered, I like the gothic horror adventure from last week. You made a great damsel in distress, babe.” Queenie crossed the room to stand by him.
He heard the laugh in Queenie’s tone. “And you were the perfect knight in shining armor.” Kinger luxuriated in the tender moment for a few seconds before stepping out of that comfort. “How is Scratch after today? He wasn’t doing well on the bridge of the starship.”
Queenie’s big eyes shuttered as she shook her head. “He’s rattled, talking a little crazy before he shut himself up in his room. I’m worried.”
“Me too but…there’s nothing much we can do. I can’t see a way out of this and Caine isn’t likely to tell us how to get out. He doesn’t seem to understand why we would ever want to do that.” He heaved a sigh.
Queenie took his hand. “We both need a rest. Come with me.”
He would follow her anywhere. Queenie led him out to the field and had him sit with her in the grass. Leaning on his shoulder, such as a chess piece had them, Queenie turned her gaze up to the moon and stars. Kinger melted into her, content with this brief moment of privacy, another thing Caine only had a nebulous understanding of. He should be happy that Caine knew enough to give them private rooms to retreat to. A soft breeze ruffled the fur of their royal robes.
Squeezing his hand, Queenie laid him back on the grass. Interlocking fingers, Kinger fought to remember happier days with her someplace other than here. He could barely grab onto the memories. Queenie raise her free hand overhead.
“Watch what I learned to do, baby.”
She cupped her hand and a glowing butterfly fluttered away from her palm. Kinger gasped.
“Cool, isn’t it?” Again he could hear the grin in her tone and the pride.
“We can conjure here,” he said slowly, savoring the words, testing them for veracity.
“You just have to concentrate.” Queenie made two more butterflies and then two more after that while he attempted it. He let go of her hand so he could concentrate on forming a butterfly in his palms.
His butterfly was small by comparison, more the size of a firefly. In his Swiss Cheese memory, he recalled hating bugs until he met this remarkable woman. Why can’t I remember her name? I want to see her face again! Butterflies and fireflies had been okay but the rest made his skin crawl. Starting with the two he liked, she had introduced him to the wider, wilder world of insects until he didn’t hate them anymore.
Between them, they had a swarm of glowing butterflies dancing in the night breeze. They interlocked fingers again watching the butterflies overhead, glowing against the black velvet night sky. Slowly, they drifted off. His last thought before falling asleep was I’ll be okay so long as Queenie’s by my side.