Jace Strickland POV

  The weight of the revelation settled between us like a thick fog. Henry and Hail exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring the same shock that churned in my gut.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hail muttered, keeping his voice low. “They were both their leaders this whole time?”

  Henry exhaled slowly, his eyes still fixed on the stage where Thriexa stood beside Xilta. “It makes sense now. The way they all deferred to her, the way she carried herself. She never acted like someone just following orders.” He shook his head slightly. “Still, she could’ve told us.”

  I clenched my jaw, my thoughts tangled between understanding and frustration. “Maybe she didn’t want to change how we saw her,” I said, more to myself than them. “Or maybe she wanted to see how we acted before we knew the truth.”

  Hail scoffed. “That’s a hell of a way to test someone.”

  Before we could dwell any further on it, movement from the crowd caught my eye. A group of Eova had begun circulating through the banquet. It wasn’t long before one of them—a woman wearing a flowing gold ensemble, her deep yellow sash marking her as a Luxsor—stepped toward our group, her gaze expectant.

  “Welcome,” she said warmly, her voice melodic. “Tonight, we celebrate, and no celebration is complete without dance. May I have the honor?” Her golden eyes flickered toward Henry, waiting for his response.

  Henry looked as if she had just asked him to jump off a cliff. “Uh—”

  Before he could stammer out an excuse, another Eova, a woman dressed in deep green, approached Hail with a similar request. Hail looked just as thrilled about the prospect.

  I smirked. “Looks like we’re not getting out of this one, gentlemen.”

  The Luxsor woman took Henry’s hand with practiced ease, guiding him onto the dance floor with a grace that left him no room to protest. Hail followed a moment later, clearly resigned to his fate as the green-clad Eova led him into the rhythm of the celebration.

  Before I had a chance to step away, another Eova woman approached me, her crimson robes flowing around her as she inclined her head slightly. “Agent Strickland, would you do me the honor of a dance?”

  I hesitated, but only for a second. If I was here to learn about these people, I might as well experience their traditions firsthand. I took her offered hand, allowing her to lead me into the open space where other Eova were already moving in synchronized yet fluid motions.

  The music was unlike anything I had ever heard—soft yet layered, rhythmic yet unpredictable. My partner guided me with surprising ease, her movements precise but never rigid. Dancing had never been something I excelled at, but here, with the way the Eova moved, it felt more natural, less structured than I had expected.

  After the dance ended, another Eova woman, this one in deep blue, approached. I obliged her as well, though my mind was elsewhere. I kept scanning the room, searching for any hint of violet among the vibrant sea of colors. The absence of purple still gnawed at me, reinforcing what I had already begun to suspect—Thriexa was different, more significant than I had realized.

  As I stepped away from my second dance partner, adjusting the sleeves of my purple suit, a familiar presence caught my eye. Moving through the crowd, her posture as composed as ever, was Thriexa.

  Finally.

  Thriexa was walking passed me, a brilliant smile on her face. A smile that could light up the entire room. For a moment, it made me forget that I was still a bit mad at her for not telling me the truth about who she was. But as she moved through the crowd, effortlessly commanding attention without even trying, I felt something stir—something I couldn’t quite place.

  She was more than composed; she was magnetic. Every Eova she passed turned slightly to acknowledge her, their gazes filled with something between admiration and reverence. She carried herself with a natural ease, her movements smooth, purposeful—completely at home in this world of flowing silks and ancient traditions.

  I wasn’t the only one watching her. Others—Eova and human alike—paused in quiet recognition as she moved past them, as if her presence alone was something to be honored. And despite myself, I felt an unfamiliar tightness settle in my chest. Jealousy? No. Admiration? Maybe. Or maybe it was just the realization that, in this place, in this moment, she wasn’t just Thriexa. She was Thriexa Aizih.

  And I was just another outsider looking in.

  Then, just as my gaze lingered too long, she caught me staring. Her violet eyes locked onto mine, something knowing flashing behind them, and before I could react, she smirked—just slightly—before turning away, disappearing back into the rhythm of the banquet as if daring me to follow.

  One moment, she was gliding through the banquet, effortlessly moving between conversations, and the next, she was beside me, as if she had materialized out of the crowd itself. I had been too distracted watching her—admiring the way she belonged so completely to this world—only to realize too late that she had noticed.

  She stopped just close enough that I could feel her presence before she extended her hand. “Dance with me, Jace?” Her voice was smooth, carrying none of the tension I expected.

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  I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to, but because there was still a part of me that needed answers. But something about the way she looked at me, expectant yet patient, told me I wasn’t walking away from this conversation. So I took her hand.

  As we moved to the rhythm of the music, her movements fluid and controlled, she finally spoke. “I owe you an explanation.”

  “Yeah,” I admitted, keeping my tone even. “You do.”

  She exhaled, her expression softening with something close to regret. “I didn’t tell you because it was safer that way. Not just for me, but for us. The Aizihs… we have learned through painful experience that revealing who we are too soon can be dangerous.”

  I frowned slightly. “Dangerous how?”

  She hesitated, then took a slow breath. “A long time ago, on one of the earliest planets we tried to settle, my grandparents were serving as ambassadors. They were welcomed at first, but then the Chibos—the ruling force of that world—discovered that my grandfather was an Aizih. A leader. They saw it as a threat. So they killed him, to send a message to our people.”

  I tensed slightly at her words. “They murdered him just for being a leader?”

  She nodded solemnly. “Since then, it was decided that the identity of the Aizihs would not be revealed until we were back with our people. Until we were certain that those we spoke to would not see us as something to be eliminated.”

  I swallowed, letting her words sink in. I wanted to be angry, wanted to tell her she should have trusted me sooner, but how could I argue with history? With survival? I met her gaze, and for the first time since learning the truth, I understood.

  “I get it,” I murmured. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”

  Thriexa’s lips curved slightly, a ghost of amusement flickering across her face. “That’s all I could ask for.”

  She twirled beneath my hand, her movements effortless, the deep violet fabric of her attire swirling with her. Even in this moment, with everything weighing between us, she looked at peace—graceful and composed in a way that made it seem as if she belonged in this exact moment, in this exact place.

  “You’re surprisingly good at this,” she teased, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.

  I scoffed, adjusting my grip slightly to keep up with her pace. “Don’t sound so shocked.”

  “I am merely impressed. I wouldn’t have expected an FBI agent to be so comfortable with dancing.”

  “Yeah, well, interrogations don’t usually require a waltz,” I shot back, earning a soft laugh from her. It was a sound I hadn’t heard often, but it was genuine, unguarded. It made the tension I had been holding onto loosen slightly.

  We moved effortlessly in sync, guided by the rhythm of the music and the subtle pull of one another. Despite everything I had learned tonight, this moment felt natural—like it had been waiting to happen. And yet, there was still something lingering at the edge of my mind.

  “So, what happens next?” I asked, keeping my voice low, careful not to disrupt the easy flow between us.

  Thriexa’s expression turned thoughtful. “Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow… we decide what comes next.”

  We danced for one song before she gently pulled away. “I can’t take up too much of your time,” she said, offering me a soft smile. “The others wish to meet you, and I must dance with my people. I need to tell them how good the humans have been to me.”

  I nodded, watching as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing alone, still feeling the warmth of her touch. But as the distance between us grew, something unsettled me. A conflict twisted in my gut, one I wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet.

  I knew where these thoughts could lead. And I knew that was dangerous.

  She was a leader of an alien race, someone I would likely be working with, negotiating with, trying to understand. She wasn’t just another person I had met on an assignment—she was Thriexa Aizih, a figure of importance to an entire civilization. And I was just a human, an outsider to all of this.

  Yet, despite everything I had told myself, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t just another political figure. Not to me.

  Thriexa Aizih POV

  I had known this moment would come, but leaving Jace after only one dance proved harder than I expected. There was something grounding about dancing with him, something steady in the way he moved with me, like I didn’t have to think about leading or following—I could just be. But I had my duty to my people, and I could not take up too much of his time. The Eova had welcomed the humans into our home, and now they wished to know them, to understand them. I would not deny them that.

  So I stepped away, my fingers lingering in his for a fraction of a second longer than necessary before I turned, moving fluidly into the crowd. The music swirled around me, a melody as ancient as our journey through the stars, and I was swept back into the rhythm of my people.

  Many Eova men approached, asking for a dance, and I accepted each request with grace. One by one, I moved through the swirling colors of the banquet, my steps light, my mind still partially elsewhere. As I danced, I spoke of the humans—how they had treated me, how they had shown caution but not cruelty, curiosity but not hostility. I reassured them that Earth was not a planet of enemies but of potential allies.

  Still, no matter how many partners I took, my gaze kept drifting across the dance floor, searching. Searching for him.

  Jace was easy to find. His deep purple attire made him stand out, but more than that, it was the way he carried himself—confident yet observing, taking in everything around him like he was cataloging it for later. He had already danced with two Eova women, and I could see the hints of a smile on his face, though his posture remained guarded.

  A familiar presence drew my attention away. “You’re distracted,” a teasing voice murmured close to my ear.

  I turned to see Trenal, his ever-present smirk firmly in place as he held out his hand. “Care to dance, Thriexa Aizih? Or has a certain human taken up all your time?”

  I rolled my eyes, but I took his hand. “You always did enjoy gossip, Trenal.”

  He grinned, leading me into the steps of the dance. “Only when it’s interesting. And this? This is interesting. So tell me, what do you think of them? Of him?”

  I exhaled, considering my words carefully. “Jace is… different. He listens in ways I did not expect a human to. He doesn’t just hear my words—he considers them, questions them, challenges them. And he does not fear what he does not yet understand.”

  Trenal raised an eyebrow, his hold on my hand tightening just slightly. “And the other two?”

  “Henry is measured, cautious but open-minded. Hail is skeptical, but his intentions are not unkind. He believes his duty is to protect his people, but he does not yet know what he should protect them from.”

  Trenal studied me for a long moment before spinning me effortlessly. “And yet, it is Jace you keep looking for.”

  I faltered for half a beat, but recovered quickly. “It is Jace who I have spent the most time with. He is the one I have come to understand the most.”

  Trenal’s smirk deepened, but there was something softer in his expression now. “Thriexa, you have always been careful. Always putting your duty before yourself. Just… be sure you know what you’re doing.”

  I met his gaze, my steps steady. “I always do.”

  He let out a chuckle. “That’s what worries me.”

  And just like that, the dance ended, and Trenal released me with a knowing look. I shook my head, amusement flickering through me as I watched him disappear into the crowd. But as soon as he was gone, my gaze instinctively found its way back to Jace.