13. Marina

Marina sipped her coffee with grateful abandon while the others chatted about the cruise"s highlights and the future of the rescued women.

Peter put down his cup and leaned forward. "I requested this meeting because Marina and I got close during the cruise, and we would like to be together. Marina has spoken to Amanda about moving to the village, and Amanda suggested that she submit a transfer application. All I ask for is that you expedite it." He trained his eyes on Emmett. "As a personal favor to me."

Eleanor"s brow furrowed. "You know the clan"s stance on relationships with humans. It"s not done to be cruel or restrict members" liberties but to protect both from heartache."

"I know," Peter said, his jaw tightening. "Which is why I think it"s important that Marina and I downplay the depth of our relationship, at least for now. Let Kian and the others believe it"s just casual and that she"s moving in with me temporarily until she finds her footing in the village."

Emmett smiled indulgently. "I"m not sure that"s the best approach, especially since it is easy to see that the two of you are in love. Kian"s a romantic at heart and won"t stand in the way of true love."

Eleanor shook her head. "Kian is also pragmatic, and he"s more likely to approve the transfer if he thinks it"s only for Marina"s benefit and has little to do with Peter."

Marina didn"t know which of them had it right, but Eleanor was the more sensible one, and she was immortal. She probably knew Kian better than Emmett did.

"I agree with Eleanor," Peter said. "I don"t want to lie to Kian, but not mentioning me in the application is not lying. Marina"s command of English is impressive, and she can help the Kra-ell in the village who are still struggling with the language. She can also serve as an interpreter or fill any other positions currently offered and desperately seeking applicants."

Emmett nodded. "Naturally, I will do as you ask." He looked at Marina. "Is that your wish? Do you want to move to the village?"

"Very much so."

"Then it"s done." Emmett tapped his palm on his desk. "I"ll fill it out today and submit it tomorrow."

"Do I need to sign it?" Marina asked.

"No need." Emmett lifted his coffee cup. "You will be invited to an interview, and your wish to transfer will be verified in person." He took a sip, carefully keeping his mustache and beard from partaking.

Marina swallowed. She should have expected that, but she hadn"t, and the thought of a face-to-face meeting with Kian terrified her.

"Thank you for your help," Peter said. "And now to my second request. I"m stationed here for the next two weeks and would like to use one of the bungalows so Marina and I can be together. Are any still available?"

"They sure are." Eleanor slid off the desk, leaned over its other side, and opened a drawer.

Was she looking for a key?

"This is the list of codes for the locks on each bungalow." Eleanor handed Peter a piece of paper with a list of numbers. "Make a photo of it. You can choose any of the bungalows marked as available. At this time, the entire section is at your disposal."

Peter chuckled. "You are not that old, Eleanor. Why don"t you have the list on your phone?"

She shrugged. "It"s less time-consuming to just write it on paper, and this way, I know that no one can hack the info and get into one of those bungalows without my permission."

Peter rose, spread the page on Emmett"s desk, and snapped a photo. "Thank you. We will look at one or two and let you know which one we"ve selected."

"Good deal. You can also use the paranormals" dining room if you wish. It"s less crowded and more intimate. The Guardians prefer it to the one in the lodge or the staff dining room."

Peter dipped his head. "Thank you. Have we made any progress with finding paranormals among the seminars" attendees?"

Eleanor shrugged. "We found a few talents, but nothing spectacular so far." She trained her dark, small eyes on Marina. "How about you? Any paranormal talents?"

Marina shook her head. "I"m afraid not."

"What about the rapid language absorption?" Peter asked. "Couldn"t that count as a paranormal ability?"

"It might." Eleanor still had her eyes trained on Marina. "We should get you tested."

Marina swallowed. "I don"t see the point. If I were a Dormant, I would have transitioned already. Peter and I haven"t been using protection."

Eleanor pursed her lips. "I"ve heard of Dormants who took weeks to transition. It might still happen to you."

"I don"t think it will and testing me won"t change that."

"As you wish." Eleanor stood up and offered Marina her hand. "I"ll keep my fingers crossed for you."