Traded to the Anvin as a bride, she doesn’t have the heart to tell them she has already chosen.

Sobi enjoys the solitude of darting animals to track behaviour and migration. When she heads home for a quick check-in, she is a little perturbed to find that her presence is required for the Anvin dignitary in need of a wife.

She dresses appropriately, and when she faces the man behind the shadows, she recognises the man that she linked herself to years earlier.

Midnight is a silly nickname, but Aloss is willing to let the Protheans call him whatever they like as long as they hand over his mate.

Excerpt:

“May I help you?”

The man turned, and he was obviously not Prothean. He looked her over from head to toe and didn’t say a word.

“Anvin emissaries don’t often break into my quarters. What are you doing here?”

“You are Sobi Nurala?”

“I am. Tagger extraordinary.” She smiled.

“Your presence is requested at the main hall this evening to meet the Midnight. You are his best match.”

She winced as her earlier conversation reared up to mock her. “Ah. When?”

“They wished me to bring you now so they could dress you properly, but I am guessing that you could take a solar blast and change to a fresh suit.”

She grinned. “I decline. Let’s just go and get this over with.”

He blinked rapidly, his midnight skin and silver eyes showing his surprise. “Very well. My skimmer is waiting.”

Sobi nearly argued to bring her cycle but realised that she would be wearing some kind of gown. She had better stick with being driven around for the day.

She dropped her pack and tool belt, nodding for him to lead the way.

“That is all you need to do?”

“If you want me to take more time I can, but I would rather that we get this over with. I have been on duty for a week and you don’t get much sleep out there.”

“You have been outside the city?” He escorted her back to the lift and they got inside.

“That is how you tag the creatures of the sand. You have to stand in the sand and figure it out.”

His dark features twisted in a smile. “The logic is sound.”

“I think so. I am one of the best at what I do. So, why now?”

He blinked at the sudden switch in topic. “Um, I don’t know why the Midnight has shown up. It could be that the city is finished.”

They exited on the main floor and he walked with her to his vehicle.

Sobi had to admit that the Anvin had nice technology. The city around them had been cobbled together in a few months, using the ship that brought them as building material. Sobi had heard of the Anvin city across the sand, but there were no images of it available on the vid screens as no Prothean had yet to set foot in it.