Chapter 86: Sarkadia

Hallie was glad first class passengers were spoiled. The flight attendant came around and asked if she wanted anything to drink, and she ordered a gin and tonic to help calm her nerves.

"I'll have the same, please," Luke said.

The plane had not taken off yet, but Hallie felt a gaping emptiness in her stomach as she realized she was about to travel hundreds of miles to another continent.

Luke may have sensed that she was uncomfortable because she was sitting so still and not even looking out the window. Passengers were boarding in the economy section behind the curtain, so there was really nothing to see anyway but the flat space of the fields and runways.

“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Luke asked.

“No,” she said, “just nervous about going to Sarkadia. I’ve been learning a bit about the language and the culture, but it’s not the same as being there.”

“Oh yeah?” Luke sat up, facing towards her, keen interest sparking in his eyes. “What did you learn?”