Looking down, she saw a white tray with a translucent, dome-like lid. She could see something yellow with red and blue speckles through the dome that she couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, though, it was definitely the source of the heavenly smell.
Taking a risk, she picked up the tray and took it quickly back inside the room. Shutting the door as quietly as she’d opened it, she took the tray around to the far side of the vast bed and sat on the floor so that the side of the massive piece of furniture hid her from view.
There, in the small space between the bed and the wall, she pressed a blue button on the tray which made the transparent dome shimmer briefly and disappear.
A plate of food was revealed—none of it was really recognizable to Anna, but all of it smelled delicious. There was a glass of bluish-purple juice and a note as well which simply read, Enjoy, in a strong, masculine script.
Anna looked at it, half delighted and half dumbfounded. It must come from Dark—did he really want to feed her so much that he would risk leaving non-Trollox food out where Gorn might find it? She had to warn him not to do that again—the risk was too great. Still, she was more grateful than she could say. It had been hours since she’d eaten the slices of purple bread and her stomach was growling.
Eagerly, she dug in.
The yellow thing with red and blue specks turned out to be a kind of turnover crossed with an omelet. It had a crispy crust on the outside and a tender, fluffy center that oozed with some kind of melted cheese. The cheese was pink but Anna didn’t care—it tasted wonderful. There was also a small bowl of juicy fruit chunks beside the glass of bluish-purple juice, which tasted like a cross between grapefruit, strawberry, and melon.
It was the best food she’d eaten in months, ever since Gorn had bought her and brought her to his house and Anna finished it down to the last crumb. She was tempted to lick the plate as well but restrained herself. Instead, she wondered how she could get the tray back to the kitchen without being seen. Of course, it wasn’t absolutely necessary that she do it now but, well, she wanted to.
Don’t you mean you want to see Dark again? whispered a little voice in her head.
Anna swatted it away like an annoying fly. Of course she wanted to see him again—she wanted to thank him for the delicious meal and warn him not to leave food out for her any more—it really wasn’t safe now that Gorn had declared that she could only have Trollox food.
But he’s a robot—a Replicant. Isn’t it silly to want to thank him or warn him when he isn’t even real? the annoying little voice asked.
Anna pushed it away again. Never mind her reasons, the point was, she wanted to get to the kitchen but she didn’t dare leave the safety of the bedroom and remind her captor of her presence. She wished fiercely that Gorn would leave for a while so she could accomplish her covert mission.
Just then, as though some kind deity had heard her and granted her wish, she heard Gorn’s heavy tread and the sound of the front door slamming.
Perfect!
Anna picked up the tray and whisked it down the hallway, moving as lightly as she could in her bare feet. Before she knew it, she was easing through the swinging metal door and into Dark’s domain.
At first the big Replicant didn’t seem to hear her. He had his back turned to her and he was chopping something with a huge cleaver—some piece of gristly green meat which would no doubt be served for supper—she thought with a shudder.
At least it didn’t smell too bad though—some of the meat Gorn ate smelled like road-kill after it had been sitting out in the hot sun for a week. This stuff just smelled slightly gamey and Dark had the window open, which let in the artificial breeze that circulated through the garden It mitigated the odor. The warm scent of growing things and soil was almost stronger than the smell of the meat and it felt good on her face when the breeze caressed her.
Now that she was here, Anna suddenly didn’t know what to do or say. Should she apologize for running out on him so abruptly the night before? Or just thank him briefly for breakfast and warn him not to leave food for her again?
Uncertain what to do, she cleared her throat.
At once, Dark turned to face her. He was stripped to the waist, wearing only a long white apron that covered his chest and left his broad shoulders bare. The apron had green streaks on the front of it from the meat he was chopping.
“Oh—Anna.” His face broke into a smile and he put down the cleaver and went to wash his hands at the decontamination sink. “Come in,” he said, motioning to her when she still hesitated. “Did you enjoy your First Meal?”
“I did—it was amazing,” Anna said quickly. “But you can’t do it anymore—can’t leave food out for me, I mean,” she explained. “Because if Gorn finds out, he’ll tear you limb from limb—literally. I appreciate the gesture more than I can say and the food was amazing but I don’t want…don’t want to see you get hurt,” she finished, feeling foolish.
“Let me worry about my limbs, all right?” He dried his hands and walked over to her. “Did you come for that walk in the garden we talked about last night?”
“Oh, uh…” Anna wasn’t sure what to say about that. “No, I just came to bring the tray and dishes back—why would you think I wanted to walk in the garden?”
“Because you said we could only go when Gorn was out—and he is. He won’t be back until Last Meal tonight—he told me not to bother fixing Mid Meal. So we have some time to explore a little outside if you want.”
Looking up into his dark bronze eyes, Anna found herself tongue-tied. He was so handsome with his sharp, hawk-like features and those amazing metallic eyes. Not to mention the fact that he was so muscular and tall enough to make her feel small, which was almost impossible since she was six feet tall and plus-sized herself.
He looked like exactly the kind of guy she used to wish would notice her back when she was a teenager on Aka’ja mining station. And now he was asking to go on a walk with her.
A walk outside—alone with him, whispered a fearful voice in her head.
Anna pushed it aside—along with her feelings of awe for the big Replicant’s perfection.
He’s a robot, she reminded herself. He doesn’t have the equipment to hurt you and he’s not remotely interested in you. Not that it would do you any good if he was—you belong to Gorn, remember?
That was a sobering thought. She felt her pulse rate go down a little and she could take a deep breath again.
“All right,” she heard herself saying. “I’ll take a walk with you outside. As long as we don’t get too far from the house—in case Gorn comes back early.”
“That works for me.” He smiled easily. “Come on then, let’s go. Oh, but first…” He looked down at himself and grimaced. “Sorry—I’ve been butchering a dergrin heart this morning. It’s kind of messy work. Here.”
He pulled the green-stained white apron over his head and tossed it into a cleaning chute built into one of the side walls. This left him wearing nothing but a tight pair of black leather trousers and tall black boots.
Anna tried, but had a hard time not staring at his broad, bare chest. Whoever had made him had done an excellent job on this part, she decided. His muscles were heavy and well-formed without being over-pumped or veiny in that gross body-builder way. Also, he had a small patch of black hair between the copper disks of his nipples. She liked a man with a hairy chest as long as the hair was neatly groomed, as Dark’s was. It was sexy—very masculine, like the beard stubble on his strong jaw.
“Shall we go?” he asked and she realized she’d just been standing there, staring at him.
“Oh. Um, of course.” She nodded at the hallway that led to the kitchen. “I guess we could go out the service entrance.”
“After you.” He motioned courteously and Anna nodded and went down the hallway. She got to the service entrance and reached out a hand to open it…then hesitated, uncertain.
She couldn’t forget the last time she’d tried sneaking out here—how ang
ry Gorn had been and the harsh blow he’d dealt her with his ham-sized fist. He had knocked her to the ground, her head ringing like a bell and for a moment she’d been sure her cheekbone was broken.
“That’s just a love-tap, stupid girl,” the right head had hissed. “You’ll get that and more if I catch you out again.” The left head had simply snarled, baring its ugly yellow tusks and blackish-red gullet like a gateway to Hell.
“Anna?” The sound of her name made her realize she’d been standing there with one hand outstretched for almost a full minute.
“Oh…sorry.” She put down her hand, squeezing it into a fist at her side. “Look, Dark, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”
“Is there anyone who would tell on us?” he asked reasonably. “Are any of the other Replicants spies for Gorn?”
“I don’t think so,” Anna said. “Mostly he only buys them to clean up after him and, you know, service him.” She made a face. “I don’t think any of them are smart enough to be a spy.” She glanced up at Dark. “I mean, they’re not like you. No offense.”
“None taken.” He smiled at her easily but then his face went serious. “If you’re hesitating because you’re afraid, don’t be. Gorn is gone and even if he wasn’t, I won’t let him hurt you again.”
Anna wanted to say she didn’t see how he could stop the huge Trollox from hurting her or doing anything else he wanted. Dark might be really big but Gorn topped him by over two feet and he weighed probably hundreds of pounds more that the dark haired Replicant.
And yet…there was something in Dark’s bronze eyes—a grim certainty—a quiet determination—that made her believe him somehow and she suddenly felt better.
“All right,” she said at last and reached for the door again.
This time she opened it and the two of them soon found themselves out in the fresh air of the atmosphere dome that shimmered overhead and contained Gorn’s entire private floating island.
Dark took a deep breath, expanding his broad chest, and looked around.
“It’s beautiful out here,” he murmured in that deep, quiet voice Anna was beginning to like so much. “I’m surprised a Trollox would have enough appreciation for beauty and creativity to design a place like this.”
“Oh, he didn’t,” Anna said as they strolled out onto the winding blue gravel path that led into the tropical wilderness behind the house. “He only had it landscaped like this to outdo one of his ‘drewgs’—I think that means friends or buddies in his language. Before that it was just this rocky wasteland with the house in the middle.”
“Ah.” Dark nodded. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Gorn doesn’t seem like the artistic type.”
“He’s not,” Anna said flatly. “Oh, look!” She pointed to a plant right off the path that had broad green leaves streaked with crimson and yellow. “That looks like something you might see on my home world—on Earth.”
She was reaching out to touch one of the large, waxy-looking leaves when Dark caught her wrist in one big hand.
“Hey!” Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she pulled away from him in a panic. He’s going to hurt me now—I knew it! shouted a little voice in her head. Never should have trusted him! Never should have let myself be alone with him! Never!
“Sorry—I’m sorry.” He held up his hands as though to prove he meant her no harm. “It’s just—that’s poison viklak. It causes instant chemical burns when you touch its leaves.”
“It is? It does? How do you know?” Anna was still breathing hard and looking at him mistrustfully.
“Because its roots can be made into all kinds of tasty dishes,” Dark explained. “They’re perfectly safe to eat—all the poison is in the leaves. But you have to wear gloves while you’re harvesting viklak or you’ll be sorry.” He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry if I scared you—I just didn’t want you to get burned.”
“Oh…all right.” Anna wrapped her arms around herself protectively as they continued to stroll. “I just thought…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“You thought I was going to hurt you—attack you,” Dark said in a low voice. “I’m so sorry I made you think that, Anna. I would never hurt you.”
“I guess I know that—you’re programmed to serve and protect, right?” She glanced up at him and he nodded gravely. “I just…” She cleared her throat. “Just had some bad experiences in the past that make me kind of…jumpy around men. Or people who look like men, in your case.” She tried to laugh but it came out sounding kind of high and squeaky and she realized her heart was still pounding.
“I’m truly sorry if I frightened you,” he said. “I won’t touch you again without your permission. I know it is…difficult to be touched against your will.”
“You do?” She looked up at him and saw the serious look on his sharp features. “I guess you do. People must think they can do anything they want to you because you’re a Replicant and they own you.”
“Exactly.” He nodded again. “It is…not pleasant.”
“No, it isn’t,” Anna agreed with feeling.
They had reached a small stone bench right beside the winding stream that ran through the little wilderness. This was as far as Anna had gotten before when Gorn had noticed she was missing from the house and came out to look for her.
“Would you like to sit?” Dark asked. “We can enjoy the breeze.”
“And not worry about me grabbing for any more poisonous plants?” she asked dryly.
One corner of his lush mouth quirked up.
“Well…yes.”
Anna found herself smiling back. “Okay, sure—why not? We’re close enough to the house to see if Gorn comes back early so this is a good spot.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” Dark said, settling himself on the bench and patting the seat beside him. “Come on—have a seat.”
Anna wished she could just plop down but the hard, thick spreader inside her meant that she had to settle herself slowly and carefully onto the stone bench.
“Are you all right?” Dark asked, eyeing her as she got seated. “Do you have back problems?”
“Um…” Anna bit her lip. Robot or not, she wasn’t about to tell him about the spreaders Gorn forced her to wear. “Yes,” she said evasively. “Something like that.”
“I’m sorry. If sitting is too difficult, we can stand,” Dark offered courteously.
“No, no,” Anna said quickly. “I’ll be fine once I get settled. Thanks.” She nodded at him and gave him a smile to let him know she was fine.
“So…you said your stepfather was a Beast Kindred?” Dark asked, changing the subject, for which she was grateful. “And your mother met him when he came to Earth?”
“Exactly.” Anna nodded. “It was kind of a second chance thing for both of them. My real dad died when I was only five and my mom always said she could never love anybody again after him. And Brex—my stepdad—lost his first wife in a shuttle crash and thought the same thing—that he could never love anybody else again. Both of them spent years single before they found each other.”
“Your stepfather must have been an exceptionally strong male to survive the death of his mate,” Dark remarked. “Most Kindred warriors die when they lose the other half of their soul.”
“Is that how they think about it?” Anna asked, interested. She supposed that Dark knew about these kinds of things since he was made to look like a Kindred.
He nodded. “When a Kindred mates with a female he loves, they form a soul bond which enables them to speak to each other telepathically and often to feel each other’s emotions. I am told it’s a beautiful thing, though I never expect to experience it myself.”
“Oh, I guess you can’t because you only look like a Kindred,” Anna said. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be. As you said, it’s the way I’m made. I’m just not meant for such a bond.”
“Can Replicants fall in love?” Anna asked and then wished immediatel
y that she could call the words back. He was sure to read into them and think she was asking if he could fall in love with her which was mortifying.
But Dark only looked thoughtful.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I can tell you that I have never been in love myself—nor do I expect to fall in love.” He looked at her. “What about you? Have you ever been in love?”
“Once I thought I was.” Anna couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. “That turned out to be a big mistake, though.”
“Oh? What happened?” Dark asked.
She shook her head. “Oh, you wouldn’t be interested in my ancient history.”
“Of course I would. I am…” He frowned, as though looking for the right word. “I am programmed to listen. Maybe I should say, programmed to enjoy listening. I’d love to hear what happened.”
Anna bit her lip. “It’s not…not something I’d normally tell a guy,” she confessed. “It’s…kind of awful and humiliating. But I guess…” She looked up at him speculatively. “I guess you’re not really a guy because you’re a Replicant. I shouldn’t say that though—I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“You won’t,” he said simply. “Tell me—what happened when you thought you were in love, Anna?”
“Well…” She hesitated again. God, should she really talk about this? Should she really dig up the past—the extremely painful past—and tell it to Dark? For so long she’d been telling herself to forget it, to put it out of her mind. But the crazy thing was, she kind of wanted to talk about it. Needed to get it off her chest.
She noticed that as she deliberated, Dark sat there quietly, just watching her. Maybe he really was programmed to listen to her. That would certainly be a nice change from most guys! Abruptly, she decided to tell him—but only in a limited way. Some things she would keep to herself.
I’ll keep it light, she promised herself. That way I won’t be tempted to get all emotional and weepy.
“I think I told you that my mom met my stepdad when I was only fifteen,” she began, looking down at the little stream where a variety of fancy, colorful fish-like creatures were swimming by. “After he and my mom got married—joined—we stayed at the Mother Ship for a little while and then moved to Aka’ja mining station.”
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