Changing Course

by Brey Willows

  “Thank you for bringing me in with you,” Jessa murmured as sleep claimed her. “Thank you for not leaving me alone.”

  Kylin’s response was just to pull her closer, and for tonight, that was enough.

  * * *

  Noise woke Jessa from a deep sleep, and she lay there listening to it, trying to make sense of it. Voices were raised in rhythmic timing, music played somewhere, and the chatter and clatter of people outside could be easily heard. She thought of the way the city was composed, and the noise made sense. There must be thousands upon thousands of people in this city. The thought made her uncomfortable. Surely it was claustrophobic, living among so many others? On board, she had her private quarters in her own part of the ship, and she could go for days alone in silence if she wanted to. She couldn’t imagine that being possible here.

  Kylin nibbled at her shoulder. “Want to tell me what you’re thinking?”

  She wriggled around so she could face her. “I’m processing what life here must be like. I’ve never heard so much communal sound.”

  Kylin looked at the ceiling, like she was listening. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. Definitely louder than on Volare, right?” She smiled gently and tucked Jessa’s hair behind her ear. “Maybe I can show you around later. If you want.”

  Jessa was torn. She wanted to see it, but she didn’t want to look like a voyeur, an outsider looking at exotic animals. But Kylin had offered, which meant it was okay. “I’d like that.”

  “What else would you like?” Kylin asked, and her hand slid between Jessa’s legs. “Would you like to see how much I want you?”

  Jessa moaned and opened her legs wider to let Kylin in. With only a few strokes, she was wet and ready, and Kylin pushed into her, making her arch and gasp. Sex with her wasn’t just physical. It was about the intensity in her eyes, the way being filled by her made Jessa want to weep with the beauty and rightness of it. And as Kylin took her slow and deep, she pressed into each thrust, wishing they could stay right there, entwined that way, forever. She came hard, and Kylin moaned with her, her eyes closed and her hips pressed hard to Jessa’s thigh. They’d come together, a first for Jessa and something else that felt deeply special.

  When they’d caught their breath again, Kylin kissed the top of Jessa’s head. “We should probably get cleaned up and go downstairs. Blue will have told my dad we’re back.”

  Jessa pushed away the flash of resentment. Not at Kylin’s dad, but at the life wanting them back, when all she wanted to do was stay right there in Kylin’s arms. She got up, and they had a quick and sexy shower together before they went downstairs, hand in hand.

  When they entered the dining room, there were exclamations and hugs all around from Jessa’s crew. Asol had already gone out exploring. Over breakfast, Jessa told them about the trip with Kylin, and about the things she’d seen. When she described the Volare, even Auntie Blue looked stunned.

  “But why didn’t you tell us you were staying behind?” Asanka asked.

  Jessa allowed the twinge of guilt. “I didn’t know myself until the last second.” She took Benika’s hand. “I’m so sorry. But if there was a chance other escape pods came down, I needed to see for myself if there were survivors.”

  “And were there?” Peshta leaned forward.

  Jessa thought of the damaged pod and the grim carnage inside. “One pod. No survivors.”

  Peshta nodded and seemed to sense what Jessa wasn’t saying. The room was silent for a moment before Auntie Blue clapped her hands and stood.

  “Now that you’re all together you can decide what the next step is.” She turned to Kylin. “And I believe you have several people to see.”

  Kylin rolled her eyes and stretched. “Yeah.” She turned to Jessa and touched her cheek. “I have to go, but I’ll come back and show you around later, okay?”

  Jessa sighed with pleasure at the light caress. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Kylin grinned and left the room, and Jessa felt her absence. But she pushed it aside and focused on her crew, whom she hadn’t realized she’d missed quite so much. “Tell me, what have you been doing here in Quasi?”

  She listened, but in the back of her mind she wondered if Kylin was safe, if she would be okay given the nature of the people she had to go deal with. She still didn’t fully understand the nature of what was going on, but maybe in time Kylin would trust her with that information.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kylin held the door handle but couldn’t bring herself to turn it. Auntie Blue’s suggestion that he didn’t have much time left made her tremble inside. When he was gone she’d truly be alone. Although he’d fallen apart after her mother died, he’d done his best to train her and help her through the tough times, but neither of them had ever really recovered from her loss.

  Steeling herself, she pushed open the door, but when she saw him lying in the bed her knees went weak. She didn’t recognize the frail, yellowed man propped up by pillows, his breathing shallow and whistling. She choked back the emotion and went to his side.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  His eyes slowly fluttered open and he held out his hand to take hers. “Hey, kid. Good scrounge?”

  She swallowed the pain and attempted a smile. “You wouldn’t believe the insanity of this trip. I got to stay with the Volare again, though.”

  He started to speak but was quickly overcome by a coughing fit that left him wheezing, his eyes watering. She poured some flagweed and held it to his lips so he could drink. When he motioned for her to take it away she set it down, but some spilled because of her shaking hands.

  “Blue didn’t want me to know, but I could hear it when people were passing the window. You’re in trouble with Orlin?” His voice was hoarse and soft.

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  He shook his head. “Not good, kid.”

  Hopefully, he didn’t know just how bad it really was. He didn’t need that kind of worry. “I’m going to head into the Stables today to talk to him. I’ll set it straight.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Listen to me.”

  She moved closer and let the tears fall. The finality of the moment ran through her like a setting moon in winter.

  “You were meant for more, and if your mom had lived, you would have been more. I did my best, but it wasn’t nearly what you needed.” He stopped to breathe slowly and take a sip of flagweed. “You fix things with Orlin. And then you do whatever you have to in order to get off Indemnion. Fly. See the universe.” He started coughing again, and she wiped the water from his eyes. “Promise me.”

  “Dad—”

  “Promise.” He squeezed her hand hard. “No matter how long it takes.”

  He wasn’t asking her to do it tomorrow. Just to make sure she tried to make it happen. It was a loophole, but it meant she could promise without breaking it. “Okay, Dad. I will.”

  He nodded and his head lolled on the pillows. “Sleep now.”

  She stayed with him until his breathing had slowed and he was asleep. The tears slid down her cheeks unchecked, making little dark spots on the white sheets. She couldn’t bear to leave him, but the sooner she dealt with Orlin, the better.

  She slipped from the room, giving her dad one last look, and then headed into the alley behind the stack. She made her way quickly through the maze and into the Stables, always making sure to stay in the shadows and avoid groups of people. She wasn’t about to get taken to Orlin and have the bounty added to her debt. A fresh rope of bread was steaming on the baker’s lintel, and she couldn’t resist picking it up. He poked his head out and looked at her in surprise before glancing around.

  “Better get into the shadows, K. And you’re going to need more than bread to keep you going.” He tossed her a package. “Eat before you get there.”

  She blew him a kiss and tore into the cheese and meat as she walked, dodging and weaving to keep from being seen. She finally made it to Orlin’s section of the Stables. She finished her impromptu meal and made a me
ntal promise to do something nice for the baker. Straightening her shoulders, she sauntered into the market stall and whistled.

  Orlin turned around, and she could see his sharp teeth and yellow eyes in the darkness.

  “Well. Kylin Enderson. I thought you’d found some little hole to crawl into. I’m glad to see you came to your senses and returned.” His long, bony hand shot out and grabbed her arm. “Did you think you could run from what you owe me?”

  She didn’t try to pull away, instead affecting a bored look that she hoped would put him off. “If you had to pay that bounty, it would have been your own fault. You told me to be back by this time, and look, here I am, just like I said I’d be. You got overexcited, water spider. I just went scrounging. Nothing more.”

  His oval eyes narrowed and he hissed. “You disrespect me after running?”

  Okay, name calling might have been a bad move. “You put a bounty on my head. I would have been here sooner if I wasn’t dodging most of the planet. I think we’re even. And I didn’t run.”

  He stared at her for a long moment before letting go of her arm and laughing. “You’re right. I overreacted. What you do on your own time isn’t any of my business.”

  She frowned. Could it be that easy? Would he back down like that?

  “Of course, there’s still the matter of your debt.” He folded into his chair, his long, spider-like legs cracking as they bent. “And you’ll begin paying it off tomorrow.”

  She’d figured as much, though she’d hoped to have time to show Jessa around before she got into the ring. “Yeah, whatever. Who am I fighting?”

  His smile was menacing and sent shivers down her spine, though she made sure not to react.

  “You’ll see when you get here. Be here at second moon rise.”

  She waved and gave a mock bow. “You like your drama, don’t you?” She looked at the guards arrayed around the room. “Speaking of which, mind sending out the word the bounty is canceled? No point in you paying something you don’t have to, right?”

  He motioned at two of the nearest guards. “Get the word out that the bounty is null, and that there will be a magical event tomorrow night. No holds linari wagers in effect.”

  Her heart sped up. “No holds? Isn’t that a little risky? I’m good, but that doesn’t mean I’m a definite.”

  He blew a yellow smoke ring at her. “Who says I’m betting on you?”

  His laughter followed her out of the market stall and into the Stables. Her pulse pounded in her throat, and she couldn’t breathe. No holds betting meant he didn’t have any doubt at all that she was going to lose. And that was very, very bad for her.

  A tall, beautiful woman stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Maana would like to have you over for a drink.”

  Kylin only just managed to keep from groaning out loud. That meeting she’d hoped to put off for a little while. She plastered on a smile, hoping she’d get something to drink, rather than be the thing being consumed. “Lead the way, hot stuff.”

  The woman smiled, and her small, pointed teeth made Kylin wince. She followed her through the Stables to the outer stacks, where many people ran small businesses. They got in the lift and rode it to the top of a stack, where the white house with black trim stood out like a beacon against the dark. If, that is, you didn’t know what went on there.

  They entered, and it was bitterly cold inside. Maana’s kind lived on a snowy planet, but there wasn’t any snow in Quasi. If there had been a city she could feed on near the cryo volcano, Kylin figured that’s where Maana would have positioned herself.

  Maana came out of the back room, wiping blood on a white towel. “Kylin.”

  The bloody towel brought back memories she’d rather forget. “Always nice to see you. Thanks for the deal to bring the crew back.”

  Maana took a drink from the woman who had led Kylin there and motioned for Kylin to sit. “I could have made a lot of money if I’d let the slavers have them. But a deal with you is precious, and I’m interested in what you have to offer.”

  What Kylin had to offer last time was herself, and Maana had enjoyed toying with her like a prowler playing with its prey before a kill. The sex had been rough and violent, and Maana had enjoyed Kylin giving as good as she got. But after Jessa, that offer didn’t feel right, even if she’d been interested in a replay, which she wasn’t. And she had a feeling Maana wanted something else, anyway.

  “What do you have in mind?” Kylin accepted the drink from Maana’s house toy.

  Maana leaned forward, her moonless eyes glinting. “You’re fighting tomorrow.”

  She nodded and shrugged. “Nothing new there.”

  Maana’s laugh hissed through the room. “But who you’re fighting…and a no holds night. That’s new.”

  Once again, the feeling of something out of control about to happen made her breathing twitch. “You know who I’m fighting?” she asked casually.

  She waved her finger back and forth. “Now, now. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.” She leaned forward and traced a sharp claw down Kylin’s leg. “Everyone will be betting against you tomorrow. But not me. I think you’ll take them. I know how…” her claw pressed deeper into Kylin’s leg, “resilient you can be.”

  That meant there was a chance she could beat whoever it was tomorrow, and that was something. But what did she mean by “them”?

  “But, just in case.” She waved her servant over. “I want you to take this. If it looks like you’re going to lose, push it into the other fighter. It will give you the edge you need to take them down.”

  The blue vial was smaller than her pinky nail, and when Maana pressed a tiny button on the side, a needle slid out of it.

  “You want me to cheat? If Orlin caught me, I’d be prowler food. That’s crazy.”

  Maana left it on the table between them. “You owe me, and this is what I want. And think. If you win tomorrow, on a no holds night, you could pay off your debt to Orlin once and for all. You wouldn’t owe him, and you wouldn’t owe me.” She sipped her drink. “How long has it been since you’ve been free?”

  Glinting blue temptation winked at her on the table. Her father’s demand echoed in her ears. Fix things with Orlin. Leave the planet. But was it worth her life? Because if she got found out, there was no question what would happen.

  “I’ll have to think about it.”

  Maana pushed the blue vial toward her. “See that you think the right things.”

  Kylin pocketed the vial and stood to leave. “And if I don’t use it? If I lose?”

  Maana licked her lips, her forked tongue flicking over her teeth. “Then you’ll pay another way, but you won’t like it as much as you did last time, I promise.” She tilted her head. “And maybe we’ll bring in your cute little woman, the one you asked this favor for in the first place. I’m sure she’d be interested in seeing how we play.”

  The thought of Jessa anywhere near Maana made the bile rise in her throat. “She stays out of this. Come after her, and you’ll see I’m not a plaything.”

  “Ooh, our little fighter has teeth.” Maana laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Kylin left, ignoring the lift and taking out her frustration on the long staircase to the ground instead. This was bad. Really bad. If she won, Orlin would go crazy with the money he would lose, and he’d probably try to take it out on her. But then, if he wanted to keep his reputation, if he wanted to keep fighters in the ring, he’d have to wipe her debt clean without retribution. But if he found out she’d cheated, then her life was as good as over. And if she lost and lived through it, Maana would come after her, and maybe Jessa. She couldn’t let that happen, either.

  She wandered through the stables, glad she didn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore, but barely registering the people around her anyway. If it weren’t for her dad, they could run. Go back to Volare, where they wouldn’t be found. Live in idyllic seclusion.

  But her dad was still battling for every moment, and she wo
uldn’t abandon him. She’d stay beside him to the end. And Jessa wasn’t about to live out her time on Indemnion. When Kylin made it back to Auntie Blue’s she was no closer to a solution, and all she could come up with was that she’d have to play it by whichever way the wind blew. She opened the door and found Jessa and Auntie Blue in deep conversation. Asol leaned against the counter, a mug of something steaming in her hand. She gave Kylin a sympathetic look.

  “Am I interrupting?”

  Jessa smiled, but she saw Auntie Blue’s look of concern.

  “We’ve been thinking, and we want to pass something by you.”

  Kylin sat at the table with them, wondering what else was about to fall on her plate.

  “You’ve got a government official here. Someone who knows the ins and outs of this world, someone who sends reports to the Intergalactic Alliance.”

  Kylin nodded. “He lives in the Heathers. I don’t think he’s ever set foot in Quasi.”

  Jessa pulled over a sheet of paper with lists on it. “But it says here that he does business in the Fesi District, that he has a second house there. Isn’t that nearby?”

  Confused, Kylin nodded. “Only about two hours. We can walk along the wall that connects Quasi to Fesi, so it’s safe, too. What are you thinking?”

  Auntie Blue stood. “I’m going to check on your father.” She squeezed Kylin’s shoulder as she walked past, and it felt laden with meaning.

  “We could go talk to him. Tell him about us, and maybe once he gets back to the Heathers he can get a message out. But more than that,” she tapped on the schedule, “we can talk to him about making changes. About his being an ambassador who calls for help with the slavers.”

  Kylin couldn’t help it. She laughed and shook her head. “Jessa, where do you think the majority of the slaves go? The Heathers. You think he wants to clean his own house? And if he wanted to help change things, don’t you think he would have done it by now?”