Sparrow considered his words. “Xavier, that sounds highly efficient.”
He blinked and stared at her. That was all she thought of his ability to pluck private information from her mind.
“Bishop will find me, or his AIs will. He’ll force me to go back. I need to disappear. If you can get me to Amphictyon, I’ll pay you.”
Xavier chuckled. “I have no need of your credits. Anyway, from whom do you plan to steal them?”
“I’ve been considering taking a credit from random chips with an odd number for a balance. All I need is a proper interface and a few moments to accomplish my objective.”
Xavier smiled down at her and took a handful of her hair to slide through his fingers. Sparrow’s hair reached her ankles. “I have all of the credits you will ever need, little bird. After I have arrested Bishop, you will have nothing else to fear. You will disappear with me to a beautiful planetary system far away where you will learn all about freedom. Would you like that?” Xavier comforted his little female through their bond, but left her to her own thoughts.
“You would stay with me?” Sparrow asked.
“For all of my days if you will have me,” he whispered.
“Can we hold hands?”
Xavier threaded their fingers together and brought his lips down to those of his mate. Sparrow jumped at the sensation of his soft lips to hers. Her stomach fluttered like charged particles in a missile casing. Her breathing quickened, and she looked up at him with wide eyes.
“I will destroy your enemies. Those who would use and control you will feel the extent of my wrath. I will hunt them down until none remain who would take you from me.”
Sparrow felt the truth of his promise coursing through her. “Why? Why would you do this for me?”
Xavier slid the fingers of his right hand from hers and pressed his fingertips to her sternum. “From the first moment when I looked into your eyes, my soul was drawn to yours. I feel your emotions and sense your thoughts. Our meeting was fate. It was destiny. How else could we have found each other in the universes during our fleeting, finite existences?” Again, Xavier tasted of her lips.
In a breathless and quivering voice, Sparrow asked, “Like an electric force?”
“Yes,” he said as he kissed her again. “In what time remains to each of us, let us burn bright and fade away together.”
Sparrow trembled before him. To have a new life all her own to share with the beautiful male who pressed his lips to hers and caressed her mind and soul with equal tenderness was something for which she had never imagined but had desperately yearned. “I’m afraid to hope.”
“I too have been hesitant to hope and thankful for what I have been given. I have learned to comfort myself with the constancy of rejection.”
Sparrow felt Xavier’s remembered pain and shared it. “Instead of comforting yourself with the expectation of pain, comfort yourself with the constancy you will find in me. To me, you are a new universe full of bright stars and colorful nebulas where before there was only a blackhole. Touching your hands is a mystery and braving a look into your eyes is the solution to it.” Sparrow took shuddering breaths as she looked up into his eyes. “There is so much within you, thoughts, feelings, memories, and a future. Before, there were only tasks and command codes.”
Xavier understood every thought in Sparrow’s mind. Also, he knew she had processed enough. Taking her hand, he led her to the storage unit and pulled out a shirt. “Put this on.”
She pulled the towel from around herself and handed it to him in exchange for his shirt. Her complete innocence of her nudity ignited a protectiveness within him stronger than anything he had ever felt. She lifted the shirt and pulled it over her head. The soft brown hair under her arms had been permitted to grow along with the hair on her legs. Sparrow pulled his shirt down, and it almost reached her knees. The short sleeves almost reached her elbows. Xavier helped her to pull her ankle-length hair from the shirt and left it to fall down her back. Then, he took her hand and led her to his berth. He pulled back the covers and straightened the extra blanket.
“In you go.”
Obediently, Sparrow got under the covers. Xavier removed his pants and shirt, all while Sparrow intently watched him. Then, he got into bed beside her. Curious, Sparrow sat up. “I’ve never seen a male without a shirt.”
Gently, she placed a hand against his chest but then quickly lifted it as though it had been burned and looked into his eyes. Xavier smiled and pressed her hand back to his chest, covering her fingers with his own. He smiled at her thoughts as she compared his anatomy to her own. Sparrow ran the fingertips of her other hand across his jaw and wrinkled her brow at the stubble there. Eventually, she settled down beside him. She wanted to hold his hand but was afraid to ask. Xavier pulled the covers up over both of them, turned to his side, put his left arm over her, and entwined their fingers.
Xavier was mystified that his female was so deeply moved by simply holding his hand. As she drifted off to sleep, Xavier strengthened the telepathic bond between them, but he didn’t bind her mind to his. He wouldn’t do so without her consent. His mental clarity and focus intensified with the stability she unwittingly provided him. He used his improved telepathic abilities to scan their surroundings for sentient beings. Finding none, he drew the scent of her hair into his lungs. While he relaxed with Sparrow’s soft form beside him, he strengthened their empathic bond. It was weak but calmed him nevertheless.
Sparrow was sensitive to the feelings of others to such an extent that she became overwhelmed, shut down, and withdrew to protect herself. Instinctively, she knew to trust him which had allowed her to look into his eyes without fear. Sparrow looked at him like no other woman before had ever looked at him, in wonder. For the first time in his life, he fell asleep with a woman in his arms who loved him, even though she didn’t yet realize it.
Hours later, Xavier awoke to the beeping of a proximity alarm. Without waking Sparrow, he got up, pulled on his pants, and strode to the small bridge. A vessel was tracking them. Xavier sensed no one onboard. That could only mean that the AIs Sparrow feared had found them. He couldn’t sense AIs, and they were physically powerful. However, they could be outmaneuvered and deconstructed. Also, their processors would contain all kinds of useful information.
Xavier increased his ship’s speed enough to leave their robotic pursuers at least three days behind them. Xavier planned to show his lady a good time on Amphictyon and then stash her someplace safe before they showed up.
Chapter Five
Xavier stayed awake and monitored until he had safely docked on Amphictyon. Then, he showered, shaved, and dressed before waking Sparrow with a kiss.
When her eyes opened and focused on him, she smiled and said, “You’re real.”
“I am. Did you think I was just a dream?”
“Yes, I was afraid to wake up. I wanted my dream of you to last forever.”
He caressed her cheek. “Well, it’s time for you to get up. You have decisions to make.”
“About what?” she asked.
“Very important matters.”
Thoughts of Bishop and his anger filled Sparrow’s mind. Xavier redirected her thoughts and banished her fears. “First, what do you want for breakfast?”
Sparrow looked at him in puzzlement. “I get to pick?”
Xavier nodded.
“I don’t know. I like juice.” Sparrow had been conditioned to eat what her personal AI provided. Then, she went to the lab and worked on whatever task Bishop ordered her to complete. Afterwards, she was allowed a walk during which time she had been making repairs to her escape pod.
“Sparrow, from now on, you will decide what you want to do and when you want to do it.” He sensed her anxiety and knew her heart pounded in her chest. Xavier took her hand to calm her. “What if I help?” he asked.
Sparrow nodded, distracted by the sensation of his touch. After a quick breakfast together, she dressed. “Thank you for cleaning my clothing.”
“You are welcome. I have learned from my observations of my clan sister that little females such as yourself enjoy getting new clothing. I’m curious to put this knowledge to the test and see if you take as much pleasure from it.” Questions filled her mind. Xavier laughed and took her hand. “Come with me.”
On the transport deck, Xavier fastened a holster and blaster around her waist. He liked touching her, even if it was just to secure a belt. “Do you know how to use one of these?”
Sparrow examined the weapon. “Sonic blast?”
“Yes.”
Sparrow raised an eyebrow at him. “What good will this do against one of Bishop’s soldiers?”
“You will not worry about them. I will. This is for your personal use in defending yourself against unwanted male attention.” Xavier looped her long hair up and secured it in a tie before fastening a helmet over her head. Then, he mounted his hover bike and said, “Up you go.”
Sparrow climbed up onto the hover bike and secured herself into the back seat. She looked through her face shield as he lowered the ramp. The land port bustled with activity. Even through the helmet, unfamiliar noises buffeted her ears. Workers used machines to make ship repairs, yelled back and forth to each other, and drove rollers in all different directions. Ships of every shape and description were docked in berths for as far as she could see. Teams of dock workers used huge tanks to refuel starships. Others worked to secure machinery into ships’ holds or load them with massive crates of goods. Countless conversations, some lighthearted and some heated, occurred between humanoids in pairings or large groups. Xavier took them from his ship and away from the activity of the land port.
The sky was a gloomy grey dotted with sporadic white clouds. It wasn’t too dissimilar to the monotonous landscape of the planetoid that she had always called home. However, rather than scraggly trees and rocky outcroppings, majestic metal buildings towered up into the sky, testaments to sentient ingenuity. Sparrow stared up in appreciation at the clean lines of the metal and plasti-glass used in the newer architectural masterpieces.
Xavier had worried that Sparrow, who had spent her life on a desolate planetoid confined to a laboratory, might be frightened by the sights and sounds of Amphictyon, but she was exhilarated. However, she had become chilled riding on the back of his hover bike. She had made her escape with very little. Through her eyes, he observed her interests as he slowly drove along streets in sections of the city that Teagan had found promising. His little weapons expert was not impressed with frilly dresses.
However, the stores featuring the sleek multipurpose garments worn by men and women alike caught her eye. Having had time to memorize Amphictyon’s streets during his last mission to the planet, he drove Sparrow to the most upscale shop carrying the fashions that had grabbed her attention.
“My Lady Sparrow, we have arrived.” Swinging his leg over the bike, he removed his helmet and helped her dismount. Then, unable to resist, he kissed her.
Sparrow smiled up at him and ignited protective feelings within him unlike anything he had ever personally felt. He had sensed such feelings from full-blooded Enyos, such as Yukihyo, but he had never before felt them for himself.
“Your eye is changing. It has gold and pink rippling lines in it,” she said as she observed his Enyo heritage.
“You do that to me. Come on. Show me what you like.” He took her hand in his and walked with her inside.
The boutique chimed at them in welcome when they entered. Beneath their feet, the plasti flooring glowed and provided ambient lighting in blues and green. Like many stores of its nature on the planet, the soft music playing within to enhance customer enjoyment sped up a fraction whenever they approached a rack of clothing. It was a subtle manipulation that wasn’t lost on him. The brushed chrome walls reflected back to them their own blurry images and the muted colors of the lighted floor.
Soon, Xavier learned that Sparrow liked pockets. While she examined the store’s offerings, he chuckled to himself. The more pockets a garment had, the more she liked it. When she stepped from a fitting room wearing a pair of black pants with grey pockets and a long-sleeved grey shirt to match, Xavier’s groin tightened painfully. Through their bond, he sensed Sparrow’s uncertainty at his reaction.
“Is this okay?” she asked. Sparrow had never before selected her own attire and wanted to be certain that it was both functional and appropriate.
“Yes, very,” he assured her.
Xavier’s little bird preferred exercise shoes. Then, she found a satchel to be intriguing. Xavier quickly discovered his female’s sizes and made a pile on the counter of everything she had liked. Sparrow thought the pile was excessive.
“Compress this,” Xavier ordered.
The shopkeeper placed the items which he had purchased for Sparrow into a bag and then removed the air from it, making the previously large pile into something that would easily fit into a compartment of his hover bike. The shopkeeper scanned his chip while Sparrow observed the exchange. Xavier knew it was her first time to make a purchase in a store. Carrying the package underneath his arm, he escorted her from the shop and out to where he had parked his bike. She stood on the sidewalk and waited as he stowed her purchases. Xavier kissed Sparrow again before helping her onto the back. Seeing her little ass in the pants she had worn from the store was making his own pants increasingly uncomfortable.
Instead of thinking about his discomfort, he attuned his mind to her observations. Sparrow noticed the other females who flitted from store to store. What drew her attention was their hair. She was jealous. With a smile on his lips that was hidden by his helmet, he drove to the most expensive salon on Amphictyon. He parked his bike and dismounted. Then, he helped Sparrow off of the back, secured their helmets, and escorted her inside. Soothing music and water sculptures created an entirely different mood from the previous shop. Xavier hired a stylist and moved aside.
When Sparrow realized that she could make her hair look however she wanted, she was ecstatic. However, it took her two hours to decide what she wanted. Then, it took another hour for the stylist to do her hair. It was all worth it. Once her hair was done, Sparrow laughed and smiled. It had been a new experience for her. Her fingers kept returning to touch it.
“It is so light. I can move my head so easily. It’s like I’m floating. Thank you, Xavier. This must be what freedom feels like.”
Her smile had Xavier soaring. Sparrow’s ankle-length hair was gone. When the stylist had begun cutting, she had discovered a head of naturally curly hair and had enhanced those curls. The soft riot of brown curls stopped just below Sparrow’s chin and gave him a glimpse of the spunky, vivacious little female inside. Looking at her made him throb within the confines of his pants. He paid the stylist double.
Gruffly, Xavier said, “Let’s get some lunch.”
“Do you like it?” Sparrow asked with uncertainty.
Xavier ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her with all of the passion he felt. When his tongue touched hers, an aching need traveled from him down to her core. She trembled beneath his hands with the unfamiliar aching passion.
“I think you are beautiful. All I want to do is look at you and touch you.”
Xavier smiled at her while she processed his admission. Then, he drove her to a restaurant where they ate large servings of spaghetti. Xavier wiped a line of red sauce from her chin that a stray noodle had left behind. Everything she did filled him with satisfaction. He realized that this was the first date on which either of them had ever been.
When they left the restaurant, they roamed the streets on his bike. The tech stores continued to disappoint her, so he ventured off from the safer streets and into a seedier section of the port city. Her interest grew as the streets transitioned into those less frequented by Enforcers. It wasn’t until they passed by a shop with legally questionable tech that Sparrow became excited. He turned the bike around and parked in front of it.
“We get to go inside?” Sparrow as
ked. She reminded him of Thunderdrop, Teagan’s bonded Arachnean silk spider, at a toy store.
“My lady may have whatever she wishes.”
When the men in the store caught sight of Xavier, their distrust thickened the air. The shopkeeper had two bodyguards who had no qualms about making unwanted attention disappear. The store had things to hide. Completely unconcerned, Sparrow began rummaging. She took one of the store’s available shopping bags and began filling it. Small tools, soldering devices, and miscellaneous items went inside of it. She approached the shopkeeper.
“Do you have any hollow nanites?” she asked. He looked at her with distrust, but she either didn’t pick up on it or didn’t care. “Do you, or don’t you?”
“I might.” He was middle-aged, pudgy, and had a greasy quality to him. His slowness annoyed Sparrow which she considered to be not only a waste of her time but also to be unprofessional.
“Let me see them,” she said.
“If I’ve got any, they’re in the back.”
“Well, hurry up,” she said impatiently.
“He’ll have to stay up front,” the shopkeeper said of Xavier.
“So?” Sparrow was annoyed. She was accustomed to having every tool and piece of tech she required provided for her immediately.
“This way,” he said.
Xavier adopted a patient stance with his hands resting near his weapons. Sparrow followed the man into the back where he showed her some nanites.
Disgusted and frustrated with the selection, she said, “No, I want programmable nanites with a hollow cavity that I can fill with a plasti dissolving enzyme, weapons grade. You’re wasting my time.”
“How do I know you ain’t an Enforcer’s snitch?”
“I don’t care what you do or don’t know. I know what I want. You have it, or you don’t,” she said. He gave her a wary look and then pressed a hidden button on the wall revealing a space that had been filled with sealed, sterile tech. “This is more like it.” Sparrow shoved the bag she had partially filled into his hands and began filling her new satchel with the supplies she wanted.
Xavier: An Omnes Videntes Novel Page 3