by Autumn Dawn
She grinned at him and licked her fingers—a compliment in the Scorpio culinary world. “I can’t wait to tell my family about this place! Your chef is a magician.”
He bowed slightly. “You honor our humble establishment, dear lady.” There was a twinkle in his eye. She wondered how often newsworthy guests came in and whether she’d start a trend.
Afterward she went shopping—Ryven had set her up an impressively stocked bank account, though she was shy about spending anything. She didn’t make a purchase from the hopeful vendors. Children were not given gifts on their birthdays here. Instead, a child was expected to give his mother a flower and to prepare a special tea or drink for their father. If their parents were deceased, that honor was transferred to another near relative, such as an aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather. Adult children might prepare a special meal. Spouses and friends did not give each other gifts to mark the day. It was a rather nice custom, but she still planned to celebrate Ryven’s birthday in her own way, with a gift—whenever it was. She’d have to find out the date. He could adapt to her customs, too.
She wasn’t sure what he would like: a hazard of knowing him for such a short time. She had seen his collection of weapons—of course he had one—but she didn’t know much about Scorpio blades or the like. Toosun might be helpful there, might have further suggestions. She wasn’t opposed to going with a simple gift, either. There might be a favorite dish she could learn to prepare, or she could give him a massage. She smiled, considering what fun that might be. If only he would return!
She’d been thinking and walking, and her feet had taken her to the front of an elaborate building made of polished black tiles. Silver-tiled steps led up to an impressively carved crystal door. “What is this?” she asked her escort.
“An art museum. Some of the Lady Tessla’s paintings are displayed here.”
“Really?” she asked with interest. Of course she had to check it out. There was nothing like being related to a famous artist, after all.
She paid the admission for herself and her escort, and entered the museum. The place was huge, and set up as a box within a box, so there was plenty to see. She’d gotten about a third of the way through and was admiring a sculpture of a creature so alien, she wasn’t sure if it was real or a fantasy of the artist’s mind, when a harsh laugh caught her attention.
Her bodyguards closed rank before she could even identify the origin of the mockery. “Leave and you will not be hurt,” said Xtal, her chief of security.
“This is a public place,” a broken, harsh voice insisted. “And I have something to say to the woman.”
Curious, Xera tried to see around her bodyguards, but was stymied by their tall frames. Where did Ryven find these guys? She’d swear half of them were a hand over six feet—at least. Sighing, she gently touched the biceps of the two in front and pushed slightly. “Two inches, please, guys.”
She was reluctantly accorded six. Xtal explained tersely, “This is Lady Namae’s ex-husband, my lady. Your husband would not approve of your speaking to him.”
And no wonder. The man before her was a wreck. His face appeared battered, one cheekbone sunken deeper than the other. His nose had been badly broken and healed with a twist that suggested sinus problems. It had been slit between the nostrils, too, and the upper lip bore a wide scar in the middle. He had a collarlike device on his neck that allowed him to speak and breathe, judging from the grill in front. When he spoke, his lips didn’t move. He opened his mouth and showed her his forked tongue. “Your husband’s brand of justice, lady.”
She blinked. Ryven had done this? When he’d spoken of breaking Tovark, it had sounded political. Now she saw it had been physical, too. She wondered if he’d been trying to spare her the gruesome details. She knew he wasn’t a man to boast about things like this. She also knew he was ruthless enough to exact this kind of revenge, but she couldn’t imagine the kind of beating it would have taken to cause such lasting damage.
Her stomach clenched as she tried, and failed, to visualize herself delivering such punishment. The knife work alone—she suppressed a shiver What Tovark had done was bad, but did he deserve this kind of punishment? She had no good answer.
She spoke coolly to Tovark, knowing this was no time for pity. “Then you are unwise to speak to me. He may wish to finish the job.”
The man blinked. Perhaps he hadn’t expected such a reply. “I wish to speak to you alone,” he suggested.
“Absolutely not,” she said without hesitation. Even if she’d been inclined—and she was decidedly not—her bodyguards would never permit such foolishness. They weren’t the kind of pansies to be talked into whims that compromised security. One look at Tovark would remind them of the follies of displeasing their lord. Not that Ryven would do such a thing to his own men, she thought.
“A pity,” Tovark said. “I had heard you were forced to become his bride. That cannot sit well with you.”
She raised her brows at his strategy. He really thought he could create fellow feeling in her? “You believed I would become your ally?” She shook her head at his folly. “You overreach yourself. I don’t approve of what happened to Namae, either.”
His face twisted. “She was a whoring little—” His speech was ended abruptly; Xtal had stepped forward and flattened him with one strike.
The security man now stared down at his unconscious victim and grunted in disgust. “Come, lady. Doubtless you wish to retire now.” It was an accurate statement, and something of a command.
Blinking at the speed with which he’d defended Namae, and with which he would have defended her as well, Xera let him escort her away. Scorpio bodyguards didn’t put up with much, apparently.
She asked him about it.
Xtal glanced briefly at her. “I’m charged with defending all that my lord holds dear. That includes you and his family. This is what he would have done if anyone spoke in such a manner in his presence.”
She thought about that and decided she liked the sentiment, even if it had been a bit rough and ready. “That’s heartwarming, Xtal. Thank you.” She thought he colored a little, though he stoically avoided her gaze. To tease him, she added, “I’ll have to tell your boss he chose well.” Now the man was definitely blushing.
She sobered, thinking of Ryven. He’d sent her nightly communiqués, and sometimes over the past few days he’d had the time to establish a real-time link and exchange a few words. The situation didn’t permit much more, but at least she knew he was thinking of her. She’d send him an electronic message, tell him about her day, commend Xtal and ask him about Tovark. He’d be bound to have something to say about all that. The odds were good he’d call in person.
Smiling, she started composing the message in her head.
Namae was horrified when she heard that Xera had eaten at a public place without her husband or family. Apparently it was considered extremely bold, though common women did it all the time.
“Why?” Xera asked mildly. “My family owned a tavern, remember? And several inns.”
Namae scowled. “You’re not on your world. People will think you’re too daring to be ladylike if you do that here.”
Xera shrugged. “Then I’ll have to be on my best behavior the rest of the time. Maybe they’ll come to think of me as merely eccentric. Alien, you know?”
Namae actually rolled her eyes heavenward and mouthed a prayer.
Xera smiled, picturing Ryven’s face when he saw this recording. She had been in the middle of her message when Namae entered, and had left the recorder going. Namae didn’t know. Though she was taking the girl’s words into consideration, she couldn’t help provoking her husband’s sister. “My bodyguards didn’t say anything.”
“Of course not! It’s not their place to correct their lady.”
“Hm. Well, no harm done. I’ll try to have you along in the future—if you have time to spare. Shiza seems determined to have you to himself.”
Namae blushed. “He asked my opini
on on choosing a gift for my brother, if you must know. Toosun’s first successful voyage as a commander of a starship must be celebrated. We are very proud of him.”
Xera smiled to herself. “So he took you and Lady Tessla shopping? How strange. Most men would rather cut off their right hand than subject themselves to that.”
Namae gave her a droll look that would have been out of character before last week. “Maybe his foster mother is pestering him to marry again. If he appears to be courting an eligible woman, she relents for a time.”
Xera clapped in delight. “You just called yourself an eligible woman! I’m impressed. My work here is done.”
Namae merely sniffed. “Since you’re settled, I have some things to do. Good evening to you.”
“And to you,” Xera called fondly at Namae’s retreating back. She let herself smile for a moment, and then returned to reporting on her day. Na-mae didn’t have to hear the serious parts.
Less than an hour later, Ryven called. He glowered at her. “You shouldn’t have spoken to him.”
Xera sighed. She’d been sampling a glass of excellent spirits and felt relaxed. “My love, have I told you how handsome you are?”
“I will not be distracted,” he said, though he visibly mellowed. “At least Xtal kept the interview short.”
“I’d hardly call it an interview. Heaven only knows what Namae saw in the man.” There was a short silence. “You certainly left your mark on him.”
Ryven studied her. “The slit nose and forked tongue is a mark of disgrace. The rest was retribution.”
“I see. I’ll have to avoid making you angry, then.”
His frown darkened. “You could do nothing—nothing—to earn that kind of punishment. Consider what the man did.”
She did, and sighed. Maybe there was more to the story she didn’t know. Asking Namae was out of the question, and she knew her husband didn’t have time for a long discussion. There were other people she could ask. For now, she said, “I understand. I suppose I’m more squeamish than you are.”
He relaxed a fraction. “You are a woman. That’s to be expected.”
She choked slightly. “Those are fighting words, buddy!”
That made him smirk. “Then I’m lucky you are squeamish, aren’t I?”
She opened her mouth, then shut it. Sometimes a hasty reply was the wrong approach. Instead she said mildly, “So, tell me about the Leo girl. Did she tell you anything today?”
Ryven looked frustrated. “She stares at us vacantly, as if she’s mind-damaged. If she is faking, it is an excellent ploy. I can’t stomach it for long.”
Xera looked at him sideways. “Is she pretty?”
His mouth dropped open a fraction. “Are you jealous at a time like this? She is pale and…limp. I could never desire such a—are you laughing?”
She smirked, amused and pleased that they’d developed such a comfortable rapport so easily. “Sorry. I’m just missing you. I’ll try to tease you about something else.”
“Please.” He paused and seemed to reorder his thoughts. “The repairs are going well. We should return in the next hand of days.”
She perked up. “Really? That’s great! I can’t wait to see you, and all joking aside, I’d really like to meet that alien girl.”
“We’ll see. I have to go. Keep yourself well. I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.” The heated look in his eyes told her how much. He closed the connection.
She blinked at his abruptness. Well, what had she expected? He wasn’t going to get sentimental over a communication line, as it were. She’d just have to coax his feelings out of him in person…though she did feel a dash impatient with him. Was it really so hard to tell a woman that he cared?
That night she had a nightmare about the Khun’tat. She woke in a sweat and couldn’t get back to sleep, so she settled for watching entertainment programs and thinking about the day. Knowing someone would be awake, she called her security team. After assuring them she was fine, just having bad dreams, she requested a report on Tovark, starting with the time just before his marriage dissolved. If they were surprised, the men showed no sign. They said it was possible and would look into it. She thanked them and went back to watching movies until she fell asleep on the couch.
She staggered blearily through dance class the next morning and spent some time in the flight simulators, grateful that Ryven had forwarded permission. She was making a tiny bit of progress on the navigation and weapons systems. Sometimes she wondered if engineers made ships systems complicated on purpose, but learning kept her busy. She was steadily making her way through the flight manuals.
She’d told Namae about her studies, but the young woman was uninterested. She’d taken one look at the amount of information there was to learn and winced. “There are pilots for that sort of thing,” she’d said.
“What if you’re in a shuttle and there’s a problem? Wouldn’t it be nice to know what to do?”
Namae frowned at her. “I’d do the sensible thing and call for help. It could be remote flown to safety for me.”
“What if there weren’t time?” Xera persisted.
“You can’t know everything,” Namae had said placidly, and that had been the end of the conversation.
Xera told herself she’d be able to talk to the guys she knew about it. After all, several of them were pilots. She’d have to be delicate about it, though. Surely they’d share Ryven’s suspicions about her hobby, even if they were polite about it.
Maybe they were right to worry. In the back of her mind, there was still the question of what if.
The ironic thing was that she truly did love to fly. There was a freedom to be found in the exercise that existed nowhere else. Maybe Ryven could share that with her someday…if he had enough trust in her.
He hadn’t said anything about her joining the martial arts class. As the lone woman in the group of men, she was often frustrated. The guys were reluctant to hurt her and were gentler than they should be. She understood their confusion—after all, she’d never be as fast or strong as they were. From their point of view, she was wasting her time. She’d heard that before, and it just made her more determined. She knew when she was right. All she had to do was think of Captain Khan and push harder. The guys would adapt in time.
Maybe it had been thoughts of Khan that had prompted Ryven to give her permission. Despite the risks, he wasn’t the sort of man to deny a woman the right to defend herself. As the battle with the Khun’tat proved, things happened.
When she’d finished with the simulator for the day, Xtal informed her he had the report she’d requested.
She tried to suppress a yawn as she cradled a hot cup of tea. Unfortunately, it didn’t have quite the rejuvenating powers of coffee. “Hold on to it for me, please. I’m not feeling as paranoid as I was in the middle of the night. I think it will keep for a couple more hours. I’d hate to ruin a perfectly good nap over him.”
Xtal actually smiled. “As you wish.”
Unfortunately, her plans for a nap were derailed. Her father-in-law and Ryven’s sisters invited her to share lunch with them. It was too early in their relationship for Xera to feel comfortable about not going, so she let Namae help her dress for the occasion.
“Are you well? You don’t seem rested,” Namae asked with concern as she brushed Xera’s hair. “Perhaps you should sleep instead.”
Xera grunted. “I’d probably just dream about the Khun’tat again.”
“Oh! I admit I’ve had a bad dream or two since the attack. At least they have faded for me. I find listening to soothing music during my rest to be helpful. It keeps me grounded.”
“Good idea, but I’ve made it this long without nightmares, so maybe last night was an aberration. Maybe I’ll walk myself through some positive visualizations about slaying them. Sometimes that helps.”
Namae seemed taken aback. “How…interesting. Perhaps you can tell me how that’s done as we walk.”
Xera was surprised to s
ee Shiza present at the lunch. Though he spent most of the time speaking with Lord Atarus about manly things, he did take the time to answer the ladies’ questions about the recent attacks. When he noticed Xera’s unease at the subject, he told the others, “Let’s choose another subject than the Khun’tat. Xera has suffered evil dreams over this and still doesn’t look recovered.”
Xera blinked, surprised by his perception. “How did you know?”
It was Lord Atarus who answered. “Your security team told Ryven. He spoke to us about it. We’d be amiss if we didn’t look after you in his place.”
She smiled. “That’s kind of you, but don’t leave the subject for my sake. I’m a big girl.” In spite of her words, that line of discussion was closed for the rest of the meal.
When her yawns finally became too hard to contain, her amused father-in-law dismissed her. “Go, sleep. Play some sweet music as you rest—it often banishes ill dreams.”
“Thank you,” Xera said. As if in afterthought, she asked Shiza, “Will you walk me to the door? I need your opinion about something.” She glanced at Namae and smiled at the girl’s scowl. It was fun teasing her, and fine if she thought the conversation concerned her. In a way, it did.
Shiza blinked slowly but rose from his cushion. “Of course.”
Once they’d turned into the entrance hall, she paused. “I have a question about Ryven. I would have asked Namae, but I don’t want to upset her.”
“About Tovark?”
Xera nodded.
Shiza looked grave. “You should ask your husband these things.”
She sighed. “I’d love to, but he’s a little busy right now. I try not to worry, but I can’t help it about things like this. I don’t want any more sleepless nights.”
Shiza inclined his head. “What is your question?”