Embrace the Romance

by S. E. Smith

  “What are you going to name her?” Grant asked.

  “Lully.” Cheeks flushed, Karissa seemed a bit embarrassed. “One of the nurses at the orphanage gave me a stuffed animal I named Lully and for years I couldn’t sleep without her. Eventually she got ‘lost’ during laundering and the attendants said I was too big for stuffed toys. Do you think that’s an acceptable name?”

  Beautiful, like my mate.

  “Valkyr approves.”

  Can he talk to her? Tell her everything’s going to be ok?”

  Grant realized he hadn’t considered the interspecies communication aspect. Can you?

  Not yet. Impressions only. Calming thoughts. There will be time.

  “I’ll buy her from you,” he said. “If Valkyr is so attached to her, I hate to separate them.”

  “I’ll give her to you, as long as I get full visitation rights.”

  When they reached the Nebula Zephyr and had thanked the pilot, Grant didn’t even try to take Valkyr to the cabin where he belonged. Instead he took Karissa and both birds deep into the ship, to the hydroponics deck. He’d already asked Maeve to contact the person he was seeking.

  Karissa gawked as she moved through the long trays of greenery. “I really will have seen the whole ship by the time I leave, won’t I? What are we doing here?”

  There was an open air office at the rear of the deck, surrounded by gorgeous rosebushes in full flower, and the woman working there paused as they approached. Wiping her hands, she came forward to greet them.

  “Karissa Dawnstar, meet Tyrelle Embersson, our Special Hydroponics Officer. She’s from Tulavarra.” Grant hoped he wasn’t going to have to give explanations about Tyrelle. Her story was complicated and not relevant to today. Much. Only her special powers.

  “I attended your concert last week with my husband,” Tyrelle said as the two women shook hands. “You have a lovely voice. Somewhat obscured by all the other elements of the show, but definitely one of a kind. Incredible range for a human.”

  “Tyrelle sings too,” Grant said.

  “Among other things.” The woman with a nod and a sweet smile, as if she had a secret she wasn’t sharing. “May I see the bird?”

  Karissa unwrapped the shirt. The white bird was noticeably calmer now.

  Valkyr gave a triumphant chirp and Grant had to push him back.

  “Yes, your mate will be fine,” Tyrelle said to the eagle. She took the songbird in her own hands, closed her eyes and hummed. Lully sat still for a moment and then flared out the no-longer-broken wing as if stretching after a long nap, spreading the wing on the other side a moment later. She stood and launched herself from Tyrelle’s hands, flying in a circle around the hydroponics deck, before landing on Valkyr’s broad back, where she settled with much ruffling of feathers and began to groom herself, and him.

  “So now you have two birds,” Tyrelle said to Grant. “Captain Fleming won’t tolerate a flock, you know. And how are you doing?”

  He was embarrassed to have her ask in front of Karissa. “Also better, thank you.”

  Tyrelle placed her hands on his temples. A cool wave spread through him as she worked her healing magic and he felt the chronic pain from the last of his war injuries dim and recede. Tyrelle’s treatments with her special powers had done more good for him than any combination of conventional medicine and painkillers. Detecting a subtle trembling in her fingers, he pulled back. “Don’t overdo it,” he said, catching her jade green hand and squeezing gently. “Your husband will be mad at me and he’s not exactly a small man.”

  “Yes, I had been busy today even before I got your com message. We’ll do more another day. You won’t need too many more treatments before the deep seated nerve problem is cured. No more pain.” Tyrelle smiled.

  “There are quite a few com calls for Miss Dawnstar piling up in the queue,” Maeve said unexpectedly out of the thin air. “Your manager is threatening to complain to the captain about Grant and Jake is holding him off.”

  “I took a personal day and it’s none of the bastard’s business.” Anger made Grant’s voice unusually brusque.

  “The media is probably going crazy after our day on Calillia and wanting more information,” Karissa said with a grimace. “Good publicity but still…it’ll scare Ted. He hates not being in control of everything I do and who I do it with. I’d better go back to my cabin and deal with the uproar.”

  Karissa said goodbye to Tyrelle and Grant escorted her out of the hydroponics deck.

  “I have to take these two to my own cabin first,” Grant said. “Come with me?”

  She hesitated. “I think I’d better deal with Ted on my own. And then he’ll want to go over the plans for our move to the hotel on Calillia tomorrow, and the set up for rehearsal the day after.” She went on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for the wonderful day today.”

  Valkyr on his shoulder put him off balance and Lully in his hands made things even more awkward and he couldn’t reach out to hug her as he longed to do. “When can I see you again?” His heart pounded at the thought she might not feel as strongly as he did about spending more time together. Don’t let this have been a shipboard flirtation.

  “Not tired yet of all the glitz of being seen with a rock star?”

  “Fuck that. I’ll never be tired of being with you, getting to know you better. Today was special for me. Minimum of glitz.” He hated being in the corridor, even though only a few crew members were coming and going. He’d been anticipating their dinner and a chance to talk more.

  “If you can get time off, come to the arena the day after tomorrow and watch the rehearsal for a while. You can bring Valkyr of course. I’ll make sure an all access pass is at the box office in your name.” She gave him a shy smile. “We could do dinner afterward, just us.”

  “It’s a date,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips, not caring who was watching.

  As she walked away toward the passenger access portal, he added, “Promise you’ll call me if you need anything before then.”

  Karissa waved and was gone.

  Five

  Next day he was back to his regular duties, patrolling the corridors and decks of the Nebula Zephyr, dealing with minor passenger problems and one issue of shoplifting in the jewelry store on Level A. He couldn’t wait for his shift to end so he could rush to his cabin and view the special feed of news Maeve had collected for him from the broadcasts emanating from Calillia. Everything to do with Karissa was what he’d asked the AI for and she obliged.

  He ate his reheated dinner while the trideo clips played, many of them the same shots of Karissa being welcomed home by the President of the planet, given the key to the city as she predicted. A high priest recited a lengthy blessing and a choir from her old orphanage sang. Grant saw her wiping away a tear before she hugged all the children, thanking them and inviting them to her concert.

  Frustration chafed him, not to be there at her side.

  He thought he recognized Leclaire, the stalkerish fan from the Nebula Zephyr signing, in one of the crowd scenes but even though he asked Maeve to focus in on the segment, he couldn’t be sure. He did see the same two monks again, this time flanking the high priest. I hope they’re not pressing her to tour their temple again.

  To his eyes, she was doing the “Karissa act,” smiling brilliantly and being self-protective. In one clip he caught a flicker of a disagreement between Karissa and Ted but as soon as the manager realized there were trideo cameras trained on him, he’d pulled her out of view, behind a group of other people.

  You miss her. Head tilted, Valkyr paused in his munching on dinner and chirped, startling Lully off her perch next to his.

  We’ll see her tomorrow.

  He’d called the arena to verify the fact rehearsals started in the early afternoon, so he arranged to be on Callilia before then, taking the regular shuttle from the Zephyr to the planet, renting a groundcar and parking at the sprawling venue. There was an all access pass waiting for him as
promised and he and Valkyr entered the arena through the staff entrance. A giant stage had been constructed in the center of the area, and Karissa’s band was doing sound checks as he walked through.

  The man you wish to keep away from your lady. In that group to the left.

  Startled, Grant checked out a group sitting in the bleachers, being addressed by some sort of a guide. She was giving instructions for their meet and greet with Karissa, to occur shortly. And sure enough, as Valkyr had said, there was Mr. Leclaire, sitting at the back of the group, pale and sweating. Grant kept himself from displaying any outward signs of unease, but he searched for a security person or member of the police to no avail. Proceeding backstage, he cornered Desdusan. “Where’s the head of security?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “There isn’t one. The city detailed a couple of cops though, for crowd control. I think you’ll find them walking the perimeter.”

  “Thanks. Can you tell Karissa I’m here but I have something to take care of?”

  She looked puzzled but agreed, going off with her armful of costumes.

  Grant sent Valkyr aloft to keep an eye on Mr. Leclaire while he finally located one of the Calillia police. Fortunately the woman and her partner took him seriously after he showed them his CLC security credentials. The senior cop promised to go speak to the fan and evaluate the risk.

  “I thought Karissa’s manager was going to get a restraining order on the guy,” Grant said.

  The cop shook her head. “I checked the file before we came over here, figured she must have some stalker issues, as big a star as she is. Nothing. But if this guy is trouble, we’ll get him flustered enough to be deemed a suspicious character and eject him.”

  “Thanks.” Grant walked backstage again, distressed by the thought he might have kept Mr. Leclaire from being in the same room with Karissa this afternoon but the stalker could still attend the concerts.

  He went straight to the star’s dressing room. When he knocked at her door and was told to come in, he expected her to be surrounded by the usual annoying throngs of people but there was only Desdusan and a couple he didn’t know.

  Karissa was in the middle of a costume fitting, with Desdusan assisting the designer, who was unknown to Grant. He stopped in his tracks as he realized the fourth person in the room was a D’nvannae Brother. On closer examination, the man wore the black leather garb and had the stance and attitude of the assassin order, but not the facial tattoo. Still, he made a note to himself about the fact Karissa numbered dangerous people among her acquaintances.

  She cried out with pleasure at seeing him, breaking into a wide grin. “I’m so glad you’re here!” Ignoring the efforts of the two women working on her elaborate dress, she rushed to him for a hug and a kiss. Having her back in his arms was a relief, abruptly shattered by Valkyr’s laconic thought.

  Police taking that man away now.

  Keeping her hold on him, Karissa drew back a bit. “What’s wrong?”

  He glanced from her to the other people in the room, unsure how much to say.

  “Oh, you can speak freely. These are my friends, Twilka Zabour the designer and her husband Khevan. Twilka’s the one who helped me find my own high powered attorney on the sly, so I can safely exit this onerous contract with Ted when it ends, and set up my own company to handle my rights. And Desdusan is loyal. She won’t betray me to Ted.”

  The wardrobe mistress nodded, her lips set in a thin line. “He’s treated her so badly all these years.”

  Grant shook hands with Twilka and her husband. “Are you aware Ted’s hired no security for this event? Not for today, not for the concerts—he’s relying on the local police and the arena staff. Insufficient protection for a star of your magnitude, in my opinion.”

  Khevan nodded. “Indeed the security is sadly lacking, I agree.”

  “Valkyr spotted Mr. Leclaire in your meet and greet group for this afternoon and I was able to persuade the cops to escort him out, but there’s no restraining order on him. He can come right back. I’m not trying to scare you,” he said hastily as she went pale under the elaborate makeup. “And I noticed the monks were at your welcoming ceremony yesterday and here in the arena again today. They worry me—I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s not right there.”

  “I can certainly look out for Karissa when my wife and I are here,” Khevan offered. “But we’re only able to stay for the first concert.”

  “I have commitments in the next Sector,” Twilka said. “We could stay—”

  “No, I know how important that gig is to you. I’ll be fine. I have Grant. I do have you, don’t I?”

  “Of course.” He kissed her cheek.

  “I could arrange to have some of our affiliates take on the personal security,” Khevan said, handing Grant a business card.

  Karissa shook her head. “No, Ted has the total control of arrangements for three more days. Remember the lawyer said I can’t risk breaching any contract terms or I might trigger the automatic extension?”

  Twilka said what Grant was thinking. “Darling girl, Ted can’t hold you like a slave. Even if the contract extension did get triggered, your lawyer will fight it for you. I can get you away to one of my father’s estates in the Inner Sectors to wait out the lawsuit.”

  Karissa shook her head. “I know that and I appreciate the offer, but meanwhile Ted would have all the rights to all my music. He’d have the rights to the embodiment of me. He could even put his latest floozy on stage lip synching to my songs and I couldn’t stop him. And we all know how long lawsuits drag out. Ted will fight like a wild raging beast to hang onto to his rights, if I let the contract tip over into an extension, if I give him any slightest opening.”

  Grant checked with Twilka for confirmation and she nodded slowly. “My father’s lawyer said the interlocking subparagraphs and trigger clauses were the most pernicious he’d ever seen.”

  “Well then, we have to keep you safe and happy for a few more days,” Grant said, giving her a small shake.

  “I’m so glad I met you,” she answered.

  Twilka pulled at her arm gently. “I hate to interrupt this lovely moment but I have to finish the fitting so I can go away and get this gown ready for the stage. The multiple changes you want to pull off during the performance make this tricky. But I do love a challenge.”

  There was a knock on the door. “We’ll be ready for you onstage in five, Miss Dawnstar,” said a disembodied voice.

  “I’ll go wait out there,” Grant said as the three women gasped and rushed behind a screen set up to shield the other end of the room from view. “Check things out.”

  He wandered the backstage area, nodding to the few people he knew or recognized from the small crew that had been with Karissa on the Zephyr. He saw a pile of antigrav units heaped on the table and headed over to inspect them, being familiar with the tech from his days in the service. Two performers were standing there, sorting through the units and complaining.

  “Yeah, mine kept shorting out on me this morning,” said one. “Gave me a heart attack.”

  “They haven’t been maintained in oh forever, cheapass management,” said the other, rejecting three of the units and grimacing at a fourth.

  “May I?” Grant reached past them for one to examine. He was dismayed at how worn the height sensors were and the condition of the antigrav repulsors. “Is one of these for Karissa?”

  “No, she has her own, lucky her,” said the first performer. “See you up there,” he said to his friend and sauntered off.

  “We used to have a guy who did nothing but maintain these,” the remaining performer said to Grant. “Ted fired him about a year ago. He’d probably fire half of us too, to keep costs down, except the crowds expect Karissa to have a full troupe. I’ll be glad when this tour is over. I’m out of here. Got a better offer from someone else.” He slung his chosen unit over his shoulder and stalked off.

  Hearing the music start, Grant hastily grabbed the best remaining un
it and affixed it to his own belt, just in case.

  “Tell your bird to stay out of the way,” the stage manager said to him as he stood in the wings.

  I heard. Valkyr sounded grumpy.

  Keep your eyes on her for me when she’s in the air, old friend.

  Karissa went past with a little wave, deep in conversation with three people.

  The rehearsal was like the one on the Zephyr, only on a grander scale. The crew did more sound checks, various bits of choreography were tinkered with, Karissa sang fragments of songs, sometimes repeatedly. Then it was time to practice the aerial acrobatic portion of the show.

  Karissa was singing and then she lifted into the air, rising high above the stage, surrounded by her aerial acrobats, all moving in precisely choreographed routines designed to frame and complement her activity. She began to drift on a leisurely tour of the arena, so all the ticket holders at a concert could say they’d seen her up close and in person, Grant guessed. She waved at the small group waiting for their meet and greet as she flew above them and blew kisses. The acrobats stayed in a concentration above the stage.

  Something isn’t right. She falters.

  Valkyr’s urgent thought was followed by two screams, one from the bird himself and one from Karissa as the antigrav unit sputtered and cut out. Grant was in the air, arrowing towards her as she spiraled down, using every bit of his military training to wring extra speed and lift from the commercial unit he’d had the foresight to wear.

  Valkyr had his talons hooked into straps and belts on Karissa’s costume and was exerting maximum effort to slow her fall. Slender as she was, she was too heavy for him to lift but the eagle strained to keep her from plummeting directly onto the hard floor and suffering life threatening injuries. Wings wide, he was buying time for Grant.

  Praying to the Lords of Space for mercy, Grant managed to get within six feet of the pair, rising under them. Drop her to me, before you injure yourself too badly.