by Tasha Black
She had definitely not been thinking about that.
At all.
It did seem a little strange to her that the agency would go so far as to send a member of the Invicta to guide them on the short trip from the ship to their new home. Especially when they hadn’t exactly sprung for high end transport to get the women to Clotho.
But in an odd way, it made sense. The priority was the care of the child. Aurora might have been delivered here in a rickety old craft, but now that she was caring for Lyra the agency gave her luxury treatment.
Back on Aurora’s home planet, Terra-4, the orphans lived in a creche where the adults took turns visiting and bringing what toys and treats could be scavenged.
The idea of driving an orphan around in a fancy coach seemed implausible, at best.
But there was wealth in the universe beyond what Aurora could comprehend. And adopting Lyra had gotten Aurora off the regulation planets and onto the frontier, where she should be safe from extradition.
So long as no one kidnapped her and took her off-moon to secure the bounty on her head.
She touched the scarf on her head. The open coach exposed her to the wind, but it seemed to be staying on now that she had tied it tight enough to give herself a headache.
She wondered if Kade had recognized her.
That seemed unlikely. If he had, he would have immediately begun the procedure to capture her. The Invicta were big on right and wrong. There wasn’t a lot of gray area with those guys.
But he had turned away when her hair came down, as if he didn’t want to recognize her.
Or maybe she was just being paranoid. Most people in the system probably didn’t give a second thought to the happenings in her little corner of the galaxy. She was probably not even newsworthy in a place like this.
“Everything okay, Aurora?” Kade asked.
Something about the way her name sounded in his mouth made her insides flip-flop in a way that had nothing to do with the bumpy ride.
“Yes, of course,” she said, heat coming to her cheeks.
“I’ll bet you’re hungry,” he said, his deep voice kind and calming.
You have no idea.
“I’m fine,” she said, trying to get her wits about her before she made a fool of herself by drooling over her handsome companion. “Lyra and I can walk into town later to pick up supplies.”
Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, breaking the spell she’d been falling under.
Kade chuckled. “We’ll stop on the way,” he said. “Then you can relax when we get home.”
When we get home?
But she had no time to pick apart what was strange about that sentence.
Kade was directing the wing-steeds to pull the coach up beside a market.
It was a two-story stucco building, with the same terra cotta roof tiles all the buildings seemed to have. But there were white tents out front, over tables lined with bins of produce.
Aurora’s mouth began to water at the sight of such a bounty.
An older gentleman with a white beard walked among the bins, checking on his wares.
A small boy with a broom tried to keep the dust away from the bins to almost no avail. The breeze kicked it up again as soon as he had swept it away. But it seemed a wholesome enough task for a kid - better than working in the mines like the teenagers of Hesiod-8, the planet this moon was circling.
Kade leapt out of the coach. The afternoon sun glinted in his golden hair and caressed the plane of his jaw in a way that made him look like a cruel king.
He offered Aurora his hand.
Against her better judgement, she took it.
His warm hand closed around hers and she felt a shiver of electricity.
Helplessly, she gazed into his eyes instead of looking away.
His green eyes flashed and his jaw tightened.
He felt it too then, this strange connection.
It was almost like she already knew him.
You can’t afford an infatuation, Aurora Day. Get it together.
Aurora jumped down from the coach and let go of his hand.
Kade stood frozen for a fraction of a second longer, then turned to accompany her into the market.
“Welcome, great warrior and beautiful lady,” the older gentleman said, heading over to them. “How may I serve you?”
“We are new to town, and hungry,” Kade said. “We want to stock our pantry with fresh, local food. What do you suggest?”
The man beamed.
“You have come to the right place. My name is Gar and that’s my grandson, Narlin. Our wares are fresh, and we have the best selection of produce in town. Would you like eggs and milk?”
“Yes, please,” Kade said. “Plenty of both.”
“I’ll go inside and retrieve them,” Gar said. “Feel free to choose your fruits and vegetables.”
Aurora watched in shock as the man bustled into the building, leaving them alone in his shop with no one but the boy with the broom to watch over his wares.
“Isn’t he afraid of thieves?” Aurora murmured to herself.
“This is a small town,” Kade answered. “And someone is always watching. But more to the point, food is plentiful here. There is no need to steal.”
Aurora took that in as she gazed at the overflowing bins of unfamiliar fruit.
“Do you know what all of this is?” she asked him.
“I don’t,” he admitted with a smile. “But I’m sure the shop keep will help us.”
Just then, the man reappeared with two wooden crates of eggs and milk. The eggs were larger than she was used to, and the milk had a slight pinkish tint. She didn’t recall seeing any chickens or cows anywhere.
“You can choose from these,” Gar panted.
“We’ll take them all,” Kade said firmly.
“You have a very lucky family,” the man said, nodding to Aurora.
“And we would love your help with produce,” Kade said, before Aurora could correct the man’s assumption.
Gar beamed at them and jumped right into a thorough tour of the store.
He pulled a small knife from his pocket at intervals, breaking open the fruits and vegetables to slice them off a sample.
There were tiny spicy fruits with a peppery kick, big bread-like spheres with tangy seeds, and melons of every shape and size. Vegetables on stalks, in pods, and in root form with bitter leaves for salads filled the bins and lined the tables as well.
Aurora forgot to worry about who she was and what she was on Clotho to do, and allowed herself to enjoy the delicious offerings and the enthusiasm of their host.
By the end of the tour there was juice dripping down her chin and even baby Lyra had sampled the flag melon juice.
She hung back while Kade pointed to everything they wanted.
“Can you hold Lyra?” he asked her, heading over. “I’m going to help Gar load up.”
Aurora had the sudden instinct to run, but instead, she gamely opened her arms.
Kade placed Lyra in them and strode back to where Gar and Narlin were stacking crates of food.
Lyra’s weight was warm and satisfying. She was heavier than she looked.
“Hello,” Aurora said softly.
Lyra eyed her suspiciously.
“I know,” Aurora said. “This is kind of weird, being thrown together and all. But I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
Lyra’s lower lip pouted out.
“Hey, you want to go for a walk?” Aurora offered.
Lyra stared at her, unblinking.
Aurora began walking slowly among the bins of fruit and vegetables, ignoring the baby in her arms.
She felt Lyra relax against her after a few minutes.
So babies were like most people, they didn’t like a lot of pressure to interact with someone new.
Aurora was feeling more confident by the minute.
“Ready to go?” Kade called to her.
“Sure,” she said.
Lyra beg
an to whimper and kick as soon as she saw the big golden warrior.
“I think she wants to go to you,” Aurora said.
Kade looked torn, but Aurora was not.
“Here you go,” she said, handing her over.
Kade smiled down at the baby, and Lyra smiled back and smacked him on the cheek with a chubby little hand.
Aurora was amazed to feel her heart twinge at the baby’s lovely smile. Watching the solemn child’s eyes go twinkly was like seeing a rainbow after a storm.
They were climbing back into the coach when the breeze changed, carrying a strange, unpleasant scent with it, like meat left in the sun too long.
Aurora turned to see three men in uniform with a huge wolf-like creature on a leash. They approached Gar with the confidence that came from power.
“How may I help you, gentlemen?” Gar asked politely.
Aurora could detect the high note of anxiety in his voice.
She had heard it before back on Terra-4, when the Cerulean guards were about to beat up some poor fool who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“We’re here to pick up your donation,” the tallest one said in a low, nasty voice.
“I-I paid you at lunchtime,” Gar said. “That’s my usual time.”
“Your usual time, eh?” the man sneered.
“Yes, sir,” Gar replied. “I would normally have closed up shop by now, but I had one last customer.”
“Yeah, and it looks like it was one hell of a sale,” another of the uniformed men piped up. This one was short and stout. “I think you can make another donation if you’re staying open late hours.”
Gar’s face fell. “Sure, of course,” he said quietly. “Let me get my till.”
The men nodded at each other in satisfaction as Gar disappeared into the building.
Aurora’s face grew so hot that it felt like her makeshift scarf might catch fire. Standing idly by and watching this happen was impossible.
But she was supposed to keep a low profile, be a good mother and a mild-mannered citizen on this moon.
She pleaded with herself inwardly, and lost.
“This is not okay,” she murmured out loud through clenched teeth.
She was about to do something very stupid.
But before she had a chance, her scarf blew slightly against her face from movement in the coach.
Kade had leapt out with baby Lyra still on his hip.
“I don’t think so,” he said, striding right up to the three uniformed men and the big hairy animal at the end of the silver leash.
They turned to him, stunned expressions on their faces.
Except for the animal, which Aurora had thought looked like a wolf. It was actually more like a badger, but much, much larger.
It narrowed its yellow eyes at Kade and a low, terrifying growl emerged from its throat.
Aurora’s mouth dropped open and she moved swiftly to flank Kade.
But Kade didn’t even blink at the nightmarish creature. He was focused on the men, his shoulders down, posture laid-back and confident.
“Butt out,” the short, stout one said.
“No, I don’t think I will,” Kade said calmly. “It’s time for you to move along.”
“What did you just say?” the tallest guy asked.
“It’s time for you to move along,” Kade repeated pleasantly. “I’m sure you’re eager to complete your rounds.”
Instead of answering, the tallest man swung at Kade without warning. Aurora had seen, and even done, her share of dirty fighting in her time, but sucker-punching someone holding a baby was on a whole new level.
With the ease of swatting a fly, Kade parried the incoming fist and stepped backward, helping the man to stumble to the dusty ground under the tent.
The stout one barreled up to Kade, as if his treatment of his friend had made him wild with fury.
Kade dispatched with him as well, deflecting his blow and using his own momentum to send him flying.
Aurora gazed at him in wonder.
Lyra, still on his hip, shoved her little fist in her mouth and looked around with an unimpressed expression.
Only the thinnest of the uniformed men, the one holding the end of the silver leash, hadn’t made a move yet.
“Wyla,” he said now, in a low voice to the creature.
Instantly it was lunging for Kade, hackles up, tiny, razor sharp teeth bared.
Kade closed his eyes for a split second, then opened them again to reveal blazing golden irises with an obsidian slit in the middle.
Aurora had meant to move forward to protect the baby, but instead felt herself involuntarily take a step back at the unexpected display of raw, animal power.
The badger-dog stopped in its tracks, whining low, with its bushy tail between its legs.
“Get out of here,” Kade said.
The three men in uniform scattered without another word.
There was a swift intake of breath from the doorway to the building.
Kade blinked again, and his eyes went back to normal.
But it was too late. The shop keep had obviously already seen enough to know Kade’s true nature. Tales of the mighty dragon-warriors of the Invicta were told in hushed whispers across all the inhabited systems.
The man stood frozen for a moment, then hung his head and went back inside.
The boy with the broom was standing in the far corner of the tents, wearing a similar resigned expression that Aurora didn’t understand.
“Is your grandfather okay?” Aurora asked. “I know it was scary for those men to come.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” the boy said quietly.
“Of course we should,” Aurora said. “We have to stand up for each other, for what’s right.”
“Maybe,” the kid said. “But you just made things much, much worse.”
“What do you mean?” Kade asked, striding over with an earnest expression.
But the boy just jogged into the house after his grandfather, leaving Aurora, Kade, and Lyra to draw their own conclusions.
4
Kade
Kade pulled the wing-steeds up in front of the cottage with the number 58 on the door.
It was smaller than he had expected, but the stucco exterior was neatly whitewashed and there was a tidy little garden in front.
Someone had painted the wooden fence that surrounded the house and garden a cheerful bright blue. But it was so low that it seemed like more of a suggestion than an actual barrier.
Beside him, Aurora sat perfectly still, looking out at the cottage.
Perhaps she had expected more as well.
“It’s small, but I’m sure it will have ample space for your needs,” he told her, leaping out of the coach with Lyra to give her a bit of space.
She hopped down too.
“Here, take the baby,” he said, handing her over. “I’m just going to release the steeds.”
He left her standing in the garden with Lyra, looking completely gobsmacked.
It would be good for her to take a minute to gather herself. Life on a frontier moon wouldn’t be rosy all the time. She was going to have to get used to compromise. He hoped that, given enough space and time, she would choose to do so with dignity.
When he returned, carrying the boxes of eggs and milk, she was talking softly to the baby.
Lyra observed Aurora with solemn eyes, as if she understood and agreed with whatever her new mother was saying.
Something about it made his chest ache with sweetness.
“Ready to go in?” he asked gruffly, determined not to get overly emotional over such a silly thing.
“Yes,” Aurora said. “I’ll get the door.”
“Key is under the mat,” he told her.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she bent to retrieve the keycard, then opened the door to the cottage.
For a moment, there was only the stillness of the dark interior.
Then the surfaces of the dim room se
emed to come alive. His first thought was that it must be a trick of the light. But as his eyes adjusted, it was clear that small creatures were darting all over the place.
Something in the darkness let out a high-pitched shriek.
Aurora instinctively turned her back to the room to shelter Lyra, and Kade couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride at the protective instincts of his mate.
He touched his hand to the light sensor, revealing a disturbing scene.
Dozens of racoon-monkeys filled the room, their eyes flashing in the artificial light. They were on the sofa and the floor, hanging from the chandelier at the far end of the room over the small dining table, under which more monkeys scuttled about.
The room itself looked like it was covered in an inch or two of fresh snow.
It took a moment for Kade to realize it wasn’t snow.
The place had been set up with a stock of non-perishables they would need. The raccoon-monkeys had clearly gotten into their dry food stores. A winter’s worth of flour and ground meal was strewn across their living room floor in drifts.
The creature that had screamed must have been the leader. The others picked up the cry, shaking their paws at the intruders.
“What do we do?” Aurora asked.
“You and Lyra get out of here,” Kade said. “I’ll take care of this.”
“By yourself?” Aurora scoffed. “I don’t think so.”
“Just keep Lyra safe,” he hissed, placing the crates down and heading into the room.
If he could see two dozen animals, there were probably three times that number hiding in other parts of the cottage.
“Okay, critters, time to go,” Kade announced in his deepest voice.
He strode through the room and racoon-monkeys scattered before him. Once he reached the far side of the cottage, he opened the window.
Continuing into the kitchen, he saw that his suspicions had been correct, and the animals had destroyed all the dry food stuffs. Dried beans covered the floor so that it looked almost like the pebbly beach by the lake.
He managed to slip and slide over the mess to get to the back door and open it up. A raccoon-monkey stuck its head out of a cabinet and scolded him.
“Get out,” he told it firmly.