Favored by Felix

by Shelley Munro

  “Fuck, there’s one of those big birds over to the right,” Joe said.

  Casey peered out the window and saw the bird soaring toward them. The wingspan was incredible, bigger than any bird she’d ever seen.

  “It’s heading straight for us,” Felix said in a tight voice.

  “Don’t worry,” Joe said. “I think we’ll be more maneuverable.”

  Scurvy space pirates. The bird was going to attack. Fear slid into Casey, jacked her pulse rate and set adrenaline charging through her veins.

  Felix reached for her hand. “Steady, sweetheart. Joe is a top-notch pilot.”

  “He really is,” Sly said with pride. “Lucky he’s flying and not me.”

  “Do these birds come near the resort?” Casey asked in a faint voice. The bird was so close now she could make out the hook of its beak and the glint of the predator in its beady eyes.

  Joe shifted the path of the shuttle and the bird adjusted accordingly. Casey curled her fingers around Felix’s, thought of dying, crashing in a huge fireball because of a bird. Imagine that. The general would fall into one of his famous rages, where he threw the nearest thing—object or hapless aide—at the wall or the floor and stomped out his anger at not getting his way.

  A laugh ripped from deep in her chest, taking her by surprise.

  “That’s the spirit,” Sly said, his hands racing across the weapon controls. “We’re gonna send this bird back to its ma.”

  “You okay?” Felix murmured.

  She squeezed his hand. Surprisingly, she was fine. If she died, she did so with her own memories, and the man she’d come to like and respect would be at her side.

  “I’m gonna fly close to give you a killing shot, so get ready,” Joe said. “Fire!”

  The entire shuttle shuddered, dropped hard and fast. Casey’s stomach duplicated the move and she let out a cry of alarm.

  “There’s another fuckin’ bird behind us,” Sly said. “Fuck it. I missed.”

  “Damage report,” Felix demanded.

  “Our surveillance equipment is off,” Joe said. “Otherwise we’re in good shape.”

  Their calm acceptance of the situation went a long way toward jerking Casey back into military status. “I’ll watch out this window,” she said.

  “I’ll watch this side,” Felix said.

  “Coming in fast from your right,” Casey said.

  Joe put the shuttle into a steep climb. “First bird ahead,” he said.

  “On it,” Sly said and fired. Once. Twice.

  The shuttle bucked. The bird issued an eerie shriek, its giant wings faltering.

  “Shot,” Joe said.

  “Second bird now coming in from the left,” Felix warned.

  Joe made the shuttle drop rapidly.

  “I see it,” Sly said.

  “Fire,” Joe snapped.

  Sly fired and the bird screamed. It paused, hovering in the air in front of the shuttle before swooping downward and away.

  “What happened to the other bird?” Felix asked. “Do you see it, Casey?”

  “Not on my side.”

  Joe zipped upward and turned the shuttle. “I see it. Ahead at one o’clock. It’s retreating. Wow, that was a trip. Let’s get our bird home.”

  Casey relaxed and sank back into her seat.

  Felix laid his hand on her knee. “Good job. I’m glad you’re not a wimpy female.”

  “I second that,” Sly said. “We wouldn’t have escaped as easily if you hadn’t kept your cool.”

  Praise. It washed over her like a gentle balm. She had done a good job. She always did, but it was kind of sad that it took three strangers to recognize her expertise.

  “I’ll check out the shuttle once we get back to the resort,” Felix said. “All the gauges are right?”

  Joe scanned the instrument panel. “Yeah, apart from the rear surveillance cameras. They’ve gone black.”

  Casey went back to watching the passing scenery while the three brothers chatted to one another about various things to do around the resort.

  In the distance, a plume of dark-purple smoke rose from a conical-shaped hill. The occasional opening showed in the treetops, but mostly the jungle appeared thick and difficult to penetrate. She’d traveled through terrain like that before and didn’t have fond memories of the experience. Not only had she lost a man, but the entire squad had suffered from a foreign rash that itched like the blazes for weeks after returning to base.

  Finally, their shuttle touched down.

  “Home sweet home,” Joe said.

  “We’re going to have to wait until Saber gets back to get the approval to plant the vines,” Sly said.

  Vines? Casey started paying attention to the conversation.

  “You two are responsible for the farming side. If you think conditions are right for planting, I say go for it,” Felix said. “You want me to take a look? Tell you what I think?”

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Joe said. “Can you do it now before you start working on the shuttle?”

  Casey intercepted Felix’s quick look at her. “I’m curious about what you’re talking about. Take me too.”

  Felix relaxed his shoulders and shot her a blinding smile filled with approval. In a daze, she climbed out of the shuttle and followed Felix and his brothers from the landing zone. They strode past a huge shed, its yawning double doors letting her gawk at the pieces of machinery and tools, most of which were foreign to her, and toward an open area. The soil was turned and loose and ready for planting.

  Felix crouched and scooped up a handful of soil. “Looks good. How did the tests come out?”

  “Better than the home vineyard,” Joe said, and Casey heard the excitement in his voice. She listened as the three men discussed technical stuff that made not a jot of sense to her, watched the animation on their faces and couldn’t help but see the obvious affection between the brothers. It was difficult not to contrast her family life—not that they ever spent much time together—and the way they were all expected to confer with the general. The general had always made the decisions, and still expected to make them for his adult children. Once a Seonaid, always a Seonaid.

  Some of the good mood, the calmness she’d claimed since Felix had wrapped her in his arms last night, started to dissipate. The hard-fought-for tranquility sank through her toes and into the ground beneath her feet.

  “Casey?”

  Her head jerked up, and she realized she must have made a sound.

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Nothing.” But it wasn’t nothing. It was everything, and the entire mass of hurt and pain threatened to pull her under and squeeze the air from her lungs.

  “I’ll get you back to the resort,” Felix said, and slipped her arm around her trembling shoulders. “I think you should plant the vines now, guys. Conditions are optimum. Besides, Casey likes our wine. We’ll need to have more to refill our cellar.”

  Casey let Felix guide her to the resort, her mind dwelling on his words. The future. He spoke as if they’d see each other, know each other.

  She didn’t have a future.

  Unless…unless she stood up to the general and said no. The idea sent spurts of panic pumping through her, hard enough to make her tremble.

  She’d tried to say no before, had attempted to exert her independence. Memories of dark cupboards and no meals. The disappearance of her pet furbie.

  “You don’t look well, sweetheart,” Felix said. “I don’t like the way you keep shivering, and you look exhausted. I’ll get Ma to take a look at you. She’ll know what to do.”

  Casey nodded, since he seemed to expect some kind of reassurance in exchange for his concern. She let him guide her past a busy kitchen and down a long corridor. Finally they came to an open courtyard. The same lush tropical plants in vivid pinks and blues that filled the resort were planted here, with a few green trees with copper-colored trunks to cast shade. A pale-pink fountain, shiny in the solar sun, made a tinkling sound and so
mewhere a bird sang a sweet, melodious song.

  Felix knocked on a door.

  “Ma,” he said when the door opened. “This is Casey. She’s not feeling very well. Can you take a look at her?”

  The woman was tall with dark hair elaborately arranged on top of her head, and she possessed gray eyes, not green ones like her sons. Lines fanned around her eyes when she smiled and stood aside to let them enter.

  “My son,” she said. “She is very pretty. Come, my dear.” She took Casey’s hand and tugged her to a seating area. It was nothing like her mother’s immaculate rooms, done in an endless sea of white with syn-chrome accents. This room was a riot of color, blues and greens with splashes of turquoise and crimson, yet it seemed to marry together into a peaceful and comfortable abode. A spicy scent permeated the air and the low notes of a song came from the corner, a male voice crooning along with the music.

  Casey let the woman push her down on a couch.

  “Let me get some refreshments,” she said. “Have you heard from Saber?”

  “Not since last night. He said he was fine.”

  “I know,” the woman said. “Saber is very resourceful, but I worry. It’s a mother’s job.”

  Felix laughed and gave the woman an affectionate cuddle before she pulled away with a throaty chuckle and hurried from the room.

  He’d hugged his mother. She’d been worried.

  “Something wrong?” Felix asked, taking a seat beside her. Although there was plenty of room, he crowded against her and slipped an arm around her shoulders, as if he couldn’t resist the physical contact.

  “My mother never hugs me. I can’t remember—” She broke off, aghast at the admission. She was forbidden from discussing her parents or brothers with anyone, except in the most general terms.

  “Never?”

  “No.” Her reply sounded small. Ashamed.

  He took her hand in his and squeezed, a silent commiseration. “I’ll make up for it. I promise.” And his eyes glowed with a brighter jade green as he sealed his promise with a kiss.

  Chapter Five

  “I’m worried about her, Ma.”

  Felix sat with his mother later that night. Casey was in his bed a few doors down, fast asleep, her slumber aided by one of his mother’s special tonics.

  “She’s underweight and looks exhausted. I don’t think it’s anything more serious than stress. I think she’s come to the point where something is worrying her so much, it’s affecting her physically.”

  “So what do I do? I’m keeping her, Ma. I like her a lot. She’s feisty yet vulnerable and makes me want to look after her.”

  “How’s the sex?”

  “Ma! I’m not telling you that.”

  A burst of humor showed in her gray eyes. “Can’t be much wrong in that department then. I knew I brought you and your brothers up right.”

  “You have done a stellar job, Ma.” Felix paused, considered. “No, nothing wrong there. In fact, she seems more relaxed after sex. It’s the in-between times that are a problem.”

  “When she has time to stew,” Anna Mitchell said. “The more I hear, the more I think this is a classic case of stress. She’ll need lots of rest and relaxation, plenty of one-on-one time from you. She needs to fill her time with things she enjoys doing—maybe a hobby of some kind.”

  “She likes to sew,” Felix said, after thinking hard. “She mentioned something about doing her own designs.”

  “Perfect. Scarlett and I were discussing opening a shop that caters to our female guests. Clothes, maybe jewels and beauty products. We think it will be another revenue stream. Maybe she’d like to help?”

  Felix nodded, his mind busily prodding for disadvantages to the idea. He couldn’t see any.

  “Why don’t I ask Scarlett to drag her off tomorrow morning? It will keep her busy. Scarlett won’t let anything happen to her,” Anna said.

  “Thanks. At the moment, she still thinks she’s catching the shuttle home tomorrow. I might have to lock her up if she objects.”

  “Don’t worry, son. I’ve seen her watch you. She likes you, so it may not be as difficult as you think.”

  “I hope so.” His communicator squawked at him and he absently picked it up to answer. “Yeah?”

  “It’s Saber. I can’t talk for long. Any problems?”

  “Everything is fine.” No need to tell Saber about the bird attack or the damage to the shuttle. The vines. He’d dealt with it, and if Saber didn’t like his decisions, too bad. “Do you want to talk to Ma?”

  “Not now. Just wanted you to know we’re about four or five days out from the resort, I think. Depends on the terrain. I might not get a chance to call again, but don’t panic. Gotta go,” he said.

  “Saber,” Felix said to his mother. “He said he’ll be another four days at least before he gets home.”

  “I hope everything is going well. Saber needs someone after Lori. I never thought that girl was right for him.” She paused. “Don’t you dare repeat that to anyone.”

  “I won’t. I’d better go and check on Casey before I head to the workshop.”

  “The remedy I gave her should keep her out at least until the morning. She needs the sleep. She’ll feel much better for it. I’ll talk to Scarlett for you, and we’ll put our plan into action. It will be nice to have the opinion of another woman. Sometimes I think Scarlett’s head stays in her technological equipment, and she answers me on automatic. I can’t be sure her opinion is objective.”

  “Okay, Ma. Say good night to Scarlett for me. See you tomorrow.”

  “Call me if you need me, son.”

  Felix kissed his mother and left the room. He spared a few minutes to check on Casey. She was curled up on her side, her face relaxed and so vulnerable it broke his heart. Unable to resist, he brushed his fingers over her cheek, saw once again the shadows under her eyes.

  She curled toward his hand, making him smile, his heart do a tiny somersault. He considered crawling into the bed with her, attempting to kiss her awake. No. He forced himself to walk away because as much as he’d love to run his hands over her breasts and slip inside her body, she needed her rest.

  * * * * *

  Laughter woke her. Casey went into military mode and used her senses. She was at the resort in Felix’s private rooms.

  So who was the female part of the laughter out in the other room?

  Jealousy sprang to the fore, taking her by surprise. She didn’t have the right. Casey twisted her head to survey the other pillow, satisfied when there was a distinct dent. Felix had slept beside her throughout the night.

  More laughter sounded.

  “You’re awake,” Felix said. “Would you like some breakfast? We have coffee too. Do you drink that?”

  “Yes.” Casey hesitated and glanced past Felix to see a woman.

  “Good,” she said. “You’re up. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to rouse.”

  Felix put his arm around the woman. “This is my sister Scarlett. Scarlett, this is Casey Seonaid. Scarlett organized your bags to be delivered to my rooms. All your clothes and possessions are here.”

  “But what about Eva? It was my idea to bring her here for a treat. She’ll be worried about me.”

  “Eva Henry?” Scarlett asked.

  “Yes.”

  “She’s with my brother Saber, exploring the other side of the island. He said they’ll be several days and won’t have com access.”

  Disappointment seared through Casey and her shoulders slumped. Her chest tightened, and she had to force herself to breathe through the pinch of pressure. “I’m glad she’s enjoying herself. She needed to focus on her business but I sort of shanghaied her into coming on this trip.”

  Because she’d been too much of a coward to admit the truth to Eva. That she’d never see her again.

  A knock sounded on the door and it burst open.

  “We have a problem,” Joe said.

  His twin stood right behind him, a grim expression on his
handsome face.

  “Do you need me?” Scarlett asked.

  “Someone cut a hole in the fence again,” Joe said.

  Casey’s gaze cut to Felix. His eyes had gone hard. “Any zylon get through?”

  “None that I scented,” Sly said. “One of the other guys is watching the hole.”

  “Right.” Felix turned to her and drew her close, then, right in front of his brothers and sister, he kissed her. The exchange wasn’t as long or as heated as usual, but when he lifted his head, she was still breathing faster. “Scarlett has a project she wants your help with. I’ll try not to be too long.”

  She acknowledged his words with a nod, but all she could think was he’d kissed her in front of his family. He’d offered his affection without coercion, without concern, without shame. Her fingers rose to her tingling lips and she touched them as Felix followed his brothers out the door.

  He’d kissed her openly.

  Scarlett chuckled. “You have it bad for my brother. You should see your expression. You look stunned.”

  Casey felt heat creep into her cheeks.

  “Don’t act all embarrassed. I think it’s cute. Felix is my favorite brother. Do you want something to eat? Ma suggested I take you to her rooms, and we’ll eat together while we explain our idea to you. Ma’s idea, really,” she added. “What are you going to wear today? You have some gorgeous clothes.”

  Scarlett’s cheerful chatter pelted her, another layer to add to her shock. The Mitchell family was nothing like hers, and it made her start to wonder. Why did a person have to live their life in such isolation? Just because the general shouted louder than her, louder than her brothers, louder than her mother, did that mean he was always right?

  His order for her to undergo gender change—he’d made it sound logical, sensible. The only decision possible. He’d made it seem right.

  “Put on this one,” Scarlett said, pulling a dress in shades of gold and bronze and silver off a hanger. “Where did you purchase it? I haven’t seen anything like this in Dalcon. I’m obviously shopping at the wrong shops. Sanitizer unit is through there.”