by Susan Hayes
Laesa nodded. “You would not be wrong in your assessment.”
“I’ll leave you to eat and think. Promise me you won’t think too much.” Sophie handed over the sketches and then departed with a friendly wave.
Laesa had only taken a few bites of her meal when her wrist unit chimed with an incoming message. She checked it with reluctance, well aware of who the sender likely would be. She skimmed the message and then deleted it without replying, exactly as she had with the dozens of messages that had come before.
Nevhar Antor was an old family friend. He’d helped her uncle find and retrieve her from the vile Lord who had enslaved her. Once she was free, Nevhar had wasted very little time making it known that he was interested in her.
In the months that she had stayed with her uncle while she had recovered, Nevhar had tried to convince her to agree to his offer. No matter how many times she declined, he had persisted. He had made it clear that he wanted to care for her and cherish her the way her father would have wanted, but to Laesa it had felt too much like trading one sort of slavery for another. Nevhar was of an age with her father and was a male of strong, traditional Tarin values. She knew she could never be happy with him.
Her uncle had hoped that she would agree to Nevhar’s offer, but he didn’t try to stop her once she made up her mind to leave Tartarus. He knew that she’d been scarred by grief and her captivity, and so he’d let her go, even providing her with a supply of credits to get her started in her new life.
That should have been the end of it, but Nevhar hadn’t given up. Shortly after Sophie had given her the wrist unit, Laesa had arranged for a single message to be sent to her uncle. It hadn’t been an easy task given that Tartarus was not as technologically advanced as the Alliance and their allies. She’d given him her new wrist unit’s contact information in case of emergency. She had done it more as a gesture than anything else. She hadn’t expected to ever hear from anyone on Tartarus again.
She’d been wrong. Nevhar had managed to convince her uncle to give him the contact information, and then he’d somehow managed to get a hold of a wrist unit. He must have gone to Hades Outpost, the only Alliance presence on Tartarus, to get one. It would have cost him dearly. Now, he sent her messages every week, always making the same offer. He wanted her for himself, and nothing she said seemed to deter him, so she’d taken to ignoring him instead.
After Nevhar’s message, her mood didn’t improve until she’d finished her meal and picked up her sketchbook again. As she filled the pages with countless images of the Torven brothers a smile stole over her lips, and she found herself looking forward to their next meeting.
There had been a time in her life that she’d done all she could to avoid attracting male attention out of fear of being singled out for her master’s cruel attentions. That nightmare was over now, and she knew it was time to start living her life the way her parents would have wanted her to. The man who had terrorized her was dead by her uncle’s hand. She had her freedom. It was time to reclaim what had been taken from her and enjoy herself again the way she had before she’d been enslaved.
* * * *
Rhen arrived a few minutes early for his sitting with Laesa. He’d counted down the hours until his appointment, unable to focus on anything other than his desire to see her again. He and Sabar had spent their evening deep in conversation, and Laesa had been the only topic they’d discussed. She was an unexpected find, and they were both eager to spend time with her again. They’d done some cursory checking on her, only enough to confirm she was unattached. If she’d been spoken for, they’d have moved on. Since she appeared to be single, they had agreed they wanted to get to know her better.
She was Tarin, which meant she may not know that the Helios were a species who were influenced by their senses and instincts. They were both powerfully attracted to her on an almost primal level. That didn’t mean she would automatically feel the same way about them. They were going to have to court her, and that was new territory for them. They were used to enjoying the company of the endless stream of females attracted to their wealth or looks. They were always brief affairs with no promises and no long-term expectations. Laesa was going to be a challenge. One they were both looking forward to.
Her spice and floral scent filled his lungs the moment he entered her cramped studio, and he took a slow, deep breath. Her scent was finer than the most expensive perfumes he’d ever known. He knew he’d never forget it as long as he lived.
“Hello and good day, Rhen Torven,” Laesa said as she rose from her chair at the back of the room.
“And to you, Laesa. I hope you don’t mind my being early. I was keen to get started.”
“I was here early today as well,” she confessed with a shy smile.
“Then let’s begin. Where do you want me to sit?” he asked, doing his best to stay on point. She looked even lovelier than he remembered though there were faint shadows under her eyes that told him she hadn’t slept any better than he had. He hoped that she’d been as lost in thoughts of them as they had been of her.
She beckoned him toward her. “Everything is arranged back here. Would you like something to drink before we begin? Once you’re in position, it may be some time before you will be able to move again.”
“I’m fine, thank you. I ate lunch with my brother before coming here. He sends his greetings, by the way, and wanted me to tell you he’s looking forward to his sitting later this week.” He moved to the back of the gallery and spotted a comfortable looking chair positioned across from a blank canvas.
“Tell him I look forward to that as well. Painting twins will be interesting. I want to capture your differences as well as your similarities. At least, I intend to try.” She moved aside and gestured to the chair. “Please, sit.”
“You think we have differences?” he asked as he settled into the chair.
“Of course,” she replied.
“Tell me what you see. Everybody else has trouble telling us apart.”
She laughed. “Which is why you wear your hair shorter than your brother, yes? To help identify yourself.”
“The scars help, too. Though, not as much as you’d think.” He touched the side of his head to indicate the strands of pure white hair that grew there.
“That is one way you differ from Sabar. It’s not the only way. You are more controlled than he is. You move and speak different, as well.”
Rhen was intrigued by her observations. “You saw a lot considering how little time we were here. You’re right, I’m more restrained than my brother. At least I like to think so. I guess it’s because I’m the older sibling, even if it’s only by a matter of minutes.”
She swallowed rapidly and lowered her gaze before speaking again. “I sometimes see things others miss because I am Tarin. We can sense energy in other beings. It lets me see my subjects in ways others cannot.”
“That’s an interesting talent to have.” Rhen had heard about the Tarin ability but never given it much thought. He was looking forward to hearing more about her gift.
Laesa watched Rhen intently, looking for signs of unease at what she’d revealed. Not everyone reacted well to her explanation. Some feared she could read their thoughts and invade their privacy. Others found her ability strange and kept their distance from what they didn’t understand. Rhen didn’t show any such reaction. He seemed unperturbed by her explanation.
He was seated across from where she stood, looking entirely at ease. He’d dressed in a more casual style than he’d been yesterday. Instead of a tailored outfit, he’d chosen to wear a black shirt with loose sleeves and a V-neck he’d left only partially laced up. It suited him. He’d left his hair loose, and she was already considering what colors she would use to capture the red and gold shades.
“How does this work? What happens next?” he asked.
“Now, I tell you to get comfortable, and then I get you to move around until I think we’ve found the right pose. I like the way you’re sitting right
now. Relaxed, but in control.” She hadn’t meant to say that last bit out loud, but it was the truth. His confidence showed in the way he held himself, and she was undeniably attracted to him right now.
“Whatever you need me to do, Laesa.”
He made the offer with the faintest hint of a wink, and her pulse sped up in response. “Do I have your permission to touch you? It will make it easier if I can guide you into the position I have in mind.”
His smile deepened, and she caught a flicker of desire in his amber eyes. “You have my permission to touch me however you like.”
Her entire body started to hum with arousal at his flirtatious comment, and she was momentarily grateful that his species weren’t known to be telepathic. If they were, he’d know exactly how deeply his words were affecting her. She took his hands in hers, trying to keep her touch light but professional as she drew his arms into the right position. When she was satisfied, she stood up and took a few steps back to look at him again.
“Almost perfect,” she said, pleased to note her voice was steady.
“Something still out of place?” he asked.
“Not at all. All that’s missing is your smile. Unless you would rather look solemnly down upon anyone who views this painting?”
He grinned at her. “I don’t think so. Dour looks of disapproval were never my favorite expressions. My mother will want to see us smiling.”
“In that case, we’re ready to begin. Now comes the boring part. I fear that you need to stay still. I’m going to capture a few images so that I can reference them later and then I’ll start your portrait.”
He started to nod, then stopped himself. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”
Laesa hurried to take the images she needed, then took a seat in front of her easel. “We can talk as I work if you like. It should help pass the time.”
“I’d like that,” Rhen said. He wanted to speak with her. To know more about who she was, and how she’d wound up on an Alliance space station so far from Tartarus. He also wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. It was likely a good thing he wasn’t supposed to move. Otherwise, he’d be tempted to haul her into his lap. His skin still tingled where she’d touched him, and her scent was still wrapped around him like an invisible caress. The next few hours were going to be some of the longest of his life.
She gave him an assessing look, and her gaze never left him as she reached for a stylus of some sort and began moving it across the canvas in front of her. He couldn’t see what she was drawing, and he found it fascinating that she could draw without really looking at what she was doing. Before he could comment on it, she began to speak.
“After we met yesterday, I realized I knew very little about your culture or world. My people have kept their distance from the other races. I’ve learned so much since I left Tartarus, but there’s still much I don’t know. I intended to do some general research on Helix, but I was distracted by the images I found of your world. It’s beautiful, Rhen. So lush and vibrant. I think I would like to go there someday so I can experience it for myself.”
Her expression was close to reverent as she spoke of his home, and he found himself making an unplanned offer. “If you ever decide to make the journey, Sabar and I would be happy to show you around our home world. We go back a few times a year to visit family and see to our business connections there. In fact, if you wanted to, you could travel with us on our ship, the Auranox.”
“You’d take me to Helix?” she asked, her eyes wide and her expression a mix of disbelief and wariness.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it. Yes, I’d take you home with me, Laesa. It would be my pleasure to show you the beauty of my home world. I understand that we don’t know each other well enough for you to agree right now, but perhaps later you’ll consider it.”
“You really have your own ship? You can travel the stars at will?”
He nodded. “We have our own ship. Actually, we have several. In the beginning, we relied on others to transport our goods, but over time we’ve acquired a few freighters of our own. Their crews are loyal to us and very good at what they do.”
“Thank you. That is a most generous offer. I’m not sure where I will go after I leave here. Perhaps I will get to see Helix sooner than I imagined I could,” she said.
“As it happens, we’re heading home once things are all arranged here. We travel a lot to keep an eye on our business, but we always know where we’re going. How is it you don’t know where you’ll go next?”
Laesa shrugged. “I haven’t been traveling for long. I booked passage to one of the Beta Stations because it was an easy journey. Once there, I met a human woman named Sophie and her bonded. She and I became friends. When her bonded were transferred to this station, she asked me to come here and paint a mural for her new restaurant. This is a military station, though. There isn’t much demand for my work, so I’ll need to move on eventually. I have been too busy to give much thought to where I’ll go next. My life isn’t very organized, yet. Not like you and your brother.”
“We didn’t start out organized. We left home not long after we returned from the Hunt. In the beginning, we had grand plans and not much else besides each other and a determination not to fail.”
“If you will forgive my curiosity, what exactly is the Hunt?” she asked.
“It’s a rite of passage for my race. The year we turn twenty we are sent deep into the jungle where things are still wild and dangerous. We have to make our own way out. Those who survive are marked with a scar over our hearts to signify we have proven our worth.”
She stopped what she was doing and stared at him with wide eyes. “You said those who survive are marked. Not everyone lives?”
Rhen started to shake his head, then froze as he remembered he was supposed to stay still. “It would have no meaning if there was no risk involved.”
“I am glad that you and your brother survived and proved your worth. Your parents must be proud of you. I cannot imagine how it would feel to have to watch those you love go and risk their lives that way. If you’ll forgive me for asking, is that where you got your scars, during the Hunt?” She paused in her work to look at him, her lovely eyes filled with questions.
Rhen allowed himself a small smile. “I don’t mind you asking. The scars are a memento of a reckless childhood. They’re a reminder of what I managed to survive, despite my own stupidity. Sabar and I decided we knew better than our elders, and went too far into the jungle alone. We were attacked by a bortax. A nasty-tempered creature, and a fiercely territorial one. We killed it, but not before it clipped me with its claws. That was the last time I disobeyed the rules…for a few years, anyway. As for my parents, my fathers are very proud of us. My mother is, too, though she worries that we’re going soft out here.”
“Has she seen the two of you lately? I may not be an expert on the physiology of your race, but I can’t imagine anyone describing you or your brother as soft.”
“How would you describe us, then?” he asked, unable to resist the opening she’d given him.
“Powerful,” she answered without hesitation. “You both look civilized on the surface, but I sense there’s more to you than that. Yesterday you both showed hints of something else.”
“Yesterday you caught us in an unguarded moment. We were…” He paused as he considered his next words. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I wasn’t expecting the two of you, either. I am glad you came to see my paintings. I will confess that I have been looking forward to speaking to you both again.”
“It’s the same for us. Would you consider letting us take you for dinner sometime? It would give us a chance to talk some more without you having to work at the same time.”
Laesa nodded. Whatever was growing between the three of them, she wanted it to continue. Simply seeing Rhen again had her heart racing. The more they spoke, the more she discovered she enjoyed his company. If things went as well with
Sabar, then she would be a fool to refuse their invitation. Sophie was right. It was time to move forward with her life.
“I would be pleased to share a meal with you and your brother,” she said.
Rhen’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Good. I have the perfect place in mind already. Now, I think we have spoken enough about me. I want to hear about you, Laesa. Tell me something about yourself. Anything you like.”
She took a moment to consider, then said, “Anything at all? Very well then. I’ve never seen an ocean except in pictures. I would like to see one someday. In fact, I have a list of places I’d like to visit, and things I’d like to see. When my life was darkest, I’d escape by thinking about everything I hoped to see one day. I never truly thought I’d get a chance to experience any of them.”
“And yet, here you are painting my portrait on an Alliance space station, lightyears away from your planet. Getting the chance to live our dreams seems to be something we have in common.”
She liked that idea. “It would seem so.”
“Tell me some of the other things that are on this list of yours.”
She’d be more than happy to share some of the dreams that had kept her from losing all hope during her years as a slave, but there were some she wasn’t ready to confess yet. Especially the one about wanting to see a Helios shift to their animal form. She had a feeling that if she did get to witness that, she’d want more than just to look. She’d want to touch, and that would lead down a path with only one outcome. Best not to mention it…yet.
The next few hours passed quickly as they talked and Laesa captured Rhen’s likeness on her canvas. By the time they were done, her shoulders ached and her hands were tired. Even still, she was reluctant to end their session. Talking with Rhen had been fun and had given her a chance to get to know him. He was smart, with a quick wit, and an easy way about him she found as attractive as his handsome features and hard body.