“What is it? What’s going on?” Jessa tried to see around him, even standing on her tip toes, but he was simply too big. He completely blocked the doorway.
“There’s some sort of animal in my room. I’ve never seen it’s like before, although it is similar to a miniature has-gra.”
At that moment, a strident meow sounded from the other side of Gorzo’s barrier.
“Figgy!” Jessa pushed on the solid wall that was her lover. She only succeeded in moving herself back a few steps. “Gorzo, Mewster McFiggins is my pet. He’s not actually a real animal. He’s a Servo Cat 7000. A robot. He also plays music, acts as an alarm clock, and makes java. And toast—but I never use that feature because where the toast enters and exits is just… disturbing.”
“Are you saying this thing is harmless? Some human technology that your people find useful?”
“Yes, of course! Just look at him. He’s adorable!” This time, Jessa managed to slip around Gorzo as he shifted to the side to give her a better look into the room. She went over to Figgy, who mewed in greeting, his tail high and shaking as he looked up at her with huge adoring eyes. Without hesitation, she scooped him up into a hug, feeling the metal armature beneath the soft faux fur as a rumbling purr rolled in Figgy’s chest.
Gorzo was suddenly at her side, glaring suspiciously at Figgy. “I’m surprised the prince allowed such technology to enter Sanctuary.”
Jessa shook her head at his disapproving tone. “I had Figgy scanned and practically taken apart just to get clearance from your prince and princess.” She turned to face Gorzo, meeting his eyes, wanting him to understand how important Figgy was to her. “Please, he’s been good company for me. I don’t… I’ve never had anyone to—”
His glare softened as he turned his attention to Jessa and off the cat in her arms. “If it’s that important to you, it can stay.” His lips twisted in disgust as he studied the cat again. “I can’t believe that’s a machine. If you truly want a pet, we can find one that’s warm and alive.”
“Figgy is warm! He’s the 7000 model. He has a heater and a simulated heartbeat.”
Gorzo sighed and shook his head. “Humans.”
*****
The introduction of Mewster McFiggins to Gorzo put a momentary damper on his ardor, which turned out to be fortunate for Jessa, because along with Figgy, her other belongings had been delivered. Though she didn’t have many, she had enough to occupy some time sorting through them and deciding where she would place them, once the furniture they’d ordered arrived.
Gorzo looked over each item she pulled from her cases with interest, making comments that often caused her to giggle, something she hadn’t done in so long she could hardly remember doing so.
“What’s the purpose of those?” he asked of the first pair of underwear she pulled from her case.
“It’s underwear. You wear it under your clothes.” Since she’d been wearing the torn remains of her dress that she’d managed to make somewhat presentable after their first lovemaking, and had no underwear left because Gorzo had torn it to shreds, she was happy to finally have a replacement pair.
He raised an eyebrow at the offending garment. “Why would you want to wear more clothes under your clothes?”
Jessa refolded the underwear and put it to the side for placement into the chest she’d selected that was supposed to be delivered later that day. She didn’t figure she’d need to wear the underwear at the moment, because she had plans for Gorzo after she finished unpacking. “It’s just… I don’t know, more sanitary?”
“Was that a question? Are you saying even you don’t know why you burden your body with more clothing than you require to regulate your temperature? You were not born with clothing, I assume?”
Jessa crossed her arms over her chest, noting the way his gaze went right to her plumped breasts, pushing out around the knotted straps of her dress. “Of course we aren’t born with clothes! Like you said, we wear them for protection against the weather or environment.” She shrugged, wanting to laugh at the way his eyes remained fixed on her chest. “My face is up here.”
His gaze snapped back to hers. Lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, he grinned sheepishly.
“Clothes also allow us to remain modest, so we can keep the focus of others on our conversation.” She arched an eyebrow at him.
“I heard everything you said.”
“Really? What exactly did I say?”
Gorzo’s eyes widened. He glanced around the room as if an answer could be found written on the walls. A moment ticked by, then another. Jessa tapped her foot.
Suddenly, Gorzo turned towards the door. “I’ve been summoned! Very important matters to deal with.” He even managed to sound sincere as he headed towards the door. “I hate to leave you, but I’ve been told that Lady Lilith and the princess will be here momentarily to help you settle in.”
“Uh-huh. I think you’re using a pretty convenient escape route.”
He paused and looked back over his shoulder at her. His lips spread in another grin, this one far more cunning. “Escape from what? Weren’t your exact words: ‘Of course we aren’t born with clothes. Like you said, we wear them for protection against the weather, or environment?’” His smile slipped into a more serious expression as he turned to fully face her. “I pay attention to every word you say, Schodecora.” Sketching a bow, he spun on his heel and opened the door, slipping quietly from the room.
Not even two minutes later—by Figgy’s clock—there was a knock on the door.
Chapter 13
Despite their grand titles, Lady Lilith and Princess Stacia were friendly, open, and instantly likable. Jessa only wished that she could drop her guard with them and become true friends, as it was clear that they were eager to bring her into their fold. Given how few humans they got to see on a daily basis, she didn’t blame them. Certainty that they were probably desperate for human company—rather than genuinely interested in her—helped her keep their friendliness in perspective. She wondered if they would grow tired of her solemn nature as quickly as other people had.
It didn’t seem likely, since both Lilith and Stacia had no problem filling the long awkward silences that happened whenever Jessa struggled to find the right thing to say. If she couldn’t answer their questions, they asked a different one or added their own answer for her. In fact, being in their company was so easy for her, and so devoid of the social pressure she usually felt around other women, that she surprised herself when she realized she was having a good time.
The women took her shopping, insisting that her wardrobe wasn’t nearly what it should be for a general’s concubine. When she told them she’d been shopping with Gorzo for furniture, they’d laughed and said it figured that men never thought of the basic necessities a woman needed.
Those necessities included not only dresses in what seemed to be every color that didn’t clash with her mahogany hair and pale skin, but also veils, cosmetics, and even shampoo, conditioner and body soap designed specifically for her to complement her natural scent. Apparently, the umbrose found the chemical scent of most human cleansers offensive to their olfactory senses. They used all-natural oils derived from many of the plants and flowers in the jungle, combining them to complement each individual.
Jessa was growing tired. Though she’d slept after her lovemaking with Gorzo, she was still experiencing the exhaustion caused by the massive upheaval in her life. Perhaps it was this exhaustion that led to her incaution with Stacia.
She’d been trying on dresses in one of the many shops the garrulous women had dragged her to, when she’d gotten caught up in the tight skirt. Though most of the dresses fit her off the rack—despite both Stacia and Lilith’s warnings that umbrose dresses ran small compared to human clothes—this one proved their warning.
Stacia must’ve heard her sound of distress somehow, though Jessa was trying to quietly extricate herself without tearing the perfect, tiny stitches that to her amazement had been done by hand
.
Suddenly, the princess of the umbrose was slipping through the curtain into her dressing room to help her remove the dress.
Having grown up in an orphanage, Jessa had very little concern with being undressed around other women, yet in this case, it turned out to be a decidedly awkward moment, as Stacia’s attention paused on her lower abdomen and the silvery-purple marks that marred the pale skin there.
To her credit, the princess did not comment on the marks and quickly assisted Jessa out of her predicament. For the remainder of the shopping trip and their lunch afterwards, both Stacia and Lilith remained friendly and engaging. Yet Jessa feared that the damage had been done. Gorzo may not recognize the marks, but a human woman most likely would.
*****
Gorzo was exhausted, but so exhilarated that he didn’t care. He had a concubine to return to, so this time when he dragged himself back to his quarters after endless meetings with the prince and his cabinet, he was filled with anticipation, rather than the usual loneliness.
He’d been assured that Lady Lilith and the princess would take good care of his concubine while he was wrapped up in Balfor’s meetings, and he trusted both women to do what was best for their fellow human. According to Ranove, Lilith and Stacia were thrilled to have another human woman to hang out with. They would see to the assignment of handmaidens for Jessa, which would probably be chosen from the female umbrose who’d started learning the human language five years ago when Lilith had first come to Sanctuary.
Gorzo also knew a lot of the language, but still had difficulty speaking it. He was tired of the translators he and Jessa wore, but at least he’d grown accustomed to the tinny repetition of their words. He harbored a hope that Jessa would learn to speak umbrose, although he was willing to try to converse in her language. He just hoped he learned not to mangle it too much.
He’d almost reached his quarters when Princess Stacia appeared in front of him in a swirl of shadows. Familiar with her abrupt appearances, he only hesitated a second before bowing in greeting. “Your Highness.”
She nodded her head in acknowledgement, but it was clear she was disturbed by something. “Gorzo.”
“Was there something you needed, Your Highness?”
She looked away from him, studying the corridor they stood in as if she feared someone would be listening. Yet given her abilities, she would likely already know who was nearby. “I was hoping to talk to you about Jessa for a moment.”
Happiness filled him when Stacia mentioned the name of his concubine. If it hadn’t been for her and Lady Lilith, he never would have met Jessa. “I have you to thank for her. There are no words to express my gratitude but know that I am in your debt.”
Her eyes crinkled above her veil as if she were wincing. “Yeah, um, I’m glad you’re happy, Gorzo. You deserve it. I just….”
He waited patiently, though he was eager to return to Jessa. Even if she hadn’t been his princess, he bore too much respect for Stacia to brush her off. Something had brought her to him and away from her own duties.
“Has she told you much about herself?” Stacia’s tone was hesitant.
“She’s told me some things. She’s still learning to trust me. I can tell she’s had a difficult time trusting people.”
The princess sighed, wringing her hands in front of her. “Damn! I agree. She’s very slow to open up. I’m not sure if I should… but what if this is something that could hurt you.” She grabbed her head with both hands, wincing again, though this time it looked like she was in pain. “Shut up, damn you! Just shut up! I’ll tell him already!”
Gorzo had seen the princess, as well as Prince Balfor, struggle with the power they were given through their connection to the Mother of Shadows. The Mother often communicated with them through the voices of her shadows, but it apparently wasn’t an easy thing for them to deal with. He knew that Stacia would work through it, so offered no comment or advice. She would do what she was willed to do by the Mother. What concerned him more was her cryptic comments and what they might mean.
She dropped her hands, composing herself with a few deep breaths. “Has Jessa ever mentioned having any children?”
This wasn’t what Gorzo had expected to hear, but the question took him aback. “I read her profile. She has no family and has never had one. There was never any mention of offspring.”
Stacia nodded. “I know. It could have been a stillborn, but that’s unusual in Dome City. Reproduction is strictly controlled and monitored even under the rule of the Common Counsel. How could she have slipped a pregnancy through the system without any documentation?”
Gorzo almost grabbed the princess by her arms to shake her in impatience. His primal growled in his chest. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he didn’t like the course this conversation was taking, and he wanted answers now. “What makes you think my concubine was ever pregnant?”
Her eyes widened at the growl that came from him, but then she relaxed, perhaps recalling that she had powers he couldn’t match, despite the disparity in their size and strength. “She has stretchmarks on her lower abdomen that are indicative of a past pregnancy. Most women who’ve given birth view those marks as a badge of honor. It means they were granted the privilege to procreate—which is a difficult privilege to earn. Perhaps… no. Even if she were a surrogate, it would have been noted in multiple places in her files.”
He recalled the markings on Jessa’s stomach, and her unhappy reaction to his noticing them. It might have been defensiveness, but it had also been sadness. Those markings made her unhappy. Not the fact that he’d seen them. “Can you be certain that these marks are because of a pregnancy?”
Stacia’s eyes closed for a brief moment as she sighed heavily. “I’m positive. I suppose there could be another explanation, but I can’t think of one. Jessa doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who’s ever struggled with her weight. She also had no stretchmarks anywhere else on her body. If they were weight-related, she probably would have had them removed as most women do. The only reason to keep them is to remind herself of….”
Despite the fact that Jessa was the one who’d kept this information out of her profile and hadn’t mentioned it, Gorzo was angry at Stacia for telling him, not at his concubine for keeping this secret from him. “What purpose does telling me this serve? I don’t care what’s in her past. She’s my concubine. I accept her as she is.” He didn’t say what he really wanted to; still struggling to admit the truth to himself, though he’d already been calling Jessa Schodecora—his beautiful mate.
She was more than his concubine. That was a concept of the city umbrose who’d lost the luxury of monogamous relationships due to the attrition of their females. His people had a different view. He was almost certain that Jessa was meant for him. Like Kasara before her, Jessa was his true-mate, her soul fashioned to perfectly complement his. There was no other reason he felt such a kinship to her. There was no other reason his primal wanted to hurt the princess he had so much respect for, simply for betraying Jessa’s trust by telling him a secret Jessa was not yet prepared for him to know.
“Gorzo, this is a huge secret! If she’s not telling you about this, what other secrets might she be keeping?”
He tried to keep his anger out of his voice. “Princess, I respect you and appreciate your concern, but whatever secrets my concubine has are hers to reveal to me, not yours. I will hear no more about this.” For the first time since Stacia had become Balfor’s princess, Gorzo brushed past her without a parting bow of respect.
Her words followed him down the corridor. “I just hope you won’t get hurt by this.”
Gorzo suspected that he’d already been hurt. The pain just hadn’t registered yet.
Chapter 14
Servo Cat 7000 Modified Protocol Activated.
SC7000—formally known as Mewster McFiggins—surveyed the room from its charging station. No detectable life forms remained. Both the umbrose and Diakonos Apprentice Ellis had left the chamber
after a brief period of sleep and a long period of intercourse. Though satellite activation had happened hours ago, now was the safest time for the SC7000 to proceed with its mission.
Jumping from its charging station, SC7000 headed to the door. The fact that it was closed posed little problem for the robot as it jumped up and caught the handle, hanging from it with both paws. The door opened on its own, revealing that the umbrose did not bother to lock their doors within the confines of the royal palace.
This meant that there were other means of security within the palace. SC7000 would need to use all of its new stealth upgrades to get to its destination. It would be a long journey, and it didn’t have much time to reach its destination, but then again, it had been given the most advanced technology the Holy Order had to complete this mission.
Chapter 15
Jessa could spend all day kissing Gorzo. Once he’d gotten accustomed to the experience, he’d embraced it enthusiastically, though it was initially somewhat difficult with his sharp teeth. Still, he’d bent his considerable focus to mastering that skill. It hadn’t taken him long.
His lips made her melt. His tongue lashed her into a frenzy. It was difficult to remember that they were still in a somewhat public place rather than in their quarters. She’d almost climbed onto his lap, forgetting that the darkened theater was still visible to every umbrose there and most of the audience were probably watching them curiously rather than watching the live action play taking place on the stage.
Jessa had initially been focused on the play herself, enjoying the novelty of real live actors who had the added benefit of being winged. Gorzo had a private box high above the audience, but that didn’t stop people from being able to see into it. Especially since other high-ranking umbrose had boxes on the same or upper levels.
It was during intermission that she lost interest in the play. No longer distracted by the actors and unable to keep her hands to herself, she’d started rubbing Gorzo’s thigh, so temptingly close to her on the seat beside her.
Jessabelle's Beast (Shadows in Sanctuary Book 3) Page 10