by Viola Grace
Chapter Five
The Kao townhouse was lovely and had three servants who kept the place ready for any and all guests.
“The negotiations will be done in the dining room. Witnesses for both parties will be present, and we will begin immediately after your meal. Vehn just let me know you have not been eating well. We will soon fix that.” Mir smiled and showed sharp white teeth.
At a few quiet commands, the maid had Meribeth’s bag and took it upstairs while Mir led her into the dining room where another servant was preparing a tea set.
“I feel it best if you get used to the feel of this room as you are going to be running the festivities.” Mir ushered her to the head of the table.
Mir took her seat and stared at Meri. “You must be very hot in all that fabric.”
Meribeth smiled. “No, I can manage just fine. The suit is conditioned to respond to my body and heat or cool me accordingly.”
“It looks horribly warm.” Mir frowned.
“It is fine. I am used to it and have been in far heavier suits over the years. This one lets my skin breathe a little.”
The maid brought the tea. Meri took it with a smile. Her brows rose in surprise when she tasted her favourite herb blend. “Where did this come from?”
Mir smiled, “Vehn called ahead and had us stock this place with your favourites so that you would feel at home. I believe my son is smitten with you.”
Meri got a little nervous and then spoke her mind. “He has other matters on his plate for now. He will soon grow out of any interest he has in me.”
“You don’t know him as well as you think then. My son makes up his mind, and he pursues his decision with everything in him. Today, he will gain custody of his daughter, and from then on, his path will be clear.”
Meri swallowed. “Well, I suppose I shall stay out of his path then. I am sure that he will want to situate Niika in one of his underwater homes.”
Mir drank her tea. “Well, he will, once he is wed. While many children are raised in a single-parent home, that will not always be the case. Vehn has decided on you, Meribeth. You had better get used to the idea.”
Meri’s hand clenched around the delicate cup, and she felt it give. She put it down immediately. “What he wants is immaterial. I have not been consulted on this matter, nor will I simply hand myself over to a man I do not know.”
A smile crossed the older woman’s features. “He does not enthrall you?”
“He does, but I fight it. My will wins over my instincts and that is what I believe to be spurring his foul temper.”
“Excellent. Vehn has had too easy a life when it comes to ladies falling into his arms. A little fight will be good for him.”
Meri lifted her cup once again and didn’t say anything. There would be time enough to speak when she was mediating. For now, she was simply trying to keep her calm.
Meri was sitting at the dressing table, putting the last touches on her appearance when the maid came to the door. “Miss, they are here and gathered in the dining room.”
“Thank you, Hala. I will be down presently.” Meribeth got to her feet in a rush of fabric. Her mediator robes had not wrinkled at all in storage, and the sombre grey of them brought a small smile to her lips. It had been too long since she had worn them, and she had missed the feeling of belonging that the robes brought to her.
She had managed three assignments as mediator before her nerves had cracked. Calming and counselling at the same time was more than she could manage.
Her robes had a special addition. The peak of the cowl had a gem set on it that fastened to her forehead and glowed when she used her calming talent. It was considered fair warning for her clients that they were getting out of control.
Meribeth took one last look in the mirror and sighed. One assignment and off to wherever the Alliance sent her. It was time to get to work.
She had been situated in a lovely guest suite, and it was a few seconds until she reached the stairs and made her way to the dining hall where everyone was waiting.
The men got to their feet when she entered and the women remained seated. Nina was pale and lovely, and the two men with her looked uncomfortable with the situation. Meribeth recognized one of them. “Captain Nnar. How nice to see you again so soon.”
He jerked and stared. “Miss Arkany. You really are here for work.”
She inclined her head and took her seat at the head of the table, gesturing for everyone to sit. “We are here to engage in the transfer of custody of Niika. Nina Volar Nnar, what are your requests for the compensation of Niika’s first few years?”
Nina lifted her head and looked shyly at Vehn while the man next to her—her husband—glared at the Lahash who had gotten to his bride first.
“The compensation offered by the Kao family has been enough. The house, the land, everything is more than enough for the joy of raising Niika. Can she come visit me?”
Nina’s husband shifted and the waves of anger coming off him were palpable, so Meri quashed them under a wave of calm. She did the same to the Kaos.
Meri broke up the glaring contest between the two sides. “While this is a custody transfer, bear in mind that it is all about a little girl who had no choice in how she came into this world. There was no force, no subterfuge, merely a mating that resulted in another Lahash being born. It is about her, not the families.”
Nina’s husband nodded tightly and leaned back. “She will need to visit at least once a month. Her brothers will miss her.”
Meri looked to Vehn and felt him struggling against her aura of calm. “Is that feasible?”
He nodded. “It will be done. Every third eight-day?”
Meri sighed as they got into the details of the exchange. Niika’s school reports would be sent to Nina, she would visit once a Reepha month, and copies of all artwork would be sent to her mother for the first five years. Nina also requested that she meet any prospective mate of Vehn’s before he made it final so that she could offer her opinion of her daughter’s new mother. Vehn agreed and inclined his head, requesting that Meri make a note of all parties involved in the negotiation. If his intentions were serious, Nina had just met his prospective mate. As Meri listened, it became apparent that if one parent was blood, the mate of that parent was simply adopted as the other parent. It was the Reepha way.
By the time the documents had been drafted and everyone signed them, including Nina’s husband, Orenn Nnar, Meri was exhausted from keeping everyone calm.
Mir got to her feet with Hisk at her side, and they left the room. They came back with a little girl with pale blue skin and eyes the same beautiful violet of her father’s.
The little girl looked through the assembled adults, and when she saw her father, she started to run. Vehn caught her up and tears were in his eyes.
Orenn wrapped an arm around his wife and squeezed her as tears tracked down both their faces. It appeared that knowing it was coming did not make it any easier.
Niika was examining her father’s features, pulling at his hair that was shades darker than her own and pressing her webbed fingers to his.
Meri could feel the psychic bond between them the moment it snapped into place. They were father and daughter as if no time had separated them, and Meri was learning a lesson in Reepha breeding. There really was more than one way of making a family.
She gathered her data pads and moved away from the gathering to file the documents with the local authorities. In what she would qualify as the living room, she sat and filed custody documents with the Sivith government, the Lahash government, the Reepha registry and the Kao family trust.
“So, your work is never done.” Captain Nnar was standing in the doorway.
She jumped and settled quickly, making sure that nothing was missed. “Well, that is the life of a mediator. We come in, do our jobs and then have to prove that we were there to begin with. It’s peculiar, but it’s a living.”
He came up to her and took a seat next to her on the
couch. “You did not mention that you were affiliated with the Kao family.”
“You did not mention that Niika Kao was your niece. We could not cover everything in our short meeting.” She smiled and kept her hands folded loosely in her lap.
“Would you join me for dinner tomorrow evening? I mean now that your duty here is discharged, you might want to see some of our world before you move on.”
A thundercloud of emotion stormed in from the hall. “She will be having dinner with me tomorrow night, Keel, and every night after if I have my way. You must find your companions elsewhere.”
Vehn stood in the doorway and Niika mimicked his scowl from her perch on his hip.
Keel smiled, but there was hardness in his eyes. “You can’t lay claim to all the attractive women in the world, Vehn.”
“No, but I can lay claim to her. Besides, she is my employee, she goes where I tell her to.”
Meri got to her feet, gathered her documents and inclined her head to both men. “As you do not need me for this conversation, I will retire for the evening.”
Vehn stepped aside as she passed him, but Meri felt a light touch against her cheek. “She is mad, Daddy.”
Meribeth kept her own frustration at being argued over to herself until she reached her rooms. She let the anger swirl out of her in a cascade and had to force herself to pull it back when her eyes told her that the room was glowing red. She pulled the stone away from her forehead and removed the robes that caused her nothing but grief.
Keeping her mind and body calm was fine, but when she had to squelch hate, jealousy and manipulation, it enraged her. She could not know what they were thinking and try to talk them through it at the same time. To know that someone was lying about something being necessary to quality of life was one thing, but to have to act as if you didn’t know was something else entirely. She was ready to hit something, and she had no target available.
She groaned and sat at the dressing table, shucking the robes off and enjoying the darkness that fell when the gem was removed.
“I have not seen that gemstone on other mediators, what is its purpose?” Vehn’s voice came from her doorway.
Meri turned and throttled back her temper again. “Its purpose is to tell others when I am dampening their emotions. It is considered manipulation of the mediation if I do not have it on.”
He came into her room and Niika pattered after him, curiously investigating the Terran objects that Meri always travelled with. She was deliberate and careful as she examined each item, including Meri’s MP3 player and headphones.
Meri smiled at the little girl and let the smile fade when she looked up at Vehn. “Was there something you wanted?”
He reached out and touched her cheek before she could pull away. He blinked, “How can you be so angry and show nothing?”
She grimaced and got to her feet, folding her robes and placing them back in their pack. “Practice. Now that you have ratified custody of Niika, will you give me that reference so that I can move on? I have to keep something in mind or my emotions get a little out of control.”
He sighed, “Thank you for being honest with me.”
She blinked and realised that between his touch and her words, he had figured out what her problem truly was. “I wasn’t. You are guessing.”
“I am guessing that your mind has to go forward or it reels out of your control. You dampen other emotions because you have to and it broadcasts to those near you. It is not that you have no feeling for me, it is simply that you feel too much.”
Meri opened her mouth to blast him verbally, but Niika’s small features peered up at her. Meri held in her mood, and Vehn nodded as if it was proof of his theory.
Niika took Meri’s hand and smiled, “It’s a happy time. I will learn to swim tomorrow, and my daddy wishes you to come with us to his lake house.”
The warmth and enthusiasm of the girl took hold of Meri’s soul and gave a sharp tug. Weakly, she smiled. “Of course I will come with you, since I have been invited.”
Niika wrapped her arms around Meri’s legs and gave her a hug before returning to her father. There was satisfaction in Vehn’s lovely eyes, and Meri nodded toward him. He had won this round, but she was going to continue her fight.
Chapter Six
The humidity of the city was a memory. The comfortably warm air around the lake made it easy for the Lahash to enter and leave at will.
Vehn was shameless. Niika had brought her Lahash-style clothing for the day and while they were in the black and gold of her uniform, Meribeth was nervous about all the exposed skin she was showing. The top was surprisingly supportive, a bandeau wrapped her breasts and a halter supported them while leaving her gills free. Meri let her hair down in an effort to gain more cover, smiling when she realised that her hair matched her clothing.
She had always known that the peculiar shade of black was abnormal, but the gold highlights that had developed when she left the Terran atmosphere were signs of a mixed species mating back in her ancestry. She had never pursued the details. Frankly, she enjoyed not knowing.
The skirt she was wearing was made of two wide panels that were joined on a drawstring. A wide belt covered the top of the skirt and hid the ties. Grumbling, Meri left her room to find Niika and Vehn. They were waiting for her in the family room at the base of the stairs.
“Meribeth, you look…” Vehn’s mouth closed but his eyes were hot.
“Pretty. You look very pretty.” Niika came forward and took her hand. “Papa, will you take us swimming now?”
He nodded and Niika hauled Meribeth out of the lake house and down to the water.
Meri looked back at him, and his gaze caught hers. He looked better than he had yesterday in his suit, now that he was wearing a short wrap around his hips and nothing else.
The webbing between his fingers was more obvious now as was the webbing on Niika’s hands. Niika wanted to jump in the water, but Vehn stopped her. “Wait until I am out in the water and then come to me. It will feel strange at first, but you will soon start breathing through your gills. It may be scary but I will be here, all right?”
Niika smiled and nodded. “Will Meribeth come too?”
Meri winced. “It will take some time. My species is not designed to breathe water, so I have to fight instinct a lot harder than you do.”
“Will you try?”
“I will try.” Giving in to the child was not a good idea, but Niika’s grip was radiating affection and hopefulness.
Vehn moved easily into the water, his thighs causing small ripples in the lake’s surface. When he reached waist deep, he dove under, and Meri could see his body twisting and frolicking beneath the surface.
When he stabilized, he raised a hand and beckoned Niika forward.
Niika let go of Meribeth’s hand and blundered into the water.
On the grass, Meri held her breath as Niika first went under, her chubby legs flailing. A stream of bubbles rose to the surface and then was still. Meri could make out the silhouette of father and daughter as Niika began to breathe water.
Five minutes passed and two hands came out of the water, beckoning her in. Shuddering, Meri took one step after another, putting one foot in front of the other. She touched her gills and confirmed that they were still there, but when she was up to her breasts in water, she paused.
Hands touched her under the water, one sweeping at the back of her knees and the other holding her head. Vehn pressed his lips to her in a kiss that took her breath away. Her heart pounded, and she pressed herself against him, not wanting to come up for air. In a rush, her gills opened and began to breathe for her.
Vehn’s mouth parted from hers. I thought that might work.
Cheater. Blood was pounding between her thighs, in her breasts and through her neck. She was hot in the cool water.
A result is a result. Come now, Niika is waiting to see her new school. Vehn kept his grip on her hand and kicked deeper into the water. Niika took his other hand, a
nd they slowly explored the world under the lake’s surface.
With Vehn’s hand on hers, she was careful to monitor her thoughts. The skirt allowed her to slowly kick as they approached a glowing expanse.
The Lahash city of Yeri. I have a home here as well. It will be where Niika goes to school.
What about your properties in the oceans?
My father still takes care of them. Ocean living is treated as a retirement of sorts. It keeps the Lahash fit and independent from their grown children. Lakes are for families.
I see.
Not yet, but you will.
Their path took them next to other groups of water folk. The other groups nodded their heads in greeting, but everyone swam to the same place.
It looks like we are schooling. Everyone here has a child.
That is because Niika has been enrolled in classes here. She is a year late entering so will have to catch up, but she is bright, and I have no doubt that she will manage just fine.
Does she know?
She does. I have been speaking with her while we made our way here. She wants to meet other Lahash children.
Meri looked around. They seem to be all boys.
She will sort them out in no time. Vehn laughed in her mind, and she gave a genuine smile without the normal grimace that came with it.
Meri had to ask, Did you explain the purge to her?
I did. She knows how to do it, and the teacher is standing by to help her out of the water.
Out of the water?
Our cities are bubbles. We live in air, only using our gills for swimming. I am surprised that you didn’t know this.
I sort of got stuck on the mating behaviours. The idea of the spawning freaks me out.
We will discuss it later. Here is the school.
Meri hung back as he swam to the airlock with Niika, waving at the little one as she turned to flap her hand with a huge grin on her small face.
Meri floated in place, the water in her body providing the neutral buoyancy she normally lacked. Family after family swam up and the couples left without their little ones. A few fathers brought their children alone, and Meri watched those men carefully bring their little ones into the school just like the other families.