“She must stay in her tank of water to survive. You can’t go in the tank with her. Do you understand?”
“Chirp! Chirp!” Thunderdrop wrapped himself around Quaid’s neck and nuzzled him. Then, he stared at his new pet octopus.
“She eats fish, clams, and crabs. Her tank is very special. It will clean and regulate itself. When it needs water added, the panel will tell you how much. It will filter through saline tablets to make the water comfortable for her. Her food should be dropped in here.” He showed us a plasti-glass door with a locking mechanism. “Also, you can give her toys with which to play. Let Teagan help you to remove them. It is important that you keep this lid on so she doesn’t climb out. She needs the water to survive. She can squeeze into tiny spaces. Inside of those rocks are little caves in which she can hide.” Quaid pointed them out.
Thunderdrop watched his octopus and blinked. Quaid reached inside of a container, pulled out a small crab, and dropped it into the tank. The octopus stalked it, caught it, surrounded it with her tentacles, and tore it apart.
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop said before he began to purr.
“She can’t fit through these holes. Can she?”
“No, they are just large enough for the system to pull air into the tank.”
“Where did you find her?”
Quaid whispered, “After a brief search on my vid-screen, I found her at a local restaurant.”
“They sold you their pet?”
“No, they sold me a menu item.” My face had to appear horrified. “It’s okay. She is safe now. I couldn’t have both of you sad and broken-hearted.”
Thunderdrop purred and pressed himself against the glass. My eyes teared up.
“Quaid Bosh, I love you. You are a sweet, kind, considerate man.”
His hand went to the back of my hair, and his lips came down to mine. When our kiss ended, and he looked into my eyes, his had white sclera.
“You mean it. You love me,” he whispered. Quaid kissed the tears off of my face. “I love you, Teagan.”
Laughing, I said, “You’ve made that clear to me today.”
“Mommy!” Neema cried.
Pierce rushed for her and brought her to me in a fresh diaper. I fed her while watching Thunderdrop’s octopus. “How much was his menu item?”
“A couple of credits. She was going to be soup.”
Lorca moved the cart against the wall. Then, he and Pierce carefully moved the aquarium to a table where Thunderdrop had room to sit and watch her. I asked Quaid what he wanted for dinner. Chef created a cheesy pasta dish using some of the ingredients that I had purchased for him at the farm. After dinner, rather than a movie, we watched a documentary about octopuses. Thunderdrop paid close attention. Thankfully, no recipes were included.
When he sensed I was tired, Quaid prepared to leave. “Do you have to go back?”
“You want me to stay?” He seemed surprised.
“Yes, I thought you understood when I called you that I wanted you to stay.”
“I would like that. However, you are tired and need your rest.”
Quaid helped me up. Neema had been in her bed sound asleep for a good ten minutes. She looked adorable. Quaid and I cuddled in bed and talked about what it had been like growing up with a jungle and an ocean for a backyard until we fell asleep. Lorca ran Quaid’s clothes through the cleaning unit while he showered the next morning. Quaid had increased my tender feelings toward him even more by holding me the night before. I now felt like he truly cared for me and not just the passion we shared. I sipped my coffee and watched Thunderdrop as he watched his octopus.
“What are you going to name her?” I asked Thunderdrop. We couldn’t call her soup. That would be rude. I laughed. “What about Sue?”
“Chirp!”
“Very well. Her name is Sue.”
“Good one, Princess,” Lorca said as he chuckled having gotten my joke.
Kane arrived and gave his attention to our new pet. He made sure that the tank was secure and safe. I thought it was sweet of him, but Pierce and Lorca had each taken a class covering how to make environments safe for children. Grandmother only wanted the best. “Are we ready for our adventure?” Kane asked as he pressed the button on Neema’s swing when it stopped moving. Eric had purchased it for her from the store the farmers who had helped us operated. I thought of how I had fired at Jazon. “You aren’t too tired to go are you?” He winked at me.
“No, I’m rested and very comforted.”
“Good. That’s how you should be. Are you ready to go, Thunderdrop?” Kane asked.
“Chitter chirp.” Lorca opened a container and dropped a clam into Sue’s tank. She slowly came out of hiding and covered it.
“You don’t want to leave Sue?” Thunderdrop blinked at me. “If you want to stay home with her, you can.”
“Chirp!”
“Did I hear correctly? The octopus has a name?” Kane asked.
“Yes, her name is Sue.” I chuckled and so did Lorca.
Quaid got the joke and said to Kane, “I’ll explain in a minute.”
Lorca stayed with Thunderdrop, and Pierce came with us. Kane insisted on driving and entered the location Quaid gave to him into his navigation system. When we arrived, it seemed that a few Parvac and Militia soldiers had the same plan for the day as we did. They saluted Kane and Quaid and bowed to me. Most of the other people present had either black irises or solid white eyes.
“I wonder if they are having fun hunting?” I asked.
Quaid turned to me. “Yukihyo was furious with Isidora for hurting you, and angry with fate for binding Isidora’s soul to Simon’s. The hybrids are another matter. His anger was spilling over into Nico. They will be back with Eric, clearer heads, and lots of steaks before you know it.” He smiled and placed his hand over Niklos.
“Does your family like steak? It seemed like most of our dinners on Epopeus were meatless.”
“Yes, however, red meat is imported and expensive. A diet of fish, fruit, and vegetables can get boring.”
We entered a large capacity lift and were guided to the private car Quaid had reserved for us. There was room to walk around. The car had reclining swivel seats, small tables, and its own beverage dispenser with cups and glasses. I sat in one of the comfortable chairs with Neema and lifted the foot rest. The rail was above the trees. At the moment, all I could see was grass and a few trees scattered around. I hoped my motion sickness wouldn’t return since the car had beautiful carpet in a tile-like pattern of blues and greys.
Quaid grinned at me and said, “You won’t get sick. It has internal stabilizers.”
I took Neema’s hand in mine and kissed her palm. Kane held his hands out to her. Neema gurgled and went to him. The scenery began to change which made me realize we were moving. I smiled at Quaid. I hadn’t felt a thing. The grass and sparse trees gave way to ranches where sheep grazed around properties with houses, barns, and high stone fences.
“Look! Those men have horses!” They sat watching hundreds of sheep from the backs of the magnificent animals. After a few minutes we came to a stop.
“Would you like to look around for a little while in the town below?” Quaid asked.
“Sure. Kane, do you?”
“I am just as curious as you are. May I carry Neema?”
“Yes, she loves you.”
Quaid and Kane got appreciative looks from the women of the town as did the crewmen who had come with us. Many of the local Laconians used horses as transportation rather than rollers. We along with several crewmen walked paved paths to the different shops in town. Many of the mothers who I saw carried their small children in large warm pouches they wrapped around their torsos. It freed their hands. Having one of those would make doing chores easier.
“Well, that would be convenient. Where do I get one of those? Maybe I should get a couple for Mary and Auria.”
They were sold in a women’s clothing store. I bought a few of them, learned how to wear them, and bought
a few new maternity dresses. In another store, they sold real stones boards and pieces. I bought a nice one for Kaoti.
“Kaoti gets that?” Kane asked with what I thought might be a touch of jealously.
“Yes, we’ve played innumerable times. I’ve never won a game against him.”
“I don’t imagine so. Kaoti has spent years studying military strategy, has mastered every form of self-defense known to the Empire, and is a survivalist. He has dedicated his life, as have his brothers and cousins, striving to regain their family honor.”
“I think Kaoti has always had honor. It is not something anyone can really take from a man.” Kane inclined his head to me. “Poor Kaoti. He, Phillip, and Hiroshi are trapped with that woman. Yuck. How can my sweet Simon sleep with her? The jewelry shopkeeper on Arachne would have been better.”
“I know exactly how he can manage,” Kane said with a wink.
Rolling my eyes at him, I said, “It’s going to be so hard pretending that I don’t hate her.”
“I bet it’s hard,” Quaid smirked.
“Should I start calling you Phillip?”
“Your cousin has been lonely for many years. He will figure out how to manage his female. Leave it alone. Trust me.”
“She’s a full-blooded Laconian female of Yukihyo’s race. They are stronger than the males with their empathic abilities. She might control my Simon.” I scowled at Quaid.
“She is also bonded to her husband and will share his emotions. She won’t want to cause the man she loves pain. It isn’t the way of our races. She will also begin to stretch out her emotions to those with whom Simon is bonded.”
“How do I shut her out?”
“That isn’t a solution.”
“Well, what is?”
“Patience.”
I made a fart noise at him with my lips. Neema laughed and tried to copy me. Kane made the noise under her chin. She screamed and laughed.
Quaid said, “Lady Bosh, it is time to return to our car.” He had emphasized the word lady.
The scenery from up above became wild and untamed. The terrain looked rocky and too uneven for rollers. The next rural town offered supplies, a doctor’s office, and a food market. As we walked along enjoying the town’s rustic ambiance, Neema made an audible noise in her diaper region. I exchanged looks with Kane and Quaid. I could read the dread in their eyes. We entered the food market.
“I’ll go change her. Will you get me one of those meat pies?” Quaid grinned at me, and I gave his cheek a kiss. “Let’s go get my girl cleaned up.” Pierce waved at me that he would leave his place in line. I motioned for him to stay. I had Neema in her new baby pouch sling. She seemed to enjoy the closeness it provided. I laid her down on the changing table in the restroom. “Oh, my goodness!”
She laughed. I had her clean, in a new diaper, dressed, and back in her baby pouch across my chest when I saw his eyes reflected in the mirror.
“Zared, you realize this place is swarming with soldiers, right?”
He inclined his head to me. I noticed Jazon and another man. Each of them had expressions of intense concentration.
“We are concerned for our brothers who were captured by your men,” Zared said.
I thought of the poor man with black hair and eyes as he had suffered. “Zeth is doing better. He had a rough night, but the nanites are working, and I convinced them to increased his pain medication. Since then, he’s kept his feelings hidden from me. He said the others were being questioned.”
Zared stepped closer to me. He had braided leather cords into the braids at each of his temples and had left the back of his hair straight. He reached down for my hand and placed it against his heart. “You have given our brother the true kindness of a womb sister. For this I thank you. Is there a message for us?”
I thought of Papa. “Emperor Probus remains coldly furious with you all. He has given you a choice of execution or surrender. If you surrender to me, you will be sent to Ephors for psychological and physical evaluations. Those who pass will be allowed to enter some kind of training program for Imperial guards.”
Zared lifted my hand from his heart to his lips, kissed, my fingers, and vanished with Jazon and the other man just as Quaid entered the restroom and two of his Laconian officers shimmered into view to either side of me. I jumped in surprise.
Quaid asked, “Did you deliver your father’s message?” I nodded.
Quaid’s officers reported the entire conversation to him. Without even bothering to ask them to leave, I got him to help me move Neema in her pouch from me to him, went into a stall, peed, and changed the protective padding in my bra. I watched Quaid’s face in the mirror as I washed my hands. The womb sister comment angered Quaid. Quaid brushed my worried thoughts away, helped place Neema and her pouch back around me, and walked with me back into the market.
“Our plan worked perfectly. Trackers have them under surveillance. They won’t surprise us again,” Kane said.
I felt furrows forming in my forehead. Quaid kissed them until my forehead smoothed out. “Lady Bosh, this trip out to the middle of nowhere, along with the poorly timed hunting trip of my Captain and your other husbands has been a well-planned and highly orchestrated event. The hybrids will not surprise us again or take you from us.”
Kane grinned at me and handed me a meat pie.
In the next small town, I got to pet little baby ponies. Some of the Parvac soldiers got to ride on saddled horses for a small fee. The Militia soldiers placed bets on how long it would take them to fall off and laughed heartily when anyone did. I thought that was mean and scowled at them. They didn’t seem to notice. Quaid wouldn’t even consider letting me sit on one. He did let me feed the horses carrots. The horses had large wide flat teeth that frightened me a little. I decided maybe he was right about me not sitting on one. They moved.
Eventually, we made our way back to the land port. I had had enough excitement for one day. Kane drove into his transport bay. Quaid gave me a kiss before getting into his transport to return to the Hadrian. Pierce took Neema to our Quarters to bathe and change her.
“Kane, do you want to go with me to the infirmary? I want to check on Zeth.” Kane gave me his arm. The head of Zeth’s bed had been raised slightly. He drank juice from a cup through a straw. “Feeling better?”
“Much.” He stared into my eyes for a few seconds, and in that time it seemed as though he pulled from my mind all of the events of the day. Zeth gave me a small incline of his head.
Feeling unsettled by the exchange, I said, “I’m tired. I’m sure you must be, too. Goodnight.” Turning, I left the room. Kane escorted me to my quarters and then excused himself having spent enough time away from his bridge. I showered, dressed in a gown and robe, and went to dinner with my hair in a damp braid. After I had completely stuffed myself, shoveling food into my mouth with no one but Chef, Pierce, and Lorca to witness my departure from my new manners, I petted Thunderdrop. Sue held onto the side of her tank with the suckers on the undersides of her tentacles. I thought it was rather brazen of her. That night with the entire bed to myself, I held Neema next to me until she fell asleep. Then, I carefully moved her to her crib.
I woke up the next morning sprawled across the bed. I sensed Neema in the sitting room. Pierce had decided I needed some extra sleep. Yawning, I stretched and scooted out of bed. Eventually, I made it into the main room. I asked for and received a large chocolate milkshake and toast for breakfast. I sat on a blanket in front of the couch with Neema. She sat up without any support from me and stacked one block on top of another. She smiled up at me, and I laughed as I wiped at the drool on her chin. She laughed, knocked her blocks over and rolled over. Then, she crawled a little ways and sat up putting a rattle in her mouth.
“Did I just hear my girls laughing?” Yukihyo said as he entered. Neema screeched her happiness, held her arms up, and bounced on her diapered bottom until he picked her up.
Nico followed, sat behind me, and enclosed me within his arm
s. Thunderdrop began to chirp wildly. He jumped back and forth from Yukihyo to Nico all while staying out of Neema’s reach. Yukihyo turned, saw the aquarium, and laughed.
“Quaid found you a beautiful water spider?”
“Chirp chirp chitter.”
“You can look at her, but you don’t like water and she doesn’t like air.”
“Chirp!”
“She’s better than the stuffed octopus, right?”
“Chirp!”
“Her name is Sue,” I said. I thought of a menu with octopus soup printed on it. Yukihyo laughed. “So, what did you bring me?”
“Crewman are bringing one of your gifts now,” he said smiling proudly.
Nico helped me up when the men arrived. They moved the furniture. Lorca picked up our toys and blanket. The crewmen spread a thick soft white rug across the floor and then moved our furniture back. I ran my fingers through it. It was even softer than Quaid’s chest hair. Yukihyo coughed and made a face. I smiled sweetly at him.
“This is much better than a blanket. Neema and I will have more fun with our blocks now. Neema, say thank you to Daddy.” She gurgled at him.
I wondered why if they had gone hunting, they had come home with a rug.
Chapter Fourteen
The Captains Valen and Alaric took their ships from Nephele’s surface and out of orbit. In my opinion, the highlight of the visit had been when Quaid had given Sue to Thunderdrop. It was one of my new favorite memories. Thunderdrop loved his little purple and blue octopus. Sue was very relaxing to watch. My vid-screen began to beep. I reached for it on the table next to where I reclined on the couch. Pale blue eyes and bright red hair appeared before me.
“I heard you had another meeting. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Seeing Simon filled me with a mixture of different feelings. The predominant ones were happiness and sadness and in the battle between my warring emotions, sadness was winning. Cass blinked at me from Simon’s arm. “Cass, would you like to meet Thunderdrop’s new pet?”
The Parvac Emperor's Daughter (The Space Merchants Book 3) Page 23