Diplomatic Recruit: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Empress' Spy Book 1)

by S. E. Weir

  Yet, he didn’t have the arrogant confidence of Greyson Wells, the sleazy wariness of Stan, or the casual debonair attitude of Ian James. He eyed her, his gaze questioning. “This is really you right now, isn’t it?”

  He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. “Inasmuch as anyone who is a spy can be, yes.”

  She brought her hand up under her chin, causing her head to tilt slightly. “It suits you.” She paused before adding. “And has the added benefit of not making me want to punch you in the face every time you talk.”

  He grinned, though it was a tired one.

  “Where have you been? Can you tell me anything about it?”

  Link rubbed his face before speaking. “Do you remember the green alien with the stolen medallion?”

  “Of course.”

  “I took care of that situation. It became more involved than I initially thought.” He attempted a smile, but it didn’t go very far. He shook his head, eyes bleary. “It’s finished now. All wrapped up.”

  “How long has it been since you slept?”

  He glanced at the ceiling as he recalled the last few days.

  She shook her head. “Never mind. If it takes you that long to remember, it’s been too long. Why don’t you go to sleep?”

  “Can’t yet. There’s a situation happening tonight. I thought you should come with me, so I came to get you.” He raised his eyebrows in question.

  “All right. What kind of situation? Diplomat? Spy?”

  “A Stan and Fee situation.” Link grinned and waggled his eyebrows. Or attempted to. It ended up looking like his face spasmed. He seemed too tired to be awake.

  Phina made a face of utter distaste. “We’re not doing the sex kitten thing, remember?”

  He held up a hand lazily. “Relax, kid. I remember. Just poking your buttons.”

  She sighed and glanced at his weary face. “Can it keep for an hour?”

  He shook his head. She sighed again and wondered when she had started caring about Link’s health and well-being. Possibly around the time he had shown her something real.

  “What about twenty minutes? There’s a bed in the other room you could use. Would that be enough to refresh yourself without making you too sleepy?”

  He considered that and nodded, then followed her into her aunt’s room. He unceremoniously dropped on the bare mattress and fell asleep within two breaths. Phina shook her head and tiptoed out of the room to get ready since she assumed he would still want her to go with him after he woke up.

  In her room, Phina got clothes out to change into when she had a thought.

  “Umm, ADAM? Are you still here?”

  “I have kept myself busy but had an ear out here for you, yes.”

  “All right.” She shifted position and pressed her lips together, not certain how to ask.

  “Is there a problem? Can I help with something?”

  “I just wondered…well, you use the cameras to see, right?”

  “In a sense, yes.”

  “So, you can see when people are changing clothes and such?”

  He sounded amused. “I could if I wanted to, but being naked doesn’t mean the same thing to me as it does to you. Clothed or unclothed, the only difference to me is that clothing appears to be more fun than being naked because you can choose many different options to wear.”

  Phina blinked, not knowing how she felt about that. “Okay. You sound very human at times, but I don’t think a human guy would have had the same response. Anyway, could you just…not peek or something while I’m getting dressed? And the same with Meredith and Reynolds? Even if it doesn’t mean the same thing to you, it still feels weird.”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks.”

  She quickly changed her clothes and had just finished when her tablet beeped with an incoming message.

  Phina, I hope you are doing well and haven’t starved yourself or been seduced by one of those conniving students in your classes. I’m sure the reason I haven’t heard from you is just that you are being inconsiderate and not because you’ve been kidnapped by a terrorist. I’ve attached a picture of the large apartment here as well as some of the many amenities you are missing out on.

  If you change your mind, I suppose I can pay for a ticket on a ship heading this direction, though it would be a huge expense and inconvenient to pay for one now. If you decide to relieve my concern and get back to me, I’ll let you know how things are going here with work.

  PS I don’t want to hear you’ve been having wild orgies and parties in the apartment. I’ve put too much care and effort into keeping it nice to have it ruined now.

  Phina was standing in her room, staring blankly at her tablet when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She shook her head, but in her shock, she didn’t answer. After a few seconds, the door cracked open.

  “Phina, it’s time to go.”

  She looked at Link with a lost and dazed expression on her face, her tablet held limply in her hand. “I…I…” She shook her head.

  A hard light came into his eyes, then they narrowed, and he crossed the few steps to her. After a questioning look, he took the tablet she dropped into his hands before she turned and collapsed on the bed, feeling bewildered. These wild statements were far beyond what her aunt had brought up in the past.

  “How could she say things like this? It’s like she doesn’t know me at all.”

  “The pox-eaten miserly old hag.” Link muttered as he read, his voice angrier and harsher than she could remember ever hearing from someone, even her aunt. She looked up in shock.

  “What?”

  Link handed her the tablet, the anger in his face tempered by compassion for her. “If she can spout drivel like that, then you are correct—she doesn’t know you. But if you haven’t realized this yet, how she treats you is not your fault. It’s not about you and only a fault with her.”

  Phina’s heart warmed. She had come to that conclusion on her own some time ago, but she didn’t realize how much she had needed someone to say it out loud.

  “She’s covering up her inadequacies by taking it out on you. I’ve already made sure she has to go to therapy and doesn’t opt out of it this time. Still, this is not your fault, and she doesn’t know you if this is what she really thinks.”

  Tears formed in Phina’s eyes without permission, but she couldn’t stop them. She launched up and threw her arms around him in one of the few hugs she gave anyone aside from Alina.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, not able to speak louder. He didn’t smell the greatest—from the odors filling her nose, it had been a couple days since he’d showered—but right then, she didn’t care. She couldn’t remember anyone ever trying to alleviate her mind or her physical situation with her aunt, aside from Alina commiserating with her afterward. It felt amazing, though a little perplexing.

  Link had initially stiffened but then recovered from the shock and carefully placed his arms around her, patting her back awkwardly. “You’re welcome, my dear.”

  She pulled back, frowning. “Oh! Don’t we need to go somewhere?”

  Link took a step back and turned to the door. “You bet your bottom dollar we do!”

  “What’s a bottom dollar?” She wiped her face as she followed him. “If it’s what it sounds like, why would I bet with it? Why not add it to my credit account?”

  He turned back, incredulous, then shook his head. “You don’t know that quote? What are they teaching kids these days?”

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Mac’s Tavern and Bar

  Phina was uncomfortable.

  When she had grabbed clothes to change into, she had picked things that Alina had given her as a gift last year in the hope that she would dress more fashionably. While that hope had been unfounded before now, she had thought her use of the clothes to be brilliant when she was getting dressed earlier.

  Now, she wore a dark-green thigh-high dress with a short brown leather jacket and boots with heels. Her legs were cold and awkwardly bare
until her boots kicked in just above her knee. The only thing that made her more comfortable about the outfit was the leather jacket, even if it was disgustingly short by her standards. Also, a leotard the same color as her dress had been sewn in as a lining.

  Phina could do gymnastics for quite a while in this dress, and it would stay in place. She could even roll around in a fight and her dress wouldn’t get in her way. She snorted, picturing herself fighting someone in this outfit, but the idea of fighting anyone in heels was ludicrous to her.

  Link and Phina had discussed that even though they were nixing the sex kitten bit, she still couldn’t dress as she normally did when they went on Stan excursions since it wouldn’t fit the image. Still, these clothes weren’t her preference by a long shot. However, heels aside, it had been a thoughtful gift that Phina hadn’t appreciated at the time. Alina would be happy to hear she had worn the outfit but disappointed she hadn’t worn it on a date. Well, she amended, glancing at Link, who was sitting next to her, a real date.

  Earlier, Link had pulled up short just outside of the bar and explained to her how he wanted her to act. She had looked at him like he was crazy.

  “I’m not doing that. We agreed we aren’t doing the sex kitten bit, so I am not draping myself all over you and gazing at you adoringly.”

  “Fee is draping herself all over Stan and gazing at him adoringly.” He grinned either to convince her it would be fun or because she had refused; she wasn’t certain.

  She gave him a flat look. “Stop poking the buttons. No sex kitten, no adoration. In fact, Fee is probably feeling some sullen aggression since her world changed and she has to spend time with her sleazy uncle now.”

  He eyed her appreciatively, clearly trying to use charm to change her mind. She just stared at him.

  Link sighed heavily as if she were stealing all his fun. “Fine, but at least pretend you are on a date with someone you like and not someone you hate. Uncles and nieces do fun things together, I’m certain. Look at me often as we talk—hopefully with something positive in your eyes and not like you want to stab me with your heels—and hang onto my arm when we are walking so I can look more like a gentleman for the ladies and every so often while we are sitting down. If a woman comes up, you can back off and look bored. Capiche?”

  She considered that, then nodded reluctantly. He offered her an arm, and she awkwardly wrapped hers around it before they started walking. “I’ll try, anyway. I’ve never been on a date, so I don’t know how they work.”

  “What? Never been on a date?” He paused to look at her in surprise, confusion, and some form of protectiveness. “Why not? You aren’t that young, and there’s nothing wrong with you.”

  She shrugged, then tugged on the hem of her dress with her free hand when it rose more than expected. This dress length didn’t feel comfortable to her. “I’ve never really been interested or found anyone interesting enough to go through all that. This is not changing my mind, either.”

  He glanced down at her and muttered something under his breath that was lost in the increased waves of sounds coming from Mac’s Tavern and Bar ahead of them. She could see a crowd of people even from a distance.

  Since they had entered the tavern, Phina had been doing her best to act appropriately, but she couldn’t help feeling bored as she took in the dim lighting and smoky atmosphere. The smokiness had to be on purpose and was worse than when they were here during working hours. Phina could attest that the air filtration system on the station was top-notch since she had used it as her playground for years. The customers varied between those who listened to the surprisingly skilled musician in the corner and those who seemed to want to forget themselves in their drink.

  Across the room in a booth, she could see two figures making out, one practically on top of the other. Not that long ago, a rough-looking man had grabbed a woman walking by and gotten smacked for it, a group of aliens laughing drunkenly at the next table. Every so often, she could hear billiard balls smacking into each other in the back of the room over the din of conversation. Two big men passed in front of their table, visibly carrying weapons.

  A rougher clientele for sure, and even more so than before when most of these patrons had likely been working. All in all, it was a far different atmosphere than All Guns Blazing.

  What had happened to the urgency Link had implied earlier when he couldn’t even sleep an hour? Her eyes kept moving in her boredom, though she strove to pay attention to what Link, or rather Stan the Man, said when he spoke to people or occasionally to her.

  She was about to excuse herself to stretch her legs when Link stilled next to her, then relaxed. She leaned over to whisper while holding onto his arm for balance. “What’s going on?”

  He turned his face toward her and spoke as softly as he could manage and still be heard. “You see the alien who just walked in? That’s who we came here to meet.”

  He made a face—likely realizing how difficult it was to speak in a loud bar and not be overheard—before widening his eyes in surprise. “Hold on a second. You got your upgraded implant while I was gone, right? I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. ADAM? Could you create a designated channel for us to communicate through our implants? Yes, Phina and me. Fine, you too. Not like I could keep you out of it anyway.”

  Phina, in her surprise and interest, had straightened to her normal posture instead of the slouch she had adopted when they walked in. He gently nudged her with his elbow, but it took a minute for her to realize why and relax her position again.

  “You hear me, Phina?”

  “Yes.”

  He looked at her again, but this time he didn’t move his lips, just his eyes. It will be the same as when you talk to ADAM.

  Funnily enough, I figured that part out already.

  Haha, you’re hilarious.

  As he spoke, he turned his head to see the purple-hued alien coming closer. He lifted a hand in greeting, then adjusted his position in the booth to wrap an arm around her shoulder, though he did not move as close as he would have if they were trying to indicate attraction. She stiffened, not knowing how to respond. It felt nice, more like a protective familial gesture.

  You don’t look natural when you go all stiff like that. Just keep breathing and relax.

  Link’s mental voice was a lot more easygoing than his physical one. The dichotomy between the two tripped her up in how she should respond. The change came across a little like Link’s own self after he stripped away the personas. Still, there were some things she was going to have a difficult time with no matter which voice he used.

  “You let that hand stray anywhere closer, and you’re the one who’s going to have a problem breathing.”

  Oh, really? The tone of his mental voice took her aback, especially when he shot a surprised but amused grin at her before turning back to the alien a few tables away.

  She sent ADAM a query. “Do you know what he means by that?”

  >>I believe he intended an innuendo of some kind.<<

  It took her a few seconds since she wasn’t used to thinking that way, then she responded to Link. I mean, I’ll punch you in the chest, you pervert! Holy crumbs, I can’t go anywhere with you before you start insinuating things.

  Link realized he enjoyed poking Phina’s buttons around the time the alien stepped into calling distance. As the young woman’s posture relaxed and became more natural, he realized the relationship developing between him and Phina would become vital to him and his operations, just as he had hoped. He took a moment to mentally pat himself on the back for recognizing talent when he saw it before him.

  He only had time for one more shot. I believe you were the one to insinuate something, my dear.

  The look on her face was priceless. Still, someone had to be the adult here, and he had all the cards.

  The violet alien stepped up to their table, the hard muscle on his athletic frame bulging through his clothing as he moved. The male wasn’t wearing armor, but he was wearing a hard
expression on his face as he greeted Link. Phina stiffened as she recognized something about him. Curious. Link nudged her again, though it took her longer to relax.

  “So, you’re this guy Stan, hey?”

  “That’s me. Care to have a seat?”

  “What’s there to talk about? We’re here to deal, hey? We have goods, and you’re going to buy them. What’s so hard about that?”

  “Ah, but there are other considerations as well. What’s your name again?”

  “Brodin. What other considerations?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he reached up and scratched his head under the fringe around the crown.

  Link tried to relax and appear to have few concerns except the conversation and the beer in front of him. He adjusted his position and realized he had forgotten his arm currently rested around Phina’s shoulder. He pushed that thought aside, leaving his arm where it had become comfortable, and focused on Brodin.

  “Why, the quality and quantity of the goods I am purchasing, of course. Quality is very important to me.” He gave the Baldere a lazy grin.

  “You don’t need to worry there. The quality is the best, and the quantity will be more than enough. If for some reason there aren’t enough goods for what you need, we can bring more for you in the next shipment.”

  “Can you indeed? Interesting.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Just that the Baldere aren’t known for their food exports.”

  He grew more alert when he felt Phina freeze.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Baldere are passing off food exports as their own? Phina tried to relax again, but she was now alert, so the task felt impossible.

  You know anything about this? Surprise and a sense of “I should have known” shaded his question.