They walked slowly around the edge of the market, stopping to pick up skewers of an unidentified but tasty meat and a small basket of something resembling fried potatoes. As they sat under the shade of one of the giant grass trees and fed Lily, Jade was filled with a vast contentment. Her daughter had actually agreed to sit on her knee and be fed, Inzen’s tail was still firmly around her waist, and she was finally beginning to feel at home on this beautiful, interesting planet. She sighed happily.
“Are you well, my mate?” Inzen asked immediately.
“Very well. I have my daughter and I have you.” She reached up and cupped his face, and his black gaze intensified.
“And do I have you?”
Before she could answer, Lily put a sticky hand on her cheek, mimicking her gesture.
“Cookie, Mama,” she demanded.
Jade’s eyes filled with tears. It was the first time that Lily had called her mama.
“I’m not sure that they sell them here, baby. Why don’t we go back to the house and make some new ones? After your nap,” she added as Lily yawned and snuggled against her.
“Do you want to put her back in her stroller?” Inzen asked.
“No.” She didn’t want to give up the warm little body nestled in her arms.
The three of them headed back to their house, stopping to look in the shop windows surrounding the market. Jade was delighted to find one that appeared to be a real estate broker with images of various properties on display.
“I always liked looking at houses,” she told Inzen as he stopped to let her look.
“Do you wish to move? We do not have to share the property.”
She considered the idea, then shook her head. Even if they had gotten off to a rocky start, she liked knowing that there were other human women nearby, and it would be good for Lily to have friends her own age as well. She still held out hope that she and Cassie would eventually be able to bond over their shared interest in clothing.
Inzen looked relieved at her decision.
“You don’t want to leave, do you?” she asked.
“I do not. You know that I think of Cassie as a daughter. And I also like the fact that there is another mated Cire warrior present to watch over all of you when I am not there.”
“Then why did you offer?”
“Because your happiness is most important to me, Jade. I—” Someone bumped into him and he gave a frustrated look around at the crowded surroundings. “We will talk more about this later.”
Her pulse raced. Had he been about to tell her that he loved her? She already knew how much she cared for him and the words that almost escaped her the previous night, but everything was still so new. Keeping her face composed, she turned back to the window.
“I like this one, but why is it on stilts?”
“I believe that area floods in the rainy season.” Inzen accepted the change of subject, and they laughed at a few of the more outrageous images, before he stilled, looking over her shoulder.
“I see someone I need to speak with. Will you wait for me here?”
“Sure, that’s fine. Will you be long?”
“Just a few minutes. But do not leave here,” he ordered.
He bent down and kissed her, his tail stroking her cheek before he strode off. Shaking her head at his bossy ways, she turned back to the window.
When the few minutes stretched to ten or more, she started getting restless. Lily was asleep against her shoulder and she put her back in the stroller, shaking out her arm. The toddler weighed more than she had expected. Once Lily was buckled in, she turned to look for Inzen. People dodged in and out, carrying baskets and pushing small hand carts, while the colorful butterfly-like creatures that were the Trevelorian equivalent of birds swooped and danced overhead. At last, she spotted him on the far side of the market, his broad shoulders and gleaming green skin obvious even from a distance. Should she join him? He had seemed very firm about her remaining where she was.
As she debated, he stepped to one side and she saw who he was talking to. It was one of the furry aliens from the auction. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her back. He looked so much like the one who had tried to buy her.
It’s a different species, she reminded herself. You don’t know them well enough to pick out one in particular.
But then he raised his hand towards Inzen and she saw the gleam of metal around his wrist. Even from this distance, the red-tipped spikes were unmistakable. Her heart beat so rapidly that her chest ached. Lord Gokan. Why was he here? And more importantly, what was he doing with Inzen?
The alien pulled out a small bag and tipped it into Inzen’s outstretched palm. Jewels cascaded from the bag, the light catching on their multitude of facets. Inzen’s hand closed around them, and she realized that Gokan was paying him. But for what?
A moment later, the male waved his hands in the air, sketching out the curves of a woman’s body as he laughed. He was too far away for her to hear, but she remembered the sound of his laughter all too well—and she remembered what he had said.
He would find her.
The memory of his hands around her neck cut off her breathing. She had to escape. Now.
Inzen tried to hide his disgust as the Ruijin male chatted amiably about his journey to Trevelor. The Ruijin were also a warrior race, but they valued brutality more than discipline and he had little respect for them. However, he did trust their ability to protect his purchase. When his jeweler had suggested that this male—Gokan—bring his purchase, he hadn’t hesitated. Now, he was beginning to regret the decision.
“You brought them?” he asked impatiently as the male continued to ramble on.
“Of course I did. I had intended to make a trip to Trevelor anyway so when I heard that someone was looking for a courier, the timing was perfect.”
Gokan started to slap Inzen on the back and his tail automatically intercepted the movement, clamping down on the male’s wrist.
“No need for that. I was just being friendly.” The male grinned, showing a mouthful of fangs, but Inzen could read the irritation in his eyes.
“I am anxious to conclude our business.”
“Of course. Here they are.”
The Ruijin opened his pouch and poured the gemstones into Inzen’s hand. Perfect. He was especially delighted with the stones that matched Jade’s eyes. Trevelor was a fine planet, but they did not possess any naturally occurring crystals, let alone ones worthy of his mate. He had arranged to purchase these from a jeweler on Driguera instead.
“May I ask why you wanted the jewels?”
“It is for a mating bracelet,” he said briefly. Gokan threw back his head and laughed.
“Ah, a female.” He made the shape of the female body in the air between them. “In these troubled times, you are lucky to possess one.” He bared his fangs. “I thought I had found one, but she escaped my grasp. That’s why I’m here.”
Inzen frowned at him, not liking the other male’s phrasing. “You are aware that it is a crime to pursue an unwilling female on Trevelor?”
The fake smile reappeared. “Of course. It’s just natural female hesitation. They all need a little… persuasion, you know.”
His tail quivered as a chill ran down his spine. He nodded curtly, already deciding that he would notify the authorities as soon as they parted.
“I must return to my family.”
“Of course. With so few Cire females, you can’t keep one waiting, eh?”
He started to slap Inzen’s back again then drew back his hand in time. Inzen made no attempt to correct his assumptions about his mate but nodded again and went to find his mate and his daughter.
But when he returned to the property office, they were gone.
Chapter Nineteen
Hands shaking, Jade ducked inside the small property office, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Why was Inzen accepting all of those jewels from the alien who had tried to purchase her? Her pulse raced as she remembered being at the male�
��s mercy.
She had to get away from here. Now.
“May I help you, Mistress?” The Trevelorian female seated behind the desk studied her curiously, her beak-like nose twitching.
“I…” She tried to think coherently and found herself staring at one of the displays. “Are any of these available for rent? For just a short time?”
“I’m afraid not, Mistress. Our holiday rentals are over for the season. Our other properties are for sale only—wait a minute. I do have one property.” The female eyed her doubtfully. “But it is very remote and only available for another week.”
“That would be perfect. I’ll take it.” She winced, still not used to having so little money of her own. “I mean, how much is it?”
From the nominal sum mentioned, she suspected that the property was not only remote but primitive, but she didn’t care. She pulled out the handful of credits that Inzen had insisted on advancing her against her salary and counted them, but it wasn’t enough. Knowing her grandmother would want her to choose Lily’s safety first, she took a deep breath and pulled off her jade ring.
“Would this be acceptable?”
“More than acceptable.” The female shook her head. “The stone is quite rare. The ring is worth far more than the rental charge, and I don’t have sufficient funds to pay you the difference.”
“Do you have enough to allow me to rent a flyer?”
Opening her desk drawer, the agent nodded. “I do, but it is still not what you are entitled to receive.”
“I don’t care about that right now.” The need to flee was searing through her veins. “Can you give me directions and tell me where to rent a flyer?”
“I can do better than that. My brother is in the rental business. I’ll call him for you so he’ll have it ready.”
“Thank you so much—?”
“I am B’gento.”
B’gento reached for her communication device but hesitated as Jade cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. She expected to see Gokan, looming in the doorway at any moment.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know. I just need some time to think.” She looked at the other female’s concerned face. “If a male—any male—comes looking for me, can you not tell him about this?”
“My dear, if someone is threatening you, we should go to the authorities.”
The authorities? After the past year, her trust in the efficacy of the police had been shaken—they wanted to question rather than act.
“I just need to get away. Please.” All those months of training, and now all she could think about was running. Her heart thudded against her ribs.
B’gento studied her a moment longer, then nodded, her orange feathers fluttering.
A few minutes later, Jade was on her way. Thankfully, Lily was still asleep in her stroller. She suspected that she was going to have a very unhappy little girl on her hands when she woke up and realized that her Dada was not there, but she needed time to think and there was no way she was leaving her daughter behind.
Lily was still asleep when Jade reached the rental depot. B’gento’s brother must have been on the lookout for her because he opened the door as soon as she appeared and beckoned her inside, closing and locking the door behind her.
“I am B’hira. My sister says that you are in trouble.”
“I really don’t know if I am or not.” Her mind was still in turmoil, struggling to explain why Gokan would have been handing all those jewels to Inzen. She straightened her shoulders. “But I don’t want to take the chance. I have to get away from here so I can think safely.”
Unlike the Trevelorian females, the males had multicolored crests. In addition to the orange his sister displayed, his crest also included shades of red and gold, and he flared it now in an impressive display as he frowned.
“You do not need to run. We Trevelorians would never permit a female and her child to be harmed. I would defend you myself.”
Despite the full array of plumage, B’hira was only a little taller than Jade and she couldn’t imagine that his thin legs or fragile feathered arms would in any way prevent Gokan if he came after her, but she was touched by his offer.
“Thank you, B’hira. I really appreciate that, but right now I just need to get away. B’gento said you could rent me a flyer to travel to the summer house?”
He sighed and nodded. “If that is the path you wish to take.”
Leading her out of the small office and into a garage space holding a number of flyers, he escorted her to a small, neat vehicle in a soft shade of pink. It was neither as large nor as luxurious as Inzen’s, but all that mattered was that it would get her out of here.
B’hira opened the door and showed her the simple controls. “I have already programmed it to take you directly to the summer house you rented. The map address is actually some distance from the house.” He pointed to a basket resting on the floor. “She also asked me to put together a few supplies for you. It isn’t much, but it will last a day or two.”
Why was she always surprised by the kindness of strangers? She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled at him.
“Thank you so much, and please thank B’gento for me. How much do I owe you?”
She fumbled for the credits that B’gento had given her in exchange for the ring, but he shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it. My sister said that you gave her far too much for the rental, more than enough to cover the flyer as well. You hold on to your credits in case you need them.”
The Trevelorians didn’t shake hands but she bowed deeply in an attempt to convey her appreciation.
“Thank you again. I’ll return the flyer as soon as I know what I’m going to do.”
“There’s no rush. We’re heading into the rainy season and there’s always less demand at this time of year.” He smiled down at Lily. “You just take care of yourself and your little one.”
She returned his smile and bent down to pick up her daughter. Unfortunately, the movement disturbed Lily and her eyes opened. She gave Jade a sleepy smile, then looked past her, frowning at B’hira.
“Where Dada?”
“He’s not here right now, baby. We’re going to go for a ride.” Lily’s lip trembled and she clutched Bobo. “In this pretty pink flyer,” Jade added hastily.
“Pink?” Lily tilted her head as she studied the vehicle, and then to Jade’s relief, she smiled and nodded. “Ride.”
As they set out, Lily babbled happily to Bobo, sufficiently distracted not to ask for Inzen. By the time the excitement began to pall, she started yawning again and fell back asleep, leaving Jade to her thoughts.
The Trevelorian countryside flew by and under other circumstances, she would have admired it. Rather than heading for the rolling farmlands where Hrebec and Abby lived, the flight plan took them into a more heavily wooded area, interspersed with a network of rivers and streams. The water, a deep purplish blue, sparkled as it flowed between grassy, many-trunked trees in vivid shades of lime and gold.
But despite the beauty of her surroundings, all she could think about was the encounter between Inzen and Gokan. She tried desperately to think of some logical reason why the furry bastard would have been paying Inzen, but she couldn’t come up with any connection between the two males—except her. Maybe once she was safe, she could find a way to contact Abby and ask her to investigate.
Clouds started to appear just as the vehicle indicated the end of their flight, echoing her increasingly despondent mood. She caught a glimpse of a faint track leading across a grassy meadow, then down a wooded hillside. Between the trees, she spied the house she had rented perched on sticklike legs and nestled into a small clearing next to one of the many streams. At least from the outside, the bright blue walls and thatched roof looked as charming as they had in the picture.
The auto control signaled the need for landing, and she carefully guided the flyer down next to the summer house. Once again, Lily woke up when she lifted her ou
t of the vehicle, but she was immediately distracted by her surroundings. She bounced over to the edge of the stream and started collecting the multicolored pebbles that seemed to be a common feature of the Trevelorian riverbanks. Jade let her play, relieved that she hadn’t started demanding Inzen as soon as they landed.
Inspecting her surroundings, she took a deep breath, some of the tension from the hectic flight finally leaving. Even though the sky had clouded over, it didn’t detract from the peaceful serenity of the woods and stream. She hadn’t seen any sign of nearby residences, and the knowledge that no one knew where they were was a weight off of her shoulders.
“Why don’t we go see what it looks like inside the house?” she suggested once Lily had gathered a handful of pebbles.
When Lily nodded, she scooped her up and carried her up the stairs to the front porch that ran along the front of the building. The key B’hira had provided stuck in the lock, and for a horrible moment, she thought they would be locked out, but it finally turned and the door opened.
The inside of the house was as rustic as the outside but equally charming in a primitive way. The corners of the hut were rounded, and the two back corners contained circular beds woven from the native grasses. A smile crossed her lips for the first time as she realized that they resembled colorful nests. Everything in the single room was a little shabby, the original bright colors faded, but it didn’t detract from its cozy feel. A rough table sat in front of the wide window to one side of the door. In front of the window on the other side were two oversized, comfortable-looking chairs, perfectly positioned to look out over the clearing and down to the stream. She had a sudden vision of sitting there with Inzen, Lily snuggled in one of their laps, and her throat closed over. She missed him so much already.
As if reading her thoughts, Lily looked up at her. “Dada?”
“No, baby. He’s not coming. Yet,” she added hastily when her daughter’s bottom lip trembled. “Why don’t we see what we have for dinner?”
“Cookie?” Lily asked hopefully.
Daughter of the Alien Warrior Page 13