by Viola Grace
He nodded. “Do you have any questions about the nature of your contract?”
She shook her head and focused on the huge space station that was in their approach. “No. I believe I have the idea. I am at your disposal.”
“And that entails?”
“Anything that will not seriously endanger me physically. Everything else is up to you.”
He chuckled. “Interesting way to phrase it but essentially correct.”
She nodded and asked, “Is that the education station?”
“It is.”
“It is huge.”
“It was assembled in space. Some of your people have learned how to do that kind of construction. They will work off their contracts and then be free to find a new world.”
Cass nodded. “I will not.”
“No. You will be with me. All efforts will be made to continue your education, cater to your interests, and make sure that your life is enjoyable and interesting.”
She nodded. “I am sure you will. Your last assistance passed away?”
He frowned. “Who told you that?”
“You said she was no longer with you. This is pretty much a lifetime appointment. I just thought...”
“No. She chose to break the contract, and after her next choice didn’t turn out the way she thought, she killed herself.”
“What?”
He sighed, and their shuttle moved under the station and toward a large vessel docked against the bulk of the visiting satellite.
“She was a volunteer who met the criteria for my needs, but after the fourth year of her contract, she fell in love with one of the ambassadors that visit my home.” He sighed. “She waited a year to make sure that her heart was true, and then, she asked to be let out of her contract. I let her go.”
Cass blinked. “What happened then?”
“The ambassador was mortified that he had cost me my companion, and he rebuffed her attentions. It wasn’t worth our trade relationship. She, in shock, ran into an active volcano. Her people are rather dramatic.”
“Wow. That is... something.” She blinked.
He shrugged. “In case you hear it, her name was Lidarian-Ek.”
“Ah. Okay.” She wasn’t sure what to say next.
“So, what we will do is get you a full medical scan, a trip to the groomer, and then a verification of your wardrobe. By the time that is complete, your animals should be safely stowed, and we can get underway.”
She blushed. “It seems odd that you are paying for this stuff.”
“You will represent me in every meeting, event, or virtual call. A Hmrain’s companion is part of them. You will figure it out after a while.”
“That sounds very vague.”
He chuckled, and she closed her eyes as he moved the ship around and docked with the large and sleek vessel.
“Guards will come and walk with you to the medical checkpoint, but after that, I will accompany you. Do not go with anyone who doesn’t know the word chicken.”
She smiled. “A safe word?”
He gave her a serious look. “Yes. I was almost able to gain one of your people because she blindly went with some guards.”
Cassandra raised her brows. “Well, why isn’t she with you?”
“She realized what was going on. My brother’s guards were fast on their feet. They got to her before she was on my vessel.”
“Wow, so you were willing to kidnap her.”
“I tried to buy her, but they closed the bidding.” He chuckled.
“So, let me clarify, humans who match with your kind are few and far between.”
“Correct.”
“How did you find me?”
He grinned. “I will tell you later. Now, you need to go through final emigration protocols.”
“Right.” She clumsily unclipped her harness and got to her feet.
Karus got up, and he held her hand as she began to balance with that extra help.
“Soon, we will be free of the system, and then, your true education about the stars can begin.”
She smiled. “Good. I think that it will be entertaining.”
He kept hold of her hand as she walked toward the door. The gravity didn’t feel like what she was used to. It took more effort to stand straight.
“Is it supposed to feel this weird?”
He chuckled. “You will have a few days to get used to it, and your body will adapt by the time we land.”
“When are we going to be on solid ground again?”
He smiled and pressed the hatch release. The light cycled, and soon, it glowed white. “A few weeks.” The door hissed open.
His grip coaxed her out of the shuttle as he walked her to the end of the long walkway and then turned into the body of the station down another passageway.
She identified the group of guards waiting for her. Grorians. The spikes on just about every portion of their skin made them effective at protecting anything they chose to. “Go with them, and they will remain with you until you are finished.”
Cassandra took a deep breath. This was less like a dream and more like a weird fantasy, but she had never imagined folk that looked like angry durian before.
They looked at her, and one of the females said, “Mistress Cassandra?”
“I am.”
“I am Homm; I am your liaison to the guards. Please, come with us.”
Homm bowed toward Master Karus. “We will return her in the next four hours.”
Cass looked back at her contract holder, and he smiled encouragingly, gesturing for her to make her way into the station.
Cassandra took a few steps into the grouping of Grorians, and they formed up around her, leading her into the station and toward the medical scans she apparently needed.
She asked the group in general, “Is there a reason why Master Karus can’t escort me here himself?”
Homm chuckled. “He made an error in judgment several weeks ago, and while he cannot be barred from docking on the station, he can be restricted to his ship, which is what has happened.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. That explains a lot.”
Homm didn’t comment on that. They were passing groups of other personnel and humans in training clothing, the designs similar to hers.
So, he was giving her the illusion of not being already assigned to someone.
The medical team waiting for her waited until her guards separated enough to let her through. They took up the entire front room and locked the door.
“Right. A Hmrain. Come this way, child.” The older woman with soft pink skin shook her head.
“Please, place your clothing on that shelf and stand inside this cleaning unit. After that is done, I will have you move into this scanner. This will create a complete baseline for your future medical care.”
The doctor turned around and smiled. There were four other people in the room, but it seemed that Cassandra was expected to ignore them.
She removed her shoes, socks, trousers, underwear, and finally tunic.
“Please, remove your hair tie.”
She nodded and let her hair loose, setting the tie on the same shelf as everything else. The cleaning unit had footmarks on the floor, and she looked around at the handgrips.
Kofu had warned her about this, and she avoided panicking as it closed around her, and a beam of light moved over her, under her and up her back with an itchy and prickling sensation. Dirt from Earth was being blown up on a molecular level against her skin. The prickles she was feeling were explosions.
The whole procedure took less than three minutes, but when her skin was cooled with a light mist, she started shivering at the sudden flow of air against her skin. The unit opened, and the next machine was waiting.
She pattered over to the unit, and a few of the medics looked at her before they turned to their terminals. Whatever was about to happen, they were going to watch it closely.
The doctor worked to position her with her feet flat and her palms down. “Remain like that and breat
he normally.”
She focused on breathing normally, and she heard murmuring as the light came on above her head and slowly moved down her body. This light didn’t hurt, but it was repetitive. Cassandra was reminded of getting an aqua massage but without the pressure. She slowly began to nod off as the wave of light went over her from head to toe and back again.
When the machine opened, so did her eyes. The doctor was surprised. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I was. Now I am not. What is next?”
“We are forwarding your results to the station and your contract holder. For now, your guards will take you to the groomers.”
A quick glance showed that the shelf was empty. “Where are my clothes?”
The doctor gestured to one of the assistants, and someone came over with some soft slippers and cross between a wrap gown and a robe. No underwear. Of course.
“Master Karus had it brought by courier. Your guards will take you to your next appointment.”
She fastened the buckles under her left breast and flapped her arms as she used to when she was a kid. The wide sleeves were satisfying to play with, all in the soft grey of Karus’s uniform.
She wiggled her toes and then nodded. “Right. Back to the halls.”
The doctor nodded. “I will forward the reports.”
Cassandra left the exam area, and her guards formed up around her again, and they left the medical unit. Homm looked irritated. Her spikes were sticking out, and some spines were partially up on her forearms.
“What happened?”
Homm muttered, “I will let Master Karus know about it, but they tried to take you.”
“What?”
“They sedated you and tried to take you out, claiming a medical emergency,” Homm spoke quietly. “Women and men with your particular ability to bond to a Hmrain are gaining enormous popularity for extreme sums of money. The education station didn’t make money on you. Therefore, they would like another chance.”
Cassandra did what Kofu had taught her to when she was upset; she was to grab her forearms and hold them tight. It beat wringing her hands.
The trip to the groomers was embarrassing. She was not left alone. Her guards were with her at all times. It made for a very uncomfortable deep tissue massage, but otherwise, Cassandra was fine with it.
Two hours went by as she was scrubbed, trimmed, polished, and moisturized. She got to keep most of her pubic hair, so she was very amused when she was given a new robe with a black line running around the neckline and front seam. The buckles that held the dress in place were black as well. She was dressed in Karus’s livery.
Chapter Five
“We are returning to the ship. The clothing outlet has been compromised. Your wardrobe has been delivered to the vessel.” Homm’s voice was low.
“Okay. I suppose that everything has been set to my measurements?”
Homm chuckled. “I am sure that they were. Did you get measured earlier in the process?”
She nodded, remembering standing on the unit while Kofu had her scanned. “Yes.”
“So, that is when the process started.” Homm nodded. She made a sharp clicking sound, and the other three tensed and nodded.
Cassandra watched as the spines of her guard slowly extended, and they got ready for a fight.
Homm murmured, “When you have a chance, run for the gangplank. Karus can defend you there.”
“What is going to happen?”
“They are trying to keep a very valuable asset on the station. We are going to fulfill our contract.” She grinned, and very sharp teeth protruded. “Get ready.”
They were approaching the door that led to the shuttle area she had first walked through. The door opened, and when they walked through, the fight began.
Cassandra lifted up her skirts and ran through the door, clearing the way for Homm and the last of her men.
Fifteen men were fighting with her guards, and she didn’t hesitate; she ran for Karus. Her newly brushed and burnished hair fluttered behind her as she sprinted at full speed through the hangar and toward the walkway. She heard the thud of footsteps behind her and saw the reflection in the polished glass and metal. He lunged, and she slid. The attacker overshot her and landed headfirst on the walkway. She scrambled to her feet, hiked her dress, and kept running.
There was another man behind her, and he tried to grab her as she gripped the railing and made a right turn. Karus was waiting for her, and his wings were flexing in agitation.
She kept heading for him at full tilt. The man she had just dodged was back on her tail, and she just needed twenty more feet. Fifteen. Ten. Five. She was grabbed by Karus and pulled behind him. The man chasing her plowed straight into his fist.
Cassandra skidded to a stop on her side. The Grarians were cleaning up as they went. Bodies were lining the walkways, and her protectors looked cheerful.
When they were standing face to face with Karus, they bowed.
“Thank you for guarding her. Your bonuses will reflect my appreciation for your diligence.”
Homm smiled as they straightened. There was blood on her spikes. “It was fun. Thank you for this opportunity. Cassandra, it was lovely to meet you.”
Cassandra lifted her hand and waved. “Nice meeting you, too.”
Homm and her crew bowed to her as well, and Cassandra pushed up to her feet and gave them a deep curtsy with her hands held in front of her, pointed toward the ground.
When she straightened and inclined her head, they turned and left.
She looked to Karus, and he lifted her hands. “You are injured.”
The scrapes on her skin could hardly be called an injury. “It will heal.”
He frowned. “Come with me. I will take care of it.”
He walked with her to the entry point to his shuttle. They stepped inside and walked through the ship, going in one side, down some steps, and then a whole new world, or rather, a whole new ship was under her feet.
“This is your ship?”
He absently answered, “One of them. My quarters are this way.”
She walked with him, her offending hands hidden inside her sleeves as she gripped her forearms for calm.
They passed a number of crewmen who pressed themselves to the opposite side of the hall, inclining their heads as Karus and Cassandra passed.
It felt like they had walked a mile, using lifts, stairs, and endless pathways. Finally, they entered a room near the center of the ship.
Cassandra’s steps slowed as she saw a huge living area, desks, monitors, holographic projectors, and a bed large enough for Karus to stretch out his wings as he lay down. He was currently opening a drawer from near the bed. He lifted a small flat object and beckoned to her. “Come here and hold out your hands.”
She moved toward him and opened up her hands. He ran the small cellular stimulator an inch over her palms. The throbbing pain in her hands gradually faded, and soon, all that was left was the blood.
He looked at her and scowled. “Anywhere else?”
She blushed and parted the front of her dress, displaying her scraped shins and knees.
He sighed. “Take a seat.” His head jerked toward the bed.
She blushed but sat down. He knelt in front of her and lifted each leg in turn, healing her skin.
“I am going to have a word with the management. They owe me for this. Hell, they owe you for this,” he muttered.
He draped her right leg over his knee and meticulously finished up each scratch and scrape.
When she was finally fixed up, he looked up at her from his seated position and smiled. “I had thought to give you a few days before I was between your thighs.”
She blushed. “Maybe I should wash the blood off, and then, we could go back to that timeline.”
He stroked her leg and continued upward to midthigh. “I do love the scent of your heat. It was what called me to you initially. I was flying a search pattern for any indicators, and I caught your scent on the wind.”
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She shivered as the light caress was having a definite effect. “Is that how your people make their choices when it comes to companions?”
He shook his head. “No, the true sense of a match is in the first kiss and the second and the third.”
Cassandra laughed, but he leaned in and kissed her, bracketing her in his embrace with his hands next to her hips. The ship shifted under them, and she felt like she was falling.
The sense of the drop made her clutch his shoulders, and then, she gave herself into his kiss.
She was leaning into his kiss and holding onto his shoulders, pulling him toward her as she wrapped her legs around his thighs.
Her forthrightness seemed to both spur him on and give him pause. He pulled back. “I believe that your offer to shower is acceptable. The scent of your blood is even intoxicating to me. So, let’s just not get that intimate on your first day.”
She sighed and nodded, letting him help her up. “Right. Shower.”
Her skin was tingling, and she entered the bathing room. There was a wide shower on one side and a tub large enough for her to swim in on the other. Water reclamation had been one of the topics that Kofu had taught her about.
Karus explained the functions on the shower, how to trigger the cleansers and conditioners, and where to locate the panel that would produce a towel.
She nodded and thanked him. “I will be out in a few minutes. When can I check on my animals?”
“You can see them on the monitor when you emerge from your shower.” He inclined his head and closed the door.
She unbuckled the dress and grimaced at the blood on the interior. Yeah, the station and their guards owed her something for that. She was already contracted. They had no right to try and keep her.
She draped her gown over the stool near the mirror and went to take a quick shower. Tears formed in her eyes when she was done, and she turned off the first proper hot water she had stood under in a year and a half. Tepid showers to save power had been her normal for the first few months, and then, she just switched to sponge bathing. The kiss of the hot, falling water had felt like heaven.
She released her hair from the knot she had put it in and stepped out of the cubicle, coaxing one of the enormous towels out of the panel in the wall, and she blotted the water off her body, sighing at the loss of the full-body massage and the skin creams. She was now tense, and her skin was tight.