by Grace, Viola
Salat grinned. “We have made quite a bit for children’s charities, and Khytten and Torenne are quite popular.”
Khytten snorted. “Don’t let him fool you. He is on the majority of popular shirts.”
Salat wrapped his arms around her from behind. “We are on the most popular shirts.”
Khytten grinned. “Like this.” She turned her face to his, and they stared at each other for a long moment then a kiss occurred.
Tirra watched and smiled.
Gorith murmured in her ear. “You look like a proud parent.”
“Designing Khytten’s training and study regimen were difficult because she had to get over a lot of negative sexually based events. Looks like she is doing fine.”
Salat’s head snapped up. “You designed her training?”
Tirra blinked. “Um, yeah. I was in charge of assembling her program.”
He walked over and took her from Gorith’s arms, hugging her tightly. “Thank you.”
Khytten was giggling as Salat swung Tirra around.
Tirra just waited, and he set her down with a smile. “Thank you, Tirra. I had no idea what was missing from my life until she appeared in it.”
She was snatched off the ground and arms wrapped around her. The scent told her that Harmik was holding her tight. Too tight. “Uh, Harmik, this kind of stings.”
He relaxed his embrace. “Sorry. It just feels so good to properly hold you.”
She turned to face him. “Yeah, but we are not a physical match. Just a casual dating match. You know that.”
He touched her face. “Are you sure?”
His hand was rough.
She took a deep breath and said, “Do you want me to prove it?”
“Yes.”
She kissed him, and his arms came around her in a tight embrace, and her newly restored tissue screamed as his arms tightened around her. She whimpered and pushed at his shoulders, her wings flapping against him and beating him. He looked up in shock and let her go. She flipped backward, and her wings flexed and beat slowly until she was back on her feet a few metres away from the group.
She wrapped an arm around her ribs, and Harmik looked astonished at his arms.
He asked, “What happened?”
Khytten blinked. “Oh, shit. She has an attraction effect.”
Torenne looked at her and stepped toward her. “Tirra, can I check?”
Tirra felt her eyes rolling with pain. She gritted her teeth and nodded.
Torenne touched her and ran her hands along her ribs and back. “Right. Breaks, internal bleeding. Your bones are brittle.”
Tirra nodded. “They feel very fucking brittle.”
Khytten walked up to her and stroked her neck. “I can fix that tomorrow or this evening if you prefer.”
“Tomorrow will be fine. I have some patrons to attend to.”
Harmik frowned. “Tirra, I am so sorry.”
She waved it off. “It’s fine. You couldn’t have known.”
“Why didn’t Gorith injure you?”
She looked to the concerned and agitated Gorith. “He was still treating me like my skin would break. I was rough with him, not the other way around.”
Torenne winced. “This is going to hurt. Your body has no reserves of minerals left. They were all used to rebuild your nerves.”
Tirra blinked. “What are you going to do?”
“Force an alignment and repair. Feel free to scream.” Torenne opened Tirra’s suit again
The energy surged into Tirra’s body as Torenne’s healing talent pulled her bones straight and knit the tissues. The power burned, the pain was excruciating, and Tirra just breathed through all of it.
Torenne looked her in the eye and nodded. “You have had worse.”
Tirra smiled. “I have had worse.”
Torenne pulled her hands away from Tirra’s torso and sealed the suit. “How long are you going to keep the wings out?”
“Uh. Oh.” She focused and tried to pull them in again, but she was scared now, and it was hard.
Gorith came to her and knelt in front of her. He smiled and took her hand. “Breathe in, breathe out, and when you exhale, just relax and let them go.”
She swallowed nervously. “Right. Just relax.”
She inhaled, exhaled, and the electric weight of them was still behind her. “I’m stuck.”
“I can help you, but I will have to be in contact with you.” Gorith’s expression was solemn.
“Um, please. I don’t think I can fit in the car like this.”
He smiled and crooked his finger. “Lean in.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. He paused her start of the kiss and took control, flicking his tongue into her mouth. She responded and clutched at his head, holding him still as his kiss slowly warmed her. A light touch caressed her hip, and another was on her inner thigh. When the touches stroked her breasts and back, all at the same time, she knew that his golden tentacles were out.
She trembled as they caressed her through the suit and inhaled sharply when her suit opened, and tendrils of air moved across her skin. She focused everything she had on the kiss and concentrated on the pleasure that she was getting from the kiss, his touch, and the tingle along her nerves. She forgot their audience, forgot her wings; she just focused on the kiss and ignored the tentacles moving along her skin under the suit. When it slipped inside her, she gasped in shock, and she felt his smile.
More energy tendrils came into play, and she moaned as the energy writhed along her skin under her suit. Her voice got higher as the invader inside her slid and pulsed as it retreated and forged inward. Her energy built under her skin, and when she cried out, his tentacles held her tight, and he caught her as her knees gave way.
He chuckled, and his tentacles slowly retreated out of her suit, sealing it as they emerged. “That was the other way to do a power drain. Have someone do it for you.”
She blushed. “Um, thank you.”
He grinned. “My pleasure. Literally. I felt everything you did.”
“Ohmygod.” She struggled to stand up. Some of the tentacles had gotten very intimate.
Khytten snickered. “I know that expression.”
Gorith sat back and held her against him, carefully and gently. “Give yourself a minute before you panic. You need to get your breath back.”
She nodded and stopped hyperventilating. She breathed in and out slowly until she relaxed and leaned against his shoulder.
“There’s my girl. Right. I think a little tea is in order.” He got to his feet and carried her back to the table where they had been seated an age ago.
Harmik came to her and touched her hand. “I am so sorry for that.”
She looked at him sleepily. “This is why I wasn’t rated for sex. Don’t quite match anyone.”
He stroked her cheek. “But you are an excellent dancer.”
She smiled, and a cup of tea was set near her.
Salat said, “I put enough sugar in it to boost a rock’s energy.”
She asked, “How do you know Gorith?”
Salat blinked, and Gorith chuckled. “She analyzes things, situations. That includes people.”
Salat smiled. “Gorith was one year below me in training at the agency. They trained us to be spies, but if we showed capability elsewhere, our training was altered. Gorith had a talent for acting and a cold air. Perfect for long-term placement in the crime families.”
She reached for the cup, but Gorith took it and held it for her.
Khytten chuckled. “Yeah, he looks ice cold to me. The only thing missing is him in an apron or pinafore.”
Gorith smiled. “I will wear one if you have it. Dignity is the first thing that they take out of us in training. If you can’t be truly embarrassed, you can’t be manipulated as easily. The whole idea of stringent gender roles and masculinity can’t be used to goad you into stupid action.”
Salat grinned. “I got enough of that with Torenne.”
Khytten smiled.
“And you train it out of us in our programs, Tirra. Nothing to judge, nothing to fear.”
Tirra sipped at the tea and then sipped again when the cup remained. Gorith set the cup down and helped her sit up a little straighter.
“How are you feeling?”
She thought about it. “Hollow. Like I am a shell with nothing in it.”
“That is good. At least you are feeling. Be gentle with yourself until you can rebuild.”
Tirra chuckled. “Being gentle with myself does not come easily.”
He picked up the cup again and held it to her lips. “Then, while I am here, let me help.”
She sipped the super-sweet tea and chuckled. “That is even harder.”
Torenne muttered something. “I think I have it.”
Tirra took another long sip and tried to sit up without touching Gorith, but he helped her with an arm around her back.
Khytten asked, “What do you have?”
“Well, her body is basically in fundamental unbalance, and she needs a lot of minerals directly fused into her as quickly as possible. Other breaks are inevitable. The sudden change to her biology is going to make her unstable until it is corrected. There is actually a researcher at Z-Tech who specializes in molecular lamination. I think he is a fairly good bet.”
“What is his name?”
“Dr. Krizt. He specializes in biologicals.”
Tirra chuckled. “We have met. He’s a dedicated researcher.”
Gorith asked, “Should I be worried?”
“Um, no. I have just had to teach him new biological handling protocols as the regulations changed.”
“Do you trust him?”
“For a medical treatment? I suppose. He does know his research, and if it can be applied to me, I will gladly show up and let him inject whatever into me.”
Torenne nodded. “Well, this involves injection with a viral compound followed by a mineral drip. It seems to be tailored for anyone in your situation.”
Tirra grinned. “Has he used humans yet?”
There was a pause. “Erm... no. If you sign up, you will be the first.”
“Of course, I will. Don’t worry, I feel lucky.”
Gorith said, “If you are heading to Z-Tech, I can drive you.”
She sighed. “There has been no contact, and I have to get authorization from Zera. It is her company, her researcher, and me leaving the resort.”
Khytten nodded. “Open your com.”
Tirra slowly lifted her arm, and Zera’s face emerged on a shared projection. “So, Tirra, busy morning?”
“Morning, Boss. Eventful. I would definitely say that.”
“Energy projections?”
“Yup.”
“Depletion of your skeletal structure?”
“That, too. I feel like a breadstick.”
“Right. I will contact Krizt, and if he goes for it, I will let you know when you can come in.”
“Thanks.”
Torenne murmured, “I am writing a report right now that should highlight the urgency of the situation. Krizt should have it in twenty minutes.”
Zera nodded. “In half an hour, I will call and then call you back.”
Khytten nodded. “Good. I would help, but I am feeding actual babies, and with the pregnancy, I can’t pull on my own biology to make up the difference. I wish I could, but my body just won’t let me, and Torenne can only fix what is there.”
They disconnected the call after a few more pleasantries, and Tirra finished her second cup of tea.
Harmik looked at her. “I am so very sorry, Tirra.”
“Harmik, stop carrying the guilt. You just pointed out a problem that would probably next have reared its head when climbing a rock face or something. If I had done it anywhere else, it probably would have killed me.”
He stared at her in surprise. “You aren’t just saying that.”
“Nope. It’s true. If I had broken my arms, legs, ribs, spine, anywhere else, I would not have been able to get help. And, of course, it wasn’t your fault that I had extensive tissue damage. I did that to myself.” She shivered. “So, the tissue is whole, but the bones are leeched. It is a fair trade, and hopefully, I can get a mineral supplement or procedure to get the strength back. It might take time, but I am not planning any important stuff. The nice thing about being single, there is always time to take for me.”
Gorith chuckled. “For now.”
“What?”
“You are single for now.”
She looked up at him. “Well, yes. I can’t see the future, so I have to guess at what is going to happen. For now, I am single.”
Salat snorted, and Torenne rolled her eyes. Harmik gave a slow smile.
Khytten just smiled kindly. “If you wouldn’t mind, I can help you again. It will just make you a little less brittle. That’s all I can manage.”
“I don’t want to do anything to importune you or the babies.”
As if saying the word had started something, the sound of tiny bodies wailing came through the air, and Tigel, in his striped glory, came out, and he said, “Excuse me, Miss Khytten.”
She was already undoing her dress, but Tirra smiled, “Tigel, can you hand me Cira?”
He paused, and when Khytten nodded, she got the baby in her arms. She lifted the little one and whispered in her ear. “They aren’t hungry; they are just missing out on being held.”
Cira quieted the moment she was held close, and the little body gave a shiver. Khytten held Ciro, and he did the same. Khytten laughed. “I have been stuffing them when they cry.”
“Yeah, and that is good, too, but they just want to be touched. It’s important.” She held Cira, and Tirra started to sing a lullaby.
The people around her froze as she sang to Cira, and Ciro stopped his sad snuffling to listen.
When Cira was sleeping in her arms, one fist stuffed in her mouth, Tirra looked up to see the men and women around her staring with sleepy eyes.
She spoke calmly. “And that is why I kick ass at karaoke.”
Gorith chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I really was missing out by opting to just have you in my arms.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, you really were.”
He smiled. “I was kidding. I would not have traded a moment with you for anything.”
She jolted in surprise, and Cira opened her eyes and giggled as she waved the little fist.
Tirra watched as Gorith’s large gold finger offered itself to the baby, and she clutched it. The tiny fingers could barely wrap a third of the way around it. She remembered the feel of two of those fingers inside her, and she suddenly went hot pink. Her whole body got hot.
Gorith looked at her in concern. “Are you sure that you are all right? You just went pink.”
Torenne chuckled. “She’s fine.”
Khytten nodded. “She’s fine.”
Cira let out a happy squeal, and Tirra smoothed a hand over her little head.
The bright giggle the came from the baby was echoed by her twin.
Tirra looked at Khytten, and the other woman stood up to retrieve the baby. “Come on, baby. You don’t want to be close to what was going through the nice lady’s brain.”
Tirra flicked a glance to Gorith, and he was still frowning. She took his hand that was still held up, and she wrapped her fingers around his and eased his hand down. “Put those away.”
He looked at his hand, her hot cheeks, and her much smaller fingers, and he started to chuckle. “Oh, that was what that was.”
She blushed hotter, and he wrapped her in his arms, cuddling her against him.
Khytten looked at the babies. “They are more content than I have seen them.”
“Subliminal suggestion in the song. They are safe, they are loved, they are cared for, they will get their next meal when they need it, not before. Don’t worry. It won’t do anything to the adults.”
Khytten blinked. “How did you do that?”
“Second set of vocal cords.�
�
Gorith muttered, “It isn’t in your profile.”
“It is a biological abnormality. No examiner ever thought they did anything, and they don’t... when I speak. I save them for karaoke.”
Gorith nuzzled her temple. “So, I really was missing out. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She felt the electricity of the audit run through her, and he whispered, “Wow. This is going to have to be a delicately worded report to keep you from getting a tracker on you twenty-four-seven. You are pretty deadly, little analyst.”
“I haven’t killed anyone.” She frowned up at him. “Yet. Do you want to be first?”
He grinned, and she realized that she had played right into his game. He had laid out a path that took her right into his trap.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Yes.”
Chapter Nine
After the next treatment by Khytten, Tirra felt a bit stronger. She lifted her head, and the nipple was still silver. “Sorry about that.”
Khytten was dazed and smiling, cuddling up against Salat. She had orgasmed twice under Tirra and was a little warm and sleepy.
Tirra flexed her hands, and Khytten sighed. “That was really nice.”
“Thank you, Khytten. The ache in my joints is gone.”
“My pleasure.” She purred.
Salat looked surprised. “Wow. That sound is new.”
Tirra blushed. “Sorry.”
He grinned. “Don’t be. Khytten needs more friends.”
Torenne chuckled. “But I get to be primary watcher, right?”
“You do, and speaking of, I have to get going. Work calls.” Salat kissed his sated kitten and eased away from her. She sat up sleepily and grinned.
Torenne snickered. “Well, that is a good look on you, Khytten.”
Salat came over and kissed Tirra on the forehead. “You are welcome to come and calm my kitten anytime. I will send the clearances so the automatic defense systems won’t be activated by you.”
Gorith murmured, “That is an important clearance. Salat, I will forward her scans once they are complete.”
Torenne grinned. “I will get the scans and make sure that nothing aims at our angel, on the ground or in the air.”
