by Reagan Woods
Chapter 39
Lacy stared at Heza on the view screen. It was still several days away but within sight. They were at the meeting point, beyond prying eyes, now.
“Holy shit,” she breathed to Bram as she enhanced the view, zooming in. “It’s beautiful.”
He tilted his head to the side and nodded slowly. “Heza is the life blood of Doranos Space. Those are greenhouses,” he paused to point out some of the more stunning structures that sparkled in the artificial sunlight. “They’re responsible for producing food for most of the solar system as well as a large portion of our exports.”
“That’s crazy,” she goggled. Some of the greenhouses looked like they were built from triangles of stained glass while others appeared as light and shimmery as a soap bubble.
She’d learned that Heza wasn’t technically a planet, but a giant moon that slowly orbited Doranos Prime, arguably the most important planet in Doranos Space. It’s orbit was wide and took it past many of the other planets in the solar system as well. The moon was littered with domed structures and encased in a giant crystal sphere that sported its own fusion reactor – a miniature sun. It all looked so glittery and perfect. How could people actually live in something so hard and shiny? “It’s like a beautiful sculpture or a really fancy piece of jewelry.”
“I guess.” Bram snorted out a laugh. “Heza’s value isn’t in its beauty, but in its practicality.” He sobered, a look she didn’t know how to interpret on his face. “Sesk’aa will dock with us soon,” he reminded, tugging at the tight shirt she’d found to go with his flowy pants. “I will go to her, get what we need and return quickly.”
“What will you tell her about me?” Lacy wondered.
He busied himself wiping down the ship’s controls. They were both freaks about cleanliness since their space was so small, but Lacy recognized avoidance when she saw it. “I doubt it will come up.”
“What if it does?” She pressed, legitimately curious. The woman had procured papers for an alien female, certainly she’d have questions.
Heaving out a sigh, he straightened and rubbed a palm over the nape of his neck. Absently, she noted that he needed a haircut. Maybe, when they were settled on Cuva, she would try her hand at cutting his hair. It seemed a nice, domestic thing to do. She really loved the idea of a quiet, domesticated life with Bram.
Finally, he asked, “What would you have me say?”
“I don’t know.” Lacy shrugged, trying to gauge his mood. Underneath his tension, she knew he was excited to get the next, more peaceful, chapter of their life started. He planned to reopen his guide business and she hoped she might tag along every now and again. Assuming his clients weren’t all bigoted assholes. “Do you think she’ll hate me because I’m an alien?”
“I don’t think that.” He scratched his ear contemplatively. “If she asks about you, I don’t know what I’ll say, but my goal is to get you safely home. I’m not interested in making amends with Sesk’aa. Grateful as I am for her help, she forfeited any maternal rights many years ago. The details of our life together are none of her business.”
“Okay.” Lacy nodded thoughtfully, chewing on her bottom lip. “If you want me to go with you, I will.”
His smile transformed his face from hard and pensive to handsomely relaxed. “Thank you for the offer.” One big hand cupped the back of her neck and he drew her closer. Comforting heat rolled in waves off his big body as he touched his lips briefly to hers. “But I think it’s safer for you to stay here.”
“I understand. Remember, even if I’m not right there, I’ve got your back.” She smiled up at him and ran her hands over the satiny fabric of his snug top. Maybe she could talk him into keeping the shirt. It might not be the most comfortable thing he’d ever worn, but the black material showed his impressive pecs and arms off to sexy perfection.
“You’re a constant surprise,” he murmured, capturing one roving hand and placing a sweet kiss on her open palm.
“Wait until we have some space to spread out,” she snickered, heading south with her free hand until she found another impressive part of his anatomy. “I’ll surprise your socks off.”
“I can’t wait.” His eyes became heavy-lidded as his hands began their own wanton exploration over her body. “Though, I think I’ll miss being able to lay hands on you at any moment of the day.”
That rough edge in Bram’s voice had her nipples standing at attention and her thighs clenching. Whenever he talked like that, it really didn’t matter what he said; the tone, the hungry, feral look in his eyes lit a fire in her belly.
Movement flickered in the corner of her vision. He saw it, too, and they separated to check out the activity. She gasped at the size of the glossy monstrosity rapidly filling the view screen. “Is that your mother’s ship? Jesus, do you think she’s got enough guns?”
“It is Sesk’aa,” he confirmed, his expression falling into the stoic lines she thought of as his ‘Warrior face.’
“Oh my,” she breathed when she caught sight of the ship’s mirror-like finish. It was so highly polished it appeared to emit light. “How many thousand people does it take to spit shine that thing, do you think?”
Bram’s stiff posture didn’t relax at her weak joke. “Doriak is a very wealthy male and Sesk’aa likes to make an impression.”
Lacy could see he was nervous, understandably so. Part of his issue was probably nerves at confronting Sesk’aa. It took big balls to face down someone that hurt him so badly. She suspected he was also wary of a trap. What if his mother betrayed him to the High Council? Anyone who would just take off on a thirteen-year-old boy could easily do something like that.
Bram confided that, even if the assassin had lived, the High Council would still want to silence him. If Bram ever went public with his tale, it wouldn’t paint the Council in a flattering light. Appearances were everything to the Councilors and they would do anything to prevent Bram from telling his story about the covert assassin, pirates and back-stabbing Corian prince.
The other ship ejected something Bram called a boarding tube. Deftly, he secured the free end of the tube to their egress hatch.
“Over and right back,” he promised with a hard, hungry kiss that nearly made her forget her name. Moving fast, he unsealed the hatch and stepped through.
For a breathless second, fear overwhelmed her. Coppery blood trickled across her tongue from where her teeth dug into her lip. At least she hadn’t begged him not to go. “He’s doing this for us,” she murmured aloud, the reassurance not comforting in the least.
She heard a distant whoosh and thud and knew he was through the air locks and into the tunnel proper. All that was left to do was wait. And pray.
Chapter 40
Lacy paced nervously while she awaited Bram’s return. It could be hours, she knew, but she couldn’t sit still. At the helm, a dinging sound caught her attention. Scrolling through the command screens, she realized someone was hailing their ship. That couldn’t be good.
Should she answer? Obviously, someone knew she was here, she reasoned. Blowing out a breath, she blocked her visual and opened the com channel as she’d seen Bram do. “Lacy?” Bram’s voice was strained, but he looked calm enough. “I need you to come over here, love.”
“Is everything okay?” She asked, careful to use only English. “So help me, I will fly this skimmer straight into your mother’s precious ship if she betrayed you.”
His hands came up to stop her tirade. “There’s no need for all that,” he answered in Doranese. “Sesk’aa has pointed out that she risks much by rendering us aide as I have been identified as a wanted fugitive by the High Council. She would like to meet you and hear your version of events.”
Lacy felt the cold bitch-slap of reality as though she’d been physically struck. Mutely, she ran a nervous hand over her hair, smoothing the errant strands. The Council knew she and Bram escaped the assassin. They were sure to be hunted now. “I guess that’s reasonable,” she agreed reluctantly. “I’m on my way.�
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It took her a minute to find her courage - because, hello, shit just got real. Again. Then, it took a bit longer to figure out how to work the damned airlock. Getting on the ship remained a bit of a blur and she’d relied heavily on Ssszit for most practical things. She finally figured it out, waiting for the hiss and click and enduring the flashing lights that indicated a sterilization sequence was in effect.
Crossing the chilly white tube was not fun as she’d never experienced weightlessness before. There was plenty of air, but zero gravity and she was glad she’d been too nervous to eat earlier. At least she wouldn’t show up to meet Bram’s mother with vomit in her hair.
She pulled herself across the long tube using the widely spaced hand-holds. More than once, she ended up in a slow, nauseating spin because the grips were spaced too far apart for her short wingspan. The whole way over, she racked her brain for something that would motivate the cold, callous Sesk’aa to jeopardize her cushy life by giving them the identity chits they needed.
Neither maternal instinct nor old-fashioned guilt had kept her at Bram’s side, so Lacy figured there wasn’t anything she could say or do. They should get back in their little ship and haul ass away from Heza. Where they could alight, well, that was a mystery, but she felt exposed now that she knew they were wanted.
The trip from hell was close to a half-mile, she calculated, activating the airlock at Sesk’aa’s ship. Gravity was a welcome development. Another sterilization cycle commenced, then, the door hissed opened.
Purple and white. The room was a blinding kaleidoscope of purple swirls on a white backdrop. She got the impression of sleek luxury from the elegant lighting and hard, lustrous finish on the floor and walls, but all she saw was the one person she’d come to rely on, her man.
Bram stood waiting for her, arms outstretched. “Are you well?” He pulled her close for a hug which she reciprocated a little longer than necessary, afraid of what might happen next.
“I’m very, very clean.” Lacy reluctantly pulled back but stayed glued to Bram’s side.
“Er – Lacy, this is my mother, Sesk’aa of Heza.” Belatedly, Lacy realized there were other people present. She turned as Bram introduced her, “Mother, this is Lacy Callaghan, formerly of Earth. My female.”
“Wow,” she muttered, taking in the strangers with trepidation.
An alien woman and two men waited with Bram. The men wore flowing black slacks and tight fitting black tops like Bram’s. The female barely wore anything at all. Her bejeweled bra was cup-less, the frame of gleaming stones serving to push her ample bosom up while calling attention to the amethyst jewels that flanked the bars through her white nipples. The skirt was more a loin cloth with strands of matching crystals cascading in a thin fringe to the floor.
Sesk’aa was easily six feet. Her white hair tumbled in voluptuous curls past her hips. While Bram was a god carved of purest marble, his mother was carved by gods to inspire envy in mortal hearts. Her stunning face was long set with high, round cheekbones and a straight elegant nose. The unrelieved white of her hair and skin was the perfect foil for bold, purple eyes.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Lacy wiped her sweaty palm against her tunic, feeling a bit intimidated, and held it out.
Eyes avid with curiosity, Sesk’aa studied Lacy’s offering. After a quick glance at Bram, the older woman reached out and pumped her hand awkwardly. “Greetings, Earther. You are the first of your kind I’ve met. Your Doranese is much better than I expected. And your hair – what an interesting color.”
“You are the first Doranos female I’ve encountered,” Lacy told her cautiously. “You’re very beautiful.” The words tumbled out and Lacy flushed with embarrassment.
The two men murmured and moved closer. Alarmed, Lacy backed into Bram’s solid girth.
Sesk’aa turned and neatly boxed the strange men out, speaking to Lacy as though their conversation hadn’t been interrupted. “My gift and my curse, I’m afraid.” There was a smile when she said it, but Lacy got the impression she was serious. “Won’t you come to the receiving room and have something to eat?”
Lacy looked to Bram and he nodded. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Chapter 41
Lacy walked stiffly at his side through the luxurious ship. Swirling purple streaks in the exact shade of Sesk’aa’s eyes streaked the halls giving the appearance of constant motion. An echoing purple glossed over the shining floors and retreated like waves at the edge of a sea.
Hand possessive on Lacy’s back, Bram eyed his mother’s guards. The two walked right behind Sesk’aa while he and Lacy hung back a few steps. “Relax,” he murmured so only she could hear him. “It’ll be a quick meal. Look at it as a break from stale rations.”
The look she shot him was full of derision. “It seems slightly more important than that from where I’m standing,” she whispered back.
“Everything will be fine,” he soothed, unsure if it was the truth but knowing what she needed to hear.
No one could fathom Sesk’aa’s mind. He hadn’t seen her for many years. Pure desperation drove him to contact her and demand help. When she agreed to procure identity chits for him and for Lacy, he’d been suspicious. There had to be something in it for her.
They continued to trail Sesk’aa in silence through the maze of Doriak’s personal transport. Bram idly wondered if his mother’s lover was on board. He decided not, given the dubious way the guards eyed him. They’d taken more interest in Lacy than was proper, but Sesk’aa had smoothly shut them out.
Doriak had a slew of females in his harem and his guards were known for being fierce, but Bram suspected his mother did as she pleased. Sesk’aa was an invaluable companion to Doriak, often several steps ahead of political scheming and power plays. She likely decided to help Bram and Lacy, then simply told Doriak she’d be commandeering his mind-bogglingly expensive ship.
“Here we are,” Sesk’aa’s dulcet tones announced. Palming open a set of lacquered white doors, she waved Lacy and Bram into a luxurious room of low, curved sofas for reclining and expensively inlaid tables.
“That will be all,” she dismissed, denying the guards entry with her person.
“My Lady,” Bram heard one of them protest. “We cannot leave you alone with these…people. Lord Doriak would not approve.”
“What do you think my son and his companion are going to do to me, S’rio?” She stood firm, her long arms spread between the two doors as she struck a sultry pose.
“Your son, My Lady?” He tilted his head, peeking around Sesk’aa’s body. “I was unaware you had a son.”
“I’m entitled to my secrets,” she rebutted laughingly, manually pulling the doors close and continuing to speak through the narrowed crack to S’rio on the other side, “I have not seen him in many years and do not wish an audience for our reunion.”
“Of course, My Lady.” The murmured acquiescence barely wafted into the room before she clicked the portal shut.
Sesk’aa heaved a sigh, appearing to take a moment to collect herself before she spun, perfect hostess’ smile in place. “We have seasonal fruit and meats from the surface,” she told them. “And a particularly nice wine from Doriak’s personal vineyards. Please sit, be at ease.”
Bram took a seat on an undulating purple couch, pulling Lacy down next to him. “That would be lovely.”
With her own hands, Sesk’aa carted a crystal decanter of wine and several fruits to a nearby table. On her knees, she presented the selection to Lacy and then to him.
“Oh, you shouldn’t!” Lacy moved to pull his mother to her feet. Bram stopped her reaction by placing his arm between the two females.
“Sesk’aa is a high-ranking female. Hospitality from her hand is a great honor,” he murmured at her confused expression. “What did you learn in that reconditioner on Earth?” He was referring to the hypnotic machines used to reeducate conquered races.
“How to be subservient,” Lacy answered snarkily. “As you can see,
it didn’t take.”
He sputtered laughingly at her candor.
Sesk’aa looked on, quick mind obviously at work. “Why would she learn anything of Doranos culture in the reconditioner? Isn’t Corian the first part of reeducation?”
“I’ve concluded that things were, perhaps, not done strictly according to regulation on Earth,” Bram told her, rubbing a hand across his nape. He didn’t want to get into politics with his mother.
“That corroborates some of what I’ve heard.” Sesk’aa’s words surprised him. “Please, have some d’hari fruit,” she offered Lacy first pick of the platter with one hand while handing him a small crystal glass of wine with the other. “It will refresh you.”
“Er – thank you.” Biting into the small red fruit, Lacy made a noise of appreciation. “That’s delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
“D’hari does not transport well outside our system.” Sesk’aa smiled at Lacy’s reaction. “I have your ident chits.” She offered the tray of fruit to Bram. “The price for my help is weekly communication.”
He popped a d’hari in his mouth and chewed. As a gambit to buy time went, it lacked originality. She wanted something from him, something much bigger than a weekly duty com. He just couldn’t fathom what.
Lacy frowned, clearly of the same mind, and slid closer to his side. “Why?” She asked.
Sesk’aa’s gaze moved over them, pausing on their linked hands, before her purple eyes focused on him. The tears standing on her lower lashes were unexpected. “I didn’t handle things well when I left. I have always regretted the rift that caused, but you are still my son.”
Bram nearly choked on the d’hari. What was she playing at? “I’m not opposed to keeping you abreast of my movements,” he conceded cautiously.
Of course, she pushed for more – just not how he expected her to. “When the young come, what then? Will you allow me to see them?”
“There will be no young,” Bram snapped harshly, angry and defensive. She knew how their people viewed mixed heritage – how others had treated their small family because of his broad build and excessive height. Everyone who saw him commented on his differences, usually they were simply rude and unkind, but sometimes it went further. They’d been prohibited from shopping with ‘decent’ folk on market days. That was why he learned to hunt so well so early. “You of all people ought to know…” He trailed off, took a deep breath. Quietly, he repeated, “There will be no young.”
