by Seven Steps
Absorbing his strength, Nadira turned back to her new home, rolled up the sleeves to her jumpsuit, and began to unpack.
She didn’t stop until the habitat’s lights had dimmed, indicating that night was approaching.
“And the finishing touch,” Marie said, hanging up a picture of the four-faced Mother Goddess.
The wall comm flashed INCOMING.
Grateful for the disruption from her labors, Nadira placed a few knick knacks on the shelf near the kitchen, and made her way into the sitting room.
“Accept com.”
Empress Drell’s face appeared on the screen, pale, and pinched tight with age.
“Empress Nadira, may your mother be well.”
“And yours, Empress Drell.”
“I can’t say how proud I am that you have accepted the position of High Councilwoman. We look forward to having your sharp mind to shake up our rusted ones.”
“High Council is a privilege, Empress. I am honored that you chose me as your protégé.”
“As am I. And might I say, bold move in leaving your mother’s house so young. I’m sure that she will miss you terribly.”
“I’m sure, Empress.”
“I have been invited to the residence of my main advisor, Czarina Arees, for dinner. I know that it’s short notice, but I would like for you to accompany me as my personal guest. There will be some powerful women there, many on the Council. It would be a fantastic opportunity to mingle with your future enemies.”
Nadira smiled at Drell’s wit. “Thank you, Empress. However, I have so much to do here, and I have to be at Council the day after tomorrow.”
“Say no more, I completely understand. And believe me, there will be time a plenty once you are settled. More time then appropriate to mingle with the hand shakers and back stabbers.”
“I’m sure that there are honorable women among you.”
“There are. Empress Baleen, for instance. She is a woman of character. Your friend Eva of course, and soon you. But don’t worry. I will be there to guide you safely through.”
“Thank you Drell. I don’t know where I would be without you.”
“Improving lives, I’m sure. Just like your mother, who found me stranded in space and rescued me from sudden death.”
Nadira smiled at the old story.
“You would have floated into the Porticos eventually,” Marie called from the doorway.
“Perhaps and perhaps not. I never forget a favor Marie.”
“And we are grateful for it.”
“Nadira, I’m sorry that you won’t be joining me for dinner tonight. It will be frightfully boring without you. But, I look forward to seeing you the day after tomorrow, my child.”
“And you as well Drell.”
The screen blanked.
“What an incredible woman,” Marie said, turning to her daughter.
“Yes, incredible.”
“And she did bring up a good point. You are quite young to be out here on your own. I think I’ve made a mistake Naddie. I don’t want you out here alone.”
“You threw me out, mother, remember?”
“I may have acted rashly. People here are different from us in the Ring. Out here they pry.” Marie’s hand went to her locket, stroking it as if it would move her daughter to obey her will.
“They pried in the Ring too.”
“Not like here.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine, mother.”
“Nadira I’m serious,” Marie grabbed her hand. “The second these women find out about you and Kiln, he will be executed, and you will be thrown off High Council and banished, or maimed, or killed. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
Nadira stood up, walked to the front door. “I’ll be fine mother.”
Marie, her pale skin flushed, stepped with her.
“Is that all you can say? You’ll be fine? Nadira, I am your mother! I want what’s best for you.”
“Then let me go. Let me live my own life, out here, like you wanted.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying. You said so yourself, I’m not a child. I have to take care of myself. And now, thanks to you, I’m doing that.”
“All right, Nadira. If it’s what you want.”
“It’s what you wanted, mother.”
Placing her hand on the front door, Nadira opened it, looked openly at her mother.
Marie’s eyes went wide. “Are you putting me out?”
“No mother. I’m just saying that it’s late and that you should be getting home. I would never throw you out.”
With a heavy frown, Marie gestured to Max, and together they walked to the door.
“I’ll comm when I can, mother.”
With trembling lips, Marie took one last look at Nadira before she was gone.
Nadira shut the door, leaned against it, and took a breath.
*****
Kiln’s eyes locked on her, his gaze already heated.
He’s been waiting.
Kiln’s skin glowed in the dim light. He was her paradise, and she a ship that longed for the comfort of his utopian shores.
They found each other in the kitchen doorway. Their hungry gazes clashed, devoured.
Nadira’s mind went wild with anticipation of him.
“I’ve missed touching you,” he said, tracing a finger over her lips.
His bulk seemed to fill up the room. His nearness stole the air from her lungs.
She smiled, aching for him to touch her again. “It’s only been a few hours.”
“Too long.”
He grabbed her hips, lifting her to him. His lips covered hers as he carried her into the kitchen, and gently placed her onto the high, glass topped table.
His hands encircled her face and he tilted his forehead until it touched hers, found her lips again, and clung to them.
Nadira’s fingers moved from his shoulders to tangle in his blonde hair.
He deepened the kiss, pressing her closer.
Her touches turned searching, urgent.
He moved his hands from her face, gently squeezed her hips, gaining her attention.
“Slow down, Naddie. We don’t have to rush anymore.”
He cut off her impending protest with another kiss, his tongue exploring her familiar depths, melting her irritation into hot desire.
She looked forward to spending their days like this, tangled in each other, deepening their love day by day, safe from the eyes of the women in the Ring. Outside, they were bound by the rules of society, trapped by the rules of this planet. Within these walls, they would build their own world, shape their own future. In these walls, they were untouchable.
And this time, we won’t get caught.
Chapter 5
The wall comm of Nadira’s bedroom flashed INCOMING in bold letters.
Nadira lifted her head, her eyes still clouded with sleep, her mind fuzzy. Safely cocooned in the warmth of Kiln’s body and the comforting scent of his vanilla and spice soap, she ignored the comm, dropped her head back onto her pillow, and wished for this morning to go on forever.
Another beep. Another flash.
She lived in a world that expected her to be the perfect woman: intelligent, hard working and unfailingly obedient. A woman that didn’t question her way of life. A woman that accepted the society around her as it was. She was given every stepping stone to success, expected to take advantage of every opportunity.
Another flash.
But I don’t want any of it. I don’t want the fame, I don’t want the honorary titles, the pressure. I don’t want to be a cold woman who is unquestionably obedient to her mother, no matter how cruel she is. I don’t want my goal in life to be pushing my daughter into the most powerful career possible. I don’t want the safe path. I want danger. I want heat. I want to lay here with Kiln, who doesn’t want anything from me but love.
Flash.
Who could be comming me at this hour
?
She flipped over on her belly. Kiln’s large hand laid heavy on her back.
“Kiln, make it stop.”
Flash.
“Kiln!”
His fingers found the sides of her belly and pressed, making her giggle. She flipped over on her back.
“Kiln,” he mocked, his voice coming out high and nasally.
“I don’t sound like that.”
“You do sound like that, my Empress.”
She grinned at his intimate name for her.
Most slaves called their master simply Empress, Grand Empress if they were mothers, or some other extravagant title. But Kiln always called her my Empress, claiming her even as he was in chains.
“It looks like they’ve given up,” Nadira said.
Kiln turned her to him, placed his chin on her forehead.
Her stomach growled loudly.
“I had planned to stay in bed all day,” he said. “But I’m guessing that you must be hungry.”
“Famished.”
“Breakfast then?”
“Yes.”
Kiln kissed her nose, her lips. He moved over her, balancing himself on his forearms. His piercing blue eyes turned serious, looking down at her with what Nadira could only describe as reverence.
“You’re so beautiful.”
“I look a mess.”
“No, you look perfect. Well loved, and perfect.”
She beamed.
He momentarily distracted himself by supping at her lips, then pulled away and looked into her eyes again.
Nadira’s heart pounded in her chest, her mouth cooling at the loss of him.
“You’re the only thing I can call my own,” his voice was soft, as if in prayer. “The only person who cares whether I live or die, or whether I’m sick or well. No one else has stuck by me but you. No one has ever loved me but you. I don’t know where I would be right now if you hadn’t chosen me.”
Nadira ran her fingers through his blonde hair, pushing it back away from his face.
“Thank you, Naddie,” he said. “Thank you for choosing me.”
His words sunk deep into her soul.
By the Mother Goddess, how I love him.
Never had she felt so warm, so alive, so filled with joy, and yet so afraid.
What if someone finds out? What will happen to us? I can’t lose him.
She pushed the thought from her mind, and lost herself in his touch, loving him as if it was the last time.
****
Kiln jogged down the spiral stairs, past the water tank, and into the greenhouse.
Years ago, all of Venus’ produce had come from Habitat Beta’s lush fields, thick forest, and beautiful fruit trees. Then, catastrophe struck. A mechanical breakdown had cut Beta’s output by half. After that, the High Council mandated that all women provide twenty five percent of their own fruits and vegetables through local greenhouses.
Kiln checked each carefully planted row of vegetables, each fruit tree. He adjusted the solar lamps, ensuring that they were operating at full power. The previous owner had kept up with the garden, but it would still take some tending.
He picked some tomatoes, onions, kale, and a sweet potato, and headed back upstairs.
He placed all of the ingredients in the center of the black topped kitchen counter, and paused, remembering Nadira there the day before.
My beautiful Naddie, he thought with a smile. Everything about her enchanted him. Her quick wit, her intelligence, her patience. He reveled in the memory of her. The way her eyes turned dark when she looked at him, her spontaneity, her sense of adventure. She was a treasure, a gift.
My gift.
Some slaves had masters who thought of them as being lower than dirt. Memories of old friends who’d been battered, beaten, and murdered rose in his mind. He pushed the dark thoughts aside and refocused, his mood growing a bit dimmer.
Breakfast.
“Breakfast menu,” he said aloud.
The black top flashed, projected menu in front of him.
He pointed to a dish. Its picture moved to the forefront.
“Two servings,” Kiln said.
The picture disappeared.
Under the counter, something whirled.
A picture of a sweet potato flashed. At the same time, a glowing blue circle appeared on the counter. Kiln place the sweet potato within the circle, watching as it was lowered into the inner workings of the table.
He repeated this for the onion, the kale, and the tomato, waiting for their picture to appear before placing them on their respective circle and watching them disappear.
The screen changed again, and a countdown clock of thirty minutes appeared.
Kiln brushed the dirt from the vegetables into his hand, shook his hand over the sink, and went to join Nadira in the sitting room.
He found her sitting under a colorful blanket, watching the wall comm. He took in the delicate curve of her neck, the cut of her jumpsuit that exposed her upper back, her hair still dripping from the shower they’d shared earlier.
“Kiln,” she said, not turning around. “It’s Drell.”
Kiln looked up at the wall comm. A woman with a white jumpsuit, too much make up, and hair pulled up into a twisted updo sat behind a desk, a picture of Empress Drell next to her.
“She’s dead,” Nadira said, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Empress Drell is dead.”
Kiln moved around the couch, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head down to his chest.
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
“She was so good to me.”
“I know. How did she die?”
“Cardiac arrest, last night, after the party.”
“Cardiac arrest?”
Nadira nodded.”They think that it’s the start of some sort of epidemic. The High Council is asking for a full report by the end of the week.”
He thought of the thin, pinched woman who loved to walk along the walls of the Habitat. She seemed so healthy, so full of life.
Cardiac Arrest? No one has had cardiac arrest for thousands of years. How could the condition have gotten past the scientist that designed her as a fetus. Maybe something went wrong and she was born with the defect? But if that was the case, why didn’t her personal physician catch it? Something doesn’t add up.
He tried to recall if she bought a servant with her. He seemed to remember a red headed man but couldn’t think of his name.
Nadira sniffled. “I’d hoped she’d be there for my first day at High Council. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
“You’ll do fine, Naddie. You’ll make Drell proud.”
The news feed blanked, and the wall comm announced two incoming comms.
Kiln kissed her forehead. “I’ll check on breakfast. Take your time.”
Nadira nodded, and as he left the sitting room, he heard her pick up Marie’s comm, and sob.
It would not be their perfect morning after all.
Chapter 6
A soft knock on the front door came sometime after Kiln had cleared the breakfast dishes, putting them on the kitchen counter. He waited for the dishes to drop down the chute to be washed, dried, and stacked under the table before answering it.
Nadira, eyes still red and puffy from mourning Drell, reached the door first, and opened it half way.
On the other side stood an older woman, short, and slightly hunched.
“Good day,” the woman said cheerily. “May your mother be well.”
“May your mother be well,” Nadira replied. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Grand Empress Via. I’m your new neighbor.”
Nadira plastered on a weak smile.
“I’m Nadira. I just moved in.”
“Welcome to the Residential, Nadira. You know, you look just like my daughter.”
“Do I?”
Via nodded. “Yes, you do. I noticed it when I saw you moving in yesterday.”
Nadira nodded. “Does your daughter liv
e with you as well?”
Via shook her head sadly. Then, as if revolted by the memory, she jutted out her chin, her nearly translucent skin coloring. She sniffed. “I noticed that your window screens have been closed since you’ve arrived. I wanted to make sure that everything was alright.”
Nadira’s features froze into an icy mask.
“I get headaches,” Nadira lied. “I like to keep my home rather dim.”
“Headaches? I see. You should visit a physician. I’m sure they’d be able to help you.”
“I will do that, Grand Empress.”
Via unashamedly peered into the short hallway behind Nadira. Her eyes turned to slits as she spied Kiln shutting her bedroom door.
Using her body to block any further view of the house, Nadira said. “Is there anything else that I can help you with?”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how many slaves do you have?”
“Only one.”
“A girl your age with only one?”
“I don’t need much.”
“I see. Odd, none the less.” Her sagging eyes tinted with accusation. “I commed earlier, but there was no answer.”
“I was sleeping.”
“That late, dear? It was almost seven.”
“I was tired from moving.”
“I see.” Via did not look convinced. “Well, I just stopped by to say hello, and to make sure that everything is okay. I know how some of you young women are when you move out here, away from their mothers. It’s easy to lose your way, but don’t worry dear. I’ll keeping a close eye on you.”
Nadira allowed her smile to completely drop. “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. It’s been nice meeting you, Grand Empress Via. I hope to see you again.”
“As do I, dear. And please, see your physician soon. We like to keep our windows open around here. After all, one cannot be too accountable.”
Nadira looked past Via to the other houses in the neighborhood. About half had closed windows. She wondered if Via had gone to bother them too.
“Yes, of course. Thanks again for stopping by.”
Without waiting for a response, Nadira quickly shut the door, and sagged against it.
Kiln cleared his throat, his face turning somber. “Why does she want us to keep our windows open?”
