by Viola Grace
Lilia looked around as she neared the edge of a cliff and found the only place she could go. Up.
Climbing one of the swaying trees wouldn’t normally be on her list of activities, but since her hands were bound in shreds of fabric, they couldn’t get any more damaged. She heard him coming and climbed faster.
When she was as high as she could go without bending the trunk, she gripped the trunk and branch under her, sitting as comfortably as she could manage, thirty feet in the air.
“Will you concede that I have caught you?” Xeric wandered slowly into view through the tangle of branches.
“At present, the tree has caught me.”
The tree shuddered under her as he started to climb. “You are a very stubborn woman.”
Lilia made a face that he couldn’t see. “I am fighting for family honour.”
“So am I. This is the Almosses’ last chance to turn their finances around, and having you caught is the first step.”
Lilia looked down as the tree continued to shudder at his climbing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that while I was across the world, my brother was spending the family fortunes into the ground. We haven’t come up with a new product in four years. Our parents didn’t inherit the family skill for scents.” He stopped when the tree swayed violently.
Lilia frowned. “I can see your problem. I could think about letting you catch me if you swear to skip the three days of servitude.”
He was about ten feet below her, looking up. “Based on your current condition, you wouldn’t be good as an intimate companion. I think skipping the three days might be an acceptable compromise if you come down.”
Lilia smiled. “Excellent.”
She twisted and started climbing down the tree with as much dexterity as she could manage.
She was nearly to him when he asked her, “What do you do at the Zel company?”
She paused just outside of his reach. “I run the company, more or less. Do the accounts, make sure suppliers are paid, that kind of thing.”
He chuckled. “How about you serve your three days helping me make a business plan for the Almoss family?”
“Why would I want do to that?”
Xeric lunged upward and caught her with one arm, slamming her against him as they fell and he caught them on the lowest branches before lowering them to the ground. He looked her in the eye and kept her held fast. “Because I have caught you.”
Fighting while within a few yards of a cliff was not a smart proposition. “I thought we were making a deal.”
“It was never cemented with mutual agreement. There was no contract, verbal or otherwise.” He grinned.
She waited until they were away from the edge of the cliff, and then, she kicked out, tangling his knees and knocking him down.
Getting up after the breath-stealing fall was hard, and she was rolling to her hands and knees when he gripped her ankles and hauled her back. “Easy, Miss Zel.”
She grunted when he pulled her up against him and winced when he took her head covering and used the shredded remains to tie her wrists together.
“Since you are not inclined to come peacefully, you are not leaving me with a choice.”
He tore a strip off the hem of her shirt and tied her ankles as well. With her trussed, he stood and lifted her in his arms.
He smiled. “Now, on your first day with me, we are going to need to come up with a plan. If you were me, where would you begin?”
She blinked in astonishment. “You can’t be serious.”
“We have a two-hour walk to get back to our families. We may as well get to know each other, and I am curious to know how you think I should start.”
Lilia gave him an evil look and muttered, “Full inventory. Always start with a full inventory and complete audit.”
He nodded and walked through the woods with ground-eating strides. “I see. Where did you learn this?”
“I took business courses on Earth, but the only job I could find was that of personal assistant, so that is what I focused on.”
“You are an employee of the Zel’s?”
“Not anymore. Now, I am the official heir of the family. I am guessing that I will be disowned the moment we get back.”
He shook his head. “No, Madame Zel would not do that. I have known her all my life, and she is not one to make a decision lightly. If she chose you, adopted you, she knows you can do what is best for the family.”
Lilia closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder as he walked. “Sure. I just lost them the access rights to the forest. Will your family grant them the rights contract that they are looking for?”
“I will be taking charge of things, so I will make sure that a fair rate is granted for access. If you are truly as fixated on business as you say, would you mind consulting with me from time to time?”
She couldn’t believe he was trying to give her a job while she was hogtied in his arms. “You are joking.”
He shrugged, and she rocked with the motion. “Not really. My family concern has been coasting by on the efforts of my grandmother and grandfather. I am having to start over, and it seems that you have done well with the Zel family business, so why not see if you are willing to oblige?”
“What do you mean?”
“A little research on the family to see who my parents were setting me against brought out Briel, but there was also a sudden surge in profit that began about five months ago. How long have you been on Wralik?”
She muttered, “Six or seven months.”
He smiled. “Then, you are the cause of the sudden stability. Would you bend your skills to the Almoss family?”
If she had her hands free, she would have pinched the bridge of her nose. Instead, she buried her face against his chest and mumbled. “This loss has probably cost me my time on Wralik. The Zels will have no reason to keep me here since I have failed them. I am here at Madame Zel’s request. I am guessing that transportation off world will not be too far behind my arrival at the stones.”
“Did you really think you could escape me? My kind can feel the heartbeat of the forest; we live and breathe the natural world around us. You stuck out like a plexi tower in the forest. The cave trick was nice. It took me a while to spot it.”
Lilia was enjoying the wild scent of him, so it took her mind a while to catch up. “Oh. Well, it seemed sensible. If I didn’t poke my head out, you could not have gotten in.”
“True, but I could have hauled my way through the thorns at the back. You know, the way you got out.”
She made a face when she realised that there had never really been a chance. Xeric had simply not been in a hurry. He had time and was willing to let her run until she backed herself into a corner or, in her case, up a tree.
Her nose itched, so she was forced to rub her face against the fabric of his tunic.
He chuckled. “Are you scent marking me?”
“No. My nose itched and my hands are a little confined right now. I am working with what I have.”
“I am not surprised your nose is demanding attention. It is the only part of your face not scratched up. Why didn’t you stop earlier?”
“I wasn’t out of options.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. Do you have any questions?”
She sighed and settled as best she could while he continued his hike through the forest.
“Tell me about the business, as much as you know. From research to distribution.”
The outline of the Almoss business model continued until he paused to give her some water.
“Are you going to try to run?”
She wiggled her feet and hands. “Nope. We have struck a deal of sorts, and as long as you keep to your end, I won’t run the business into the ground.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
He tried to untie her hands, but she had yanked the knot into something resembling concrete. He pulled a knife from his b
oot and sliced through the binding. “I have to say, you have quite the sturdy product there.”
“It is not a line of fabric that is going to be pursued, but I am happy with the use I have gotten out of it.” She groaned as she rubbed her wrists and flexed her shoulders.
When her feet were free, she stood up and cleared her throat. “I have to attend to a call of nature.”
“You have three minutes.”
She wobbled into the shadows of the trees and found a likely spot, not even thinking about running. Her focus was currently on getting a bath, some first aid and a change of clothing. Her fight was over.
When her immediate need passed, she got her clothing back into a semblance of decency and she returned to Xeric.
He didn’t ask, he simply lifted her back into his arms and started walking again. He didn’t mention if he had taken the same relief opportunity, but she assumed he had. It was the only sensible thing to do.
The sky was pink when they walked back into the standing stones. Xeric nodded, “I have caught the hart.”
Madame Zel sighed. “You have. Lilia, are you all right?”
Xeric put her down, and she wobbled to Madame Zel.
“I am sorry that I allowed myself to be caught.”
She staggered when Briel hugged her and rocked the other way when Madame Zel joined in. “None of us could have done better.”
To hear the words from Madame Zel brought tears to Lilia’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“You did the Zel family proud and truly brought back the spirit of the hunt. Most give up long before they draw their own blood.” Briel stroked her cheek carefully.
Xeric cleared his throat. “I am owed three days of service. Lilia Zel, please come with me.”
The younger brother snickered lasciviously, but Xeric gave him a cold look.
“She fought with honour, ran with honour and will not be treated with anything less in the Almoss home.” Xeric scowled.
Madame Almoss and her husband smiled, and a sense of relief hung over them.
Lilia looked at the Zels. “I will see you in three days. We can deal with the legalities of disowning me again when I return.”
Madame Zel blinked in surprise and then smiled slightly. “Indeed. When you get home. Now, go and get a bath. You smell like sap.”
The official started recording the results, and there was nothing left for her to do.
Lilia bowed shortly and turned to join the Almosses. Xeric lifted her in his arms again, surprising his family. He walked down the hill and over to the vehicle that he had driven to the stones.
While the rest of the family had a driver, Xeric had a riot runner. Lilia was settled in front of him on the seat as he fired up the engine and escaped with her into the sunset.
Chapter Five
The warm bath felt like heaven, and the three scrubs she had taken before she settled in to soak had left her feeling human again.
After she was officially pruney, she got out and dried off, hissing at the long blood-red stripes on her skin. If you were in a hurry, the forest was not for you. She wrapped herself in a linen drying cloth and started to explore.
A knock at the door surprised her. She was in a guest room and had a plain servant’s uniform waiting for her to put on. It was less than a pleasant fabric and would wash her out completely.
Lilia walked over to the door and opened it a crack. “Hello?”
“I have brought a med kit. I am pretty sure there are a few spots you can’t reach.” Xeric grinned.
She sighed and opened the door. “Come on in.”
He was wearing the signs of a bath himself, but he was fully dressed in a black sleeveless tunic with copper piping. It made his deep-purple skin glow.
“Did they bring you something to wear?”
She smiled wryly. “They did.”
He must have caught something in her expression. “Show me.”
She pointed to the folded fabric on the edge of the bed. “It doesn’t matter. It is only for three days.”
His lips tightened and his sharp nose flared. “Right. It does matter. You are not here to be a servant; you are here to serve your time. It is an important distinction.”
“Yup. Medical treatment first and fashion tips later.”
He sighed and looked like he wanted to charge off and make her a dress out of drapes. He wouldn’t get the reference, but Lilia smiled.
“Sit on the edge of the bed.” He opened the kit and methodically laid out the contents as if he had done it hundreds of times.
When he turned and started swabbing some of the cuts on her hand, she asked, “What does a ranger do?”
“We guard the forest against illegal trespass and rescue those who have gotten in over their heads. First aid is commonly part of the job.”
She winced as he used tweezers to pull out pieces of thorns. “So, you just run around looking for idiots all day?”
He smiled slightly. “Something like that.”
“Why do you do it? It is obvious that you are more suited to running the family company.”
He gave her a surprised look. “I guess you wouldn’t know.” He returned his attention to her hand. “Those born with this skin tone are throwbacks to a Wralik design for foresters. I am literally born to be a ranger. I need the forest like most folk need air.”
She only had one thing to say. “Oh.”
He chuckled and kept working. “How were you able to do anything with these spikes in your hand?”
“I had to. Ow!”
He had tweaked out over an inch of vegetable matter and was examining it. “You must have been in a lot of pain.”
She shrugged. “I got used to it.”
He continued to work on her and paused only to stretch before curling over her again. Finally, her hands were clear of invasive material and he was able to use a spot regenerator. Once her skin was sealed, he covered it with a synthetic skin.
“Now, onto the minor cuts.” He smiled slightly to comfort her and lifted her chin on his fingers, holding her for the slow stroke of the cleansing swab.
He paused. “Do all your people have such thin skin?”
“My species? Pretty much. There are a few genetic variants, but most of us are built along these lines.”
“What of your family? Are they all so pale?”
She cleared her throat. “I don’t know.”
He paused. “What?”
“I don’t know who my family is or what they look like. I was an abandoned infant placed into public care.” She quirked a smile. “The hair colour is unusual for my species in someone my age. That much I do know.”
“I think it is delightful. It made you very easy to track.”
She made a face, and he tapped her chin with his fingers. “Hold still. I don’t want to leave a scar.”
The regenerator was pressed onto her cheekbone, and it warmed and hummed against her skin.
He sealed the site and moved on to the next one on her other side. She was staring at a small scar on his upper lip while he worked.
“How is it that your people can just give a child away?”
“I don’t know, but they do it. I could have sought them out, but given the condition I was in when I was found, it wasn’t a good idea.”
“I sense I am treading on dangerous ground.”
She waved it away with one slightly swollen hand. “It is fine. The family links of the Wralik cause me to feel a certain awe. I know most of the reasoning is because of your small population, but by my standards, it is still impressive for every child to have a place.”
He paused. “I think most folks here do not consider that it could be any other way. Now, turn your back and drop your wrap. You were bleeding around the ribcage.”
She followed his direction without thinking, but she could feel the stillness that overtook him. Damn.
She pulled the wrap up over the marks on her back and she t
urned back to him. “I am sure that the marks on my ribs will heal just fine.”
He was in shock, and his fury was visible. “Those are old.”
She nodded. “Decades.”
“Who did that to you?” There was tension rippling in his voice, and even the air seemed to catch the anger.
“An angry woman who had charge of me. She didn’t like me, I didn’t like her, but she was bigger and this was the result.” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Are we done here?”
He closed his eyes, and she could almost feel him counting to ten. “No. I am going to make sure that your body isn’t damaged again.”
“No more scars?” She quirked her lips.
“No more scars.” It was an oath.
He eased the fabric down, and she crossed her arms over her breasts. It was cool in the room, and her nipples were at full attention.
His touch had been gentle before, but now, it was a delicate whisper against her skin. Goose bumps rippled across her body, and it wasn’t due to cold. She had always been a sucker for a light touch.
He moved from one side of her torso to the other, cleaning, healing and sealing her skin, wound by wound.
Most of the damage had been done when she had run through the thorn patch and that was what caused the cuts and gouges. She was the victim of her own panic. She had behaved like the hart she had been titled.
When her body above her hips had been tended, she wrapped the towel around her again, and he dug a thorn out of her thigh.
She could see his nostrils flaring and couldn’t imagine why until she noted his proximity to her sex. She flexed her thighs together to stop whatever scent he was after, but he just flexed his jaw and finished tending to her.
“I will be back in a few minutes. Just relax and let the synthetic skin set up.”
He packed up his kit with economical movements. Xeric smiled slightly, and he rose to his feet.
She had forgotten how tall he was, and the broad expanse of his shoulder could have covered two of her, side by side.
“I will wait here.” Lilia grinned. She wasn’t eager to put on the servant’s uniform.
