by Viola Grace
“The women, yes. Our mating systems are sensitive, so every clue we can give to the possible mates helps.” She kept her tone wry. There was the occasional tug, but for the most part, Keeper was very good at combing hair.
The bot was silent, so Fayra asked, “Will I be wearing the same outfit as yesterday?”
“You will. It will keep the men from getting grabby with you. I will be nearby, but it is my job to allow you a bit of privacy.”
“Thank you. It will make it easier knowing that you are nearby.”
It was an empty platitude, but the bot nodded. “Your safety is my primary concern. The Fire Bringers can have a bit of an unpredictable temperament.”
“Thank you for the warning. What kind of order will I meet them in?”
“The lowest ranking will be first, and they will be in higher ranks as they appear. Altuoth will be the first.”
“When does it start?”
“After you have had your morning meal. Each male will have one hour to make an impression on you. I will be watching.”
Keeper massaged her with oils, served her a breakfast of cooked grains and fruit and provided her with a clean uniform and tabard. She was dressed, coifed and seated on an interior bench reading personnel files when the first knock came.
Keeper answered the door and escorted Altuoth inside.
He stood in front of her and inclined his head. “I am glad to see you well and rested, Mistress.”
“Thank you, Fire Bringer. Please, let’s have a walk in the gardens.”
Altuoth nodded and gestured for her to precede him. “Please, Mistress.”
The fresh air and bright light highlighted the strange sky above her. “How long have you been here?”
“This outpost has been in place for ten years. We have been cleaning the surrounding area of aggressive predators in an effort to prepare it for our own people. Six years ago, it was declared too dangerous for Life Bringers to be installed here.”
“So, four years of work for nothing.”
“Pretty much.”
They walked in silence, and his pace matched hers. He didn’t speak, and she twisted her lips in a small smile. Despite his physical presence, he was still a little too eager to please for her taste.
“Well, Altuoth, do you have any questions for me?” She waited in the centre of the gardens for his answer.
He cocked his hooded head. “No, Mistress.”
She sighed. “May I see your face?”
He quickly pushed the hood back, and she saw what she expected to see, a young man about her own age with the eagerness of someone who enjoyed the new but didn’t expect a positive result.
His eyes were a dark bronze, his skin tanned. He had high cheekbones and full lips, but it was his hair that made her blink. The sides were cropped short and the top of his skull wore long hair confined by minute braids on the outer edge. She had no idea how long his hair was, but it was slick and black.
He was lovely, but while she could get used to his face, it didn’t set off any bells or fluttering in her system. He would be a good friend, but she couldn’t contemplate him as a lover. She wasn’t one to lead the way all the time, and Altuoth was someone who liked to take orders.
When his time was up, Keeper collected him and escorted him to the door.
Fayra sighed and returned to the files, seeing who was up next.
Torio was the same age as Altuoth, but his face was far more sober. He flipped his hood back the moment that she asked him.
“Why do you wear the hoods?”
“It keeps the sparks from the flames from setting our hair alight. We are simply so used to it that it does not occur to us to remove them.” Torio was amused and casual.
His eyes were a surprising blue, but despite an eagerness for her approval, there was no attraction for her in his gaze. He looked at her as a man might look at any attractive woman, not necessarily the woman his heart needed.
So, he was a no.
Harrudan quizzed her on her people and the variety of hair colours that could be found. His dreams had always led to a golden-haired woman.
No.
Victoriol wanted a trophy, not a mate. He wanted to prove that the Fire Bringers could be as genetically prolific as the Death Bringers.
No.
Fayra was bored and dangling her fingers in the central pond when Keeper brought in Dayan-sur. He removed his hood without being asked. He was rougher than the others, but her heart skipped a beat the moment that he spoke to her.
“Good afternoon, Mistress.” His voice was the low rumble that had woken her nerves the first time he spoke.
“Good afternoon, Dayan-sur.” She winced as she heard her tone all low and breathy.
He wasn’t as handsome as Altuoth, nor as slick as Victoriol, but there was something about him that filled her with tension.
“Would you walk with me?”
He held out his hand, and she smiled. The others had not seemed to grasp that her hand was not an area forbidden to touch.
She stood and slid her damp fingers along his, smiling at the warmth of his palm. Her heart beat a little faster as they began their tour of the gardens.
“So, Mistress, how are you enjoying our world?”
“From what I have seen of it, it is lovely. The multiple moons are truly striking and make for a lovely skyscape.”
“And yet, you are trapped here. Well, I am hoping that your keeper will allow an exterior trip tomorrow so you may see part of the countryside.” He looked down at her, and his black eyes were sombre.
His hair was black, his eyes were black and the sound of his voice made her guess that he had inhaled something very hot at one point in his life. He had tiny bits of metal woven into the crest braids, and one of his pointed ears was pierced. She felt like she could stare at him forever and never see the same man twice.
“Is there something wrong, Mistress?” He paused and faced her.
She realized that she was staring at him. “No. I just…no. Nothing is wrong. Shall we continue?”
“Not if you are not feeling well.” He frowned.
“I am fine. Just trying to gather all the information I can before making a choice. Do you come from a large family line?”
Fayra had learned early on that they did not have families as the Protheans did. The Life Bringer gave the child to the father or Breeder. They tracked their lines via the success of their breeding parents.
He shook his head. “I was my father’s only child, and my mother had only one more son. He is a Night Bringer on Haluthan.”
“Night Bringer?”
“I control fire, he calls darkness. We are both considered defective by Anvin standards.”
“Why?”
“While the power is—appreciated—it is not a trait that they wish to continue in our species, but we keep showing up. Now, how do you feel about being thrown to a bunch of horny Fire Bringers?”
She blinked. He was the only one who had asked. “Well, I haven’t been thrown to all of you, just one of you. Once I figure out who will best make me a life partner, I will negotiate for how horny he is allowed to be.”
“You think that is something you can negotiate?”
“It won’t hurt to try. I am not a fan of this process, but if I find a partner among your kind, I will be the best mate I can be.”
“Bold words.” He shifted toward her, his lips twisted in a smile.
“My words. I was woken up to be the spokesman for my people in matters of cross-species joining. I will do my duty.”
“Perhaps there will be more to it than duty.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
She wanted to step back in surprise, but she stood still and closed her eyes, letting the blood rushing through her body create a rhythm that she rocked to as he shifted slightly against her, their only contact their hands and lips.
He was there one moment and gone the next.
>
“Enough. You have overstepped, Dayan-sur.” Keeper was standing between them.
Fayra looked down, and there was a slight smudge across her breasts. “Oops. That was my fault, Keeper.”
“I am aware of that, Fayra. The hour is over.”
Fire Bringer Dayan-sur bowed and smiled. “Good evening, Mistress.”
Just like that, Fayra was alone with Keeper. The bot hustled her inside and replaced her tabard quickly.
“You should not have allowed him that close, but I suppose your instincts clouded your thinking.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Keeper let out a short laugh. “Your body went into hormonal overdrive. I was amazed that you didn’t act on it sooner. Dayan-sur is your choice.”
“I thought I had to watch them all in action or something.”
“Oh, you do, but I wanted you to know that I know which one you have chosen. No sense letting them know that you have made your choice. It will only be bad for morale.”
Fayra laughed until she realized that the bot was serious. “You are not joking. I have to pretend that I have not made my choice?”
“You do. There are two more days of introduction, and it is necessary for you to be alert and aware of all the men vying for your attention.”
“What if I go into season?” It was embarrassing, but it had to be said.
“That will be dealt with if it occurs. Your body is still recovering from the cryo sleep. It should be unstable for a few more days.”
Fayra wanted to tell Keeper that the instability might not work in the favour of the Anvin, but instead, she calmed down and did a quick dissection of her introductions with Keeper.
“Out of all of them, Dayan-sur was the only one to ask me about my life or my opinion. The others wanted me to direct them or they wanted to use me as a tool. I was looking for middle ground.”
“Thank you for the information. I will add it to my database for the next subject.”
That one sentence turned the friendly metallic face back into the bot that would keep her from leaving under her own power if she tried to escape.
Fayra took up the data pad and resumed reading about her suitors.
Keeper took the pad away from her and directed her into the sitting area where a large screen had been erected. “You will watch the selection process that determined your suitors. It will give you a better idea of what they are.”
The image came on the screen and began to move. She watched vid after vid of what started as games and turned into deadly warfare involving fire, fists and calculation. What kept her attention was that the men competed without clothing in order to make their fire attacks more effective. She had to admit, it was riveting viewing.
Despite his youthful demeanour, Altuoth was amazing to watch. He was power and energy. Torio was stealth and precision. Harrudan was speed, Victoriol was a direct attack and her personal choice, Dayan-sur, was intimidation and controlled power.
She had to smile at the thought of any of her Prothean sisters running into the Fire Bringers. The men were all fit, attractive and articulate. It was just a matter of picking the right one for the right woman.
Keeper bullied her to dinner and tucked her in afterward. She was going to have quite the day; she needed her rest.
Fayra sat decorously on the centre seat of the skimmer as they left the city and headed for the nearest valley. They were going on a picnic with the same rules as the day before and Keeper standing by to enforce them.
Fayra was happy to play the game, but when Victoriol began to tell her how lucky she was to have been chosen by the Anvin, she got up and walked away.
* * * *
Dayan-sur watched Victoriol return to their gathering. “Where is she?”
“She said she needed to clear her head.” He shrugged.
Dayan-sur scowled at the other Fire Bringer. The other three were on the other side of the valley in deep conversation about the competition that had brought them all there. Keeper was putting away the meal.
He hissed. “Idiot. You left her alone, and she has no idea how to survive here!”
He strode off in the direction that Fayra had gone. When he felt a particular change in the air, he began to run.
He came around the corner, and to her credit, Fayra didn’t scream as the beast closed on her.
Part serpent, part bird, the snake moved along the ground with deadly intent.
Fayra had a long stick in her hands, and she was crouched low, ready to defend herself.
Dayan-sur lashed out with a fire whip and wrapped it around the animal’s snout. He pulled and got the beast’s attention. It approached him with smooth swishes of its body, and he gathered his power, pouring a cascade of fire into the open maw.
The serpent’s thirty-foot body split and the fire exploded out of every pore.
Fayra jumped to one side and stayed out of the way as fire destroyed her attacker.
Dayan-sur admired her self-preservation instinct. It was a good thing in a Life Bringer.
The others arrived behind him, but he was the focus of Fayra’s gaze. She ran to him and threw her arms around him before Keeper could stop her.
Her kiss was sweet, and it pulled at something in his soul. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
Keeper was next to them. “This is against protocol.”
Fayra broke the kiss with a soft nibble on his lower lip that caused blood to pool in his groin and throb insistently.
“Tough, Keeper. I needed an excuse, and while this was a little dramatic, it had the desired effect.”
“Release him, Fayra.”
With her huge purple eyes staring into his, she smiled, “I don’t want to.”
Realizing that the men at his back were shifting with irritation, he grinned, “I don’t want you to either, but you should. There are thousands of days in our future. Give up this one.”
When Fayra released him, her clothing was marked with the dark stain from his clothing, her arms were marked with the traces from his hands, and as Keeper tried to brush her off, it was obvious that his hands had done a bit of roaming on her back.
Dayan-sur couldn’t be happier.
* * * *
Fayra was still shaking from the near-death experience, though it could have been proximity to her chosen suitor.
Her body wore smudges from his touch, but because she had initiated it in front of all assembled, there was no consequence for the contact. She sat next to Keeper on the ride home and bit her lip when the men bowed to her, one by one, and kissed her hand.
Dayan-sur’s kiss used a bit more tongue than the others, and he traced a small design before lifting his head. “Mistress Fayra.”
“Fire Bringer Dayan-sur.” She smiled, and a blush crept up her cheeks.
Keeper made a noise similar to a sigh and separated them with her body. “Tomorrow will be soon enough to continue this, Fire Bringer.”
“Of course, Keeper. Keep her safe.”
“It is my duty, Fire Bringer.”
Fayra sighed when he left. “Why can’t I just pick him?”
“It does not match the developed protocol.”
Fayra scowled. “Well, do you have a list or a program for me to learn all the deadly species of this place?”
Keeper nodded and moved eagerly to the tablet. “That I can do.”
Fayra spent the rest of her evening reading up on the predators of this new world and their habits. The suula—or feather snake—preferred to hunt near water sources. The liira—the sky hunter—was hideous in a daylight image taken and placed on the data pad.
Hours of reading and looking at the images brought one fact home—the Fire Bringers were suited to this world. She was not.
“Are you sure I am supposed to wear this?”
“As per the protocol, you are no longer off limits to contact. Each male will have time here once again to press his suit.
Your response will determine his acceptance or rejection.”
“But we already know—”
“Yes, but this is protocol, and you are rapidly approaching receptivity. With physical contact, you may change your preference.”
The gauzy black, midriff-baring clothing was unnerving after the two layers of the previous days. The care that Keeper took with her hair was also a little creepy, but the even ripples fell from a topknot and cascaded down her shoulders to her elbows.
Breakfast had been sparse, and from what Fayra could tell, it was a good thing. She was getting so nervous that she feared she would puke if prodded.
“They will be here shortly. Are you ready?”
She blinked. “They? They are all going to be here at once?”
“Yes. There will be a garden party of sorts. They are allowed contact with you and each other today. They may fight for your attention, they may not, but it is allowed as long as they don’t use fire within these walls.” Keeper’s tone was absolute.
Fayra paced nervously, her light layers fluttering as she moved. When the knock sounded at the door, she froze in place.
“Oh my.”
Each of the men was wearing what would be considered their holiday best. Sleeveless shirts that clung very tightly, trousers, boots, everything had a high polish. Victoriol and Dayan-sur were wearing armbands that highlighted the width of their biceps.
They moved forward as one, pausing inches from her.
Torio reached out and caressed her arm with the back of his fingers.
She shivered and tried to move away, but Keeper grabbed her and held her in place. “Contact within reason is encouraged. Do not try to avoid it.”
Fayra nodded and relaxed. “I believe that Keeper has set up some refreshments outside. Shall we?”
Harrudan took her hand in his and led her outside. He shifted his grip to touch her bare back, and once again, she had to fight the urge to move away. She already knew her mate, so this contact was unnecessary and confusing.
Altuoth eased her away from Harrudan. “So, what did you enjoy doing at the colony?”
