Interface

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  A mating Drai of Merc’s line contained venom in his bite that activated his mate’s ovulation cycle. It was the reason that the Drai were so fussy about the right woman. Only the right woman would respond to the bite, the wrong woman could end up dead.

  Lucky for Vikki, she was the right woman at the right time with the right Drai.

  When the shot rang out, it burned along her thigh and she collapsed, dropping to the bedding and cursing.

  She looked up to see Communications Liaison Heffer standing in their bedroom doorway with a gun held between her hands.

  “That should have been my bite.” She took aim at Vikki again.

  With her body still attached to Merc’s, she was a sitting duck.

  Chapter Nine

  Merc snapped his wing over her to cover her while he slipped free of her body. “Stop it, Heffer. Why are you doing this?”

  Vikki couldn’t see what was going on, but the structure of the wing would probably take one hit but not two. She breathed in the scent of sex, pain and blood. It was not a good combo.

  “All my life I have been trained to communicate with you, knowing that I would do it until I died. Now, my life has been taken from me in my prime all because you found your precious Terran. I can link with you like she does. It could be me. Now, let me kill her and we can be together.”

  The tone was eerily singsongy. Heffer had snapped. A life devoted to serving the dragon by running his errands on the surface and she was no longer required.

  A second shot rang out and the wings tightened around her.

  “No! Stop protecting her! She isn’t worth it. She is a baseline negotiator. She isn’t worthy of you.”

  Vikki felt the tension in his muscles and when he whirled away from her, she heard another shot, but the sprinkling of ceiling materials proved that it went wide.

  When Vikki was able to look up again from where she was cowering on the bed, she saw Heffer hanging in Merc’s grip. Her tiny wrists in his hands.

  He was furious. “So, you want to know my bite?”

  She was eager, she exposed her neck. “Yes. I know I am the one for you. This will prove it.”

  His anger was coming off him in waves and when he reared back his head to expose his fangs, Vikki shouted, “No! You can’t, Merc.”

  He looked to her. “She would have killed you.”

  “And biting her will kill her.”

  “It will injure her, but more than that, it will kill our connection. Her mind will no longer be able to sneak up on mine.”

  His determination flared in his thoughts and she had to let him take his actions. Whatever they would be.

  Heffer’s eyes were widening. “A broken connection? No. No! Don’t, please don’t?”

  She kept begging and he bit down on her shoulder, a flicker of pain on her face denoted the release of venom and as soon as he was finished, he dropped her and kept her gun.

  Vikki wrapped herself in the top sheet stained with her blood and hopped toward Heffer as the venom took hold.

  She was gasping on the ground as pain took hold.

  Vikki leaned down. “The Drai choose their mates for compatibility. You can’t force it. No Geviil could have been his mate and he knew it. He had to wait for me, but it was unkind of your people to tie you to him this way.”

  She looked to Merc. “Call the medics, maybe they can save her. And get Vinni to get the med kit off the Dead Pigeon. I need that one.”

  He was still breathing heavily, the barrel of his chest flexing in an impressive show of strength.

  He walked over Heffer, lifted Vikki into his arms, sheet and all, and carried her downstairs to the small office setup. He placed the call to the local emergency services and explained that Communications Liaison Heffer was suffering from a venomous predator bite.

  They promised to have a crew out immediately.

  Vinni was easier. Merc got him on the com and said, “Vikki’s been shot.” The call ended and Merc held her close while they waited.

  Rhenic came in wearing a nightgown and robe, saw the blood on the sheet that Vikki was holding to her thigh and nodded.

  “Heffer is upstairs. Show the medics when they get here.” Merc’s voice was hard, flat.

  “The Specialist needs attention first. Wait and I will get my kit.” Rhenic nodded and disappeared for a moment.

  “Wow. I feel so popular.” Vikki’s head was tucked under Merc’s chin and she let him surround her. Even his wings were curled protectively around her.

  “Shh. You are losing a lot of blood.” His hand pressed on top of hers and kept the pressure in place.

  “We can’t even have a nice, fun afternoon without something going awry. Not an auspicious beginning.” She chuckled, but black spots were spinning in her vision.

  Rhenic was at her feet in moments, cutting the sheet away and exposing the gash in her leg.

  A low whistle came from the unflappable Rhenic. “Used a blaster on you. Not very sporting. It’s amazing you are still alive.”

  It took some doing, but Rhenic got the bleeding stopped. As she explained while she worked, Geviil blasters were designed to rupture cells and make it impossible for them to knit or clot. A residual energy was left in place that usually resulted in the injured bleeding to death within hours.

  Sprays, oils, unguents and gauze all came into play and before Rhenic finished, the medics were in to attend Heffer and she shouted directions to them.

  Heffer was pale and still but moaning. So she wasn’t dead.

  Merc murmured against her hair. “She will be just a normal Geviil woman now. No psychic talents, no bonds. She will have to start over, but she will probably live. I used most of my venom on you. She just got the aftershock.”

  Vinni came through the doors with a med kit in his hands. When he saw that she was being treated, he sighed in relief.

  What was that about?

  Merc, I hate to tell you, but the new avatar of your planet is afraid of the sight of wounds.

  “Thanks for coming, Vinni, but Rhenic wields a mean spray-flesh canister. I might scar blue, but it will be in one little spot.”

  Merc chipped in. “Eight inches long.”

  Vinni sat down on a chaise near them. “Geez. What happened, Vikki?”

  “There was a bit of unrequited love combined with a sudden job shortage. It seems that I will be the new liaison for Mercuros.” She leaned back against Merc, drawing his strength into her.

  Vinni grimaced. “Oh, the Geviil are going to love that. They are so xenophobic that it isn’t funny. Geviil would like to thank you, Mercuros. If not for your early contract that none of the Geviil ever thought would be fulfilled, I would not be here with a planet sharing brain space.”

  She winced in sympathy and in pain as Rhenic finished up. “I am sorry.”

  Vinni shook his head, “No, I am sorry. I never realized how it felt to have a mind like that near you. I should have given you more respect and certainly more nap time.”

  She chuckled weakly. “It was hard to describe. So, how did Geviil seduce you?”

  Vinni blushed. “Well, I was leaving Tori’s home and I decided to walk in the park. A bug landed on my arm and it had a psychic signature that was beyond anything you have ever described. The bug started to talk to me and when it finished talking, I squashed it and the mind of Geviil dropped into me.”

  “The squashing freed the mind?”

  “Yeah, it was a bug with a one-day lifecycle so that Geviil could come to me.” Vinni examined his fingers and buffed the nails. “He made an excellent choice.”

  Yawning, she curled against Merc and let him take her weight completely. Sleep was calling her and while the men continued to speak over her head, she let herself answer it.

  With her partner and her mate in the same room with their housekeeper, she was in safe hands all around.

  Chapter Ten

  Waking up in pristine sheets with Vinni sitting next to the bed was a little surreal. “Are we back on t
he Pigeon?”

  Vinni grinned and Geviil came in through his eyes. “I am afraid not. We have been summoned to speak in parliament today and we will have to defend our residency.”

  “Wow. They work fast.”

  Vinni snickered, “Not really, you have been out for two days. Don’t worry. I have called your defence counsel. They are waiting in the receiving room. You had best get dressed. Oh, and have a shower, you are a little ripe.”

  “Funny. What kept me out?” She swung her legs to the edge of the bed and noted the bandage was off her thigh. There was still a vicious red streak where the blaster burn had landed, but the blue skin was bonding nicely to her pink leg.

  “You had a slight reaction to some of the treatments that Rhenic gave you. The pain killer she sprayed on is, apparently, a very good Terran sedative.” He grinned and helped her to her feet.

  She had been naked in front of him quite a few times, but she had never had to hold onto him like an infant before.

  “Where is Merc?”

  “Meeting with the Alliance reps that are on the main floor. You aren’t going into this battle alone, Vikki.” He helped her to the bathroom and stayed nearby while she showered and dried her hair.

  After the hot water, she was feeling much more awake and far more alert than when she woke. Wrapped in a towel, she limped back into the bedroom and opened her wardrobe. She selected a deep blue that matched her eye colour. A little bit of work and the top was in place and with three false starts, her skirt flowed around her ankles and was nice and low on her hips. It wasn’t quite the professional job that Merc had done, but Vinni looked impressed.

  “Vikki, I have to say, you look amazing.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Was that painful? It seems like it should have been painful.” She sat and pulled on the matching dark blue boots.

  “It was agony. Even Geviil felt it. Mercuros says to come down with your jewellery or naked.” Vinni absently walked over to the dressing table with its waiting contents.

  She walked over and started to slide on the bracelets. “When did he say that?”

  “As the avatar, I can contact him at any time.” Vinni handed her the necklace.

  “So, he knows I am awake?”

  She fiddled with the clasp and warm hands took the necklace from her. The necklace attached with a snick and those same hands cupped her shoulders.

  “I do. We have guests. Would you care to meet them?” He turned her and looked down at her with concern in his eyes.

  She went up on her toes and gave him a kiss that had him wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her tight. “Yes. I would enjoy meeting them.”

  “How is your leg?”

  “Sore, and a bit blue, but otherwise fine.” She used both hands to part the long strips of her skirt and she showed him the mark.

  He trailed over the healing skin with his fingertips. “You can walk on it?”

  “I can.”

  “Then, let’s introduce you to your defence team.”

  She took his arm and they walked slowly down the hall to the wide, curving staircase. Vikki held tightly to Merc’s forearm as they moved down to the main floor and entered the receiving room where the premier had met them the day before. Vikki mentally smacked herself. Three days ago.

  Mercuros made the introductions to the two men and two women in the room. “Specialist Vikki Markham, please meet Guardsmen Beast and Fury and the Terran Representative and First Champion, Kyra Dannick vi Rannith. Oh, and her husband, the Azon Ambassador to the Alliance, Tiergar.”

  Vikki smiled at the two women and inclined her head to the men. Beast was only the second Drai she had ever seen in the flesh. “Pleased to meet all of you, but fill me in. I have missed a few things.”

  Rhenic came in with a tea tray and smiled warmly at Vikki. “Good to see you up and about, Specialist.”

  “Good to be up and about, Rhenic. Thank you for the emergency first aid the other day.”

  “All part of my duties, Specialist.” The woman’s cheeks glowed with the acknowledgement of her service. She retreated back to the kitchen, but her head was held high.

  Vikki sat and started to pour tea, handing the cups to the ladies before the men. When everyone had been offered a beverage, she poured her own and sat back, “Now, what happened while I was out?”

  Merc sat next to her and when he nodded, Kyra leaned forward to explain what the folk of Geviil were up to.

  The parliament had held a special session to create a sovereign state where none had existed before. That meant that all alien interference would not be tolerated. As they were not an Alliance world, they could do it, but Kyra was here to throw a wrench in their plans.

  “Kyra, what is your role in this?” Vikki sipped at her tea and watched the other woman carefully.

  “Before I ended up with my beloved husband here, I was an archivist who specialized in ancient histories. I found lost races and a planet that had been scrubbed from all star charts.” The woman sat in her elegant Azon robes and smiled brightly. “I can handle some smurfs.”

  Vikki sprayed her tea and reached quickly for a napkin. “Oh, you are definitely one of us nasty humans. I have been thinking that since I landed.”

  Tiergar raised his hand. “I have Alliance authorization to enforce the decision of the courts. This case was tried via relay and Beast and Fury are here to defend the rules of the sector. Their uniforms will record everything that we do and see today, including your spit take at the word smurfs.”

  Vikki dissolved into giggles again and Kyra was right behind her. Hooting with laughter while five other people in the room stared was a little uncomfortable, but Vikki couldn’t hold it in. Smurfs. As she wiped her eyes free of tears, she met Kyra’s gaze and said, “Three apples tall,” and off they went again.

  When they finally stopped their laughter, they were both leaning against their mates and Vikki looked up into Merc’s eyes with an exhausted sigh. “That was fun and I will explain it later. I think I have it on a data pad in the shuttle.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist. “I think that we need to get going. Rhenic has prepared a picnic for you, so you can eat on the way.”

  She sighed. “Are we taking a teeny skimmer?”

  Beast grinned. He flexed his wings. “We will be travelling in the Sector Guard shuttle, the Talon. Designed by myself and crafted by Fixer. It will definitely make an impression.”

  Vikki stood and smiled. “Then grab my picnic and let’s go. I have some short blue butt to kick.”

  The occupants of the room rose en masse and as one, they headed out to the shuttle, Merc carrying the parcel that Rhenic brought him. The shuttle in the drive was so sleek and deadly seeming, Vikki wanted to keep it the moment she set eyes on it.

  As they got into the shuttle to make their way to the city of Mercuros, Fury kept glancing at Merc.

  Vikki sat at the small galley table and started to work her way through the food with Merc beside her. He finally asked the Guardsman, “Why are you staring?”

  “You are Mercuros Weelich? Commander of the Wing Guard?” Fury was biting her lower lip.

  “Yes, though not for some time now.”

  Fury smiled, a bright smile that caused a cheerful swirl of air within the shuttle. “You are my great uncle nine times or so removed. Garo was my multiple great grandfather.”

  Merc was stunned, Vikki could feel it in her mind and she quickly finished her food and packed up the remains.

  “You are my niece? Cynthia’s offspring? They said she would never have a child of her own.”

  “She did. Her daughter Coral began a line of daughters that comes down to me.” Fury leaned forward and extended her hands.

  “I am glad that we met, granddaughter of Garo. My brother was a lucky man to catch the woman of his dreams and to have a daughter to continue the line of exceptional women.” Merc was welling with emotion at that moment and Vikki sent him her joy.

  Fury extended one hand
to her and grinned. “Welcome to the family, aunty.”

  It broke the heavy emotional moment into a dozen glittering, laughing pieces.

  Beast snorted and started to land their shuttle.

  The parliament of small blue faces caused a problem for Vikki. She kept looking at Kyra, but the Terran Representative had a far better poker face than she did.

  The premier stood and addressed the assembly. “In the fine tradition of our people, having evolved here on Geviil…”

  Kyra stood and raised a data pad. “Objection! The Mirandeese that settled here were and are still similar in every way to those here on Geviil. No evolution has taken place.”

  The Premier attempted to puff up. “Who are you?”

  “Kyra Dannick vi Rannith, High Archivist of the Alliance Archives specializing in ancient worlds and races. The Geviil here today are no more natural to this world than anyone else.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I have the Mirandeese emigration records. The ancestors that dealt with Mercuros are all listed in the original agreements. They are Mirandeese and simple blood draws will prove it.” Kyra waited for the next statement.

  The premier tried to regroup. “In our proud tradition, we have remained apart from other races and proved our self-sufficiency.”

  Kyra held up her hand. “Point of order. The Mirandeese settlers counted on the Drai who was already here.”

  Heads lifted in parliament as they began to pay attention.

  Kyra cleared her throat. “As most of you are aware, Mercuros has been here since before your people arrived. With the agreement of the living mind of Geviil, he was allowed to make his home here.”

  The room erupted with shouts and denials. The speaker banged his gavel and the room ground to silence.

  “This is the first we have heard of a living mind for this world. There has never been an avatar called.”