by Juno Wells
Stepping into the meeting room, Grace saw a well-groomed male wearing a flight suit. His amber skin and eyes were offset by bright red hair. He presented like every other trader they’d seen, except that he had some biological similarities with the Davarians. He arrived promptly for the meeting, greeted them politely and even appeared eager to share what he knew with them.
“Greetings, humans. As I told your masters, my name is Maloc.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maloc. My name is Grace, and this is my friend Rick. Please have a seat.”
Dropping into one of the chairs with a thunk communicated that he was dense and muscular under his loosely fitting uniform. “Thank you. How can I be of service today?”
Rick spoke. “We thank you for sounding the alert about the attack on Fraxion Four.”
“Please think nothing of it. I don’t often get an opportunity to do a good deed. I was furious thinking of all the people being harmed by the Traj.” When he said the word Traj, his top lip curled back in disgust, and he bit the species name out like it was a bad taste in his mouth. “Thanks be to the gods, the Davarians got there in time to protect those colonists.”
Rick shot back, “My mate’s sister went missing during the Traj attack.”
Grace interjected smoothly, “We’re trying to figure out what happened to our missing crew person, and since you were present at the time of the attack, we were hoping you might have information about what happened to her.”
The pirate’s brow creased. “I honestly thought everyone would have been present and accounted for by now. I pray the Traj didn’t make off with your female. Although they are fond of alien females, the Traj do not treat them with the respect they deserve.”
Grace replied bluntly. “We didn’t find her on the planet and your ship was the only one observed in the vicinity around the time of the attack.”
Maloc actually looked mortified. “On my life, I swear to you, I would never harm a precious hair on a female’s head. I am but a simple trader. Though my ship wasn’t properly registered, I’m not monster capable of abducting a vulnerable female.”
“You didn’t see any other Traj ships or anything that might account for her whereabouts?”
“No. Human females are coveted by more species than just the Traj. It’s possible she was taken long before the attack.” Spreading his hands open, he continued, “I promise that if I had come into contact with your crew person, I would have done all in my power to see her safely returned to her people.”
Grace didn’t sense deception from him. He seemed earnest, didn’t seem dangerous, and his explanation checked out. Sighing, she was forced to accept that their best lead was also a dead end. No wonder the captain let them speak with the pirate directly. She and Rick would have had a hard time letting go of it if they hadn’t talked to him face-to-face.
“Please shoot us a message on the com if you come across any information regarding our missing crew. Humans never leave a person behind. It’s part of our creed.”
Maloc nodded. “I will, and I wish you well in your search for her.”
Standing in the landing bay, watching Maloc’s shuttle take off, Rick sighed. “That was our only damn lead and it took us nowhere. I don’t know how I’m going to face Ima Jean.”
With a heavy heart, Grace looked over at her longtime friend. “She knows we’re doing the best we can. Just be straight with her, Rick. We both know the longer Emma’s gone, the less chance we’ll find her.”
“That’s what keeps me up at night.”
“Just don’t give Ima Jean any false hope. She’ll just fall harder later if we don’t recover her sister.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face and nodded. “You’re right. I goddam know you’re right, but this is going to be the hardest conversation I’ve ever had with her.”
Giving him a pat on the arm, Grace spoke quietly. “Conversations like this are always going to be shit. Make it short and let her cry it out on your chest. It’s all you can do in this situation.”
“Thanks, Grace. You know we love you for sticking by us the way you do.”
Grace returned to her own quarters. Something felt really off about this whole situation with Emma, but she couldn’t figure out what it was to save her life.
12 Making of A Queen
Grace
Falling into their huge wraparound sofa, Grace watched Dakota fetching drinks for everyone. Living with both her sisters felt right. They’d kept living together after their parents died, and it helped with the grief. Plus, Mia had been a little too young to be on her own at the time.
The doorbell chimed and Nayla’s voice rang out. “Grace, it’s for you.”
Since the Awakening Day celebration, Dakota, Mia and Nayla had been pretty much inseparable. Eden Twelve had long since been repaired, and the command crew was seriously considering a temporary respite on the Davarian home world for a few years. Since word got out about humans being breed-compatible with other species, they weren’t safe anymore.
Grace went to the door and was surprised to find an attractive Davarian male. He was standing with a gift in his hand. It had a large blue ribbon, tied human style around a small box. Holding it out in his palm, he smiled. “For you, Lady Grace.”
Grace smiled sweetly. “Sorry, I’m only interested in your Regent.”
She gently shut the door in his still smiling face and headed back over to sit with Dakota. Her sister grinned. “Want to tell me what that was all about?”
“Some Davarian wanting to give me a courting gift.”
Nayla immediately spoke up. “Though courting gifts are commonly given by our males to females they are interested in mating, I’m not certain that’s why you’re getting inundated with them.”
“Do tell, it’s getting aggravating. That’s the fifth one this week.”
“We also give gifts to public figures, especially ones we’re partial to. I believe you are getting them because word got out that you will be companioning Bradon the Wise again.”
“Maybe explain that in a little more detail, because I don’t understand why your people would gift for dating your Regent.”
“You’re spending intimate time with him twice. That’s never happened before and indicates a personal relationship is forming between the two of you.” When they still didn’t seem to be getting what she was explaining, Nayla sighed. “Many see this as our world getting another queen. Our people wish to show their approval and acceptance of Bradon the Wise selecting a mate.”
Mia slipped in and plopped down on the far end of the sofa. Her hand was wrapped around a pretty stone necklace. She’d bought it in the marketplace and seemed extremely partial to it. “I think you should accept the gifts and write a nice note. Just because we’re living on a ship in deep space doesn’t mean being rude is somehow acceptable.”
Grace had to admit her youngest sister had a point.
Nayla fidgeted with a string on her clothing, wrapping it and unwrapping it from around her small finger. She glanced up, catching Grace’s eyes. “Do you think my Regent is your one?”
Grace quipped, “I certainly hope not. He’s pretty high profile. I don’t know how I feel about living my life in the public eye.”
Mia called from end of the sofa, “She’s lying. Don’t let her fool you. Bradon is all she’s been talking about since she last saw him.”
Dakota wagged her eyebrows, “He is pretty hot. If you don’t want him, I’ll take Handsome off your hands.”
“Stay the hell away from him. You’re ten kinds of right about him being hot. If anyone is worth sacrificing some personal privacy for, it would be him.”
Nayla gazed at her over her cup of simulated coffee. “I’m sure most of my people would not consider being mated to our Regent a sacrifice. In fact, most people on Davaria Prime have nothing but good things to say about him.”
“I’m not surprised. He’s pretty amazing.”
Nayla shifted in her seat. “They have very positiv
e things to say about you as well. Since your ship came, our people seem fascinated by all things human. I’m convinced the males who come bearing gifts with blue ribbons, may simply be here to meet you and wish you well with the Regent. They tie the gifts in Bradon the Wise’s signature color so you will know they are not attempting to court you. If they are indeed hoping for Bradon the Wise to make you our Queen, then that would be typical behavior.”
Grace was amused that Nayla insisted on using Bradon’s full title every time she referenced him in conversation.
Mia disappeared and came back with a small pile of gifts, all bearing blue ribbons and stickers. She picked up one with the seal of the House of Bradon. “Did you have a priest visit recently? Look, you managed to slam the door in the face of one the Regent’s emissaries. This looks like a gift is from him.”
Grace squealed with delight and held out her hands for the gift. Mia dropped the gift into her hands and sat back with a smug smile plastered on her face. Grace sat staring at the gift from Bradon. “It’s almost too pretty to open.”
Dakota encouraged her sister. “Open it. I can’t wait to see what the Regent sent you.”
Grace responded nervously, “I don’t know if I should. Maybe is it not appropriate to be seen by others.”
Nayla allied her fears. “He is a Regent. He will send something like gemstone earrings.”
Grace quickly tore into the package and revealed a small box. She lifted the lid and pulled out a swath of Davarian silk. It smelled potently of the Regent. She brought it to her face and inhaled.
Nayla’s jaw dropped open and she whispered, “I can’t believe the Regent sent that to you. By Davarian standards, that is an extremely disrespectful thing to do. I’m disappointed to discover he’s like that and not sure you should see him again.”
Grace slipped the cloth back into the box and sighed happily. “He sent me exactly what I told him I wanted most in a parting gift. I specifically told him to keep his jewels and expensive gifts, because I wanted to enjoy his scent.”
Nayla’s head snapped up, her voice strangled. “By the gods, Grace. You said that to my Regent?”
Dakota laughed, “My sister is a naughty girl. Don’t pretend you didn’t know that, my friend. I think you should take off before we get to the good part of the conversation. It will only get worse from here.”
Nayla shook her head vehemently. “I’m definitely staying.” Smiling enough for her tiny fangs to peek out on each side of her mouth, she asked shyly. “Are human male also this brazen?”
Dakota laughed, “You better believe it. Do you have your eye on one?”
“I’m not telling quite yet.”
Grace picked up another gift and looked at it thoughtfully. “If there is a small chance of me ending up with Bradon, I guess that I should make some sort of effort to be more gracious and stop slamming the door in every Davarian’s face.”
Dakota agreed. “Might I suggest that we open the gifts? If the message is for a request for courtship, we will return the gift with a nice note. If it is simply from a well-wisher, you will keep the gift, and we will send them a nice thank-you note. If it is jewelry or something innocuous like that, you should try to be seen wearing it in public at least once. That shouldn’t be too much to ask. It would generate a lot of goodwill. What do you think, Mia?”
When all eyes turned to the youngest sister, they found her staring blankly with both hands grasping the front of the stone necklace.
Grace tilted her head slightly. “Earth, calling Mia. Is there anyone at home?”
When her eyes rolled back into her head, Dakota cursed and jumped to her side. Grace landed on the floor in front of her sister, resting her hands on Mia’s knees. “Mia! Are you okay? Snap out of it.”
Grace watched her sister’s eyes blink back to life. “What the hell is going on, Mia?”
The younger woman opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. Her expression was terrified. Sweat had accumulated on her upper lip and her skin tone had a sallow cast to it. They were all familiar with the symptoms, since Mia was prone to fainting.
Dakota grabbed a medical scanner and got busy scanning her. The engineer’s hands were clumsy when trying to adjust the unwieldy piece of medical equipment. Mia was a medic who needed a medic at the moment.
Nayla reached over and jerked the necklace over her head. Laying it with shaking hands to the side, she took a deep breath. “The Baka stone is bad luck. They make people sick. I told you not to buy it.”
“Hold up, what the hell are you talking about?”
Nayla closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she looked down at the necklace like it was a snake about to bite her. “In ancient times our people used the dark magic of the stones to find our mates. We cut the stone in half and tossed one half into a huge ravine filled with thousands of stones. Once we became a space-faring race, we released it into orbit around the planet. The other half was used to make a necklace. When a female was ready to mate, she used a guide shuttle to pluck one stone from among the many. My grandmother swore she met my grandfather though the use of the stones.”
There was silence in the wake of Nayla’s words. What she said was too fantastical to credit with being fact. Grace cleared her throat, croaking out an awkward laugh. “Sweet Jesus, you had me going there for a moment, Nayla. I thought you were serious.”
Nayla rubbed her arm with one hand, as if her skin were crawling. “Our people were once telepathic. A metallic element in the stones was thought to enhance that ability. The metal in each stone resonates at a different frequency, and when it’s so close to our brains, it can connect a female to her male.”
Dakota asked gently, “You’re serious about this myth, aren’t you?”
It was Mia who spoke, her voice laced with sadness. “I can feel him, see him in my mind’s eye and almost smell him.”
Rubbing her face in her hands, Grace tried to figure out what to do.
It was Dakota who made the command decision. “I say we lock this damn thing away. If it isn’t in close proximity to our brains, it can’t affect us, am I right about that?”
“This is true. There are high concentrations of the stone on our world. It won’t affect us unless we have it near our brains. In particular, don’t sleep near it. Also, water enhances the power of the stone, so don’t ever get wet while you’re wearing it.” Nayla seemed to be reciting random facts rather than giving coherent information.
That was a lot of hocus pocus to Grace’s mind, but better safe than sorry.
Mia reacted badly to the suggestion of locking her new necklace away. “No! I need the link. Don’t take it away.”
Dakota wrapped her hands around Mia’s shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Are you listening to yourself? You’re a damn medic and right now you sound like an addict of some sort.”
Grace smoothed her hand down Mia’s arm, speaking gently, “You can’t keep wearing that thing if it’s going to induce seizures.”
Nayla reached out to pry Dakota’s hands from her sister. “You are not of this world, Mia. I fear the psychic link will cause your brain to hemorrhage. Only the most devout rural peasants believe in the power of the stones for linking one with their mate. Everyone else in the modern world eschews them as superstitious and dangerous.”
Mia finally nodded. “Get them away from me now, while I’m thinking clearly.”
Dakota quickly snagged the string of heavy beads and locked them away in the box where they stored their most precious possessions. Out of sight, out of mind, she thought wryly. It was a good idea to use their family lock box because they almost never opened it.
Mia sat with her arms wrapped around her stomach, looking fragile and alone. A short silence spun out between the women. Finally, the idea popped into Grace’s mind to distract her youngest sister from the stones. “Come, help me open gifts. You’re the gracious one in our family. I need you to help me think of appropriate things to say in the thank-you notes.”
“Great. I feel like I should be tipping you.”
The crew member just laughed and responded, “We don’t even have money anymore.”
Mia immediately began sorting the gifts by size, apparently intent on keeping herself busy.
Nayla even cheered up as she helped explain what some of the odder gifts were used for. “Gods, Grace. Who would have thought you would end up possibly being our new Queen.”
“On Earth we have a saying about putting the cart before the horse.”
“What’s a horse?”
“A creature we ride, like a hover cycle.”
“I see. We had something like that once on our world. They became extinct a thousand years ago. No one alive today has ever seen one.”
The moment the words flew out of her mouth, she cringed.
Grace laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not sensitive about Bradon being so much older than me. He doesn’t look or act old. In fact, he can be quite childish at times.”
“Grace! Careful what you say about our Regent.”
“Sorry Nayla. To me he’s just a really sexy guy that I can’t seem to get enough of.”
Nayla shook her head disapprovingly. “Let’s get this over with. I have made a note of the items you can wear in public. They are coded with a yellow starburst icon. Click the icon once you wear the piece, so you will know they have all been worn at least once.”
“You are a lifesaver, Nayla. So, tell me about your love life. Anything I should be aware of?”
