by Kate Donovan
Jenni gulped and nodded, and they headed back, reaching land just as Jenni’s second boot went into a stall and they tumbled to the sand.
Zia was on her feet in an instant, striding toward Charlotte. “Okay, riffhead. Now we play by Alluvan rules.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“Just you and me. A battle to the death—warrior versus warrior. No other rules.”
“To the death?” Charlotte laughed nervously. “I assume you mean sudden death? First one to score a point?”
“Either way, I win. Let’s go.”
They jetted up—but to ten feet this time. Then Zia served a ball straight out over the water. Charlotte fielded it perfectly, and the tempo quickened, with shot after shot being fired with precision. Adrenaline fueled Zia’s moves, making her feel invincible, as though she could play this way forever.
Charlotte on the other hand was visibly running out of wind, a situation she confirmed when she used her magnet to help field one particular unreachable shot.
“You said no rules,” she reminded Zia breathlessly. “So magnets are legal.”
“No problem. I can play all day at this pace. Can you?”
Charlotte groaned, then served the ball again, and Zia fielded it, jamming it back so hard it glanced off Charlotte’s forehead. To her credit, Charlotte still managed to swat it with her paddle with enough force that it traveled the requisite minimum of ten feet.
Zia pretended she was about to ram it back toward Charlotte, knowing that the girl would recoil, and when she did, Zia sent it backward, over her own shoulder and flying twenty feet out to sea.
Charlotte just stared after it, chagrined. “You win. Call it back.”
Zia activated her magnet and retrieved the ball. Then she floated back to shore and joined the rest of the girls, where they had spread out on towels and were sipping iced juice.
“Yay, Zee!” the twins cheered.
Bea was clapping her hands too. “You slaughtered her.”
“That was the best match ever,” Jenni agreed.
Charlotte landed and walked up to Jenni. “Sorry I was such a bitch. I couldn’t resist. But if ZeeZee hadn’t saved you, I would have. You know that, right?”
Jenni nodded. “I know. Consider it bygone.”
Satisfied, Zia pulled off her boots and began toweling off. She was dying for an iced juice, but wasn’t about to let her friends know how depleted she was. Better to let them believe the victory had been easy for her.
“Hey, Zee, look who’s coming. Your new boyfriend.”
“Huh?” She looked up, squinting into the sun, then groaning in confusion at the sight of Rem Stone coming toward them in shorts and a sleeveless shirt with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He looked tanned and refreshed, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
By contrast, she knew she looked sweaty and droopy, so she quickly sifted her fingers through her curls, then wrapped her towel around her waist and walked up to meet him. “Don’t tell me the results are back already.”
“Nah, nothing like that. I just heard you were down here playing sky paddle, and since you’ve bragged twice already about how great you are at it, I wanted to see for myself.”
“Twice?”
“Once with the ambassador, and once at the birthday party in the hangar.”
“The hangar . . .” She folded her arms across her chest. “What does that mean? You were there? Invading my privacy?”
He flashed a sexy smile. “I was checking out the skirmisher when you came in and started talking to the giant. I didn’t want to embarrass you, so I kept quiet. It was nice,” he added sincerely. “Especially when you promised Quito you’d behave. So after you left, I made a promise too. Want to hear it?”
She moistened her lips. “I guess so.”
“I told him I’d make sure nothing happened to you. It was just a throwaway remark at the time, but now that you might go to Malara, I figured I’d better find out how bad off you really are.”
“I’m not going to Malara,” she said, hoping he couldn’t see how flustered she was. “You’ll have to send me a vid card. I hear it’s a fascinating place. Be sure to pack an air purifier.”
Merry tapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t we get to meet your new hero?”
“He’s everyone’s hero,” Zia retorted. “Three medals in one day—an academy record. Say hello to the famous Cadet Stone.”
“It’s Lieutenant Stone now,” he corrected her.
“Lieutenant?” She glanced pointedly at his bare torso. “Hard to tell from your uniform.”
Rem grinned. “Sorry.”
She wanted to remain cool but found herself laughing as her friends mobbed him, asking him questions, specifically about the graduation parties, and how many good-looking, unattached friends he might have.
After introductions were officially complete, Bea demanded, “What’s in the bag, Lieutenant? Tell me it’s food and I’ll be your love slave. I’m starved.”
“Sorry, we’re both out of luck.” Turning to Zia, he spilled out the contents of the duffel—boots, gloves, and a paddle. “Like I said, I’m here to see what you’ve got, talent-wise.”
“You want to play me? Why?”
“Just in case you need to step up.”
“Just in case—oh!” She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from her friends. “I didn’t say anything to them about that. It’s crazy, so don’t mention it.”
“In other words, you’re afraid?” His blue eyes twinkled. “I’ll give you a two-point lead, and we can use civilian rules. And no shots over the water. How about that?”
“I’m not afraid. And I don’t need a lead. I can earn that on my own.” Biting her lip, she added carefully, “What’s the height limit if we use military rules?”
“Twenty feet. And thirty feet out to sea. I’m not suggesting that—”
“Why not? Sounds like fun.” She put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Boot up, Stone. Time to see what you’ve got.”
* * * *
Annoyed with himself for goading her into military rules, Rem insisted on checking Zia’s air boots and chute, readjusting the latter carefully to ensure it was properly positioned. He knew he was making her nervous, and he knew why—she had an unbelievable body, and the pink bikini showed off every curvy inch of it. She probably thought he was enjoying the show—not to mention the feel—and he was. But he forced himself to concentrate on her safety rather than the way her breasts were spilling out of her suit.
Not that he could ignore the bounty completely. “How old are you?” he asked almost instinctively.
“I’ll be eighteen the week after next, so don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“If I need to go to Malara, I won’t need anyone’s permission.”
He grinned, relieved that she hadn’t caught his subtext. “That’s good news. And your equipment looks great, so let’s get started. But if you get into any trouble—”
“Worry about yourself,” she said with a sniff.
He grinned again. Apparently, she really did have guts. That might matter—a lot—if she had to go to Malara, even if it was just for show.
Barring complete disaster, she’d never see the inside of a giant. And even if she did, she’d have a skilled pilot on comm with her, guiding and advising at every turn. She wouldn’t need any independent strategy or instincts, but she’d have to stay cool and take orders well. That alone would be a struggle for any civilian, much less a pampered, immature one.
And he was beginning to see that she had a reckless streak. Not necessarily a bad thing in a pilot if the training was there. But for an amateur?
“I meant what I said. I’m here to check out your reflexes and coordination, not fight with you. So let’s just have a friendly volley, okay?”
“Whatever you say.” She tossed her long, tangled hair, then activated her jets and elevated until she was high above the sand.
Gutsy, he noted again. She�
��s really going to take this match to twenty feet. Let’s hope no one has a stall.
“Good luck, ZeeZee!” Merry shouted.
“Yeah, make him cry like a girly-bitch!” Charlotte screamed, waving wildly.
Rem jetted up to face his opponent. “Classy friends you’ve got there.”
She flashed a mischievous smile. “Ready?”
“Any time.”
She pretended to serve it straight up, but at the last second sent it sailing over the water—a move that made Rem chuckle as he sped after it. She was good.
Amazing, actually.
This was going to be fun.
* * * *
They buzzed through the air, frustrating each other at every turn while trading outlandish taunts. Zia wasn’t sure when this had turned from a grudge match into full-on flirting, but she wasn’t about to complain, especially with her friends screaming encouragement from the beach, and Rem’s muscles stretching and glistening in the noonday sun.
Every time he sent the ball sailing over the surf, she knew he was hoping she’d miscalculate and crash into the water. And every time she sent it sky high, they both knew she just loved watching him soar overhead. They were the perfect match—his astonishing strength and agility against her lighter weight and consequential speed.
She had only one weakness—her tendency to stop short so abruptly, her jets would stall. But not today. Today she was determined to be perfect. To win the match, and maybe even drive this guy a little crazy in the process.
Then at the most inconvenient moment possible, as she air-sprinted for a long ball over pounding waves, she was shocked to see a Coast Guard cutter speeding toward her, violating the one-hundred-yard rule, and closing in quickly.
She froze in midair, her jaw hanging open.
Then her jets froze too, and she plummeted into the surf.
The water was ten feet deep, and she touched bottom easily, giggling and choking as she swam for the surface, chagrined but not at all embarrassed. To her delight, Rem was waiting for her, treading water and laughing so hard he could barely keep his head above the rough surf.
“That was the most hilarious thing ever!” he told her. “You should’ve seen it. One minute you’re flying, then you dropped like a rock.”
“I was there,” she reminded him with a rueful smile. “I notice you didn’t try to save me.”
He rested one hand on her bare waist. “Like you needed help?”
Despite the coldness of the water, this situation was definitely heating up. His smile was deadly, his body steely—
And he has a vendetta against your family.
“Keep your hands where the world can see them,” she advised, paddling back a bit in hopes of gaining a little perspective. “We don’t want anyone mistaking this for another romantic interlude.”
“Another one?”
“You obviously haven’t seen the vids from the ceremony.”
“I stopped watching vid news years ago. So should you.” He arched a playful eyebrow.
“OmniVid calls you ZeeZee. So do your friends. So I guess it doesn’t bother you?”
He moved closer to her again, but his smile faded as the Coast Guard cutter drew up alongside them.
He gave its occupants a curt glance. “Back off, guys. She’s fine.”
“Yeah, we noticed,” a seaman grumbled. Then he told Zia, “The president wants to see you right away, miss. In the infirmary.”
Zia grimaced. “Thanks for the message. I’ll head over there right away.”
“Have a good day,” the seaman said, eyeing Rem with suspicion. Then the boat pulled away, leaving Zia and Rem to exchange wary looks.
“What do you think it means?” she murmured.
“They got the results. But . . .” Rem shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows?”
“Want to come with me?”
“Definitely.”
They paddled back to the beach, where she whispered, “Go on ahead, and I’ll catch up. I need to tell my friends what’s going on. Just in case—well, in case I’m leaving for another galaxy tomorrow morning.”
“Be careful what you say,” he reminded her. “The vids don’t even have the news about Malara yet.”
She sighed, knowing he was right. And knowing her original plan—of recruiting one or more of her friends to come with her if she ended up going—was foolish and wrong. Bea and Charlotte were adventurous, but not trustworthy. The twins were too silly to be useful.
And Jenni? Zia trusted her completely, but knew how terrified her friend would be at the prospect of leaving Earth. She wouldn’t want to let Zia down, but she’d be so frightened . . .
Anyway, you have Rem if the worst happens, she reminded herself. And it won’t, because your DNA won’t match. It’s like Uncle J said: you’re nothing like Grandpa, thank God.
“Are you okay?” Rem asked gently.
She nodded. “Leave your stuff here. The guards’ll bring it up to the house. Let’s just get this over with.”
* * * *
They trudged in silence over the sand, then along the dirt road that led to the medical building. In the distance, she could see the hangar, and noted that workmen were already moving the skirmisher out into the open. It wouldn’t take long for OmniVid to catch sight of that and begin asking questions. And once they saw that the colossus was being moved, too, they’d really start hounding her uncle’s press folks.
She hadn’t said much to her friends, just that she was needed at the Hacienda and would call them later. She knew Jenni could read her expression, so she barely looked at her, stopping only long enough to scoop up her beach robe—a pink kimono made of lightweight cotton—to wear over her bikini. None of the girls had insisted on talking, which told her one of two things: they either sensed the gravity of the situation or they hoped she was sneaking off for some hot-play with a sexy, medal-winning pilot.
You should be so lucky, she teased herself as she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Rem. He looks so serious, but can you blame him? In two minutes he’ll know if he’s going to Malara alone, or with his sworn enemy, or with an internationally acclaimed foghead.
But it was still better to know than not know—for both of them—so she quickened her pace. Rem did likewise, and they soon reached the door to the medical building, where Zia rested her hand on Rem’s arm. “Maybe I should go in first.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
She mentally kicked herself, wishing she had thought this through a bit better. Her uncle wouldn’t be pleased to see his enemy here. And she could almost understand how he felt. But like it or not, Rem was a part of this now.
Thanks of course to Zia.
Stepping inside, she was greeted by a young woman in a lab coat who led her to a large room dominated by a huge, tube-shaped machine. Humber was there with two other Malarans, as well as Dr. Fuller and the president.
One look at her uncle’s sheepish expression told her the story, and she strode right up to him and patted his arm. “Sorry, Uncle J.”
“I know you hoped I’d be a match, Zee—”
“Are you serious? I’m so relieved!” She hesitated, then gave him a tentative half hug, expecting him to pull away. When he didn’t, she knew he was feeling bad about failing the test.
Of course, he would have felt worse if he had passed.
“Like we said yesterday, you’re all the family I have. I’d die if anything happened to you.”
She wanted to ask how close he had come to matching Quito, but didn’t dare. Instead she turned to Humber and said, “If I’m not a match either, then what?”
“Our engineers will completely recalibrate the giant to suit a young Malaran pilot. Presumably the challenge will be decided long before it is ready, but it is the prudent choice for the future—for Earth as well as Malara.”
“I’m sorry we can’t help more,” she told him sincerely. “But at least you’ll have Rem Stone. He’s outside, by the way. Is it okay if he joins us?”
> Her uncle scowled. “What’s he doing here?”
“I invited him. If there’s a chance he and I are going to Malara together, I’d like it to be friendly. Please?”
“You still insist on being tested?”
“Absolutely.” She hesitated, then asked, “Does it hurt?”
“No, but it’s a bit claustrophobic.”
Zia groaned inwardly. She despised close spaces, and the Malaran equipment looked particularly confining. “How long does it take?”
“Twenty minutes for the machine to gather the data,” Humber said. “After that, it will be another ninety minutes to calculate the results.”
“Ugh. Why don’t you just hook me up instead?”
Humber’s brow furrowed. “Hook you up?”
“To the robot. Let’s see if I can make him dance.”
One of the other Malarans spoke up. “I am Dr. Annur, Miss Quito. Perhaps I can explain why that is not possible.”
“Wait. Let’s get Lieutenant Stone in here first, so he can hear it too.”
Jared exhaled sharply. “I have work to do. Zee, if you don’t mind . . . ?”
“No, of course not.”
“I’ll have someone bring you some decent clothes. You shouldn’t be running around like that. Especially since OmniVid will start snooping around soon.”
“Okay, thanks.” She tried to look confident. “We’ll send word as soon as we know.”
“I’m sure you won’t match—”
“Me too. It’s fine. Really.”
He seemed guilty, but just for a moment, then he spun on his heels and departed the room.
A minute later, Rem appeared, his expression neutral. “The president said they’re testing you now. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course.” She knew her smile was halfhearted. “You’re just in time. Dr. Annur wants to explain the process to us.”
The Malaran physician adopted a brisk tone. “Miss Quito suggested that we simply attach her to the colossus. To see if she could ‘make it dance.’”
