by S. E. Weir
“Of course! I couldn’t let my bondmate and future Jeskir go thirsty, hey?” She winked at him before accepting the empty containers.
Geirik put his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug, being careful of his skalax. He ignored her initial hiss of surprise and held her until she wrapped her arms around him, her hands still holding the drink containers. After a moment, he pulled back and rested his ribbed head against hers. Halvad wisely found something else to focus his attention on for the time being.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Strength of My Soul, but there’s a long way to go ‘til I get to that point.”
“The Rikhar games test brain, brawn, and strength of will to end up with the best leader for our people for the next ten years, hey? That Baldere is you, Geirik. You almost beat Velof last time, and I have no doubt you will beat him and everyone else at the games this year.”
He smiled at her confidence. As she wiggled out of his arms, he couldn’t help asking, only partly teasing. “Oh? And what gives you such confidence in my success?”
“Because you have something now that you didn’t have last time.”
“And what’s that?”
“Me.”
She winked at him again, then walked out of the ring and back to their dwelling around the corner. He grinned as he watched her leave, admiring her form as well as her spirit.
“You have quite a female.” Halvad came back over to stand next to him and watched her leave as well.
Geirik elbowed him none too gently. “Get your own female.”
“She was joking, hey?”
“About what?”
“That she’s the reason you can be confident about the games—a secret weapon of sorts, it sounded like.”
Geirik carefully took his skalax off his hand to stretch his fingers as he gave his friend an amused glance. “Why do you think I’ve improved so much in the last few years? We practice together several times a week.”
“Really? Is she competing in the Rikhar games as well?” Halvad turned back to where Fastel had disappeared from view. “More importantly, does she have a sister?”
Chuckling, Geirik resettled his skalax, then removed his shield from his belt. “Yes, and she’s got a skalax of a cousin who is wild but just as fierce in combat.”
Halvad grinned for a moment before his eyes grew serious. “You know Fastel is why Velof has been making it hard for you to succeed these past years. He’s always wanted her.”
A fierce growl rose in him, startling his friend and deepening his voice. “He’ll never have her. She made her choice. Fastel saw through him sooner than I did, and that won’t change anytime soon. You ready for more?”
Halvad none too gingerly inspected the cuts he had received from their previous bout. “All healed and good to go.”
They strode back to the middle of the ring, where Halvad stopped him with the flat of his blade. “You will introduce me to this wild and fierce cousin, hey? She sounds like my kind of female.”
“Of course, Halvad, of course. When you’re ready to begin, hey?”
They settled into their positions, his skalax at the ready. As their blades whirled and their shields deflected, Geirik grew even more focused and grim. Others might get close, but Geirik had the best shot at beating Velof. Everything depended on him winning the games and becoming the next leader.
His life, his mate, his city, and his world were at stake.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Anna Elizabeth’s Office
“How is she doing?”
Greyson had joined Anna Elizabeth shortly before classes were let out for the day. Anna tried to hide her smile at the feigned casualness of the question. By the fierce light in his eyes as he spoke, she knew her friend was not casual about anything pertaining to Phina.
“She’s adapting very well. I don’t think she will want to leave after six months, even if you weren’t going to pull her into your world.”
He smiled as he lounged in her visitor’s chair with cat-like laziness. “Glad to hear it, but I didn’t think there would be an issue.”
“Of course not. Since you know everything and are always right.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
He grinned playfully. “And don’t you forget it.”
“How could I when you constantly remind me?” Anna stared at the man sternly as she tried to hide her smile.
He waggled his eyebrows as he spoke to her in her native German. “You don’t fool me, old woman! I know I’m your favorite.”
“Sheisse!” She glared at the younger man, who appeared to be a few years older than her. “For the last time, I am not old!”
He opened his mouth to respond when ADAM interrupted.
“Excuse me, DS and Anna, but you may wish to watch what’s happening in the hallway right now.”
They stared blankly at each other before turning to the screen on her desk as Meredith flicked it on.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Diplomatic Institute
Phina headed toward the exit, still thinking about the reflection question her Current Events teacher had asked the students to write an essay on before the next class.
What quality about the Empire caused the most upheaval in the current systems of the local galaxy?
The louder than normal buzzing of voices throughout the corridor pulled her out of her thoughts. As she moved closer to the door connecting the Institute to the rest of the station, Phina could see a large number of students crowded together, looking down at their tablets. Since the group blocked the hallway, Phina stopped until she could decide how pushy or rude she wanted to be. She wanted to be home decompressing.
While she mentally debated, she felt someone stop next to her and turned to see the young female Yollin she had noticed in Ethics last week giving her a friendly smile. “Hello, I am Sis’tael. I have been hoping to meet you, but you usually leave right away.”
“Greetings, Sis’tael. I am Seraphina Waters, but please call me Phina. I am sorry. I was rude to leave so quickly. If I had known you were looking for me, I would have spoken to you earlier.”
Phina spoke in Yollin, which caused Sis’tael to light up in surprise and eagerness. Before she could respond, a male student standing in front of them turned with an eager brand of nosiness.
“Did you say your name is Seraphina Waters?”
Belatedly, Phina realized the translation chips in everyone’s implants would allow anyone listening to understand what she said. She nodded, thinking he was likely another human who wanted to be her friend. She regretted it when the annoying male yelled, “Hey, here’s Seraphina Waters!”
All the students in the hallway, but especially the clustered group in the middle, turned toward her, revealing Jace Anderson at the center, surprise and annoyance warring on his face.
“So, the new girl is Seraphina Waters.”
She shrugged, not bothered that he knew her name. “That’s me.”
“How did you get Greyson Wells as your mentor, Seraphina Waters?”
“What?” Her eyebrows drew together as she frowned in confusion. Honestly, Jace seemed erratic to her most days, and this confrontation didn’t correct that impression. Phina fought her instinct to get out of the spotlight since she didn’t like being the center of attention and tried to formulate a response. The murmurs of the students around her made her want to leave. Jace walked toward her and showed her his tablet, which displayed the mentor pairings. Right. Friday. The list of mentors must have just been posted.
“Greyson Wells is your mentor.”
She stared at the man in front of her, wondering what she was missing. So what if this Greyson Wells was her mentor? “And?”
Jace looked at her in disbelief. “You don’t know who he is?”
Whispers filled the hallway as the other students reacted to their conversation.
“No.”
The sneer on his face caused her eyes to narrow in displeasure. Apparently, the desire to be Phina’s friend had passed wi
th this event, but he still had no right to treat her this way. “Greyson Wells is only one of the most famous diplomats in the history of the Empire! Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has been wanting to have him as a mentor, but he never takes a student. He wasn’t even on the list for last year, but now he’s finally chosen someone, and it’s you? Who doesn’t even know who he is?”
The scowl on his face flickered with another emotion Phina couldn’t grasp, but the man appeared personally offended for some reason. She shrugged casually while she tried to formulate a response, and thought about saying she wasn’t really into following the diplomats. With her current status as a student in the Diplomatic Institute, she didn’t think that would go over well. Phina’s brain shifted gears and she finally spoke.
“I think you are laboring under a few misconceptions.”
Jace kept that flickering gaze on her and raised his eyebrows in a mocking manner. “Please, enlighten me.”
“The first misconception is that you seem to think this Greyson Wells would choose instead of being assigned.”
“He would choose. He wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Phina raised her own eyebrows at Jace’s apparent familiarity with the man as she answered, “Even so, the dean would need to approve the choice, would she not? Here is the second misconception, that you believe a mistake has been made. Do you believe that both Dean Hauser and this Greyson Wells made a mistake? Two highly regarded diplomats who are obviously respected?”
She waited for that to sink in before continuing, “And the third, in all this choosing, the only one that had no choice was me. Yet you are asking as if I knew something about it when I know no more about it than you do.”
“Sounds like it’s a lot less to me,” he muttered.
Phina gave him her signature smirk before dropping all expression on her face. “The last and worst misconception is that you appear to think you know or understand anything of who I am and are able to determine on your own whether I’m deemed ‘special enough’ to be chosen by this well-regarded diplomat. You think knowing a name makes a person special and magically grants you anything you need to know about the people or situation involved?
“I assure you, you know nothing of me because I have told you nothing, and I have shown you very little up ‘til now.” She glared at him, her emotions slipping out of her usual stranglehold to add a snap to her words. “Thinking you know someone after barely speaking to them is called ‘prejudice.’ Not the best characteristic to have when your profession purposely meets new species and cultures all the time. I suggest you straighten that out before you trip over yourself at the wrong time or get yourself spaced.”
With that, she pushed past him and headed out the door, ignoring the rising tide of voices she left behind her.
Finally, Phina felt like she could breathe.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Anna Elizabeth’s Office
A grin grew on his face as Greyson Wells watched Phina firmly put that Anderson douche-puppy in his place.
“Why is he part of the Corps again?”
He glanced over to see Anna concentrating on the screen as she absently spoke. “Just as I’m to trust you with Phina, I need you to trust me with Jace. He has hidden depths you haven’t noticed. Just because he isn’t interested in spying doesn’t make him less worthy of being a diplomat. I think he will work out just fine once he gets a few things out of his system.”
He looked back at the screen in time to see the young man in question sneer at Grey’s new potential in human form. His lips curled up in a grimace. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
Greyson listened with pride as the girl finished sharing her thoughts on the young scuzz-bucket’s misconceptions. Not that Grey had anything to do with it; he just enjoyed watching the girl prove herself to be the right person several times over for what he had in mind. She would do well—very well indeed.
As the girl stormed out of the Institute and into the main area of the station, he turned to the door to follow. “I’ll catch you later, old lady!”
His friend shook her head in irritation. “Wichser!”
He laughed as he walked out. He really did enjoy pushing her buttons, and she made it so easy for him.
Grey stepped out of the office into the hallway, and the whispering died down as the first people began staring at him. The silence quickly spread.
He sped toward the exit. As he passed the young man in question and saw the shocked recognition on Jace’s face, Grey paused and pursed his lips in thought, then shrugged and pointed over his shoulder at the door Phina had left through.
“What she said.”
Greyson watched the younger man’s face turn red with anger for a moment before it drained to white in shame and dismay. His eyes showed disappointment, and he was clearly mentally kicking himself. The older man nodded thoughtfully as he watched the change in attitude.
“Keep your chin up, kid. She just might be right about you.”
This time he pointed to the office door where Anna Elizabeth had just stepped out. As Anderson turned toward her in confusion, Grey continued out the door, leaving the buzzing students behind.
He had his own future protege to catch up with.
Chapter Nine
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Open Court
Phina walked quickly toward the Open Court. After that scene with Jace, she needed to shake off her irritation, and usually only training or talking to Alina managed that. Maxim had told her that morning he would be busy after class, so her decision had been made for her.
As she entered the higher traffic area near the Open Court, she became aware of a man walking up to her with a smile on his face. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties and his clothing had the look of a uniform on his lanky body, consisting as it did of gray dress slacks and a blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the collar open on the top.
“Just the girl I’m looking for!”
She stopped and turned toward him, struggling with speaking civilly through the irritation. As her emotions surged up from that inner well, Phina couldn’t stop the scowl from forming on her face.
“What do you want?”
“I’ve been waiting a long time to find someone like you.”
She froze at the statement and stared at the man in shock. When she saw a smirk form on his face, she pointed her finger at him. “Fudging crumbs, you’re a pervert! I’ve watched movies about men like you. You’re all sick!”
“What?” He looked surprised and taken aback by the accusation. “No! What kind of man do you take me for?”
Phina frowned at him and stood with her feet shoulder-width apart to have a firm base like Maxim had shown her, just in case. “Well, I don’t know you, or anything about you! Run those lines you just told me through your head again from my perspective and see what conclusion you come to.”
He opened his mouth to disagree and stopped, looking up in thought. After a moment, his gaze returned to her and he bowed his head in apology. “You are absolutely right. Savor this moment as it doesn’t happen very often.”
Wary, Phina shook her head. “Why would I do that when I don’t even know you?”
“I’m your new mentor.” He waggled his eyebrows in a manner that suggested, “Aren’t you the lucky one,” and, “So what are you going to do about it,” at the same time.
Phina stared at the man, who could have come from any number of Earth nationalities. He had interestingly shaped features but nothing far enough out of the ordinary to be memorable. His tousled brown hair looked like his fingers had run through recently, and it was sprinkled with white. His medium-brown eyes, not deep enough to be called chocolate or having sparkles of color to be considered hazel glinted with humor but also determination, and he stood close to four inches taller than her at 5’11.” Perfectly ordinary and forgettable if you hadn’t seen his personality seep through.
“You’re Greyson Wells?”
“At your service.” He gave
a little bow with a grin on his face.
“This oh-so-famous diplomat I’m supposed to have heard so much about.”
“The very same.”
Phina scrutinized him for another moment, then shrugged a shoulder dismissively. “I don’t see it.”
“Ouch. Talk about prejudice, kid.”
He scowled, then stopped himself as his eyes darted to the left. “Come along, my young padawan. Time to start your training.”
He walked in the same direction as Phina stared after him and sighed. This guy was her mentor? She followed at a short distance until he motioned for her to catch up.
She fell into step with him just as they approached...a bar.
What kind of mentor took their diplomatic trainee to a bar?
They entered the large open room of All Guns Blazing. The crowd had picked up now that dinner was approaching. The uniquely large windows out to the universe drew her eyes, causing her to slow. Having lived on the station all her life, Phina had grown used to the sight of the stars and galaxies, but seeing so many at once with the larger view caused a tug within her. Shaking herself and finally turning away, she almost missed the familiar face of Todd Jenkins sitting at a table with some Marines and Guardians. Surprisingly, the man had been watching her and nodded when their eyes met. She returned the nod, then continued following her new mentor as he threaded through the partially full tables and chairs. Finally, they reached a booth set toward the back but still in view of the room. As they’d moved forward, he had motioned to the bartender, who nodded and went to the tap.
They weren’t sitting for long before a waiter brought a Coke for her and a dark beer that he set in front of...
“Here ya go, Greyson!” The waiter held up his hand for a fist bump as he grinned. “How long has it been, man?”
“A few weeks, I’d say, Bobcat. Good to see you. I thought you were done with your bartending days?”
The man gave a sheepish grin. “And Stephen and the women are doing very well running the place. When I am able, I come back to see Yelena and I help out when she’s working. Hey, Grey, while you are here, you should check out my new recipe…”
