“Ah,” Cherys said, though despite her words she was even more confused. She couldn’t imagine how a machine could allow someone to communicate like that. If it was anything like a horn, she’d have heard it, but she hadn’t heard anything. “I… well, the chance to clean up would be nice. I will think about what I would like recovered as I do so.”
“That would be perfect. There will also be food waiting once you’re done,” Vaneryth said, standing up and starting toward the hatch. The return of weight confused but relieved Cherys. Their time in the kitchen had been unpleasant.
For now, she just wanted to get cleaned up and to regain some semblance of control over her life.
“Her name is Cherys the White, and her daughter is Nadia. ‘The White’ refers to her skill with magic, which specifically is the realm of weather magic,” Vaneryth explained several hours later, looking around nervously as she inhaled slowly. “I don’t have the full details yet, but if I’m not mistaken, it sounds like she came from one of the worlds which is currently inhabited, and she’s from about a millennium and a half ago, give or take. I seem to remember some planets with that magical structure.”
“Hm, sounds like it’d be accurate,” Evelyn said, pondering for a few seconds, then sighed, shrugging. “Unfortunately, I didn’t learn much about the history of magic, so I couldn’t determine anything more myself. How are they holding up?”
“Much better now that they’re fed and have had a chance to relax somewhat. Nadia was delighted by the garden and pool, as well as the new clothing, though I had to explain a few things,” Vaneryth explained, a flicker of a smile playing across her lips. “Her mother is… much more concerned, but after a little while they wanted to rest, and I think they’re asleep by this point. I believe that their time in the tower after being pulled here was unpleasant.”
“It would be,” Zelirana murmured, shrugging. “According to the Dolls, they’ll have the last items that were requested within the hour. They’re also gathering other items of value, as I thought that was important in case they end up leaving the ship.”
“Which hopefully they will. My ship isn’t the proper place for a child to grow up,” Evelyn said, a shudder running down her spine as she thought about a couple of her abortive attempts to make money growing up. Anyone who could stomach taking care of children had her respect, as she could still practically feel the teeth sinking into her left ear. Never, ever again. “However, that does give us some information. Temporal rifts… very poor luck for them, and the sensors aren’t detecting any of the people she mentioned. If it’s been a few days they might still be alive, assuming they have extremely warm clothing or the proper enchantments, but I don’t have much faith in that.”
“What about the building itself?” Fya asked curiously. “It probably has things in it that people would like to look over at some point. We could put a beacon inside it, so anyone who wants to can find it.”
“An excellent thought. Please arrange that,” Evelyn said, looking at the Doll near the door, C3.
“Yes, Captain,” the senne-like Doll replied calmly. She was the only Doll that made Evelyn feel small in comparison, since she was about five centimeters taller than Evelyn.
“Anything else?” Evelyn asked, looking around the table. For several moments no one spoke, though.
“Not that I can think of, but… do you think this will make us show up later than other people?” Ilyra asked, frowning as she shifted in her chair. “You said that other people would be told about the station, right?”
“Yup! And probably,” Fya agreed easily. “The real question is whether there were traps or not.”
Evelyn nodded in agreement, some of her good humor fading as she thought.
“Yes, that’s one of the concerns I had. If there was a temporal rift, it’s possible that this station is going to be from another time, possibly even the future. If so, it could be much more dangerous than anyone is anticipating,” Evelyn said, tapping her fingers together. “Others coming before us could be good, or it could be bad. They could clear out many defenses, or they might have looted everything, or even destroyed it entirely and left us with nothing. There are many variables, and there’s no way of knowing until we get there. Regardless, I intend to examine each anomaly in turn on our way there. I won’t leave people to freeze or starve to death in the astral if I can help it. Objections?”
Star spoke first, her voice quiet. “Thank you.”
“For?” Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.
“For not being willing to abandon people,” Star replied, her smile faint. “I was… unsure of what to think, really. Do you think we can find the people who drifted off?”
“Odds?” Evelyn asked, looking at the Doll again.
“Less than five percent of finding one individual, and less than one percent of finding two or more,” the Doll replied promptly. “The spin of the structure and lack of knowledge of which direction they were thrown makes the volume of space we would have to search too large for higher odds, especially without any way to communicate with them and the sensor distortions of this area.”
“Drat,” Moon said, looking a little crestfallen. “That’s a terrible thing to have happen to you.”
“I agree, but there is only so much we can do,” Evelyn said, shrugging helplessly. “If we knew where the rift appeared, perhaps we would be able to do more, but there’s no way for us to know that. An unknown amount of time, unknown distance… all we have is the speed it’s been moving at, and atmospheric resistance on an object this size…”
“Yeah,” Star agreed, sighing heavily. “Well, maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“Agreed. However, if there aren’t objections, we’ll continue moving,” Evelyn said, standing up and stretching. “In fact, I think that I’d like to rest myself. Fya, you’re in command until I wake.”
“Yes, Milady!” Fya agreed, grinning broadly back at her.
“Then the meeting is adjourned,” Evelyn said, and moved toward the door. A nice hot soak in her tub before sleeping would be pleasant.
The chime at her door surprised Evelyn, and she opened her eyes, wriggling her toes in the bubbles as she glanced across the room at the door, pondering. Around the tub was a wide area of fake marble, the gold veins matching the theme of the ship, and the fixtures weren’t much different. What she liked was that these jets were rated to deal with the bubble bath solution she preferred, and she was enjoying herself. Which made the chime even more poorly timed, depending on who it was. If it was Zelirana… well, she’d best check.
A thought allowed access to the camera feed from her doors, and Evelyn’s eyebrows rose as she saw a certain angel on the other side of it, playing with a lock of her hair nervously. She debated, then piped her voice through the door speaker.
“Yes, Ryth? Is something wrong?” Evelyn asked, picking up a double handful of bubbles and blowing them.
“How… oh, cameras, of course. I should have thought about that,” Vaneryth replied in embarrassment, suddenly dropping the lock of hair as she visibly steadied herself, looking around for the camera, yet missing it. “I… would like to talk to you personally, if I may?”
Evelyn looked at the woman through the camera for a moment, almost completely shunting it into her mind to the point she could barely see her own surroundings. It probably would’ve been easier to replace her vision completely, but that always made Evelyn anxious, as who knew what might happen while she left her body unattended. The angel looked extremely nervous, and Evelyn wondered what had happened to make her look like that. This could be an extension of the earlier conversation, she supposed… which would be irritating, but understandable. After a few seconds she shrugged and banished the feed.
“As you like,” Evelyn said, signaling the door to open. “Come in.”
“Thank you, I…” Vaneryth began, stepping into the bedroom, then paused, her voice trailing off as she looked over at Evelyn, staring at her in confusion. Evelyn waited for her to say something as the door cl
osed behind her, but the angel didn’t speak.
“Yes?” Evelyn asked, looking back at the angel impatiently.
“A bubble bath?” Vaneryth asked, sounding so confused that Evelyn’s annoyance turned to amusement.
“Yes, a bubble bath,” Evelyn said, smiling at her. “Is there something wrong with it?”
“I… wouldn’t say that. I just never thought…” Vaneryth paused, shaking her head as she inhaled, then spoke more sheepishly. “I suppose I just always thought of you as more of a… I don’t know, extremely hot shower sort of person? You’re so sharp sometimes that this doesn’t feel like it fits. At least not the version of you I’ve come to know.”
Evelyn chuckled, shrugging as she picked up a handful of bubbles and blew them, then dropped her arm back into the water with a splash, grinning as she spoke. “Ah, but that’s where you’d be wrong. Oh, I like hot showers, with a pounding spray that can relax my muscles properly… but that isn’t what I always want. I like to relax in the bath, to soak and let it soothe me and melt the stress away. And the bubbles are just enjoyable. I like my bubble baths. Not that I advertise it, of course. It might ruin my image.”
The angel nodded slowly, her cheeks red, and she approached slowly, then stopped right on the edge of the stonework, shifting from one foot to the other.
“I’m not sure it’d ruin your image, but it isn’t what I expected. The term is… cognitive dissonance, I think. But it isn’t why I asked to talk to you… though I’ll admit this makes me even more uncomfortable. Sort of,” Vaneryth said, looking down and poking at the stone with the tip of her shoe.
“Mm…” Evelyn murmured, examining the angel closely for a couple of seconds, then she smiled. The blush on the woman’s face, the way her gaze kept trying to rise to look at Evelyn, yet she forced it down… combine that with what she knew that Zelirana had been up to, and it gave her an idea. A naughty idea that she really shouldn’t entertain… but she thought she was going to, anyway.
“Well, if you’re having trouble figuring out how to say it… would you like to join me in the tub, Ryth?” Evelyn asked, leaning back and rolling her shoulders slowly. “It’s warm, comfortable, and the jets might help you relax a little. And, if you’re planning to offer to join me in bed, it’ll give you the opportunity to ask at some point.”
“I, but, um…” Vaneryth sputtered, her gaze jerking upward abruptly as she looked at Evelyn like a civilian looking down the barrel of a gun, freezing in place as if spooked. “I…”
“Ryth… I’ve no idea why it seems like the only ones who chose to stay aboard the ship are all attracted to me, but it hasn’t escaped my notice,” Evelyn said gently. “Oh, Lyra is still ignorant of it, but I noticed her crush quickly enough. I might have destroyed it with the conversation about slavery, and that definitely put a damper on the twins as well, but I’m not sure. You surprise me a bit, as I hadn’t expected it, but you’re pretty enough. If you want to join me, you are certainly allowed to.”
For several seconds Vaneryth didn’t reply, her jaw working while the blush in her cheeks intensified more and more. She looked at Evelyn, still so startled that it was amusing, and Evelyn could see the emotions which played across her face, as the angel didn’t seem to have much practice at keeping her emotions hidden. At least not under circumstances like these. Hope, shame, confusion… those were the main emotions, but Evelyn definitely noticed the guilt on her face.
“I… is it right, though?” Vaneryth asked, looking down at the floor again. “I mean… it isn’t like I’m an angel of chastity or anything, but I just… I wonder if it’s right of me to do anything like this, when I’m confined to the mortal world. Part of me wonders if I’m—”
“Stop,” Evelyn commanded, cutting the angel short as she sat forward in the tub, a hint of frost entering her voice as she spoke, meeting the angel’s gaze levelly. “Ryth, I’m relaxing and enjoying myself. Do not ruin my mood, please. You need to decide what you want to do, and I invited you. Take the invitation or choose to leave. I will not force you either way.”
Vaneryth paused, then her lips quirked into a smile as she murmured. “I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?”
“That’s my opinion, yes. What you feel is up to you, not some deity or strictures. If you don’t feel you’re violating the values you hold… what does it matter?” Evelyn asked, relaxing again as she sat back. “The question is, was that the only reason you came to see me?”
As she talked, Vaneryth was reaching for the seal of her suit, and slowly undid it. It was surprisingly sexy, partly because the angel wasn’t trying to tease her. She was just taking her clothing off shyly, which was rather attractive… and Evelyn wasn’t shy about admiring her.
The angel had pale, flawless skin, just this side of utterly inhuman, where it wouldn’t be attractive anymore. She was shapely, but something about it felt slightly off, as though it’d been changed. Evelyn wondered if there’d been some sculpting done on her… that wouldn’t surprise her, since Moon and Star had mentioned they’d gone through a little after waking up as well.
“I did have something in mind, but after you invited me into the bath, it flew right out of my head,” Vaneryth admitted, clearing her throat in embarrassment. “I suspect I mostly came up with it because I wanted an… out, if I changed my mind.”
“Sensible. You made multiple battle plans, so you could decide which to use based on the situation,” Evelyn murmured, smiling as the angel stepped over to the bath, hesitating, then slipped into it and let off a soft gasp. If it weren’t for her halo, Evelyn might think she was just a human… well, that and her aura. “How are you liking the training programs? I’m a little surprised that you wanted to learn navigation, if I’m being honest.”
“For all I know, one day it will be necessary in the heavens as well,” Vaneryth replied, smiling back at her as she slowly submerged to the waist, approaching her. “I’m adjusting, though. It’s taking time to get used to these implants, as they aren’t something I’d have chosen to have placed within me, but now that they’re here… well, they simply are. And I’m also thinking about what you said. Who knows how long I’ll be here? I could be here for a few years, or a few centuries. I have to adapt to my circumstances, not just plan on going back to the heavens at any moment.”
The angel paused, taking a breath, then she slipped deeper into the water as she moved to recline next to Evelyn. Her skin was soft and slick as she bumped into Evelyn, who smiled as she slid an arm around her.
“I think that’s a wise decision… but who knows for certain?” Evelyn murmured in reply, smiling the woman. She considered the angel for a few moments, then spoke lightly. “And so you are perfectly aware, I will not be taking the initiative in this. If you want something beyond this, you have to at least express that you want it.”
“Alright,” the angel said, and her smile was radiant. Evelyn certainly didn’t object to her company, though.
Nor did she object when the angel didn’t leave until after they slept. It truly was an impressive experience, even if Vaneryth didn’t have the experience that Zelirana possessed.
Chapter 45
“You seem awfully smug today.” Fya said, smiling broadly at Evelyn.
“Not smug. Satisfied,” Evelyn corrected, sniffing lightly. Then her smile faded as she added. “Though I do wish we’d been able to find the guard in time.”
“You and me both,” Fya said, her smile vanishing as well, and Evelyn resisted the urge to sigh.
The man who’d been floating through the depths of astral hadn’t had much of a chance, as he’d frozen to death long before they’d found him. At the best guess of M2, the man had been dead for about a day when they found him, which was… unfortunate. Oh, there was a good chance that Fya could resurrect him, but they were leaving that decision to Cherys, who was hesitant. Evelyn didn’t disagree, as she felt that it wouldn’t be fair to resurrect the man in an alien world without permission.
Their investigati
on of other anomalies hadn’t revealed anything as interesting as the first two spots they’d encountered, though. Oh, one was obviously a chunk from near the center of a planet, but the slowly-cooling metal hadn’t been worth enough to worry about. They’d retrieved a number of rare gems from an asteroid that’d been ejected from the rifts, and Evelyn had to wonder if the chunk of ice had been frozen when it came through or if the astral had frozen it and the fish within, but it didn’t truly matter. No, now they were moving in on the location Fya’s cousin had given them.
For a minute they were both quiet, then Fya spoke conversationally, “So… after Vaneryth vanished off the monitors, I got a visit from the twins.”
“Oh?” Evelyn asked, watching the feed from the sensors absently. She’d reconfigured it to a holographic display, which she liked more than the other options.
“Yep. They asked what being a member of your harem would entail, in my opinion,” Fya said, prompting a chuckle out of Evelyn.
“Oh? I do hope you didn’t tell them they’d be stuck in it until I let them go,” Evelyn replied, turning to look at the djinn. “I told them they could leave when they wanted to, after all.”
“Nope! I’m not that mean, and I know you. You’d see that as a type of slavery and would bristle hard.” Fya said, grinning. “No, my rules were simple. No sleeping with anyone not in the harem that isn’t you, no leaving the ship without permission, if you decide you want to sleep with one of them, your desires take priority, and they need to give us notice if they’re planning to leave the harem.”
“Hm. I’m not sure that I agree with the bits about my desires taking priority, but if they can leave at any time…” Evelyn let her voice trail off as she shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. The leaving the ship part is a little more concerning in some ways, but at least it means we’ll know if they’re leaving, and that lets us anticipate whether they might be in trouble or not.”
Chosen of Chaos (Eve of Destruction Book 1) Page 31
