by Rayna Tyler
“Cara, has anyone else been working on the harvester?” Torrlun asked.
“No. Josh broke a couple of fingers, so it’s only been Zaedon and me.” She adjusted the strap on her bag. “Why?”
Torrlun pursed his lips. “Because it is possible that the person responsible for altering the part meant to disable the harvester.”
***
Cara
Zaedon didn’t need to say anything for me to know Torrlun’s comment about the part troubled him. The stiffness in his shoulders and tightly clamped jaw was a good indication he believed the sabotage to the harvester had something to do with me. I didn’t believe in coincidences and hoped this was one of those rare occasions when I was wrong.
The possibility that someone from the farming community knew about Doyle’s bounty and figured out I was the person he was after were slim. Not everyone who lived in the village had been there for years. People came, stayed for a few months, decided it wasn’t the kind of life they wanted, then left. Since I didn’t live there on a full-time basis, I didn’t get a chance to really get to know any of the newcomers.
What bothered me most was the connection to the harvester. If someone was targeting me, did they know I’d seek outside help in order to keep the vehicle running? And if they did, what else had they done to make sure they collected a payment?
“I don’t get it. What would anyone gain by damaging the harvester?” I hoped by steering Zaedon’s concerns in another direction, he wouldn’t think he had a good reason to cut our trip short before I could accomplish my other task.
Zaedon pinned me with a perceptive glare. “Perhaps it was not the machine they were after.”
I knew he took his job as my bodyguard seriously, but in the last few days, I’d noticed something more to his overprotective behavior. There was passion involved in the kiss he’d given me yesterday. A passion I’d been determined to avoid after Graham died. A passion I’d had no problem sharing.
Zaedon had a way of drawing out my emotions, the ones I tried to keep restrained, and before I could stop myself, I placed a comforting hand on his arm. “We don’t know that for sure.”
“Is there something I should know?” Torrlun’s gaze jumped from Zaedon to me.
“Nope, nothing.” I moved a little closer to Zaedon, ready to elbow him in the ribs if he decided to discuss his suspicions with Torrlun any further. Luckily, the sound of a door closing and the rapid pounding of little footsteps ended the conversation.
“Cara.” Torrlun’s son, Rajak, squealed as he raced into the room. I barely had time to turn before the five-year-old child launched himself into my arms. He’d gotten his blond curls and blue eyes from his human mother. The defined cheekbones and pale green scales covering his chest and tail were Torrlun’s contribution to his creation.
“Rajak.” I spun around a couple of times, then nuzzled the ticklish spot on his neck, enjoying the giggles that filled the room.
“Did you bring me something?” He didn’t wait for an answer before sticking his small hand in my jacket pocket.
“Rajak, what did I tell you?” Erin appeared in the doorway, adjusting the tote bag hooked over her shoulder, and rubbing her protruding belly. The sparkling amusement in her blue eyes didn’t match the sternness in her voice.
He pushed out his lower lip, then twisted in my arms to face his mother. “Not to expect gifts from visitors.”
I snorted, then winked at Rajak. “But I’m not a visitor. I’m family, so it doesn’t count.” I set him on the floor, then reached inside my bag and pulled out a small container filled with tiny red balls, the ketaurran version of candy, and handed it to him.
“Thanks, Cara.” He wrapped his small arms around my leg, his tail swishing rapidly. He turned and ran from the room, squealing even louder than he had before.
Erin shook her head as she watched her child’s departure. “You know he’ll be impossible to deal with the rest of the day.”
“Yes, but he’s so cute, it’s worth it.” I walked over to Erin, leaning forward to give her a hug, being careful not to press against her midsection. “You’ve gotten a lot bigger.” Several months had passed since I’d last visited. At the time, Erin had just found out she was going to have another child.
“Don’t remind me.” She flashed Torrlun a loving smile. “He’s convinced it’s going to be a female.”
Torrlun walked over and pressed a kiss to Erin’s forehead. “One who will be as beautiful as her dam.” He took a step back, then turned to Zaedon, who’d remained near the bench watching the exchange, amusement glinting in his turquoise eyes. “Zaedon, this is my ketiorra, Erin.”
Zaedon grinned, tipping his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
During all the excitement, Rajak must not have noticed Zaedon. No sooner had Zaedon started talking than Rajak returned, squeezing his way past the door frame and his mother’s leg to stand in front of her. “Mama, who is that male?” He pointed and glared at Zaedon.
It seemed being protective of females started at a young age for ketaurran males.
Zaedon crouched so he was eye level with Rajak and less imposing. “I am Zaedon, a friend of Cara’s.”
“Is that true?” Rajak tipped his head back, looking at me for confirmation.
“Yes, fierce little warrior.” I tweaked his nose.
Rajak smiled. “Okay.”
Erin held out her hand to Rajak. “Why don’t we go find something to play with and let them finish discussing their business?”
“Can we play with the new blocks we got at the market?”
“New blocks it is. Come on.” Erin took his hand and let him lead her into the adjoining room.
Once Erin and Rajak were gone, I asked Torrlun, “How long will it take you to repair the part?”
Torrlun scratched his jaw. “Should I presume this is one of your rush jobs?”
“You should,” I said.
“I will need several hours. Zaedon can assist me if you want to go spend time with Erin and help her calm Rajak.”
“I suppose if you don’t want to stay and help Torrlun, you can always check out Rajak’s new blocks,” I teased Zaedon.
“Go, enjoy your time with the young one. I am certain I will be fine in here.”
Things were falling into place. With Zaedon preoccupied, it would make what I planned to do a lot easier. Yet when I walked into the other room, I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty about deceiving him.
“Cara, you have to sit here and watch.” Rajak patted the floor beside a large pillow next to him.
“Sorry, he insisted that we sit on the floor and watch him build things with his blocks.” Erin had already taken a seat on another pillow and was resting her back against the front of a lounger.
“Not a problem.” I removed my bag, setting it off to the side, then plopped in the middle of the pillow, sitting cross-legged. Facing Torrlun’s workshop, I could see the males conversing and had a good view of Zaedon and his well-toned backside. Whenever we were together, he was usually too busy hovering, so it was nice to be able to observe him from a distance.
I picked up one of Rajak’s wooden blocks, noting the accuracy of the square design. “Someone put a lot of effort into carving these.”
“The male who makes these shows up every couple of months with something new. He doesn’t have a problem with bartering, so I can usually get whatever I want by trading a container or two of flat cakes.”
“Rajak’s grown quite a bit since the last time I was here too.” I handed the block to the child, which immediately found a place on the wall he was building.
“I know.” Erin playfully tousled the hair on the top of his head, earning her an irritated swipe from her child. She repositioned herself on the pillow, then smiled. “So, tell me all about your new male.” She tipped her head toward the other room. “He’s rather handsome.”
Handsome didn’t even come close to describing how hot I thought Zaedon was, or how much I’d miss not
having him around. I was about to betray his trust, which would definitely push him away and made me feel even worse.
“He’s not my new anything. We just work together.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Stop giving me that look. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong.” Like Laria, Erin had an extraordinary gift for perception and could always see the things I didn’t want anyone else to know.
“If you say so.” Her grin irritated me even more.
With a groan, I picked up another block and handed it to Rajak.
“Can you at least tell me how you met?”
Torrlun and Erin knew I worked for Burke, but they had no idea how dangerous some of my missions could be. For their own safety, I wanted to keep it that way and needed to be careful what I told her. She’d met some of my friends from the settlement. I hoped giving her a partial truth would satisfy her inquiry.
“I met him while I was doing some work with Laria, Celeste, and Sloane.” I left out the part about rescuing Vurell, Khyron’s physician, and stealing the toxin designed to kill ketaurrans along with its antidote. I also didn’t mention how Zaedon refused to leave my side when I stayed behind to hold off Doyle’s males, giving the rest of the group time to reach the solarveyor. Even then, after barely knowing me for five minutes, he’d risked his life to help me.
I held up my hand when it looked like she was going to ask another question. “That’s all I can tell you.”
“Fair enough,” Erin said.
She and I had an understanding. If I let her know there were details I couldn’t divulge, she wouldn’t press for more information. Thinking about Zaedon and our escape from the Quaddrien reminded me that I had questions of my own. Questions I didn’t feel comfortable asking him directly, at least not yet, but I could ask Erin.
She’d gotten together with Torrlun not long after we arrived on Ketaurrios. If anyone had insight into a ketaurran male’s behavior, it would be her. “There is something I’ve noticed, one thing I’m curious about.”
She chuckled. “Only one?”
I puffed out an exasperated sigh. “Does being more difficult have anything to do with being pregnant?”
“I have always been difficult.”
“That’s true.” I laughed.
“What did you want to know?” Erin asked.
“I’ve noticed that Zaedon sniffs me a lot. Is that normal? Do I smell funny?”
Rajak raised his head and inhaled a deep breath. “You don’t smell funny to me.” He’d been so quiet, appearing to be concentrating on his new creation, that I’d forgotten he liked to listen to everything the adults around him were saying. He didn’t understand boundaries and had no problem repeating what he’d heard, blurting comments at inopportune moments that usually caused considerable embarrassment.
“Thanks.” I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. I looked at Erin, noting her amused grin. “You know why, but you’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Her gaze filled with empathy. “I do, but it’s something you need to discuss with Zaedon.”
Yeah, I could already see how that conversation would go. There was no way I was going to ask him why he had a problem with my scent. Zaedon’s first comment after we’d met was to compare my smell to chaugwas dung. At first, I thought the sniffing thing had to do with the grime I’d used to cover my body to keep Doyle’s males from discovering I wasn’t a boy.
Many of the males had no respect for females, and if they’d uncovered my true identity, I would have been forced from one bed to another. Or worse, traded into slavery in one of the secluded outlying areas that most humans avoided.
Even after several showers of thoroughly scrubbing myself, the sniffing had continued. Maybe not to the degree of our first meeting, but it was still noticeable.
After another twenty minutes of catching up and hearing about things going on in the town, I decided it was time to make my escape. “I need to run an errand.”
“Okay.” Erin started to get up, and I placed my hand on her arm to stop her.
“Things with Zaedon are complicated, and I can’t take him with me.” I didn’t want to put Erin in the middle, but I needed her to cover for me. “I hate to ask, but can you stay here with Rajak and not mention that I left?”
“You cannot leave. You just got here.” Rajak sat back on his haunches and crossed his arms, reminding me a lot of Torrlun. “Where are you going, anyway?”
I tapped his cute little nose. “It’s a secret, but I promise I won’t be gone long, okay?”
“Okay.” He shrugged, then went back to stacking his blocks.
“I’ve seen the way Zaedon watches you.” Erin kept her voice low. “It won’t take long after you leave for him to notice.” She squeezed my hand. “And when he does, he won’t be happy that you didn’t talk to him first.”
I knew Zaedon would be angry, but would he be furious enough to ask Khyron to replace him with someone else. Up until now, I hadn’t realized how much it would bother me if he left, and I came close to changing my mind. But altering my plans now wasn’t going to make Doyle’s threat go away or keep my family safe.
“I know, and I’ll deal with it when I get back.” I returned her squeeze. “All I need is a few minutes’ head start.”
Erin glanced toward the workshop as she spoke. “Then go, be quick and be careful.”
“I will, I promise.” I slowly scooted across the floor, dragging my bag along with me. As soon as I was out of Zaedon’s line of sight, I jumped to my feet and raced for the door.
Chapter Three
Zaedon
After the intense perusal Torrlun had given me when Cara and I first arrived, I was certain an interrogation of sorts was the real reason he had asked me to remain behind in his workshop. He waited until the females were out of hearing distance and settled in the adjoining room with Rajak before speaking.
“Cara usually travels alone. It has been a long time since she…” He dismissed whatever he was going to say with a wave of his hand.
I was more than a little curious to hear what Cara hadn’t done in a long time, but figured by his refusal to share that it must be something she needed to tell me herself.
After setting the damaged part on the bench in front of him, he shifted his gaze back to me. “Should I be worried that one of the drezdarr’s warriors accompanies her now?”
Vryndarr were trained to hide the true nature of their identities. I had done nothing I was aware of to expose my abilities and wondered how he had deduced my status. Pretending I had no idea what he was talking about would be an insult. “How did you know?”
“During the war, I had the honor of assisting several vryndarr when they attempted to help the humans from being attacked by Sarus’s males at one of the settlements.” He reached for a small oblong tool mounted on the wall behind the bench. “You all have a way about you that is hard to detect unless you are looking for it.”
“I see.” I turned, leaning sideways against the bench so I could observe his work without interfering. I had watched Cara perform similar tasks with Josh’s tools for weeks, her skill and precision always amazing me. “As for Cara, I cannot discuss the reason for my presence, other than to assure you that I will not let any harm come to her.”
Torrlun shook his head and snorted. “You do realize it is Cara who usually does the harming, do you not?”
“Yes, I am aware.” I chuckled, then glanced into the adjoining room. Cara had taken a seat on one of the pillows scattered on the floor and was handing Rajak a block. Seeing her play with the young one reminded me of things I had learned not to yearn for long ago. Things I had given up when I became a warrior. With Khyron’s new collaboration with Burke and the discovery of human female warriors, my life and my future held different possibilities.
“Does Cara know she is your ketiorra?” Torrlun’s question surprised me, and I jerked my head, forcing my attention back to him.
“No.” I rubbed my nape to ease t
he building tension. Even though I had done my best to disguise the fact, another ketaurran male could recognize the signs if they were paying attention. Apparently, Torrlun excelled at noticing details. “She is unlike most human females, even more independent than her friends.”
“Which is why you have not shared your discovery with her yet.” Torrlun extracted several small pieces off the part, then reached for another tool.
I nodded. Torrlun had grasped in minutes what had taken me days to determine.
“Would you like some advice?” he asked.
I was not arrogant enough to believe that when it came to Cara, I understood her motivations, nor would I turn down valuable insight from someone who had known her a lot longer. “If you think it would be helpful.”
“You must, as the humans would say”—Torrlun laid down the tool and picked up the part to examine it more closely—“tread lightly.”
I had heard the saying before but wasn’t sure I truly comprehended its meaning. My expression must have relayed my confusion, because he grinned, then said, “Do not be overprotective. Unless you are willing to accept who she is, you will never earn her trust.”
Protecting all females was part of a ketaurran male’s nature. I had quickly learned from Laria, Celeste, and Sloane that it would not be tolerated, which gave me an advantage with Cara.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“You must let her realize she is your ketiorra on her own. Do not be eager with your affections; otherwise, she will never let you get close to her.”
There was logic in his advice, yet I could not stop from being skeptical. “Are you certain what you have told me will work with Cara?”
“In many ways, Erin and Cara are a lot alike. So yes, I am quite certain.” Torrlun glanced lovingly over his shoulder into the adjoining room, his wide smile fading. “It appears Cara is already demonstrating her need for independence and has elicited my ketiorra’s help in the process.”
I followed the direction of his gaze, noting that the pillow next to Erin was empty and Cara had disappeared from the room.
