Deadly Star, page 5
Lily blushed. “I think I would like to use the simulator for boxing. Also, do you have any music? I work out best to music.”
“I think we can manage something.”
Lily bounced on her heels as she walked. He was watching her and laughing, but she didn’t care. Ever since her arms were crushed, she had dreamed of getting her fingers back under her control.
“Were you part of the group with the others?”
She blinked. “Oh, back home? No. I had a vehicle, and I was heading toward the beacon that had been set up. There was a wind storm; a tree collapsed my car’s roof and severed my arms.” She realized what she had said. “Sorry. No. I was not part of that group.”
“Your mind has a strange word for the wind.”
“Tornado. Wind that spins when heat and cold begin to push the air into a vortex.”
“It is strong?”
“They can be mild or deadly, depending on how large they grow.”
They literally chatted about the weather during the walk to the gym. She learned about the spring rains of Hebor that started all the food and flowers.
The next hour went by rapidly. The simulator that she boxed with turned up the difficulty with every round until she was covered with sweat and sitting next to the water dispenser. Her arms worked as they were supposed to, and the amount of force she could bring to bear was incredible.
The captain was working on his upper body, having done his leg workout earlier. She tried to hide her obvious drooling in her sippy cup. She had always preferred tigers over lions.
A crewman with leopard-style markings walked up to the captain and spoke quickly. Lily couldn’t hear them, but the captain got out of the machine and looked her way. He beckoned to her.
Lily grunted as she got to her feet.
She walked over, and the crewman’s nostrils flared. The captain’s did the same. He frowned. “Lily, are you in heat?”
“No. Well, maybe. You just mean, am I receptive, right?”
The captain blinked at her casual shrug. “No, that... does this happen often?”
Lily stared. “Every twenty-eight days, give or take.”
The crewman stared. “Every twenty-eight days?”
“Uh, yeah. That is one of the reasons that my species is getting shuttled out of the education station as soon as we are trained and reasonably healthy.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Is something wrong?”
The captain shook his head. “No. I just have some administration to attend to before the overseer wakes. You are coming with me. Especially in light of this.”
“Uh. Okay.”
To her shock, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and they walked out of the gym at a quick pace. His fingers were warm, and his grip was determined. She wasn’t getting away.
They walked to the shuttle bay, where a gleaming golden ship settled into its berth. A gold angel exited, surrounded by several small drones that hummed and orbited the area around him.
He came toward them. “Captain Na’ith. You are looking well. I am here to apologize to my dear brother. What do we have here?”
She stared at him as he looked her over. He started grinning. “Oh, you have some of my creations. How delightful. Na’ith, did you bring her here as a present?”
Lily followed his gaze to her hands; she folded them behind her. She heard a light and laughing voice in her mind, and she jerked her head up, glaring at him.
The Hmrain looked at her with astonishment. “You heard that?”
She scowled. “You are laughing at me.” Her hands clenched into fists behind her back.
He walked up to her, using his wing to sweep Na’ith aside. A warm hand cupped her jaw, and he lifted her onto her toes. “You are one of the new species. The one that had Heboren in a twist.” He paused. “You are not Heboren’s consort?”
She tried to pull away from him, but his fingers held her. “No. I am not.”
He nodded. “Good.”
Lily was lost in his eyes as he moved in, and then she closed them as he wrapped his gold-feathered wings around her and held her against him. His kiss was sudden, and she gripped his forearm with her hands. She inhaled through her nose, and his scent made her body spark to life, but she was pissed. Lily started to crush his forearm in her grip with her artificial limbs, and he lifted his head, sniffing around her. He grinned and slowly set her back on her heels. When she was down, she let his arm go and tried to step back. He chuckled and caressed her cheek. “That was unexpected, but I will have to negotiate with Heboren. You are tuned to me, little Terran.”
“What?” She tried to back up, but his wings held her in.
“You are aware of the situation, are you not?” He pulled her toward him with the hard flex of his wings. She slammed against him.
“What?”
“The Hmrain are always on the watch for consorts. You are setting my senses on high alert, so I believe you and I might be a match.” He stroked her cheek. “It means a high bond for you, but I believe I can make our time together enjoyable.”
She stared at him, and her body was humming softly. She heard Na’ith from the other side of the wings.
“Overseer Nebel, this is against protocol. Every one of them. Let her go.”
The Hmrain looked at her and huffed. “Fine. Where is Hebor?”
His wings slowly opened, and he released her. She staggered back, and Na’ith caught her. He examined her face and neck, growled, and picked her up. “I am taking her to medical.”
Her throat felt swollen, and she tucked her face against Na’ith’s chest. Her thoughts were spinning with her reaction to the contact with the Hmrain. Every part of her ached. That wasn’t normal. Even being around Na’ith had only produced an insistent hum.
She heard the soft rustle of wings, and Nebel chuckled. “I need to get my arm scanned. I think she fractured it.”
Na’ith whispered, “Good girl.”
Lily smiled, but her jaw hurt... a lot.
Five more minutes and she was waiting for the physicians. Hmrain had priority.
Na’ith grunted, and when he realized that everyone in medical was still working on the Hmrain, he started to run the scans himself. “Don’t worry. I am trained in the basics.”
She started wheezing, and it got Nebel’s attention. “What’s happening?”
“The bruised tissue is swelling and cutting off her airway, Overseer.” Na’ith went to the table of instruments and got something.
Lily focused on getting air in and out of her lungs. Things were getting grey and foggy. She felt an injection and saw the captain, and then she heard Nebel as things faded to black.
She woke in pain with a heavy drag of air and arched off the bed. “What the fuck was that?”
Her heart was pounding, and she was breathing heavily.
Nebel frowned. “You are very delicate.”
“Fuck off and rot,” she croaked. “I hope your dick drops off.”
The med team leaned back and pulled away from her.
Na’ith laughed and put a breathing mask on her. Humid air rushed into her lungs, and she breathed deeply. She held the mask on her face and kept breathing. She mumbled, “Oxygen is fun.”
Nebel looked at her with a serious expression. “I did not mean to hurt you.”
“Twat,” she grumbled. “Don’t grab people by things that aren’t handles in the future.”
“All those words are not common Hmrain. The good captain has been translating for me, though I don’t think that your wishes for my genitals are particularly charming.”
She rolled her gaze toward Na’ith. “Thanks for the save. They wanted to let me die. I didn’t expect to be in that position twice.”
She continued wheezing and then slowly leaned back against the wall.
The place was still clumps of confusion when Heboren came in. “Nebel, what the hell are you doing here?”
The two Hmrain began to speak in high Hmrain, and then Heboren looked toward her. “Take care of her. She needs treatment. Na’ith, come with us.”
Lily felt oddly exposed when the medical team made her their focus. She felt a needle and fell asleep again.
Lily woke in her quarters and checked her naked body for signs of damage. Nope. Even her neck was normal-sized again.
She got one of the gowns out of her closet and warily put it on. She didn’t feel right. She felt... off.
Lily checked the time and knew she was hungry. The dining hall would have a good selection. The first shift would be changing soon.
She opened her door, and half a dozen drones were there, looking like dragonflies. Golden dragonflies. Fuck.
“I am going for some food.” She didn’t know why she explained it, but when they parted and surrounded her, she guessed she had just met her security detail.
She walked the hall, and crewmen stepped aside and nodded while she wanted to cover her face in mortification. She had authorized the bond house to act on her behalf and sell years of her life to buy her a new home on a new world. She wanted to live.
Lily went to the dining hall and got a tray, filling it with things she knew she liked. The drones followed her wherever she went. The crew watched her and her weird guards. When her meal was over, she put her tray and dishes in the cleaning slot. She looked around the space, and a few of the crew were looking at her, and their expressions weren’t something she could understand. She walked into the hall and down to the gym, where she had finally been able to work out and use her new arms to their fullest extent. Losing her arms within sight of the shuttle station had been lucky, but the memory of watching her limbs crushed to the point where they parted from her body was one she didn’t want. The memory was there every time she moved the hands that were smooth and perfect, missing all of the marks acquired in her lifetime. She even had nails to put polish on. She had lost her pinky nail in a work accident when she was sixteen. Now, it was whole again.
Lily turned and walked with her entourage up to the observation deck. She sat on one of the lounges built for the Hebor and stared out at the stars. They were different, but they were the same. That was comforting. She really fucking needed comfort. Being casually killed by an alien because he was interested in her was terrifying.
She remained in the observatory, looking out at the stars for hours, tears tracking down her cheeks. She had fought for her life for two years and had never been so scared.
The rustle of wings got her attention. She heard the soft sound and muttered, “What do you want?”
“I wish to apologize. I did not read up on your species specs before arriving here. The feeling of urgency that gripped me was unusual. I do not normally look for consorts, but this compulsion has held me for the last few months.”
There was a bench near her, and he settled down with his wings folded behind him.
“Sorry you have been under compulsion.”
“Thank you. I am also filled with regret. I should have gone through the appropriate measures and simply bought your bond. I am pleased you have adapted to your implants. I am never sure what my creations will become when they are installed. You have excellent control over your new implants.”
The reference made her smile. “On my world, telling a woman she has control of her implants meant something different.”
He asked, “What did it mean?”
“It meant that the breast implants were properly installed and lined up.”
“What can breasts do?”
“They turn men into idiots. Some women had them enhanced for personal reasons, while some men had their partners enhanced for their own preferences. It was also a treatment given after amputation due to illness.” She smiled slightly. “We have basic prosthetics, but nothing like these.” She flexed her hands.
He nodded. “I have gotten many orders from the education station. Some of you left there in pieces. When did you get your arms?”
“Four months ago.”
Nebel nodded and braced his elbows on his knees. “That is when the call began. I thought it was your species in general, but I believe it was you specifically. Your arms recognized your genes and frequency and sent the signal to me.”
“My genes?”
“Sure. Most consorts are recognized by pleasure capability, but there is always the factor that they are suited and would never have been found if your world had remained intact. As it is, your species is now out here and being checked for that criterion.”
Lily nodded. “But I didn’t register for it. I was fairly neutral if I recall.”
“Indeed, I read your file. You were nearly dead and missing limbs when you arrived. You were in shock during your testing. Your results were not accurate. After looking over a number of cases, it is being found that your species doesn’t give solid results until they are in a safe situation, fed, calm, and relaxed.”
She looked at him. “Gee, I can’t imagine why we aren’t horny when we have just fought and clawed our way to safety.”
He sighed. “I know. I am just sharing the information with you.”
“This is your way of telling me that there is no life out here that doesn’t involve you.” It was a statement.
“If you don’t agree, I will just purchase your bond, but I would like you involved in the negotiations. I want to offer you what would make you happy.”
She turned her head and sighed. He was looking at her with a serious expression, and his fingers were moving. He was holding something that got bigger and bigger. When he paused and nodded, he held a flower made of swirled metals out to her.
Lily stared at it and took it. “It’s...”
“A lily. Heboren’s database showed me an image. You are named after a flower.”
“You made this... with your fingers?”
“I have a strong grip. I have not been with other beings for quite some time. I forgot how soft biologicals can be.”
The swirling metals were precisely formed. A tall lily complete with a stem and a single wide leaf was heavy in her hand. It was warm, and she couldn’t move the metal when she wiggled the leaf. “I don’t think that I would be able to survive you touching me.”
“When we bond, you will adapt, just as Heboren’s mate is adapting to him.”
She tried to figure out the subtext. “Adapt? Mutate?”
He beamed. “Yes. Your body will be reinforced and be made resilient to my attentions. It will not hurt. Some parts will be fun, and after that, all parts will be.”
She looked at the flower in her hand. “Do I need to love you?”
“Not at first. It will grow. It was a sudden start, and I will apologize to you every day until you accept me.” He looked resigned but determined. “I know you were developing affection for the captain, and he could come along as well if you want. I am not jealous. Well, I do not think I am.”
She stared at him. “You don’t know?”
“I haven’t ever had a consort. You are the first to resonate with me. I very much want to make you happy.”
“Why?”
He looked at her and blinked. “It’s a drive. I was designed with preferences and a need to find a consort and try to produce little Hmrain hybrids. Having found you, I need to try to make our relationship work.”
Lily looked at the flower, swallowed, and pulled up everything she had learned about negotiating a bond. She had the right to set the price on her head, but she had no idea what the hourly wage was considered to be.
“What am I worth?”
He smiled. “You are priceless, but your kind pull bonds of two to twelve million credits, depending on the Hmrain and their wealth.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
He tilted his head and smiled. “Well, since I have before me an exclusive and one-of-a-kind Terran, I would put your bond at twenty. Heboren hopefully has settled his bond because I am blowing the curve.”
She blinked. “Twenty million for a body servant?”
He shrugged. “My colony is established. We are the best tech developers in the known worlds. Funds flow like water, and food is not an issue. I designed my planet to house the creative.”
“Designed?”
“Of course. I built it myself. It took a while, but it is ideal for the purpose.” He smiled. “So, I will place twenty million for your bond and provide worlds to guide and guard for any and all children of our union.” His expression was amused. “So, now that you know what I want, what do you want?”
She felt heat creeping across her face. “Um, food, shelter, clothing.”
“That is standard. What else?”
“Um, a vacation once every two or three years? Unlimited education?”
“Of course. What else?”
She swallowed. “That’s it.”
“What gave you pleasure on your world?”
“Time with family and friends. As far as I know, they are all gone.”
His head tilted. “I understand. Is your intake file complete?”
Lily blinked. “Oh, yes. They used an assessor to get all the details from me, but yes.”
“Right, you arrived with an injury.”
She held up her arms. “Two.”
“Of course. What is your attitude toward presents?”
“I used to like them.”
“How about body modifications?”
“Like what?”
“Piercings.”
“Oh. Uh, that depends on where they are going and why they are installed.”
“So, you are open to negotiations?”
“Yeah. Why? Do you have a piercing fetish?” She was nervous.
“I like the idea of you wearing things I have crafted for you.”
There was an expression she couldn’t define on his face. It was rather possessive, but pride was in there as well. He was seeing something in her that she couldn’t.
“So, I don’t really have a choice about my bond or the nature it will take, but I get to have shiny things embedded in my skin?”
He blinked. “I am not sure how to answer that.”
Silence hung between them until she said, “Do you make vehicles?”
“I do.”
