Scorched Heart, page 6
part #25 of Tales of the Citadel Series
Winera smiled and leaned up to kiss him with the same whispery touch he had used on her. “Experimenting. I rather light that idea.”
She took his hand and pulled him into the bathing room. Experimenting sounded like a lot of fun.
They had been soaking for ten minutes with kisses and touches intermittent when the com in Hyl’s suit called to them.
He sloshed out of the water, and his skin simply absorbed it. He picked up his suit. “Hyl here.”
The moment that Winera heard the details of the assignment, she got out of the water with regret and walked into the bedroom, drying as she went. A sapphire blue-bottomed suit matched her mood, and she grabbed the ruby one and stuffed it into a go-bag with her robes and a sleeping wrap.
She wriggled her way into the bodysuit and sealed it, tapping the tiny button that activated her com. “Flourish, did you hear?”
“I did. Are you on your way?”
“We are. Get to a dock and wait for us. We are heading to the pod.”
“Oh goody. I can hardly wait.”
Winera had the mental image of the ship rubbing her hands together in anticipation. With the sapphire suit on, she looked down, and Smudge was waiting to be picked up. She scooped him up and waited for Hyl. He was having some trouble tucking his more interesting bits into the suit.
When he managed it, she was leaning against the wall and watching the show. Somehow, he was more interesting partially clothed than unclothed.
The moment he grabbed his own bag, they were on their way out the door.
Wiali and Braenar were out in the garden.
Winera quickly trotted over to them. “We are on the way out. We got a call.”
Wiali smiled in her mate’s arms. “Understood. Thanks for telling us. Good luck and burn bright.”
Winera smiled and bowed as she responded with the formal reply, “May your embers never fade.”
Hyl blinked and Smudge waved goodbye as they turned and headed out.
“That sounded very formal.”
“What do botanist talents say?”
“Grow strong and face the light.” He grinned. “Ah. Got it.”
They piled back into the pod, and this time, Winera managed to pull the lid shut with a snap.
“Are you ready for this?”
“The pod or the assignment?” She chuckled and glanced behind her.
The pod started to move and picked up speed once again.
“Both.” He laughed.
“This one is more you than me. If the size of the burn is accurate, it should be a two-day burn-a-thon for me. I have no idea how long it will take you to fix my damage.”
“If you do swaths, I can go along behind you and work as you do. We might finish up at close to the same time.”
She chuckled as the pod zipped through space toward Udell. “Finishing together, isn’t that the goal of every couple?”
The choking noise from behind her might have been laughter, or he might have been sobbing. Either way, she would find out soon enough.
Cleaning up after a chemical spill was bad enough, but knowing that the clock was ticking for the crops to be replaced was a lot of pressure.
The burn had to go six feet deep, but she was able to begin with a wedge that gave Hyl space to start behind her as she cleared half-mile swaths through the toxic field.
It was ironic that a chemical that was beneficial to the plants when diluted was so toxic in concentrated form. It burned purple as she sent waves of heat out to ignite it.
She was going to manage six hours and half the spill on the first day, but keeping her body in a state of readiness for the next day meant that she had to spend the night alone, sleeping on a pile of hot rocks. It wasn’t comfortable, but it would keep her energy topped up for more burning the following day.
Hyl had his own rituals. He needed a forest to pull life from, so he was sleeping in the trees. Smudge was staying with him. Winera didn’t want him close to her with his flammable fur.
Flourish was open as a command centre, and volunteers were bringing food and tea to Winera at regular intervals. It was a community effort, and for the moment, the Citadel team was part of their community.
As she burned another swath of chemical-laden soil, Winera grinned to herself. She wouldn’t want to be anywhere else with any other team. They had gotten it just right.
Author’s Note
At last, we are back to Tales of the Citadel. Yay!
You know that I had to bring the Yaluthu back, and, of course, Alliance space needed their own version of the sentient ships.
Creating Harmony will be the next tale up and an acolyte with a talent for serenity meets her match in a man who can freeze conflict in time.
It sounds like fun. I wonder what happens.
Thanks for reading,
Viola Grace
viola@violagrace.com
www.violagrace.com
About the Author
Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.
Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
Viola Grace, Scorched Heart
