I Dated Dark Resonance, page 8
“How much do you weigh?”
“Three twenty.”
She sighed. “No dessert.”
He nodded. “Lead the way.”
Xeva laughed. When she got up, she came around and hugged Ysma, whispering, “This is why I wanted to get one touch out of the way. I have recently found that I like physical touch. Thoughts?”
“It’s... nice. Not aggressive. Very comfortable. Kind of soothing.” She leaned her head against Xeva’s. Xeva paused. “How tall are you?”
“Four inches shorter than you... apparently.” She smiled.
Xeva nodded, swallowed, and wiped her eyes. “Right. You had better get going. But, Ysma, what is a killing wave?”
“It is a gargantuan wave or a tsunami. An earthquake that shakes water into motion causes it, and as water becomes shallower, the wave gets taller. It is like pushing a wall up the hill. When it gets to the top, anything on the other side gets flattened.”
“Right. Damn. Good luck.”
“Yup.”
“Call me when you are safe.”
Ysma laughed. “I can’t.”
Xeva blinked. “We will fix that as soon as you get back.”
“We can’t. I am not a citizen of any country, and I have never had one. You need all kinds of permissions and writs to put one in an adult. Plus, I don’t actually exist.”
Yukaro looked at her. “What does that mean?”
She said, “It means if I don’t make it out of this event, you don’t have to do paperwork.”
Shock rippled across his face. “You will survive it.”
She cocked her head. “Are you sure? I am not. Come on. How do you want me to fly with you?”
“If you could hold me directly, that would be best.”
Ysma paused. “I am going to copy your activation. I just wanted to warn you.”
“It is just strength and water manipulation.”
“Okay.” She looked at him and calculated putting her arms around him. “You will have to hang onto me.”
He shrugged. “Not a hardship.” He nodded to Jeron.
“Let’s go.” Ysma headed out of the restaurant. She stalked out of the building and turned toward the public beach.
Yukaro grabbed her arm. “Wrong way.”
She looked at him as she catalogued his activation. It was a duplication of an existing power, so she smiled. “Right. Take off from here?”
He moved toward her, and to her surprise, he lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and they lifted up at increasing speed. “Which way?”
He jerked his head to the left, she aligned them, and he nodded. She nodded and put on the speed.
They had been flying for thirty minutes when he said, “Why don’t you exist?”
“Oh. I was an experiment, but I didn’t escape and get asylum. My sibling trapped me until a few days ago.”
“Trapped how?”
“She was in my body and kept me from being able to speak. Everyone thought my skills were hers, and she had the apartment, the money, and the com. If she had to separate from me for any reason, she sedated me and left me unconscious until she returned and resumed control.” She smiled grimly. “She can’t do that again. Now I can finally heal myself and keep my own power to myself.”
“Is she like you?”
“Like me? No.”
He suggested, “She could work in espionage.”
Ysma shook her head. “No, she couldn’t.”
“Pardon my curiosity as the flight continues. Why can’t she?”
“She makes her subject look like herself. She’s wearing the body for support. You cease to exist.” She chuckled. “I just got my face back.”
“It is a very nice face. Why are you wearing a team suit?”
“It shifts with me.”
“Ah. So you know about the trackers and light radiation of the suit?”
“Yes. My own energy emissions block out that of the suit, and I removed the trackers.”
“So, if you fall, you really will just disappear.”
She chuckled. “Story of my life.”
He nodded and suggested a slight course correction, which she made and then turned up the speed.
Twenty minutes later, she saw the large island, and then she began seeking for the anomaly.
They shot past the island, and she asked, “Where do you want me to drop you?”
“Five minutes from the wave. Just dump me, and I will clear the animals from the path.”
“Oh, that’s sensible. Right. I can feel it, and it is a bit of a bastard.”
They got close to the wave, and she started to slow. She looked at him. “Time to get wet.”
He grinned and nodded. “Discard me. I will find you when this is over.”
She nodded and lowered them to just over the surface. She dropped him. He fell for a few feet, took a huge breath, and she could feel the sonar pulse that he was projecting.
Ysma narrowed her eyes and went to find the wave. It looked small, but the water was very deep. She checked the speed and flew back, finding a reef that she apologized to. The giant form wasn’t one she got to use often, but she settled on the reef as carefully as she could, gathered a wall of water five miles wide, and pushed it toward the wave.
She waited and kept her mind pushing the water to match the approaching disaster, and when they collided, a searing pain ran through her mind. A spout of water shot up as the walls connected, and she held the collision as long as she could before shrinking back to normal size and flying back the way she had come.
She started to see fish and mammals under the water, and they were returning to the wave point. Ysma tried to get a link on Xeva, but her brain told her what was happening. She was tired.
She smelled blood and touched her nose. There was some red. She wiped her eyes and ears, and there was more of it. Joyous. Well, it explained the line of sharks following her.
A jutting outcropping of lava rock looked nice and safe, so she landed high up and made herself a comfortable spot to rest. The sun was at her back, and she was safe and warm. Time to rest.
Soft murmurs were around her, and a warm, wet cloth was pressed on her face. Ysma tensed, and the hand on her stilled. She tried to open her eyes, and they were stuck.
A female voice said, “Easy. The blood fastened your eyes shut. We are cleaning it off.”
Xeva’s voice said, “Listen to Leaf. She’s nearly finished her nursing exams.”
The hands carefully dripped warm water across her lids, and the cloth wiped until they were finally ready. Ysma opened her eyes, and Xeva was sitting next to her on the bed, and another woman with dark green hair was standing with a series of wet clothes and other bowls.
“Yukaro found you, contacted Jeron, and got you here so you wouldn’t panic when you woke. Thoughtful.”
She sat up and pressed a hand to her head. “Water manipulation takes a lot.”
Xeva nodded. “It definitely does. Do you want to take a shower and change clothes?”
“I don’t have anything else.”
“Yukaro has sent something along. He says it will shift with you if you need it.” Xeva rubbed her ankle. “And I have contacted Nelith, and she is looking forward to meeting you. And I told her about Zella, who is making quite the scandal. Losing power without being injured. Wow.” She smiled.
Ysma looked around and started to shift herself to the edge of the bed. “So, where are these clothes?”
Xeva grinned and pulled out a set of clothing in black, green, blue, and silver. “Here you go.”
She groaned. “Do you think he had those just lying around?”
“They are tailored to your size and will make you look all matchy-match. Plus, you were with him for two hours before Jeron could come and get you. First thing tomorrow, we are getting you a com. Jeron’s mom is adopting you.”
“What?”
“Oh yeah. It is going to be a really cool thing. You will become a citizen, a member of a solid family, and Revakka’s family will be added to your tattoo.” She smiled. “Right next to Nelith’s blades.”
Ysma said, “Do I get a say in this?”
“Well, it is a suggestion by your sister. I am really playing into the new acquisition of family. It is a comfortable feeling for me, and there will be no mention of Zella on your tattoo.”
“Oh, I am in.” She eased herself out of bed, grabbed the clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
Getting the uniform off was easy, and she soaked the uniform in the sink while she scrubbed all the blood off her in the shower. When she was clean, she dried off and put the outfit on. Her breasts were held snuggly, there were straps around the back of her neck for support, and the wrap had a scarf that went over the top of the waist and looked like flower petals.
She walked out, and Leaf clutched her hands to her chest. “You’re adorable.”
Xeva looked at Leaf. “If you tell her that she looks like a doll, I think you might get smacked.”
Leaf tried to compose herself, but Ysma waved it off. “I remember the comments of the guys in the lab. I was always smaller than Zella, and I am fucking adorable. I look like a doll for pre-teen girls. Some kind of tea party kitty cat.”
Xeva asked, “Your appearance has changed a lot since the tattoo shop.”
“Oh, yeah. If they try and use Zella’s talent for espionage, they are going to be disappointed. She turns her targets into her. Basically, just used the person as a meat suit for the talent they could offer her. She used me for strength and healing.” She snorted.
“How did that work out?”
“Oh, I took the pain and the damage, but because she was in me, she blocked my repair abilities. I healed a lot more slowly than normal. But, on the outside, I looked like her in perfect shape. Inside, I was recovering from a lot of hits and rough sex.”
Xeva winced. “Is she an omega as well?”
Ysma chuckled. “Nope. She’s standard. My heats were bleeding through and causing her behaviour. So she didn’t smell like an omega, so the alphas left her alone, but she was dealing with a rioting libido, so she jumped anyone that could hammer her into the sheets. I do feel a bit bad about that. She had no idea what was driving her.”
“But you knew what was driving you.”
Ysma nodded. “I was taken aside when we were teens, and it was explained to me. My destiny was to be traded for concessions to the Sethir if there were areas of contention. There were fewer omegas around in those days. And then they sent out Nelith against the Sethir border towns, so that particular avenue of diplomacy was closed.” She shrugged. “So, possible vectors for a useful occupation have always been rather short for me.”
Xeva asked, “Would you have taken it?”
“If it would have gotten me out of the lab, I would have done things that would boggle your mind.” She smiled.
“Well, I worked for the BDC, so very few things boggle my brain.” Xeva chuckled.
“Uh, how long was I out?”
“It’s morning. Reth wants to see us both at the shop, but first, you have to meet Revakka and get adopted.”
“Seriously? I am twenty-six.”
“Doesn’t matter. You just have to be one day younger than the person adopting you. Come on and meet your mom.” Xeva smiled.
Leaf grinned. “I always wanted a sister. Now, I am getting two in under a week. We can go for manicures and stuff. I know Xeva likes to use her nails.”
Xeva blushed. “Zip it, Leaf. Jeron doesn’t mind, so it’s none of your business, aside from the fact that he’s showing off the marks.”
They all started walking to a different part of the house, and the older woman who was about to adopt her grinned. “Ysma. You look so cute. Did Leaf and Xeva fill you in?”
“They told me you will adopt me to satisfy some technicalities.”
Revakka nodded. “And because there is a chance of girls in our family finally getting closer to outnumbering the boys.”
Ysma steeled herself and stuck her hand out. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
Revakka took her hand and pulled her in for a hug. “I am a botany active. I understand you copy activations, but this one shouldn’t be too hard for you. When you finish getting your family marks, you and Xeva will learn to cook the family dishes.”
Ysma smiled. “I always wanted to learn to cook.”
Xeva grinned. “Me, too. There was never enough time.”
Revakka smiled. “Leaf isn’t really interested, so this will be fun.”
Leaf perked up. “Maybe if it weren’t just us, I would be more interested.”
Revakka put out a selection of pastries and smiled. “Come on. It is going to be a busy day. Eat.”
Ysma perked up and asked, “Is there coffee?”
Revakka nodded. “There is coffee.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
There was laughter, there was breakfast, and then they put on some shoes and headed to the town. It was a twenty-minute walk that had them in town, and once there, they headed straight for the municipal building.
Jeron and the other family members were there, and to Ysma’s surprise, they all swore that she was to join their family. Jeron produced documentation from Xeva and Nelith that confirmed her origin. A DNA test confirmed she matched Nelith, and her status as an Uraddan refugee was confirmed. Revakka confirmed that no one had coerced her into the adoption, the tattoo was confirmed by design, and she had seven days to have it applied.
When the judge finally spoke to Ysma, she smiled. “Aren’t you just adorable?”
“So, I am told.” She paused. “Your Honour.”
“Do you have a charm activation?”
“No, Your Honour.”
“You swear to it?”
“Yes, Your Honour. No one has ever found me charming.”
The woman laughed. “Well, you are joining a prestigious family today.”
“Yes, Your Honour. My progenitor is no slouch either.”
“I am seeing that, but it will be much safer to join this family.”
“Yes, Your Honour.”
“In that case, please sign the documents in front of you, and congratulations on joining this family.”
Ysma read the documents surrendering all claims to prior custodial parents. She signed as her prior custodial entity was the Uraddan government.
The document was signed and stamped, and a seal was pressed into place. Revakka and her family hugged Ysma, and she gasped as she collected more activations.
Xeva showed her the mark that was going to be placed on her shoulders and grinned. Revakka’s mark was a woman holding a vine with six fruits. Nelith’s mark was a woman with a series of blades.
Xeva smiled. “Since we have what we need, Reth is waiting. One more round of hugs, and we are off to the shop.”
The family hugged her again, and Xeva and Jeron walked with her to the tattoo shop.
Chapter Seven
Reth had their designs ready and made sure that he got the right pattern for the right woman.
Reth smiled. “Can Ysma go first? She’s an excellent client.”
Ysma made a face at Xeva. “Yeah, I am an excellent client. Oh, shoot. I don’t have a pay method.”
“I wasn’t kidding; I owe you tattoos for your entire life.”
“Oh. Nice.” She looked at him. “Ready when you are.”
Reth laughed and led her back because her top was going to come off.
Xeva was with her, and Jeron with her. Ysma removed her top and lay down on the chair, pulling her hair to one side. He prepared her skin, applied his stencil, and wiped it off twice before getting the final alignment.
Once he was set, the mineral-laden ink was prepared, and the hum of the needle began. Ysma needed to focus on not healing the markings too quickly. Every hour, Reth had a break, and Ysma woke from her nap.
Fingers were trailing across her spine, over her hips. It wasn’t Reth. She turned her head and saw weirdly familiar thighs. “Yukaro. I thought you were back on your island.”
“I was. I am back now. So, you are part of Jeron’s family?”
“Yup. Weirdly, I am now the eldest sister.”
Reth returned and towelled his hands dry. “Oh. I didn’t know there was more company.”
“Reth, is it? I would love to speak with you for a moment.”
She relaxed back into the bed and dozed again. The buzz began again, and Reth moved to finish the work.
When he wiped the ink and blood off, she went up on her elbows. “Mind if I heal it?”
“No, please. Go ahead.”
She closed her eyes, and the sticky, tingling pain was gone. She sat up with her arms across her breasts and went to check the mark. She saw the depictions of her mother and then the addition that Yukaro had put in place. “You had to tag me?”
She stalked to Yukaro and kicked him in the shin.
“Reth? Why did you do this?”
“He had the documentation. Jeron signed off on it.”
“I am going to kick my little brother’s ass.”
Yukaro laughed. “That is funny. I hadn’t thought about it before, but you are his elder.”
She huffed, got her top, and went around the corner to tie it on. When she was dressed, she looked at Reth. “Where did they go?”
“They are returning with food.”
“I am going to go meet them.”
Yukaro sighed. “Ysma. Please let me explain.”
“I already know why you did it. The Sethir are bastards who trap omegas and use them until they die. Then they get a new one.”
Shock was on his face, but she just turned and headed out of the shop. She was angry and walking blindly.
Jeron and Xeva were walking toward her, and Xeva paused. “Ysma, what’s wrong?”
Ysma was bristling with fury and turned her back to Xeva. Xeva saw the design and then said, “Oh.”
“What’s wrong? Omegas get marked in the islands.” Jeron sounded confused. “It helps the community keep the alphas off until a formal agreement is reached.”
“Wait. So, it is benign?”
“Fairly benign. We take care of our omegas. They feel so much and need care, so if they are marked, it is easier.”
Ysma blinked. “So, it’s done to all omegas?”
