Askance (4 page)

A delicate chime sounded and Silari stopped staring at herself in the mirror and turned to join the others in the common area.

To her surprise, the other women were all dressed in concealing garments that hid every inch of their bodies. Rashharna looked frustrated and if she could have changed colour when she saw Silari, she would have.

Rashharna’s silver eyes narrowed and she gestured to Silari’s clothing. “What is that?”

“This is the clothing that I was provided.” Silari reached inside herself and pulled out the aura she had worn as an Agent. “You, ladies, look lovely. Shall we join the Avatar and his guests?”

The other women looked surprised that she had changed from timid to confident, but there was no other way to be when the only thing covering your naughty bits was vulnerable to a stiff breeze. You either embraced it or you hid in your room and Silari was done hiding.

The stares that she received from the staff members were amusing and the moment that she led the group into the ballroom, every gaze was on them.

Fifty dignitaries of the Yeruan were staring at her with shock and amazement, but she only had eyes for Maksuan.

He was wearing a toga in the same gold silk as her clothing. To her surprise, scars delineated his torso and exposed the traces of old whip marks.

She walked to him as if hypnotized. Her hand was drawn to the lines on his skin. It looked as if he had been hung from his wrists and whipped from both sides at the same time.

“The marks should be worn proudly. My grandmother brought me to the Avatar to save my life. Niiko healed the wounds, but I asked him to leave the scars themselves. It reminds me that while most of the folk of Niiko are good souls, there are those who would attack for the purpose of manipulating the Planet for their own gain.”

Her hand was pressed to his chest and she felt the heat burning her palm. “Who did this to you?”

“Those who tried to manipulate my grandmother into contacting the Planet for mineral locations. They captured me, tortured me and eventually, my grandmother called the Avatar to rescue me. He gave up his position in order to let Niiko save my life and I will always be indebted to him.”

“Parkalo.”

Maksuan smiled. “Precisely. He was given swaths of land and mineral rights and he and his companion lived together happily for years. Niiko and I visited regularly and confirmed for him that his sacrifice was not in vain.”

“So, you know how it feels to be…exposed.”

He reached out and touched the metal that acted as a corset. “I know exactly how it feels and I know that the sensation of being stared at never gets better, but perhaps together, we can stand against the curious and callous.”

His kiss was surprising and the assembled men and women gasped.

Silari went up on her toes and wove her fingers through his hair as he pressed his hands to her back, hauling her tight against him.

A polite round of applause broke out as well as hissing and cursing from a few of the women.

When Maksuan lifted his head, he smiled. “And the decision is made, though it really could not have been any other.”

Niiko surged to the fore as he addressed the assembled. “And so I present to you Silari Henderson of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, my bride and secondary Avatar. The ceremony will be held tomorrow for those who wish to attend and witness.”

Seven of the women who had been there for selection turned and left the party. Ydella and Linorial remained and circulated throughout the event.

Silari spoke quietly. “You could have asked me.”

“You might have said no and really, there was no need to keep the others here. They have been most unpleasant to you and it was grating on my nerves.” Maksuan’s face showed his irritation.

She realised that he had actually rushed this to defend her. It was sweet and touching to know that in his own way, he was taking steps to remove obstacles for her. Silari turned in his embrace and faced the crowd with a forced smile. “Hello all. Thank you for attending this announcement.”

From the corner of her eye, she could see Maksuan smile and she walked into the crowd, head high and half naked. If this was the way Niiko wanted her to meet his people, this is the way she would do it.

She met mayors, councillors and the occasional prefect. There were three physicians attending and those ladies met her with a sense of relief.

Dr. Aksai Natrio smiled at her and bowed. “We are grateful to have a female Avatar for Niiko once again. A married woman will have an insight into the needs of women that the male Avatars have lacked.”

“I understand. That is a common problem with the male Avatars. They mean well, but since most of them are chosen before they have wed, they are lacking a little vital information on the inner workings of the women that they are in charge of.”

Aksai shook her head. “The Avatar has not been allowed any input into the state of women on Niiko. We believe this is why the Planet determined to have him find a mate the moment that they returned from their planetary summit.”

Silari looked over at Maksuan and caught his gaze with her smile. “So, there was a recent turning point.”

“Indeed. Apparently, the Planet immediately engaged in an intensive search to find a mate perfect for the Avatar and finally, you arrived.”

“So, you didn’t think that the other women would make a good choice?” Her lips were twitching as she watched Ydella move among the councillors, smiling and chatting.

“They have not had to face anything near what you and the Avatar have faced. It is having pain thrust upon you and coming out on the other side that my people respect. Pain is wisdom or so they have begun to believe since Maksuan took over as Avatar. His calm and rejection of entanglements of the flesh have gained him much respect in the eyes of his people. Choosing a woman such as you matches him with an equal, not a woman who must be raised up to be at his level.”

Seeing the man brave enough to wear a golden toga to a cocktail party just to make her feel better about herself, she smiled. “I still have a way to go, but I have a very good example to follow.”

Chapter Seven

Ydella and Linorial cornered her after the guests had left. “Silari, we have a question to put to you.”

The women’s quarters were completely empty except for their small cluster.

“Sure, what do you want?”

“Can we stay?” Linorial’s voice was quieter than that of her companion, but it resonated in the empty common area.

“What? Why?”

Ydella sighed. “I don’t want to go home. I have always dreamed of a life somewhere far from the world of my birth. This is my only chance.”

It seemed a reasonable request, so she asked the other woman. “And you, Linorial?”

“I was engaged to a man I did not want and he was upset at having to let me go. He threatened me and my family, but they took me from home anyway and sent me here. I cannot be sure, but he seemed the violent sort. I don’t want to chance returning to that situation if he has not yet found another target.” Linorial had ice-blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. She was truly lovely but had a brittleness about her.

“I will consult with Niiko after he has begun moving in. I do not see any problem with you remaining here for a few days until we know.”

“I thought you could make the decision on your own now that you are his chosen.” Ydella scowled.

“Would you like to make a decision that could be overridden the moment a planet jumped into your consciousness? No. Wait and I will see about getting his agreement. I am pretty sure that I can use some assistants, but I will see what happens.”

Linorial gave her a quiet smile. “Thank you for agreeing to try. It gives me hope for a brighter future.”

“Don’t thank me. I have no idea what the future here will bring.” Silari tried to remain cheerful, but she was reeling with the events of the evening.

Ydella smiled, “It will bring what you wish it to once you are a full Avatar.”

“I don’t think that I will choose to inflict my will upon these people. They seem to have lives of their own as well as a fully developed society. I do not feel that interference is appropriate.”

She smiled to give her words less bite, but the fatigues of the day suddenly overwhelmed her. “Please excuse me, ladies, but I need to get some rest. I get the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a very big day.”

Her two companions smiled and laughed in unison.

Silari nodded and left the two women to their own devices. She had a wire corset to work her way free of.

Her feet pattered lightly on the wooden flooring as she returned to her rooms. She started working to free herself from the bodice the moment that the door slid shut behind her.

The metal was beautiful, but it was taking all of her body heat. The light snacks that had been served during the party were not enough to satisfy her caloric requirement. When she had worked her way free of the cuffs on her arms and legs, she sighed at the release of tension. Her normal, bulky bodysuit slid over her skin like a long-lost friend.

Once she was comfortable again, she slipped across her room and listened at the door. Ydella and Linorial must have retired for the evening, because the hall was silent.

With slow and deliberate moves, Silari slipped free of her room and walked the halls in search of the kitchen. Her feet made no noise on the wood and she didn’t see any of the servants who normally manned the building.

Silari sniffed and used the faint odours of the lovely food from earlier in the evening that eventually came to her nostrils.
And the dog has caught the scent.

She chortled silently and pursued the smell that teased and taunted her. The moment that she found the kitchen, she held her breath and stifled the howl of triumph.

Chillers stood side by side along the walls and a heater was waiting, just for her. She found a plate and quickly opened the chillers, piling a selection of snacks on her platter.

Her silent giggles continued as she warmed the tidbits just enough to take the chill out. She parked her butt on the counter and swung her feet like a child, enjoying the feeling of raiding a fridge after midnight.

It was almost to be expected that someone caught her in the act.

The light came on, but instead of coming from the fixtures, Maksuan was leaning in the doorway with a grin, his eyes and body lit from within. “Hungry?”

She held up her half-destroyed plate with a grin. “Not so much anymore. Care to join me?”

He wandered over to her, his skin still glowing in the darkness. “How did you find your way around in the dark?”

“I have fairly good night vision and excellent hearing. It isn’t enough to qualify as a talent, but it is more than enough to become an agent of the Alliance.” She grinned and ate something with a sweet purple paste on it.

He chuckled and went to the chiller himself, plate in hand.

To Silari’s amusement, he went and obtained his own selection, heavy on the sweets.

He parked on the counter next to her and she saw his feet swinging slightly.

“How much of that glow is you and how much is Niiko?”

“About half and half. He was very proud of the way you reacted and spoke to those assembled this evening. I am fairly sure that he was thinking you were going to bolt.”

“I notice that you are back in your normal clothing again.”

“As are you. We made our point and now, it is time for comfort, although I believe that the Yeruan styles would suit you very well.”

She chuckled and munched the last of her collection. “We will put it in for negotiation. I like my bodysuits. They cover everything.”

With the glow coming from his eyes, his smile looked devilish. “I have noticed that. When you were wearing the other clothing, I was surprised at how well muscled you are.”

Her blush should have had her glowing pink. “I had to be fit to capture those I was sent to apprehend. Agents have a very specific set of job requirements and muscle tone is one of them.”

Maksuan laughed. “I have always been afraid of women seeking to seduce me for the power they could gain. It has caused an irrational fear of women in revealing clothing and frankly, your personal enjoyment of concealing clothing was a relief. Though, if I had known what lay beneath, I would have had all of the women wearing as little as I could get away with.”

She laughed and nudged him with her arm. “Flatterer.”

“I am quite serious. I have craved your company since the moment that you landed and Niiko feels the same. Tomorrow at dawn, we will join together and from that moment, you will no longer be alone.” He continued to eat.

“Dawn?”

“In two hours.”

She froze. “That soon?”

“There is no reason to wait. Once you and I are joined, it will take a few days for Niiko to make his way into your body and mind.”

“Three days.” She smiled.

“Niiko told you?”

“He did, in a dream. He told me of the previous Avatars and their lives in his service.” She put her plate down and rubbed her hands together. “He spoke of your grandmother and her desire for a normal life. What do you remember of her?”

He put his plate aside. “Grandmother Ukani was a strong woman, but she had lived far beyond a normal lifespan and it showed. She delighted in her children and grandchildren, but she would occasionally sit and stare out at the landscape as if listening to something only she could hear. When I was tortured, she gathered the Avatar and came to my aid.

“My body was almost dead when they found where I was being kept and my grandmother quickly addressed Niiko through Parkalo. It took the Planet less than five minutes to get the Avatar to agree and when he gave over the soul of Niiko to me, my grandmother also surrendered what was left in her body, aging centuries in a few minutes. I healed and she died, but I know that she did not regret her actions. Niiko replays the conversation they had every time I have any doubt as to my worthiness.”

“So, you know that this was what she wanted for you. That must be an immense comfort.” She thought about her own grandmother’s last words back on Earth. When the reproduction portion of the contract was exposed to the public, her Grandma Henderson had called her a whore and told her to go. It was not a pleasant memory.