The Lord of the Plains (59 page)

Lillia’s eyes went between Vann and Riley
and back again. He was just looking at her.

Oh, if she said something cruel to him
now.

Lillia patted Riley’s hand, getting her
attention. ‘Be kind.’ she mouthed.

Riley turned her eyes back to Vann. She
looked uncomfortable.

Well, everyone was looking at them avidly,
like they were watching a play.

‘They’re very pretty.’ Riley finally said
into the silence.

‘O-oh,’ Vann managed, ‘um. I-I suppose,
maybe, wh-what are you doing here?’ he finished somewhat
desperately.

Riley blushed. ‘I’m not sure.’

‘Lillia.’ Vann turned to her. ‘Lillia,’ He
spread his arms, ‘what is this?’

‘Well, Vann.’ Lillia patted Riley’s hand
again. Riley glanced at her. ‘I’m afraid this morning was my fault.
I gave her the idea you snuck around with lots of different women
and were generally an all-around no-good liar.’ Lillia smiled
sweetly.

The look on Vann’s face was priceless.

She had never seen the calm and collected
Vann so out of his depth. It was almost funny.

‘But now she knows,’ Lillia continued. ‘That
you don’t sneak around with your lovers. You’re very honest about
your inability to commit.’

‘In-in-in-’ Vann squeaked, his eyes very
wide. ‘Inability to commit?!’

Lillia nodded, struggling not to laugh. ‘I’m
afraid Riley requires a more mature man.’ she patted her hand
again. ‘Someone who doesn’t run around with every woman in
Coastside.’

‘Someone who doesn’t-? Riley, I don’t want
anyone but you.’ His eyes were on her. The intensity there was too
much, Lillia looked away.

Riley was going very red.

‘I swear, there’d be no one else except you.
Riley, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll be whoever you want.’

Lillia suddenly felt very uncomfortable
being in that room. They were intruding. The air was thick with
tension.

Riley had said nothing.

Vann then looked around the room. He stepped
forward and held his hand out to her. ‘This isn’t a good place to
talk. Let’s go outside.’

Riley took his hand almost instantly.

The night felt very cool outside. He still
had her hand.

He let go and stepped back, giving her some
space.

‘I’m sorry.’ He said. His voice sounded very
loud to him. ‘I don’t need an answer from you now, Riley. I-I’ll
wait.’

Riley spared him a quick glance in the
darkness. Then she ran down the hill.

Vann watched her go in surprise. Painful
hope had taken flight within him. The sight of her
running
away from him was almost enough to undo that.

When he got back to his dorm he laid down
gingerly in his bed. He felt very fragile.

He’d just bared his heart to a woman who’d
done nothing but reject him in a room full of his former
lovers.

‘I need to get back in a submarine.’ he
muttered. As far as he was concerned, he couldn’t get his cast off
soon enough.

Chapter 47

Vann hadn’t seen her in a week. Well, he
had, at the demonstrations. Somehow she managed to disappear so
fast he couldn’t catch her.

He didn’t really try to find her though.
He’d said he’d wait, so he would.

And waiting was better than rejection. If he
found her and asked her what she thought… if he saw pity in her
eyes as she turned him down again.

No. Waiting was better.

He was sitting on the side beach now. Every
day he went to the military doctor and asked if he could get his
cast off. He needed to get on a sub. He felt his only two options
for feeling better were either a yes from Riley or a few years on a
sub. But Riley wasn’t saying yes and the doctor kept saying a few
more weeks, a few more weeks.

‘Zap Zap, what do gemeng girls like?’ he
asked as he laid back on the golden sand, more relaxed than he
usually allowed himself to be on the side beach. With Zap Zap
around he’d get an early warning if any leapers starting sniffing
around.

‘Girls?’ Zap Zap said and Vann heard a
splash of his tail. ‘Uh… fish people girls?’ Zap Zap asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘Proof of strength.’

‘What’s that?’ Vann asked, sitting up.

‘Teeth from leapers. Big, dangerous,
gemengs. Give to girl, knows you’re strong. Likes you.’

Vann had fought leapers here a few times,
but he’d never thought to collect any teeth. He wondered if Riley
would like that.

‘Zap Zap has question.’

‘What is it?’

‘Can Zap Zap talk to female?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Female human come down here night time.
Tries to talk to Zap Zap. Looks for leapers.’

Vann sat bolt upright. ‘Here? At the side
beach?!’
Riley!
He was so surprised he missed the fact that
Zap Zap had called her a human. Well, she certainly looked more
human than Zap Zap.

Zap Zap nodded.

‘Zap Zap…yes, you can.’
It’s dangerous
here!
And at night, no less!

‘Zap Zap, if you see her, tell her it’s
dangerous here. Tell her if she has to come she should come in the
day. I’ll… I’ll stay away if she wants me to.’ It hurt. This was
his place. He’d love to share it with her, but he didn’t think
she’d come if he was here.

‘No!’ Zap Zap splashed frantically. ‘Vann
stay!
’

‘Zap Zap, it’s the girl I told you
about.’

Zap Zap calmed at that.

‘Vann’s female?’

Vann blushed.

Zap Zap began splashing excitedly. ‘Vann’s
female! Yes, I talk. Vann’s female!’

‘Zap Zap, she doesn’t like me.’ he said
hoarsely. He didn’t want to imagine Riley’s reaction if Zap Zap
called her that.

‘Zap Zap get Vann tooth. Vann give, she
like! Vann’s female!’

‘Wait, Zap Zap!’

Zap Zap was already splashing off into the
waves.

When Azra returned from her month of sub
duty Vann, for once, set out to find her. Well, the next day he set
out to find her. He figured she probably wanted to sleep and shower
the first day back.

When he found her in the Blocks she looked
the same as ever.

‘Azra.’ He greeted her. ‘How was the
tour?’

‘Successful.’ She did not look surprised or
pleased to see him actually
seeking
her out. She had the
same dark look on her face as ever.

Vann didn’t bother asking for more detail
than that. The look on her face squashed thoughts like those before
they could really begin. ‘Azra-’

‘I understand you lied to me.’

Vann, caught off guard, didn’t know what to
say.

‘You’ve been chasing one of the Astarians
around.’

‘Riley.’ he stated. ‘Yes-’

‘She’s in the military.’ Azra interrupted.
‘I see you’re making an exception for her.’

‘Azra,’ he cut in quickly, he didn’t want to
talk about Riley with her, ‘I’ve been thinking, I wouldn’t mind
being your friend.’ It was in fact Riley that had changed his mind
about this.

Azra snorted and shook her head. Then she
just turned and walked away.

Avoiding Vann had been easier than Riley had
thought. He almost seemed to be staying away from her.

But if so that was good. She needed to stay
away. After…. after what he’d said, Riley didn’t think she could
bear to say no to him. But she couldn’t say yes either. She was
leaving
. Going somewhere he couldn’t follow.

Then again, the way things were going in
Coastside, she thought she might be stuck here for the rest of her
life.

She’d noticed recently a dark haired woman
glaring at her. She didn’t know why. Didn’t care.

She was from Astar after all. That was
enough in Coastside.

When she went down to the side beach that
night she wasn’t surprised to find Zap Zap talking to her. The
first time she’d come she’d quickly noticed the creature watching
her. She’d tried talking, but it hadn’t responded. It had just
followed her around. Riley had wondered if it was a leaper, but if
it was, why wasn’t it doing any leaping? Then one night it had
started talking to her. The first time he had slyly mentioned Vann.
Thankfully, that was the only time.

But Riley knew Vann was the one who had
started talking to the fish people. That was enough to make a part
of her so very curious about him. She squashed that part.

‘Zap Zap, how can I attract a leaper?’ she
asked again. She asked every time.

Zap Zap shook his head and wouldn’t answer.
‘Not safe. Dangerous.’

She sighed. But she went to sit down near
the water’s edge anyway. Though it was dark she could see Zap Zap’s
face clearly enough.

Zap Zap eagerly came forward. ‘We practice
more?’

In Zap Zap’s language Riley replied. She
puffed up her face, she held it for no more than a second.

That was a yes in fish person speech.