Defiance (3 page)

Thaka squirmed in her seat and was about to answer when Zhomos arrived at their table. “Ladies, may I join you?”

Teeny leaned back in her chair and inclined her head. “Please. It seems that your sister is still the master of the curved answer.”

He was wearing a loose dark blue shirt and matching trousers. The column of his neck showed small beads of water, giving Teeny the idea that it had been Zhomos walking out of the waves.

He took a seat between them, and the server immediately appeared with a glass of wine for him.

“My sister has been learning to be a little more politic with her answers.” He sipped at his glass and grinned. “How was your first day at the spa?”

Teeny groaned, ignoring the sudden attentive light in his eyes. “It was lovely, an excellent if tiring start to my time here.”

She lifted her glass and took a sip of the light wine. Though it seemed mildly alcoholic, she knew that the stuff would steal her legs if she let it. She had run into it the first time she had been here, when she brought Thakasis home.

Thaka smiled, “Tiring? I thought spa days were supposed to be rejuvenating.”

Teeny flexed her back and felt the light bruising beneath her skin. “Not if you do it right.”

Zhomos smiled slowly. “As it is with many things, to enjoy the pleasure, a little discomfort must fall.”

Teeny felt her cheeks flush hotly. “Yes, something like that.” She slugged back a little more wine and welcomed the appearance of the server with her starter.

The wind tugged at her gown and the wrap she was wearing as their conversation turned to different foods that she had eaten on the worlds she had visited.

The air cooled just enough to keep her alert. Course after course of food came and was destroyed in turn. “The chef here is wonderful. Everything is perfect.”

Thaka smiled brightly. “Food is my department. I run auditions regularly for new staff.”

Teeny chuckled. “So, you weren’t just making idle threats on the shuttle then?”

Zhomos raised his brows, “What is this?”

“When I was stuck feeding your sister ration bars while we had to run powerless to the pickup point, she swore to me that she would never suffer sub-standard meals again.”

Thakasis raised a morsel on the end of her fork in a salute. “And I never have from that day to this.”

Zhomos chuckled. “I thought your sudden interest in all things culinary was rather all-consuming.”

“It was. Between the food in the slave pens and the rations I had to gnaw down, I was obsessed with good flavour from that moment on.”

Teeny watched the siblings as they discussed family recipes and quietly continued to eat her meal. They had similar mannerisms and tilted their heads to one side while they were listening. It was cute to see them side by side. Christiena had left her siblings behind, and she missed them at moments like this.

Her expression must have showed her emotion, because Thaka was immediately concerned. “Teeny, what is wrong?”

Zhomos was staring as well, so Teeny checked and sighed to realize she was crying.

She got to her feet. “I apologize. I get a little emotional when I am tired. I should call it a night.”

Zhomos got to his feet. “I will walk you back to your accommodations.”

Teeny shook her head. “That isn’t necessary. I can find my way home.”

“I insist. It is your first day on a new world, and you are a little out of sorts. It will do me good to see you safe.” He got to his feet and inclined his head toward his sister.

“What about Thaka’s safety?”

Thakasis grinned, “I will get Tomori to walk me home. He is eager to get on my good side.”

Zhomos nodded shortly. “It is settled. Come with me.”

He offered her his arm, and she took it with deliberate distance between them. He kept his pace slow, and she kept up with him while ignoring the stares of the folks around them.

Instead of walking directly across the green, he took them down a path that would lead them along the beach before returning them to the walk that headed up to the accommodations.

“We are taking the scenic route?”

He smiled down at her. “We are. Why were you upset?”

“I wasn’t upset. I was simply remembering a time when I was speaking with my siblings just like you were talking with Thaka. From time to time, I wallow in my own memories. They will pass, I am sure.” She used her free hand to blot at more tears.

“Why don’t you visit them?”

“It isn’t allowed. When the Terrans left, it had to be one way. We had to leave, to live our lives out here so far from home. Our ties to our families were sliced, and we became part of the Alliance with no opportunity to return home. Ever.”

“I see. That must be rather lonely.”

“It is. It comes and goes. My job lets me deal with my loss in a way that few can experience. I can reunite other families even if I am kept from mine.” She shrugged and inhaled deeply. “You must love living here if you rarely leave home.”

He chuckled. “And so I am redirected. Fine. Yes, I love being on Gakkada. The freedom of the unspoiled environment is something that few worlds can boast.”

Teeny paused and looked out over the pounding waves, the thick forest pressing to the edge of the shore before the beach spilled out. The air was clear, scrubbed by the greenery, the salt in the air added a brightness to the night and the sand glittered under the swelling moons above.

“I can understand your attraction. The beauty here is something that few planets can boast.” She looked out over the water again and turned to see him staring down at her.

“Few can boast that much beauty, that is certain. Now, would you like an aerial tour tomorrow? I can pick you up midmorning and return you in the afternoon.”

She blushed and hoped that the darkness held her secret. “Do you spend all this time with the average tourist?”

He chuckled and continued along the winding path. “You are far from average, Christiena. I am fairly certain of that.”

Chapter Four

Dawn struck Gakkada with a vengeance. The forest came alive, the waves crashed just beyond view and support staff made their way to their duty stations across the compound.

Teeny wore her wrap from the night before and nothing else as she watched the bustle from her balcony. A few of the staff members looked up and saw her, but no one paused in their tracks.

She didn’t wave, merely closed her eyes and let the light skate across them, the breezes tugging at her hair. When her nostrils brought her the scent of breakfast starting, she smiled and returned inside for a shower and a change of clothing.

Teeny was going to need some more clothes suitable for the environment if she was going to remain comfortable, and from what she saw in the shop she was in yesterday, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Dressed in more loose trousers and a wrap-tie shirt, she smiled at the silence in the hall as she walked toward the lift. On the main floor, she smiled at the doorman and waved good morning before heading for the main building and the dining area. As nice as the spa had been the day before, her clothing choice today required a more casual environment.

The smells wafting from the kitchen were enthralling as she walked in, and when she settled down, a server was at her side with a pot of caf and a pitcher of water.

Teeny looked up in surprise. “How did you know what I drink every morning?”

The server grinned. “Your preferences are on file, miss. Your breakfast order varies, so I will return in a moment to take your order.”

The personal touch was nice. It was much friendlier than dealing with a computer system before she was awake enough to read. She activated the view screen and flicked through the options. The equivalent of bacon and eggs was tantalizing, but she also wanted the flat cakes that resembled a pancake-waffle hybrid.

When the server returned, she looked up hopefully. “Can I get the eggs and grilled cured meat and a morning cake?”

The server smiled. “Do you want fruit with that?”

“Please. Something in the berry family if you have it.”

The server nodded and left with her order.

Teeny looked at the sparsely populated dining room and smiled at her triumphant ability to stake out her territory even while on vacation. She was settling in to her second cup of caf when a familiar presence entered her personal space.

For most folks, personal space was three feet or less. Teeny had a personal reach of over twenty feet. Zhomos was in the dining hall.

Her senses were proved correct when he took the chair across from her and settled his napkin across his knees. “Good morning, Teeny.”

“Good morning, Zhomos, or should I call you Selik Zhomos?”

His high cheekbones turned slightly pink. “Please do not address me by my title. Zhomos is fine, Zhom is encouraged.”

“Zhom? Okay, well you are willing to call me Teeny, so I will bow to your preferences.” She chuckled. “Good morning, Zhom.”

He inclined his head, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement. “Did you sleep well?”

She ran a hand through her hair and thought about her answer. She had dreamed of running her body over a fur, arousing herself to a fever pitch before the fur rolled over her and shifted into her current companion. “Yes, I slept fine.”

“I suppose getting sleep where you can is an occupational hazard.”

She sipped at her caf and smiled. “Pretty much. Just like waking up with the sun is a habit I can’t shake. Too many times I have had to run during early light with my charge in tow.”

“Would you miss the thrill of collecting your targets when you retire?” He calmly turned and placed his order with the server.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I think part of me would, but I would hope that retirement wouldn’t strike until I had something in place to take over my time.”

Zhom nodded. “I can see that. You seem to be enjoying the feel of the Gakkada environment. The glow to your cheeks suits you.”

She chuckled. “I think it is just a few regular meals. I don’t normally eat unless I am in between moments of deadly danger.”

“That must be awkward for you.”

She shrugged. “It is one of the things you get used to. It comes with the sleepless nights and preparing to be attacked all the time.”

He cocked his head. “As bad as that?”

“Yup. Not all are willing to part with what they have found. Many are rather intent on keeping their new acquisitions.”

“You are referring to the lost children you have sought?”

“Yup. Some races, like yours, are collectors’ items.” Teeny didn’t mention that her own race was counted as exotic right now. With only two thousand Terrans in the Alliance, they were considered highly collectible.

“We are not a race, as such. We are an amalgamation of species that functions in a manner similar to the Oefric.” He grinned, “With some marked differences when it comes to our mating habits.”

Her meal arrived, and she clapped her hands in anticipation.

Zhomos was staring in surprise. “You certainly don’t start the day light, do you?”

“Life is too short to pass up a good meal. I have decided that I will have a little bit of everything I enjoy anytime it passes my path. It is the way I have made peace with the universe.”

He nodded. “I see. It is a very healthy attitude to take on given the instability of your situation on any given day.”

“It is the only way I cling to sanity. May I begin?” She gestured to her meal.

“Of course. Never wait on my account.”

There was a double entendre in there somewhere, but she wasn’t inclined to go looking for it when a blessedly familiar taste entered her mouth with the first bite. Speech was left for later as she worked her way through all of her favourite flavours. His food arrived, but she ignored his singular plate in favour of her own collection.

With nothing but the clink of metal on plates, they ate in silence, finishing at the same time. Teeny sighed happily and reached for her caf, pouring another cup.

The server came back and asked, “How was it?”

Teeny sighed again. “Lovely. I probably won’t manage it again during my stay, but it was just lovely.”

The woman grinned and efficiently cleared the plates, taking away the proof of her food orgy.

Zhomos was staring at her like she had grown another head. “I had not thought that a little thing like you would be able to put away all of that.”

Teeny smiled, “In my job, it is necessary to appear to be weaker than I am.”

It was a training adage, body of steel wrapped in the softest silk. She had to work to keep a layer of curves on her form, but it paid off when she was looked at as nothing more than a feeble pet. Under her curves, she had enough muscle to carry twice her own body weight for a considerable distance.

“I am beginning to understand that. Are you ready for a tour of the local area?”

She blinked. “Oh, I thought I had some time to shop and lay in some more appropriate clothing. I tend to buy and discard disguises during my journeys, so I don’t keep many clothes.”

“We can attend to that now if you wish. The shops are fully stocked for the incoming waves of ladies. What are you looking for?”

She drained her caf and a glass of water. “Something comfortable, similar to what the employees are wearing. I have no need for the frivolous stuff. One more evening gown will suit me for my stay.”

He looked vaguely disappointed, but he rallied. “The shops here will not have the proper array of clothing for you. We will go shopping in the local village, and then, I will show you Gakkada or at least as much of it as you are authorized to see.”

She smirked, “Shall we leave then?” She got to her feet, and he followed.

Outside the front of the main building a small flying cycle was parked. She scowled and stated, “You have to be kidding.”

He slipped astride it and gestured for her to climb on the back. “I am not kidding. With the heavy forestation, the best way to see what you need to see is by flying above it all.”