Gaze (5 page)

“This isn’t a crowd, this is a celebration. You two are embarking on a new life together.”

The general smiled and paced slowly back and forth for half an hour until the gong brought her head up with a jerk.

Korwait smiled. “It is time. I will go first, and you follow me. If you aren’t at the podium in five minutes, I will come looking for you.”

“Yes, General Korwait. I will be there.”

He checked his robes again and strode out of the General’s pavilion and to the open area designated for the ceremony. It was time to watch his protection-daughter join with her soul mate.

He took his place on the dais and waited impatiently to see not only the happy couple, but also Gaze. His mate was wearing the gown he had seen her in in the portrait, and he could hardly wait to shift to his other form and take her in his arms.

He had no idea how she would react to being embraced by a column of mist, but he could hardly wait to find out.

Gaze held Hargu’s hand until they exited the pavilion. “Go on, she’s waiting.”

“Thanks for keeping me calm, Gaze.”

“It’s what I do. Go and get married.”

“Walk with me. Please.” Hargu’s huge eyes begged her, and Gaze nodded quickly.

“Right behind you and to the left. I will be there through the whole ceremony.”

“Stay in my peripheral scope, please. It will help with the nerves.”

“Yes, miss. Whatever you say, miss.”

Hargu chuckled and walked with a smile toward her partner and soon-to-be wife. Her back was straight, her stride graceful and her expression was filled with joy.

Gaze remained behind and to one side as the bride continued her slow pace through the silent crowd. Out of habit, she used her vision to scan the gathering, and she spotted three life signs that were not stable. Her sight confirmed that one person was elderly, another was hyperventilating with excitement, but the third was running cold.

Gaze watched him as the bride approached, but he didn’t move. Hargu was standing, hand in hand with Niyu, and Gaze took up a watching position where she could see the hostile male during the entire ceremony.

Korwait presided with ease and authority. The two women looked into each other’s eyes and repeated the vows.

Gaze wished she could remember that moment, but the male was reaching into his sash and pulling out a weapon. She did the only thing she could as he took aim at the couple; she put her body in between him and his targets.

Her timing was impeccable. The burn in her shoulder accompanied the shouts in the crowd. Hands pulled her back, and she saw General Korwait snarling with a wolf head in place of his other one.

His target screamed as the hand holding the weapon was crushed.

Gaze watched it all while Haynin and General Niyu tried to stop the bleeding.

“Is the ceremony over?” Gaze blinked up at both women.

“It is for today.”

Gaze scowled. “No. You have to get wed today. I insist. I am not going to die, and I want you to start the lives I just jumped in front of.” She knew she wasn’t making sense, but they nodded.

General Korwait returned, and he was wearing his older warrior face. “How is she?”

She wrinkled her nose. “She is still awake and talking. I am fine. Finish the ceremony.”

He blinked. “You are wounded.”

“Yes, and I am not going anywhere. Finish the ceremony. You never know when the Guardians will let me come back this way with you in tow.” She gave him a sober look.

“Right. Can you stand?”

She nodded, and he helped her to her feet. She saw the attacker being led away by two men in military garb. They were not happy about missing the ceremony, so she didn’t think that the man was going to have a very good night.

Hargu gestured to the crowd, and a woman bustled forward, rubbing her hands together.

The woman stopped in front of Gaze. “Hold still, miss.”

Before Gaze could get her thoughts together, searing heat flashed through her body as her wound was cauterized. Her knees collapsed when the woman released her. Her limbs trembled as shock rippled through her system.

Gaze checked her shoulder and winced at the puckered skin. “Well, at least it isn’t bleeding. Thank you.”

The healer bowed. “Drink plenty of fluids. Your body is very dry.”

Gaze smiled and inclined her head. “I will get right on it, as soon as the ceremony is over.”

“You had better, you won’t last long if you don’t.”

General Korwait grunted. “I will make sure of it.”

The bridal party resumed their positions with one exception; Gaze was pinned to Korwait’s side with an arm around her waist.

It was weird looking at the worried couple, but she winked at Hargu, and the bride giggled, lightening the expression on Niyu’s face.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please pardon the interruption. We are here to bind Hargu and Niyu together for their lifetimes. I ask that everyone send them their good wishes now.”

The couple closed their eyes and smiled as their gathered friends, family and community sent their good wishes.

After a moment, he continued. “You have already vowed to be there for each other, and your minds are completely compatible, so there is really only one thing more to do. You may now kiss the brides.”

The couple stood face to face and slowly and tenderly kissed.

Gaze sighed and slumped against Korwait. She loved weddings. As a child, she had delighted in the smells and sounds. The rustle of gowns, the scent of perfumes and flowers. Everyone made an effort to be clean and presentable at a wedding, so it was her favourite public event to attend.

“May the blessings and support of your community be yours daily.” He cleared his throat to break the kiss. “Now, shall we adjourn to the celebration?”

The women blushed, laughed and held hands as they led the way to the covered area waiting for the celebration.

Gaze slumped against Korwait.

“Are you all right?”

“I think that blast damaged my suit. I need some water or something to cool me.” She bit her lip and grimaced.

“I can manage that, just don’t move too quickly.”

She didn’t have a chance to ask what he meant; a body-temperature cloak of nearly invisible mist covered her from neck to ankle. “Oh. Wow.”

He kept his arm around her waist. “We need to join the celebration.”

She smiled up at him. “Then, what are you waiting for?”

Together, they moved with the crowd at a stately pace through the lush grasses and into the comfort of the open-sided structure that housed the tables and the dance floor. Pleasant music was trickling through the air as folks took their seats. Korwait steered her through the crowd and up to the wide curve of the head table.

He seated her next to him, setting her three people away from the happy couple.

She asked him softly, “How long can you maintain this mist?”

He pressed his lips to her ear. “Indefinitely. It is my normal form. As long as you are within my scope, and I can reach you, you will be covered.”

She shivered and blinked. She finally understood her interpretation of his code name. Between the strange sensation of being surrounded by him and the heated rumble of his voice in her ear, she was swamped by a reaction she hadn’t had before; she liked it.

Her shoulder throbbed, but she pushed the discomfort aside. She had already participated in a disturbance to the wedding; she didn’t want to do anything else to wreck the day.

The meal came out and was served to the head table, and to Gaze’s amusement, she was included. “This is not how I thought the day would go.”

She tried to lift her left arm but had to drop it and grimace at the pieces of veg and meat that were begging to be cut.

Korwait reached over and sliced up her food for her.

“That is embarrassing.”

“It is not. How did you know he would strike?”

“Force of habit. His life aura was cold. He was either dying or he was planning to kill.”

She picked up her eating prong, and after checking to make sure that the rest of the table was eating, she started in on her plate. It was good.

“You could see that?”

“Yes, life-level sensors were installed as one of my alternate eye functions. Weapons sensors are another.”

“So, when you said you would always know me...” He ate his own meal and arched his brow.

“I read your life signs. You have a distinct swirling aura that marks you no matter which shape you take. I am ninety-nine percent certain that I could see you in any crowd you chose to hide in.”

“Interesting. So earlier?”

“You seemed to want me to think you were someone else, so I let you think that that is what I was thinking.” She snickered and took a sip of wine. Her head spun. It had been a long time since she had had a drink.

“That is very complicated. How does your species react to wine?”

“Oh, we slur a little, giggle a little and dance a lot. Why?”

“I just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t toxic for you. Not all species can tolerate it.”

“I won’t have much. Just a little to deaden the throb in my arm.”

He frowned. “I thought you were healed.”

“I was, but my skin kind of is paper thin in that spot. It’s thin everywhere if you would have the truth.” She put her fingers over her lips. “Oops. I think I am getting chatty.”

Korwait chuckled. “I don’t mind. How is your meal?”

She looked down. “It’s gone. I eated it.” She blinked rapidly. She was way deeper than she thought if she was mispronouncing things. Gaze carefully set the glass out of her reach and looked around for anyone with water.

“What are you looking for?”

“Water. The healer said I needed water.”

He nodded and he made a small gesture that brought a server to the table and he requested water for her. The server was back in under a minute and a moment later, Gaze was guzzling water.

She sat back and smiled. “That feels a bit better.” She flexed her arm.

“Do you know why he attacked them?”

Gaze blinked at him. “Nope. Not my job. I just spotted him and kept him from ruining their big day. They look like they are having fun, do they not?”

The couple was dancing slowly to the music, swaying together while their friends and family looked on. From her vantage point, Gaze could see many same-sex couples in the mix, and she smiled at the culture that had allowed soul mates to be the binding force and not gender. People on earth spent so much time looking and judging that they rarely appreciated the love that was right in front of them and enriching their community.

“Would you care to dance, Gaze?” His lips were against her ear.

She blinked, and he was in his Kozue form. She turned to answer him, and his lips were an inch from hers. “I don’t really know how this form of dancing goes.”

“I will lead, you follow. It is very easy.”

“All right.” She followed him to the dance floor, and he held her close while swaying slowly with her. “Will there be a problem with your shift in forms?”

“I don’t care. The ceremony is over, the documents are signed and my protection-daughter is wed. I am now free to pursue my own mate.”

“Why, is she running?” She blinked up at him.

He looked down at her with that dark, serious gaze. “Not yet, but she might.”

The music started with a slightly stronger beat, and he pulled her pelvis to his, rocking against her while holding her tight. He rocked against her and his erection was blatantly obvious, but he wasn’t being gauche.

When she looked around, all the couples were in the same position.

He leaned in, pressing his lips to her ear again, “Have you ever been to Yaccaro?”

Gaze jerked. “Yes. I was there a few months ago. Why?”

“I visited a seer there, and she painted a portrait of my ideal mate.”

Gaze was curious. She had done the same thing, but it had become a self-portrait of her standing in a field with the
Blue Fairy
in the background. She was disappointed. “What did you see?”

He swept her in a turn and held her close. “I saw you, my arms around you and my mist billowing around your feet.”

“Mist. Oh my god. There was mist in my portrait, but I thought it was just for ambiance.” She stared up at him in shock.

“What did you think it meant?”

“That I would be alone with my blue baby for all eternity, but there was a definite mist coiling around on the ground and up my legs.”

“What were you wearing in the image?”

She blushed but answered him. “I was wearing mist.”

He grinned. “Good, it seems we have just declared interest. Where does your society lead you from here?”

“Well, if I had more to drink, I would find some privacy and jump you. Since I have sobered dramatically, I will be heading back to the
Fairy
soon and using my med setup for a bit of care and repair.”

“Do you need assistance?”

“No, it is the front of my suit, I should be able to manage it.”

“Well, I will escort you to your ship then. You will need me to keep your temperature constant until you are in your ship.”

She smiled and leaned against him. “Do you have a place here to stay?”

“I am invited to the Nashti family home. Would you care for company this evening?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble. I am still a little shaken after being shot.”

“It would be my honour to escort you back to your ship and tuck you in.”

She laughed and hung onto him until the music was over. When it was done, she stepped away and returned to her seat at the head table, sipping at the water.

To her surprise, the Nashtis got to their feet and moved over until they were sitting next to her. “Hello, Gaze. My daughter speaks highly of you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Nashti. She is a wonderful woman marrying another wonderful woman. It was an honour to be part of her day.”

The mother of the bride looked at her. “We appreciate that you were there for her during the ceremony, but why were you there? Why did she ask you?”

“Because asking me would not cause a rift in friendships and family relations. Everyone’s irritation would be aimed at her and myself. Also, I made her laugh and kept her distracted.”