Laura Jo Phillips (6 page)

“What is it that you guys do, anyway?” Karma asked.  She blushed suddenly, her deep, golden tan complexion turning pink.  “I apologize, that’s none of my business.”

“Easy, Miss Karma,” Rudy said, smiling gently.  “We are not offended by your question.”

“Please, just call me Karma.  And I’m glad you’re not offended, but I’m still sorry.”

“No need for apologies,” Olaf said.  “We are the guardians of the wealth of Jasan.”

“Like treasurers?” Karma asked.

“I am not familiar with that term,” Olaf said.  “We account for, manage, and invest the wealth of Jasan, including income from the mines, the various industries such as paper mills, crops, and beef, among others.  We also budget and supervise government and military expenditures and funding.  And we are responsible for the historical artifacts and documents of our people.”

“That sounds like a monumental responsibility,” Aisling said.  “You guys must be busy all the time.”

“It is a large responsibility, yes,” Olaf agreed.  “However, we do not do everything ourselves.  That would be impossible.  The other members of Clan Gryphon assist us in our duties, though the ultimate responsibility lies with us as Consuls of our Clan.”

“How do you trust others with so much?” Aisling asked.

“As I said, the other members of our Clan assist us.  Guarding the wealth of our people has been an honor and privilege of Clan Gryphon for all time.  If we cannot place trust in our own family, our Clan, then who can we place it in?”

Aisling shoved her chair back and stood up, causing the Gryphons to freeze, their senses instantly alert for danger.

“Excuse me,” she said, “I’m afraid I’m not feeling well.” 

“Of course,” Olaf said, but Aisling had already turned away from the table and was half way out of the room before the words left his mouth.

Karma frowned, then reluctantly put her fork down and rose from the table too.  “I will go check on her,” she said.  “Thanks for dinner.  It was very good.”

Olaf, Rand and Rudy all stood politely and bowed.  Karma wasn’t sure how to react to that, so she just stood there for a long moment.  “Um, goodnight then,” she said finally before hurrying out of the dining room after Aisling.

After the women were gone the Gryphons sat back down, their appetites suddenly gone. 

“What happened?” Rand asked.

“I don’t know,” Olaf replied.  “She just turned white for no apparent reason, then all but ran out of the room.”

“No, there was a reason,” Rudy argued.  “I think it was a response to something you said.”

“What did I say?” Olaf asked in surprise.  “I know I didn’t say anything offensive.  I was talking about business.”

“You said that if you cannot trust family, then who can you trust,” Rudy reminded him.  “That’s when she shot to her feet and left.”

Olaf nodded thoughtfully.  “Yes, you’re right.”

“Do you think she was betrayed by her family?” Rudy asked.

“I think it’s a distinct possibility,” Rand replied. 

“I cannot imagine what that would be like,” Olaf said, shocked by the idea. 

“Nor can I,” Rand agreed.  “It would be devastating, that much is certain.”

“Yes, it would,” Olaf said.  “I wish that we could ask her about it, but she has done nothing to indicate she would appreciate our curiosity into her personal life.”

“No, she hasn’t,” Rudy said.  “Olaf, I have to admit that seeing her without the Controller has not changed my feelings about her, though I cannot really say what those feelings are.”

“No?  Mine have certainly changed,” Olaf said.  “But not in the way I expected.”

“As have mine,” Rand said.  “I do not understand it.  Why do we feel so attracted to this woman who hides her face, barely speaks, and is most definitely not our Arima?”

“Don’t forget that our people have been mating with human women for centuries now,” Rudy pointed out.  “There is nothing unusual about a Clan Jasani male-set falling in love with a human woman.  Our fathers certainly loved our mother.”

“That’s true,” Rand said.  “If we had met her three or four years ago, we would not think twice about exploring these feelings we have for her.”

“But we didn’t meet her four years ago,” Olaf said.  “There is no changing that fact, or the fact that Arimas have been found.  Without human women our people would not exist, and for that we must honor them for all time.  But Clan Jasani are born to mate with one specific female created for them alone.  The time for us to return to waiting for our Arima has come.”

“Because four Arimas have been found is not a promise that we will find ours,” Rand pointed out. 

“No, it is not a promise,” Olaf agreed.  “But there is a chance.  What if we mate with a human woman, and then discover our Arima?”

“What if we let a woman we care for slip away, and never find our Arima?” Rudy countered.

“Are you saying that you are in love with Aisling?” Rand asked.

“No,” Rudy replied thoughtfully.  “I do not really know what it is that I feel for Aisling at this moment.  She raises many feelings in me, most that I do not fully understand.  What I’m saying is that we cannot see the future, so why plan our lives around what may, or may not happen?”

“Let’s not forget our dreams,” Rand said.  “We promised to wait for the woman we have all dreamed of.  Regardless of who, or what, she may be.”

“The question is, is Aisling that woman?” Olaf asked.

But that was a question none of them had an answer for.

***

Karma followed Aisling back out to the garden, catching up with her as she reached the center pavilion.

“Aisling, are you all right?” she asked when Aisling stopped walking.

Aisling stood with her arms crossed tightly in front of herself, her head down, a curtain of dark red hair hiding her face.  But Karma wasn’t fooled.  She’d been watching Aisling for weeks now.

“Come on Ash, tell me why you’re so angry,” she urged.

Aisling’s head came up, her green eyes wide with surprise, though the golden ring that glowed when she was happy was now dark with anger.  She opened her mouth, then closed it and shrugged.  “Obviously you are more observant than most,” she said with a reluctant smile

“Or maybe I just recognize a woman who has no desire to let everyone know what she’s thinking and feeling all the time.

Aisling nodded, a knowing look in her eyes.  “I get that,” she said.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Karma asked. 

“Yes, I want to tell you,” Aisling said.  “Just not now.”

“Okay,” Karma replied.  “Whenever you’re ready, you know where I am.”

“Thanks, Karma,” Aisling replied. 

“I would like to ask you something though, if you don’t mind,” Karma said.

“All right,” Aisling replied.  “Just so you know, I reserve the right to refuse to answer.”

“Fair enough,” Karma replied.  “After Hope, Grace and I left the compound in the desert, that first night after we’d made camp, we were talking.  It turns out that all three of us had recently visited Jasan.  No, wait...that’s not exactly right.  Hope and I had visited Jasan.  Grace hadn’t, but she said that she had an identical twin sister who had.  She assumed that the Brethren had made a mistake and taken Grace instead of her sister, Faith.”

“So you want to know if I had visited Jasan as well?” Aisling asked.

“Yes,” Karma replied.  “Had you?”

“Not exactly,” Aisling said.  “I booked passage to Jasan, and even went so far as to hire someone to take the trip using my name.  But I never went myself.  I just made it seem as though I had.”

“Which is it, Ash?” Karma asked curiously.  “Are you being chased, or are you doing the chasing?”

Aisling studied Karma for a long moment, then lifted one shoulder in a half shrug.  “Both,” she replied.

Karma met Aisling’s gaze, realizing with some surprise that the other woman was not being vague or cryptic.  She was telling the truth.

Karma pursed her lips together to prevent herself from asking all of the questions that suddenly popped into her mind.  It was none of her business, and she wasn’t going to risk the friendship that was growing between herself and Aisling by prying.   

“You look like you’re about to explode,” Aisling said with a real grin.

“I feel like I’m about to explode,” Karma replied, laughing.  “But I’m not going to butt in, so don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Aisling replied.  “And I will tell you, eventually.  I just don’t want to do it here, now.”

“It’s all the same story then?” Karma asked.

“Yes, it is,” Aisling said, her smile fading.  “I trust you Karma, and I will tell you.  Later though, okay?”

“Sure,” Karma said.  “Later is fine.  Never works too, if you don’t want to tell me.  I’ll be your friend either way.”

Aisling nodded, touched by Karma’s honesty, and offer of friendship.  “I think I want to shower and go to bed now.  How about you?”

“Yeah, I love that room,” Karma said turning toward the doors that led to their guest rooms.  “I’ve never slept in a bed that big.  I’m not sure whether I’m looking forward to it, or afraid I’ll get lost in it.”

“Don’t worry, if I don’t see you in the morning, I’ll come searching for you,” Aisling promised.

Chapter
5

Mara Winicke took a deep breath, put on her most carefully neutral expression, and pressed the door activator.  The door slid open and she stepped into the passageway, turned left and headed for the bridge. 

Patience was not one of Mara’s talents, but she had practiced it diligently over the past several weeks, ever since she’d been
rescued
by the Brethren.  At first, she had thought she could behave as she had when she was a young girl forced to live as a virtual prisoner in Stalnek’s home.  She’d quickly learned that, after several hundred years of freedom on Jasan, she could no longer squeeze herself into that role.  So she’d spent her first several days aboard Stalnek’s space yacht in the tiny stateroom they’d assigned to her, pretending to be overwhelmed with emotion and exhaustion after her long ordeal on Jasan.  In reality, she spent the time remembering as much as she could about Stalnek, and working on just the right expressions and demeanor to adopt now that she was back under his power. 

“Good day, Mara,” Kevlin said as she stepped onto the bridge. 

“Good day, Kevlin,” Mara said with a calm she had never truly felt in all of the years of her existence.  “I hope you’re well today.”

“Not really,” Kevlin replied sadly.  “We must stop for refueling this morning at Lapu 12.”

“This is a bad thing?” Mara asked curiously, though she knew exactly why Kevlin was reluctant to stop.  She had done her homework, very carefully, and knew as much as was possible to learn about the deep space refueling station, Lapu 12.  How big it was, it’s layout, how many ships docked there and how many people visited it on any given day.

“I dislike crowds, and I dislike the risk we take each time we must stop to refuel,” Kevlin replied. 

“I understand that,” Mara agreed feelingly.  “But why must you leave the ship?  Can’t you send someone else?”

“I wish I could,” Kevlin replied.  “But there are a number of items that Stalnek wants me to purchase for him, and he will trust no one but me to do it.”

“I’m sorry, Kevlin,” Mara said.  Knowing that Kevlin was watching her, she swallowed hard, clenched her fists, stretched her fingers and took a deep breath in a perfect show of brave reluctance.  “I’ll accompany you, if you like.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Kevlin said, noting Mara’s tension.  It was clear that she disliked the idea of leaving the safety of Stalnek’s yacht as much as he did.  Nevertheless, he was very tempted by her offer.

“I know that it would be difficult for you,” Kevlin said, “but if you are sincere, I would feel better with your company.”

Mara hesitated for just the right amount of time, then took another deep breath and raised her eyes to Kevlin’s.  “Of course I’m sincere,” she said.  “After what you must have suffered waiting for me in my home on Jasan, I would be pleased at the chance to return the favor to you.”

Kevlin smiled.  “I will need to clear it with Stalnek, of course,” he said.  “But I think he will agree.”

“Of course,” Mara said easily, though her stomach tightened with worry.  She knew that the final word would have to come from Stalnek.  She had done all she could to convince him and everyone else of her sincere relief and appreciation for her rescue.  All she could do now was hope that she had played her part well enough.  If she had, then Stalnek would believe leaving the ship would be uncomfortable for her, and he did enjoy making others uncomfortable.  To say the least.

“All right,” Mara said without apparent concern.  “I’m going to go get some breakfast.  Let me know what Stalnek says, and what time I need to be ready if he agrees.”

“Thank you, Mara,” Kevlin said.  “I’ll let you know.”

Mara offered Kevlin one last, nervous smile, then turned and left the bridge.  She was quite pleased with the way that had gone.  Now it was in Stalnek’s hands.  If he said no, then she was going to have to come up with another plan.  If he said yes, her only problem would be hiding her excitement.