Rebellion (3 page)

“Doesn’t appeal to me either,” Dani said.

“Especially with all the sim technology these days. I actually like hunting, just not for real.”

Dani flipped on the polarization as the sun came into view beyond the planet. “Tell me about Laric. What’s he like?”

“He’s good looking, taller than me—”

“Everyone is taller than you,” Dani interrupted.

Ria smacked Dani in the head with her psi. “He’s a redhead, too. We used to get teased mercilessly by our classmates. It never bothered him, though. That’s one of the things that drew me to him in the first place. Nothing gets under his skin.”

“What happened with you two? We’re staying with his folks, so obviously you’re still friends.”

“I don’t know. We flirted through the first year at the academy, dated through the second, avoided each other for the third, and got to be friends again the final year.” Their assigned approach vector popped up on the console in front of her, and she accepted it.

“What broke you up?”

“I guess it was sort of a mutual acknowledgment that what we had, although nice, wasn’t very exciting. Just wasn’t any passion there for me. No thrill. When I told him at the beginning of the third year that I wanted a break, he didn’t argue.” Ria entered a sequence of commands with her psi, enabling a manual approach. “We missed each other’s company that year. When we started hanging out again, it was good. Just friends. Been that way ever since. We touch base now and then. When Rucon announced our little vacation here, I called him. I’m glad he’s on leave. It will be nice to see him again.”

“Who knows,” Dani said. “Maybe it will work out this time.”

“He’s full-time military. I’d only see him on leave. Besides, I want what every Sandarian wants, what you and Ian have. I want a psi-mate. We were together long enough to know that’s not happening.” Ria checked the course and pushed her chair back. She set her com on the console in front of her and projected a mirror. She brushed her straight red hair and pulled it into a ponytail.

“Primping already?” Dani asked, pulling out her own brush.

“I haven’t seen him in years. A girl’s got to look her best.”

“It was nice of his folks to let us stay with them.”

“It was. Always nice to save a few credits. Hotels here cost a small fortune.” Ria finished up and took back full control of the shuttle, bringing it in for a perfect landing.

* * * *

Interstellar travel always had an edge of cold to it. Ria flung her arms over the back of the seat of the open top cruiser, closed her eyes, and let the sun do its thing. She and Dani were dressed in the standard EP attire, and she looked forward to changing into summer clothes as the sun warmed her. “This is fantastic.” She’d been a little nervous about seeing Laric, but they’d fallen into their old camaraderie like slipping on a favorite pair of jeans.

“Glad we had a nice sunny day for your arrival. I ordered it just for you two,” Laric said.

“We appreciate that.” Ria inhaled deeply and took in the view. They wound their way around the edge of Starfall, then out into the country towards Watersedge. It was a beautiful ride. Laric peppered them with local history and tidbits. The forests and mountain ranges of Mitah were highly celebrated. Protected from development, beings came from across the galaxy to trek, climb, and explore the stunning terrain. And of course, there was the hunting. The road to Watersedge hugged the largest of these natural preserves. Only two small towns stood between Starfall and their destination, and they were both low-tech. Probably lower class Mitans and their Curzan slaves.

Still,
Ria took in the towering mountains in the distance,
if you have to be poor, this is a pretty awesome place to do it.
She imagined that between the garden plots next to nearly every home and the hunting possibilities of the preserve, they probably lived fairly well.

The mountains were heavily forested. Vertical cliffs ran along the base of the range to the left. It looked as though some cosmic giant had sliced off the foot of the range. One of the moons crested the peak. It would soon be tailed by its smaller brother.

They made good time, and Laric dropped them off at one end of the market while he took care of some business of his own before lunch.

Ria checked the list of places he’d sent to her com for shopping. “Harvey, show me a map of the places Laric suggested.”

“Yes, sugar. Y’all are real close to this here specialty gown shop.” Harvey spoke in a female voice with a Texan drawl.

Ria snorted.

“Nice,” Dani said.

The holo showed a picture of a shop front expanding in size. Ria moved the holo to one side and saw it was only four or five doors from where they stood.

“Looks good to me, shall we?”

Dani swept her arm out. “After you, sugar.”

Twenty minutes later, Ria pushed aside the flimsy curtain of a dressing stall and spun in circles over to the mirror. She loved the way the bottom of the dress flared out when she twirled. Purple silk and lace hugged her diminutive frame and accentuated her breasts. She took a deep breath, taking in the smell of incense and fresh ocean air. There was an energy here that had her totally fired up.

The shopkeeper had dedicated a large portion of the back of the shop to dressing rooms. Six stalls radiated from a circular waiting area. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors stood between each stall. A large, framed open doorway led to the shop floor, leaving the space bright and airy. Upbeat music piped in from overhead made for a fun atmosphere.

A man’s voice came from out front, and Ria’s stomach did an odd flip-flop. The lady shopkeeper laughed at something he said. “You’re far too sweet, Ty. Now, come here and let me show you.”

The small woman led a dark-haired man to the doorway. “Don’t mind us, dears. Just some repairs that need doing.”

Dani swept out of her stall and twirled to Ria’s side.

The shopkeeper reached out and showed the man where the doorframe had been split in half. “The girls were perfectly behaved. It’s when the boys showed up that things got out of control.” She shook her head and handed the broken frame segment to the man. “They broke the bench in the third stall over there, as well.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Tiddle, I’ll have it all fixed in no time.” The man smiled, then turned to Ria.

Long bangs hung over part of his face and nearly covered smoky gray eyes.

Ria caught her breath as her psi buzzed. It was a crazy buzz, like something from a dream half-remembered. The kind where you wake yourself laughing only to have the memory go up in a puff of smoke. The reason for laughing was gone, but it left you happy.

He grinned and returned to the front of the shop.

“Hello? Earth to Ria? Or, Mitah to Ria, whatever.” Dani snapped fingers in front of her face.

Ria focused on her friend. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, what do you think of this?” Dani wore a white gown that had black gems woven throughout in a beguiling pattern. The dress would shine with an ethereal light of its own in the dark.

“Spectacular,” Ria said. She glanced over to the doorway where the man had been and wondered if he’d be back soon.

The shopkeeper hustled in then with an armful of glittery, sheer fabric. She set them down on a bench and held one up.

“Oh, they’re beautiful,” Dani said rushing over.

White wings made with loosely woven silk had a life of their own as Mrs. Tiddle held them up. “Turn around, dear.”

Dani spun around, and the woman attached the wings to her back. The theme of the infamous Summer’s Ball on Mitah this year was a mythical creature called the
Swali
. They were not unlike Earth’s fairies and were said to have magical abilities, including seeing into the future.

The shopkeeper extended another set of wings, purple this time to match Ria’s dress.

Ria fingered the delicate material. Silky soft, they sparkled with her touch. “I’m afraid I’ll break them.”

“Goodness no, sweetie. This is Mitan silk. It’s been treated to be somewhat rigid, and is very strong. Now turn around.”

The crazy energy was back, and Ria laughed as she spun around and found the man standing in the doorway.

Her breath caught again as his eyes sparked. Ria froze.
Mother Goddess, could it be?

The man had a surprised look on his face that must surely match her own.

Mrs. Tiddle stepped back to admire her work. Her head went from Ria to the man and back again. “Where are my manners? Ty, dear, this is Ria and Dani. They’re visiting from a planet called Earth, shopping for the ball.”

“The wings were kind of a give away.” He nodded and Ria’s psi buzzed. “You both look stunning.”

“Thanks,” Dani said, spinning in front of the mirror, admiring her wings. “This will look perfect next to Ian’s tux.”

“And we’re back to Ian.” Ria shook her head, trying to clear the fog that had descended.

Dani gave her a nudge with her psi.

Ria did her own pirouette in front of the mirror. She felt supremely self-conscious knowing that Ty watched her.
Ty.
Could he be the one?

Every ounce of her body thrilled. Stuck in free fall, she could barely breathe.

She watched him in the mirror as he used a metal bar to pry off the rest of the doorframe. His short-sleeved T-shirt showed muscled arms and hinted at a rippled abdomen.

She pictured herself trailing her fingers down his abs and wasn’t quite able to stifle a low moan.

Dani grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. “You’re staring…and you’re totally flushed.” She laughed then. “Got the hots for someone?”

“Shhh. He’ll hear you.”

“Funny how sound travels in a small, round room.” His voice resonated deep inside her.

She smiled at him, totally tongue-tied, which was so not like her.

He reached around the corner and brought in a new plank, affixing it to the frame.

Ria stepped inside her dressing stall and pulled the curtain shut. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Dani stuck her head inside. “You okay?”

Ria let out a laugh. “Yeah, just going to get dressed. Meet me out front?”

Dani gave her a knowing grin. “Sure. I’ll leave you alone with Mr. Hottie.”

Ria pushed her out and closed the drape again. Funny. The thought had struck her that he could be her psi-mate. What should she say? What should she do? She shrugged out of her dress, being careful not to crush the wings. It was truly beautiful.
I’ll get another in green.
She looked good in green. Pulling on her pants, she thought of the man outside. Ty. What if he was vowed to someone? A near panic ripped through her. She shoved her boots on and grabbed her shirt. She didn’t know what she was going to say, but she had to say something before he left.

* * * *

Ty watched the petite redhead dart back into the dressing room. He pressed his palms on the plank, setting the adhesive
.
He turned and leaned his back against the wood, running a hand through his hair. There was no denying the way she made him feel. The way she made his psi feel. He turned and ran his hands along the frame, checking for any loose spots. Even his attraction to Olivia paled in comparison to this. He hadn’t made any effort to see her during the last two weeks. Red, here, was nice. More than nice, she made his psi burn with desire. He went to the stall with the broken bench and got to work. A few minutes later, he sensed her presence. She definitely gave him a buzz. He drove the last nail into place. “You should get that dress in emerald green, too. You’d look good in that color.” He stood and turned to face her.

She actually blushed. “I was thinking the same thing.” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat a few times.

Ty leaned a shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms. He enjoyed watching her squirm.

“So, I take it you’re from here?” she finally asked.

“Born and raised.”

She nodded and glanced around the empty dressing room. “Right, well, I guess it was nice meeting you.” She turned to go but stopped at the sound of his voice and the pull from his psi.

“We never completed the introductions.” He held out his hand. The thought of touching her was extremely appealing. “Ty Sordina.”

She stared at his hand. Not moving an inch.

Come on, Red. You know you want to.

She blew out a little laugh. “Ria Montori.” She placed her hand in his.

He nearly jumped at the bolt of pleasure that coursed through him. Their eyes met, and the thrill increased. If he didn’t let go, he was going to have to take her here and now. From the look of her, she might just beat him to it. He did let go and tilted his head. “I think we need to have dinner. Are you free tonight?”

Her smile spoke to his heart, which really wasn’t what he’d intended.
It’s only chemistry.
He could tell himself that all he wanted, but the urge to pull her into his arms suggested otherwise.

A little over an hour later Ria, Dani, and Laric sat at an outdoor table of a very posh restaurant. Ria was having a hard time controlling the butterflies in her stomach. She’d agreed to meet Ty back here at the market at seven-thirty, and she couldn’t wait. The energy he’d infused in her was making it difficult to sit still. She tried to focus on the present. The cafe had a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the bustling market. The sun warmed her skin, and just enough of a breeze blew in from the nearby ocean to keep the temperature perfect. Watersedge smelled of an interesting mix of ocean and earth. A few minutes later, Laric’s father and stepmother joined them.

Leon Jara had recently returned from a ten-year stint in the Sandarian military. His stiff posture and crisp dress would have pegged him as a serviceman, even if she hadn’t served herself. Laric’s stepmother, who went by Nini, was the epitome of what humans would call a trophy wife—closer to Laric’s age than Leon’s and beautiful.

The three stood, and Laric made the introductions.

Leon had a firm grasp as expected. “You’re a surprise. I just assumed there would be a height requirement for EPs.”

Ria bit back the irritation that always came with comments like that. “Four years in the Sandarian Academy. Graduated second in class. I can hold my own, sir.”