Sky lived a quiet life on Resku Station until the day her life ended at the hand of an invasion. She is forced into a life as a Nameless time traveller, and her companion guards her every move until Tavik realizes that the Orb of Time has a destiny planned for the Terran and if he wants to take part in it, he had better stay close. Knowing that she is the one destined for him, he plans to stay on top of the situation at every opportunity.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Avert Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace ISBN: 978-1-77111-209-3 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com
Avert A Terran Times Tale By Viola Grace
Chapter One
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ky Raynard shuddered as her armour took yet another impact. She raised her blaster and held the pressure steady as she fired over and over at the oncoming rush of bodies. Her team was down around her, she was the last one standing and she was going to make it count. She struck one after another of her opponents down until there was no one left. Standing and looking around at the chaos of the battle, she let out a triumphant whoop. “Station personnel win and the crew of the Exor loses!” Sky smiled as her friends and co-workers got to their feet, congratulating each other while the crew of the long-haul ship, Exor, looked around with chagrin. “A bet is a bet, Captain. You are buying drinks and dinner for the station staff.” The crablike Captain Creeger clicked his mandibles in agreement. “You are correct. The station crew is able to defend itself. I apologize for the comments of my security officer. An evening’s entertainment is on me.” The station staff cheered. Laughing, Sky removed her helmet only to hear a harsh murmur from the crew of the Exor. She frowned, “What? Is there something on my 1
Viola Grace face?” Sky knew what the problem was, but she pretended innocence. As the only bi-pedal humanoid on Resku Station, she stood out and some of the incoming crews considered her exotic or a hideous freak. She was good with either one. The captain shook his head rapidly and clicked to sweep away his shock. “You are lovely for one of your species, I am sure. It was just such a surprise to be bested by a softie.” Sky barked another laugh. “You will be fine, I am sure.” She turned to walk to the change room where she was going to resume her normal gear as seamstress for the station. When she shucked off the battle armour used in the simulation, she fought the bubbling sense of pride that was welling up in her. As a group, the personnel of Resku Station were a little ungainly, but they fought to the last. She was proud to have been asked to join them when the challenge came down. With her armour filed and returned to storage, she left the change room covered in her normal loose trousers and wrap top. The rowdiness of the crew having drinks with the station workers was building to a frenzy and Sky preferred to celebrate alone. A nod to the bartender got her a bottle and she tucked it under one arm, returning to her shop. Pure mountain spring water was a rarity and the captain was going to wince at the bill, but she had taken on his entire crew when her team was down in the first thirty seconds. She deserved a little gloating and fresh 2
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water was the way to do it. The Resku Station was silent. All personnel on the small station were enjoying the celebration. Inside her silent shop, she pulled a chair up to the counter, fluffed her curls and sipped at the water in the dimness of the dresses and draped manikins that were her sole reason for being on this station in the Nyal Imperium. Sky’s only claim to fame was that she literally was not afraid of the unknown, so when she had met her first aliens back on Earth, she had treated them as just another set of strangers. Her lack of fear had captured their attention and she had made it into the final selection of the Volunteers of Terra with little trouble. With the shop silent, she caught up on her data processing and filed receipts. Sky was well hydrated and sleepy when she saw the first sign of trouble. Oh, crap. Warriors in armour trooped through the station, their weapons held at the ready. This was no security force. Resku Station was being invaded. She quickly sounded the alarm and triggered the invasion protocols from her shop. Kneeling behind the counter, she crossed her fingers that their scanners would not pick her up. The sudden rush of battle sounds made her wince and she heard voices crying out in pain as the invaders used their weapons with deadly accuracy. It was times like now that she wished she had gotten more combat training than the bare minimum offered by the Alliance to someone with her career path. She crept along the floor of her shop and reached her worktable, pausing to check again for anyone noticing 3
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her before she reached up and gripped the long shears on her table. Sky inhaled and exhaled quietly, freezing as she heard a sound within the confines of her shop. As slowly and carefully as she could, she leaned out and peeked around the corner. One of the invaders was sweeping the shop with a scanner. “The signal came from in here.” The harsh voice sent a shiver through her. She tensed with nerves and prayed that her desk was thick enough to hide her from the scanner. To mock her, the beeping of the scanner picked up in pitch and got louder. They had found her and her time was up. Sky gripped the scissors in either hand and waited. She heard the rush of fabric and a light flared in her eyes as the neural disruptor powered up. Sky lashed out and spiked the scissors into both legs and jerked them free, blood spurting over her as she grabbed his weapon and left him in her shop. His screaming brought others to her store and she lifted the disruptor, firing at one after another until the charge was done and she was facing two men with the same weapon. She didn’t surrender but dropped her gun and dove for the weapon of one of the dead invaders in her shop’s doorway. Sky didn’t make it to the disruptor before she was struck again and again. Her body shorted out, her lungs stopped working, and she heard a series of harsh cries as a bright light took her and carried her away from Resku Station. 4
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Pain ripped through her as she was subjected to a charge that restarted her system. She gasped and cried out as her body screamed with pain. A hand clutched hers and she squeezed it tight. “It will be all right, Sky Raynard. You are safe now and your new life begins today.” She focussed on the speaker and saw a man with broad shoulders and a smiling curve to his lips. He was wearing a cowl that covered his head and threw his face into shadows. The lips and chin were all that was available to view. “Who are you?” The smile turned into a grin. “I am Tavik. I had to manipulate the timeline a little to bring you here, but you are safe here.” She used his grip on her hand to lever herself upright. “Where is here?” He helped her gain her footing and two other figures slipped out of the room. A wide balcony was accessible along one wall and he led her out into the peculiar light. Looking out over the fantastic view, she blinked rapidly as she tried to absorb the ramifications of the expanse of land that ended suddenly in a swirling starscape. “How are we breathing?” “There is a force that provides us with the atmosphere, gravity and lighting that we need to live.” “A force?” “It will be explained in time. Will you walk with me? Your body is still coming back to itself now and 5
Viola Grace the physician said that the walking would help.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember him saying that?” “Time moves differently here. What you perceived as a moment was actually close to an hour. Your body did not want to wake. I am wondering if it is a characteristic of your species.” She wondered about that but didn’t have a chance to ask him what he was referring to, because he kept his grip on her hand and led her out of the medical centre and onto an arcing walkway that stretched between buildings. He didn’t have to hold her hand as they walked. She clung to him for fear of slipping off the edge of the pathway. Shivering, she held on for dear life until they were in a building where a wide spiral staircase ran around the outer edge of the room and huge frames were spaced along the path at regular intervals. “Where are we?” The walls absorbed her voice in an eerie way. “The library of time. I want to explain to you why you are here, and the best way is to show you where you came from.” Realizing that the man she was with had to be totally insane, she let him lead her up the spiralling ramp to stand in front of the third mirror that they passed. As she watched the image in the mirror, a sick chill ran through her. There was a warrior standing with a gun at the ready and a heap of fallen at its feet. Sky knew that armour and that pose. She wanted to see what happened next. 6
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Chapter Two
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atching yourself through a recorder was always peculiar, but instead of following her back to her shop, the image swung to the hold of the Exor where the army was working its way from the belly of the ship up and into the station. “It was their plan all along to take the station, Sky. There was nothing you could have done beyond what you did.” Her nails bit into her hands as she watched her friends and companions slaughtered one by one. “Why didn’t you do something?” Her tone was flat. Her soul was numb. “I am not allowed to tamper within my timeline and you are part of my timeline. I am sorry, but there was no saving the staff on Resku Station. It was overrun and used as a base for the Raider tribe that inhabited the area.” She listened carefully while she watched the horror unfolding in front of her. When it came time for her to watch herself holding the men off at the dress shop, she felt the heavy resolve take hold of her soul. “Why are you talking about it in the past tense?” 7
Viola Grace Her companion cleared his throat. “It happened ten years ago. I had to go back in time to catch you before you completely passed on.” She swayed and came close to clocking herself on the mirror frame. Her voice was a hoarse croak, “What do you mean?” He pulled her away from the screen as the bright flash knocked down the horde of men surrounding her in the image. A figure walked out of the fading brightness and carried her into another glowing ball of brilliance. Her companion tugged her away and the image faded behind her. “Who are you, why am I here?” A feminine voice broke into her whirling thoughts. “Those are the same questions that I asked. Come along, Sky. I will give you the full briefing.” The man next to her scowled at the blonde-haired woman walking toward them on the nearest bridge span. “She isn’t your pupil, Aura.” “She isn’t yours yet either, Tavik. Let me explain things to her. I am one of her own kind after all.” The woman was smiling at her, but Sky was struck by the star-scape whirling in the eyes of the woman facing her. “Who are you? You look familiar.” “Come with me. I will have you back to Tavik in no time.” The man scowled and flipped his cowl back, exposing that he had a similar eye situation to the woman. “What is with your eyes?” Sky blurted it out and she bit her lip as the woman burst out laughing. 8
Avert “Come with me, Sky. I will tell you a tale of time, death and Terrans.” The woman took her by the arm and walked with her up the bridge, flaring a light around both of them that continued their walk into a building with tantalizing scents coming out of it. As Sky sighed and smiled at the familiar smells. “Lead on, stranger.” “Aura. My name is Aura of the Nameless, but let’s keep other information aside until we get some food in you. It is a lot to take in and I want you sitting down.” Sky walked next to Aura and saw a collection of statues that were life-sized and some of them resembled people eating in the huge refectory under a crystal dome. That was filed as the third question on Sky’s list. “Take what interests you and grab a cup of coffee. They have located a decent source as long as you don’t analyze it too much.” Aura wandered off and took a tray, filling it with selections. Bemused, Sky did the same, picking things that seemed innocuous and familiar before she followed Aura to the beverage station where Aura filled a tall cup with dark, hot liquid and turned to plunk it on her tray. “Creamers and sugars are to the left. This isn’t Starbucks, but we get by.” Sky almost dropped her tray. “You’re a Terran.” Aura sipped at her own dark cup. “Yup. Now, come along, so I can explain things to you.” With her new friend leading the way, Sky looked out at the smiling faces whose owners waved a hello to her companion. Aura slid into a seat at a charmingly located table next to a statue of herself. 9
Viola Grace “What is the deal with the statues?” Sky had a thousand questions and no idea who could provide the answers to her. “First things first, you eat, I will talk.” Aura started nibbling at something on a stick, amusement crinkling her eyes. Sky sipped at the coffee and blinked surprised eyes. “This is the closest thing to coffee that I have had in years.” Aura chuckled. “It has been thirteen years for me. My second life has been spent running the errands of time.” Sky frowned. “There wasn’t an early set of Volunteers. How is it that you have been here thirteen years when I have been away from home for three?” “The short answer is that you were pulled forward through time. Out of Tavik’s past and into your own future.” “I think I need more of an explanation.” Aura nodded and sat back with her mug in one hand. “When the big bang occurred, what happened to the universe that had been here until then?” Sky’s eyes widened. “I have no idea.” “No one does. It ceased to be. Well, most of it ceased to be. The previous universe did not want to go, so it ripped a chunk of a world, wrapped it in an atmosphere and settled it in the space between universes. The old universe was lonely and it planted the seeds of the capacity to perceive and manipulate it over hundreds of worlds.” Aura shifted. “The problem came in getting the people who carried the capacity of manipulating time 10
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and space to come to this place, this peculiar Home in the middle of nowhere. The universe created the Orb of Time, the window to its soul and used this to call the first of the Nameless to it. To here. To Home.” Sky blinked. “What does this have to do with me?” “Like many others, you have the potential to do great things and you have the ability to bend time to your will.” “I don’t think so. If it was the case, why wasn’t I brought here earlier?” She crossed her arms and scowled. “To be frank, you had to die and it had to be on record. To become one of the Nameless, you have to be removed from your timeline. That means you have to die, or be assumed to be dead. Once you are out of your timeline, you can go anywhere, anytime and see any point in history.” “I died?” “You were mostly dead. Tavik got to you before you were completely dead. There is a difference apparently.” Aura shrugged. “Why didn’t any of those abilities show up on the Volunteer scans back on earth?” “The gene is hidden. The theory is that at the time of death, your soul sends out a burst of energy that the Orb sees. The Orb, in turn, sends one of us to retrieve those who have just surrendered to time.” “What a polite way to phrase it.” “Isn’t it? So much better than kicked the bucket.” They laughed together and to Sky, it brought back the inhumanity in Aura’s eyes. “What is it with your eyes?” 11
Viola Grace “When you look into the Orb of Time, it moves in. It activates the dormant gene and changes your eyes to the swirling patterns of time. Or at least that is what my bondmate calls them. I just call them nifty.” A man rose from another table and calmly walked over to join them. He sat in silence and finally Aura sighed. “Sky, this is my bondmate, Randr. My transporting us here dragged him along and he was polite enough to let us have a few minutes alone. Mentioning him is like summoning the devil, he will always turn up.” “Bondmate? Is that like a husband?” “Yes and no. We are bound by the power of the Council of Seven and the energy of the Orb of Time itself. Where I go, he goes and vice versa. It was a punishment for something I did on my first day of being Nameless.” Randr inclined his head and grinned. “I have been listening. She has been very thorough. Any additional questions?” “Tons. What does Nameless mean?” Randr answered, “The universe that died at the moment of the big bang was nameless. Nothing survived. We give up our previous lives, including family and home worlds, and so, we are Nameless in all our actions from this point onward. No planet recognizes us and only Home is ours.” Aura elbowed him. “In a slightly less tangled version, we are Nameless because the Orb of Time has no name. The previous universe had no name. We call ourselves Nameless because this is our new start, our way of honouring what we have become. Other races 12
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call us Nameless, Sentinels, Watchers and Bringers of Light.” Sky whistled softly. “We get around.” Aura grinned. “Yes we do.” As Sky rubbed her forehead ruefully, she had to admit she was intrigued, and more than that, she was in.
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Chapter Three
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ky had to admit she was well and truly hooked. She wanted to know more about the rabbit hole she had fallen into and when Tavik appeared at her side, she looked up into the same eyes that everyone else in the room was wearing and smiled. He smiled tentatively in return, as if unfamiliar with the reason for her cheerful expression. “The council is waiting for you, Sky. Are you comfortable enough with the introduction that Aura has provided?” She nodded. “I have more questions.” “I will be happy to answer them. We simply have a small matter to attend to first.” Sky cocked her head. “What?” “Your viewing of the Orb of Time and induction into the Nameless.” Sky looked down at her station-issue tunic, trousers and boots. “I am not going to meet the Orb of Time looking like this. Is there somewhere I can find some clothing?” Aura stood. “I can take her.” Tavik raised his hand. “I will take her to the acquisition centre. You can take care of the summoning 14
Avert that the Orb has sent to you.” Randr chuckled and Aura swore as she flared with a brilliant light. Aura smiled at Sky, her eyes brilliant and alive in her glowing face. “I will see you when I return, Sky. Don’t worry about the eyes. They will go great with that hair of yours.” Randr wrapped his arm around Aura’s waist and together, they disappeared in a flash of light. Sky blinked and stood up. “Does that happen often around here?” Tavik grinned. “All the time. You get used to it.” She looked at his dark gold hair, kept off his face by two neat braids at his temples. His skin was a pale gold with a texture that gave the shadows of his face a peculiar colouration. Dark blue accented the slight hollow of his cheeks under the high cheekbones. The sharp curve of his lips was medium blue and the column of his neck was highlighted with the same blue shadows. Whatever race he was from was a new one for Sky. “What colour were your eyes originally?” “Dark purple, why?” “Just wondering. Now, where are you taking me?” He straightened his impressively wide shoulders. “I am taking you to acquisitions. If you want to select another set of clothing that is the place to do it.” She brushed her hands absently at her clothing, removing crumbs from her shirt and trousers. “Lead on, Tavik.” He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her, sending a bubble of light around them both. When 15
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the hot light receded, they were in another place, in front of a large building that held the distinctive whir of machinery. “Um, I think you can let me go now, Tavik.” Being plastered against his body was distracting to say the least. In her time at Resku Station, she had never been anywhere near one of the aliens that frequented the place. If she had found one who looked and felt this good, she might have reconsidered. When he released her, her body let her know of its disappointment. “Come along, Sky.” He took her by the hand and his palm scraped lightly against her skin. The tiny contact became the focus of her attention as they entered the domed building filled with the scent of mechanical operations. A short line of others was focussing on a large display screen and Tavik explained. “You will key in your sizes and a selection of clothing will be displayed from differing cultures and points in time. When you make your selection, the computer will send a bot to retrieve the item from storage. The process takes only a few minutes.” “So, we get in line?” He nodded. “We get in line.” They stood side by side and Sky noted one important thing, Tavik was still holding her hand. Scrolling through the selections, she was shocked to see her own designs in the available listing. With a few light taps of her fingers, she picked out a deep black tank dress with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt. It 16
Avert wasn’t fancy, but it suited her. To match it, she selected a pair of knee-high boots that laced snugly onto her calves. It took the computer two minutes to find her selections and deliver them to her. “Where is there a change room?” Tavik gestured to their left where she had seen others disappear with their boxes. The change rooms had charming chairs, fully appointed vanities and a number of hangers on the wall. The change room she had wandered into was also larger than her first apartment. When Sky opened the box, she smiled at the matching underwear that was in with the dress. She removed her station wear with relief and slipped into the bra and panties before lacing up her boots and slipping her dress over her head. A few deft tugs at the laces made the dress snug on her body, just as she had designed it. The mystery as to why her designs were in evidence was just another question that she wanted to ask. She frowned at her reflection in the mirror and adjusted her cap of long curls. No matter what she did, they refused to hang below her shoulders, so she was resigned to wearing her hair in the only style it would accept. It was her grandmother’s hair. The curls were the result of a wild mix of genes that had led to her grandmother being excised from polite society. Gran didn’t mind. She had married the man she loved and built a life and family with him. If she had tried, she could have passed as white in the towns and cities they visited, but Gran didn’t believe in being something that 17
Viola Grace you weren’t. She was proud of her heritage and her children should be proud too. Sky smiled at the memory of her gran. Sara Raynard had been a force to be reckoned with and the primary means for Sky joining the Terran Volunteers. When the rest of the Raynards had caused a fuss, Sara had stomped her cane down and said quietly, “She is going to be a representative of all the peoples of Earth. We are going to let her go and give her our blessing. Sky will make us proud as she always has in the past.” The rest of the family had quieted and Sky had rushed to hug her gran. The scent of roses and lavender had embraced her and Sky had tried to commit the scent to memory. A knock at the change room brought her attention back to the present. “Are you ready, Sky?” She wiped at the tears that had tracked down her cheeks and quickly removed her sewing kit from inside her station tunic. She fastened it under the hem of her skirt and went to face Tavik. “Sorry it took so long.” He smiled, “It was well worth the wait. You look lovely.” “Thank you. Where to next?” “The Council of Seven and your induction as a Nameless.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and started to walk with her on one of the huge arching pathways. They walked slowly. “Why are we walking here when you could just pop into the other place?” “We try not to pop in on the council. It shows lack of respect, besides, I thought you would enjoy gathering 18
Avert your thoughts before the change.” She grinned. “My thoughts are pretty well centred. I am fairly focussed when I have to be.” He smiled back at her, his face still a little stiff as if the expression didn’t come naturally. “I am glad to hear it, but in that case, simply enjoy the view. Home is lovely right now.” She thought that he had an act for understatement. Home was breathtaking. The feeling of almost being able to touch the stars, nebulas and spinning galaxies was overwhelming. Life on Resku had contained its challenges, but something was telling Sky that her idea of what a challenge entailed was about to be tested.
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Chapter Four
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he building that housed the Council of Seven was a tall cylinder that descended below the level of the walkways and into a crevice that allowed a view of the stars beneath. “We just go inside?” Sky was suddenly nervous. “We do. They know you are here. They always know when new arrivals appear.” Tavik’s arm around her waist was suddenly the only solid thing in her universe as he urged her into the dark maw of the doorway. A semi-circle of Nameless faced Sky. The spot on the centre of the floor was obviously for her. Tavik gave her support by standing behind her. A woman with black hair in an elaborate twist complete with tiny braids smiled at her. “Welcome, Sky Raynard of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, Seamstress of Resku Station.” Sky knew at that moment that it was the last time she would hear her own name and titles like that. “Thank you for the welcome.” The woman inclined her head. “I am Ravikka and I am currently the speaker for the Council of Seven. Do 20
Avert you have questions for us?” Sky smiled, “Do you know why I had to die?” Ravikka sat up straight and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she nodded. “You had to die because the station had to be completely overrun and become a base for the Raiders. They needed to be there, because their proximity put them in exactly the right position to be affected by the blasts from two different members of the Sector Guard on different worlds.” “That made a difference?” “If you had survived, they would have gone deeper into Nyal space to hide and the occupants of Resku would have been blasted by the Sector Guard by accident instead.” Sky rocked back on her heels. So her death really had made a difference. “That makes sense, but how will I know that it is the truth?” A few of the other councillors murmured, but Ravikka waved them off. “You won’t know until it happens, or until you have an assignment that tunes you into that timeline. Once it has come to pass, you will have the knowledge in your mind as sure as you are standing here before me today.” “I find that difficult to believe.” Ravikka and the others got to their feet. “Then, follow us and you will know and believe.” Sky followed the slow pace of the seven as they led the way down a spiralling staircase. When they reached ground level, a spiral on the floor with a small platform at the end of it told Sky what she needed to know. Tavik stayed near the staircase and the seven fanned out around the edge of the room, standing next to icons 21
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in the wall. Sky slowly paced her way around the coiling path until she was standing on the small platform. As one, the seven councillors pressed the icons next to them and below her, in the spinning void of space a glow set off and came toward her. The Orb of Time lifted out of space and hovered in front of Sky’s face. She felt the touch on her mind briefly before light flared out and she was given the energy that she had not asked for. Screaming was a tacky option, but it was all that came to mind as fire burned along every nerve she had. Her mind filled with details of her own life, Tavik’s life and the life they would have together. She also saw a woman alone on a rocky out cropping, snow swirling around her and her shaking hands were caressing her pregnant belly. The woman bore a startling resemblance to Ravikka’s species, but the eyes were a vivid purple instead of swirling black. The moment that Sky could walk again, she turned and followed the spiral outward again. Her skin was glowing hot pink, but as far as she knew, it was a normal side effect. Tavik corrected her assumption when his own skin started to pulse with the same pink. “Sky, what are you seeing?” “A pregnant woman alone on a mountain top.” “It is my vision as well.” Ravikka stood next to them and cleared her throat. “Sky, may I have a moment alone with you?” Tavik scowled, “Councillor, you know by this 22
Avert colouration that it is urgent.” Ravikka raised her hand. “A moment.” Sky shrugged and followed the councillor to a corner. “What is it, Councillor?” “You are about to meet me. You are going back in time to help me birth my babe before I die and when I do, you have been given the energy to send me here in my own timeline without you accompanying me.” Sky’s eyes were wide. “What?” “Take my child, bring him to the nearest town, a charming inn with two ducks on the banner. Bring him to the innkeeper and his wife and tell them that his name is Kavik. Then, come back and I will explain everything else.” Sky nodded and frowned, “This won’t mess things up?” “This is what must happen. Go without a cowl. You were dressed like this when I first saw you, as was Tavik, now go.” Confused, she turned and walked back to Tavik. “We can go now. How do we do that?” Tavik smiled, “For this one, I will transport you. You will be able to do it soon on your own.” She didn’t have a chance to express how insane this all felt to her, a surge of energy enveloped them both and in another moment, she was shivering on a mountainside with Tavik next to her. “Where is she?” Tavik shouted against the wind. Sky pointed to the opening in the rock face. “She is already in labour. We need to get to her quickly.” “Lead the way. I am not that comfortable with this aspect of the assignment.” 23
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Sky wanted to chuckle, but her jaw chattered instead. She thanked her luck that she picked boots instead of sandals and waded through snow to get to the small opening in the side of the stone wall. The blaster strike next to her head preceded a groan by seconds. “I am not here to harm you, Ravi. Please relax. I have a companion and he is here to help you as well.” The woman on the ground bore only slight resemblance to the dignified councillor. Her black hair was matted, her purple eyes were sunken and her golden blue skin had a sallow cast. “Liars, you are here from the palace.” Sky looked down at her dress. “Do you think I would have survived travelling in this? I have been sent here through time to save your baby and bring him to safety. Will you let me help you?” At her back, she could feel Tavik stiffen in surprise at her bald explanation, but she couldn’t worry about him now. There was too much blood pooling under Ravikka’s gown for anything to be proceeding properly. Ravikka blinked rapidly to focus. “You will keep him safe?” “We will keep him safe and take him to where he can be raised free from any association with you. Will that do?” Ravi winced. “You are very blunt.” She paused as another contraction gripped her. “I thought that time might be of the essence. Now, will that do?” Ravi bared her teeth. “I offer you my bracelets in compensation for your efforts. Keep him from his 24
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father and it will definitely do. Now, strange creature with stars in your eyes, help bring him into the world so that I can leave it.” It was a moment that Sky wished she had never witnessed. Ravikka fought hard and as her child slid into the world, she began to leave it. Absently, Sky slid the bracelets on her arms, the mix of gold and stones reached almost to her elbow in a strange and lacy pattern. Somehow, she knew they were important. “Tavik, come here. I don’t know how to do this.” He was at her side in an instant, his post by the doorway abandoned in favour of helping her. “What do you need?” “We have to send her Home, in this time. Can you help me do that without going ourselves?” He nodded and pressed one hand to her shoulder. Sky pressed her hand to the palm that had just caressed her son before she started fading. A glow surrounded Ravikka and she flared as she went Home. Sky sat back. “Will they know what to do?” Tavik smiled, “The pink energy makes a noise that brings all on duty running. They will come and take her to safety, restarting her life at Home.” The baby wailed. Sighing, Sky scooped him off the bedding and she carefully wrapped him in a bundle of silks left behind by Ravikka. He fussed, and his deep lavender eyes blinked fuzzily at her, but she held him close. She closed her eyes and imagined the inn with the two ducks at the bottom of the mountain. 25
Viola Grace “How do I go where I am looking?” Tavik was at her side. “Simply take a step forward, you have already gathered the energy.” With a shaky sigh and a stroke along the baby’s downy cheek, Sky stepped forward and found herself on the street next to a sign with two ducks. She went inside and when an older woman asked what she wanted, Sky asked for the innkeeper and his wife. An older man came forward and stood next to the woman. “What do you want stranger with the strange eyes?” “I have been charged with bringing you this baby. His name is Kavik and his mother is no longer on this world.” The older woman cried out and covered her mouth, but the man nodded and held out his arms. “Kavik, my son you shall be. Your mother remembered.” Sky smiled weakly. “You knew her?” The old woman looked up through the same dark purple eyes that Ravikka had worn. “She was our daughter, taken by the emperor for his bed. We hoped that she was barren, but now that she is gone, we will take our new son and raise him to be a fine man.” “Thank you. His mother fought for his freedom and his separation from his paternal side. I am glad to know that you will respect her sacrifice.” The innkeeper swallowed heavily before saying, “She gave you her bracelets.” “She did. I would like you to accept them to help you raise your new son.” The innkeeper put his hand on her arm. “Keep them, 26
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please. I could never sell them. The moment I put them on the market, I would be swamped with imperial troops. We do all right. We always have. He will have a good life and want for nothing but his mother.” Sky nodded and smiled. “Have a good day, madam, sir.” The innkeeper’s wife smiled sadly. “Have a better one, Sentinel. You have blood on your hands.” Sky looked down and saw the traces of Ravikka’s life. She quickly made a short bow and disappeared out into the street. Tavik was waiting, staring at the sign. “You followed me.” “The Orb led me here. I can’t believe it.” “What?” “Ravikka, she is my great, great, great, great grandmother. She was an imperial leman who escaped and birthed my thrice-great grandfather in the mountains. No one knew where she disappeared to afterward, they only knew that Kavik had been brought to his grandparents by a stranger.” Sky started thinking of Home and her body glowed. With a smile, she stepped through. Tavik appeared a second later. “You were that stranger.” Ravikka walked out of the council building and smiled at them, taking in the bracelets on Sky’s arms. “You did it. My first Sentinel sent me Home and they healed me and brought me in front of the Orb. I watched my line grow and split, even watched you, Tavik, as you grew into an arrogant young man who walked into the wrong riot.” 27
Viola Grace Tavik blushed, but he extended his arms to her. “I apologize for my attitude when I first arrived here. It must have been terrible for you to watch me making an ass of myself while you tried to steer me in the correct direction.” Ravikka laughed and hugged her descendant. Sky sighed happily and was busy watching their joyful reunion when something disturbing occurred. She began to glow again.
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Chapter Five avikka caught the glow and looked up at Sky’s face with alarm. “Another, so soon?” Tavik turned and blinked in shock. “Called again? She hasn’t even been given her knife.” Ravikka blushed. “That was my fault. I remembered the woman coming to me unarmed. It was why I let her come close to me.” Sky closed her eyes and watched the images flicker through her thoughts. She saw a battle, a fire and a scream that tore through time. “I really, really want to have a knife. Maybe scissors?” Ravikka quirked a smile. “Scissors? How did you know that there was one set in equipment storage?” Sky shrugged. “I didn’t, I just know how to use them. Your most familiar weapon can be the most effective. There actually is a pair?” Ravikka grinned. “Yes, just a moment.” She walked back into the council hall and returned within two minutes. “Here we are. The others looked both shocked and relieved that you were willing to take these on. Oh, my.” Sky looked down and saw her hands glowing as
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brightly as a light bulb. Something wanted her to go immediately. She buckled the belt with its peculiar contents onto her hips and looked to Tavik. “Are you coming with me?” Tavik smiled, “If I am assigned as your tutor, of course I will. Ravikka?” Ravikka bowed. “Tavik, I assign you Sky as your pupil, teach her the ways of the Nameless and answer her questions. Keep her safe at all times and you will have done your duty.” Tavik inclined his head. “I accept the honour of a pupil of my own.” Ravikka laughed, “Good, now get going before she explodes. That would not be a good start to your first pupil.” Tavik wrapped his arm around Sky and spoke softly in her ear. “Focus on your destination, let the power of the Orb guide you to where it wants you to be.” Sky concentrated on the images that she was being given. It was more difficult than it should be as her mind was sorting pictures of Tavik naked in her bed, leaning over her and his hair draping over one scarred shoulder. With a surge of effort, she wrapped them both in the power of the Orb and a moment later, they were standing on a lonely hilltop overlooking a village under attack. Sky had no concept of their location in time. She only felt the urgency that the Orb had instilled within her. There was somewhere she needed to be and she had to get there fast. With one hand on her skirt, she lifted it to make 30
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running easier and made for the west side of the village with all of her focus on her assignment. There was a child in one of the homes and she had to take it to safety. The moment that she focussed on rescuing the child and removing it from its environment, something strange happened, she saw two futures. Tavik stumbled next to her and he blinked furiously as he ran with her. “Are you seeing this?” “Two futures? Yes. It all hinges around what we do next.” With her gaze firmly fixed on her target, she slogged through the smoke flowing up the hill toward her. Explosions of weaponry were getting closer to their location and despite their ability to move through time, it was running out. Sky slowed down as she approached the small home with its neat flowerbed and the tidy walk. She waved for Tavik to stay back and walked up to the door, standing to one side. Steeling her nerves, she knocked. The blast that destroyed the door missed her by inches. Sky shouted through the hole. “Ma’am, please. I am here to help!” The door swung in and Sky found herself looking at the business end of a blaster. The woman on the other side of the door had a massive bruise on the side of her face and snow white hair. “Why are you here, who are you?” Sky took a breath. “I have come to take the child to safety. I cannot save you, but I can save her.” 31
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Looking at the older woman, Sky noted that she had a peculiar crackling energy around her aura. The woman slowly lowered her weapon but kept it ready. “I have a companion with me. He only has a short knife. He is no danger to you. May he come in?” The woman raised the blaster. “Why have you come?” Sky sighed. “May I sit? You can let your granddaughter out of the closet now. They would have found her anyway.” Absently, the woman gestured to the table and Sky had a seat. “You can call in your companion. I won’t shoot him.” The sounds of battle were getting closer, but Sky acted as if she had all the time in the world. “Tavik, come in. It’s as safe as it is going to get.” She adjusted her skirt as she sat and the woman focussed her gaze on Sky’s belt. “Are those scissors?” “Yes. I am a seamstress. Come in, Tavik.” She raised one hand slowly and beckoned him in. The woman tightened her hands on the blaster, but she didn’t raise it when Tavik entered her home. “Sky, the invaders are getting closer.” His tone was low and quiet, but she heard the tension in his voice. “I know, Tavik, but she is determined to make a stand and I will not have the child traumatized by the removal. Her grandmother has to let her go. Now, sit down before she shoots you.” There was a tea set on the table and Sky poured the hot beverage into a cup and offered the other to the stunned woman who’s attention was now firmly fixed 32
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on her. “Have a seat, Randa. You are going to have to defend your home, but she will not be in it.” Jerking forward with slow steps, Randa took a seat with the two strangers and sipped at her tea. “You can keep her safe?” “I can deliver her to a place where she will grow tall and strong, living life to the fullest.” Sky placed her hand on the woman’s darker skin and smiled into the kind eyes that had been worn by time. “How can I know that you speak the truth?” Sky shrugged. “You can’t, but you can trust that with the death squad killing everyone in the village, they would not stop for one child. I can see two very distinct possibilities for your grandchild. In one, she dies here and her father’s people whisper rumours about her secretly living among them, and in the other, I take her to safety and the rumours say the same thing, but she gets to live a life on a free world with a family who loves her and will make sure her line extends far into your future.” Randa had tears in her eyes. “How do I know that you are not working for them?” Sky lifted her gaze and stared into the woman’s eyes. “Tell me what you see.” “Stars, so many stars.” Randa shuddered. Sky dropped her lids to half-mast once again. “Apparently, some call us Sentinels, but you can call me Sky.” The sounds of battle drew closer and Tavik tensed. “We have to go, Sky.” She nodded. “Will you trust me with her future?” 33
Viola Grace Randa’s tears streamed endlessly down her face. “Take my life with her. She will be in my heart as long as my soul lives.” Sky waited as Randa went to the cellar and lifted a little girl out. The six-year-old was sniffling and her bright eyes were wide in her dark face. It was the ivory glow of her hair and brows that marked her as different. “Veema, I want you to go with this lady and live a good life. My time is over, but they have promised me that you will have a chance to start over. You will behave and know for now and always that you are loved.” Veema nodded and hiccupped. Her cheeks were marked with tears. Sky held out her arms and the little girl curled against her. “Hello, Veema, I am Sky and I will take care of you.” “Will you take care of Nanna too?” Randa moved to speak, but Sky whispered, “No, sweetie, she has to stay here so that everyone thinks you are dead. When your own grandchildren come back, they will honour her for her sacrifice today.” Veema stuck her thumb into her mouth and didn’t look happy, but she nodded. “That is what Gran said.” Sky smiled at Randa as the truth of it came to her. “You screamed once when you saw your horror made real and that scream ripped through time.” “I did?” “You did, and now we are here, so the scream need not happen again. You are a precog, are you not?” “I am. My daughter should never have wed above her station, but no one knew that Timmorn would ever 34
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take the throne. He was a simple Earl when they wed and there was no reason to think that the entire royal family would be taken by plague. Veema was their only child and is now the heir to half the continent. Take care of her.” Sky bowed. “Make it good, Randa. We will be going now.” In a rush, Randa embraced both Sky and Veema before backing away and lifting her weapon again. Sky concentrated and focussed on the image in her mind of a quiet farm on a world with six moons. She looked back at Tavik, “I will see you at Home. This I do alone.” As her skin glowed and power gathered, soldiers appeared in the doorway. Sky quickly took a step into the doorway as Randa laid down covering fire. The doorway closed before the gunfire began and for that Sky was glad. Veema would always remember her grandmother going out fighting, not dying from a multitude of wounds. That was a memory no one deserved.
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Chapter Six eema cried quietly against Sky’s shoulder as she walked through the narrow path in the jungle. Sky didn’t tell her that it would be okay. Nothing in Veema’s life would be okay for quite some time. When the settlement came into view, Sky was relieved. She had trusted that her mind was steering her in the correct direction and that this place was not all a delusion. The Azon colony of Colithar was deep in the woods and medical breakthroughs were coming out of their facilities every year. They were at the beginning of their triumphant stay on this world and with Veema embedded with some of the most protective creatures in the Alliance, she would be safe. The woman that Sky was looking for was in a garden and examining the fruit she had grown. “Teilia Athula?” Sky spoke in a low tone. The woman jumped and whirled around, her lightly clawed hand extended in defence. “Who are you?” “Who I am is not important. This is Veema and she is in need of a home and family.” Veema was staring at the botanist with intense
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interest. Her huge bright eyes changed colouration with her mood. Her gaze went from intense grey to a bright amethyst. Sky put her on the ground and she walked up to Teilia with the serious expression that only children forced to grow up too soon have. “Excuse me, ma’am. My grandmother has gone beyond and I need someone to care for me. Will you take me in?” Veema extended her small hand to the Azon scientist. Teilia looked at Sky, but Sky simply shrugged. “Her grandmother had precognition. She knew that this was an option but had no idea how to get Veema here. That is where I came in.” Teilia took the young girl’s hand with a smile and shook the smaller appendage with her own. Sky watched as an electric connection sparked between the young girl and her new parent. Teilia lifted Veema in her arms and carried her into the house. Sky waited outside and in a few minutes, Teilia came out to speak with her. “Where is Veema?” “Inside having cookies and some fruit juice. Now tell me why you brought her to me.” Teilia waved her over to a bench set in the garden. Sky hiked over and took a seat. “You seem to take my eyes in stride.” Teilia grinned. “My family has run into Sentinels before, but none of them have ever dropped children on their doorstep. What is Veema?” “Heir to the mines of Mescaro and the entire 37
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Northern continent to boot. Her family has been killed and her grandmother gave her to me to keep her from dying in a horrible bloodbath that slaughtered their entire village.” “What is her species?” “She is Sorroh. Her eyes will change with her mood, so it will be easy to tell what she is thinking.” “Why me? Why not a couple? I am a single woman who spends most of her time with her garden.” Sky shrugged and tried to look innocent. “You have a man in your life and he will raise Veema as his own. She will become a pillar of your community and find a mate of her own one day. For now, know that she is in the right place at the right time, as are you.” Sky got to her feet and began to make a portal back Home. Teilia waved her hands, “Wait, how will I know who to look for? I am a master of sending men on their way.” Sky laughed and as she stepped into the portal, “Keep a lookout for a man named Hynaro.” There was a crowd waiting for her when she returned Home and they did not look happy. Tavik immediately moved to stand next to her and faced the crowd with her. “No matter what happens, I am here for you.” She reached out and took his hand. “Thank you.” Ravikka gestured for her to follow and led the way back into the council hall. The councillors took their seats and a light highlighted Sky’s position on the floor. “Sky, we realize that you have not had a chance to 38
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begin your training, but you have broken one of our most stringent rules.” Sky blinked and waited. When no one spoke, she asked, “What rule?” “To avert a death in a person who is scheduled to die is unacceptable.” Sky tilted her head. “The child was only truly scheduled to leave her home under mysterious circumstances. Her descendants will enact the change that will occur two generations from now before they hand the mines and planet back to the people. It won’t damage her world in any way.” “You have created a being that will affect nine different worlds by the very existence of her bloodline.” The man named Gwetho leaned into the light as he spoke. The councillors murmured wildly in their shadows. Ravikka sighed, “You also traipsed around without a cowl and you were seen. Rumours of our existence flared into life on Colithar and swept through their history. Apparently, this is not a singular visit on your part. You will visit the child as it grows.” Sky nodded. “Well, if you are going to lock me up, can you do it now? I haven’t had any rest since I was shot. I am feeling a little dizzy.” She didn’t have a chance to say anything else, the floor came up to greet her and she felt arms grab her as she faded into darkness. ****
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Viola Grace Ravikka sighed and sat back. “What are we going to do with her?” Aura sipped at her tea and shrugged. “What is the Orb saying?” “It wants her to tamper with time. There is no doubt that there are people who can improve the current state of dozens of worlds and she can see them. Averting death is her skill.” “What is the problem then, Ravi?” Ravikka smiled at the woman who bore more of the Orb inside her than any other Nameless. Aura refused to take a place on the council. Rather, she enjoyed roaming the worlds with Randr, witnessing and being seen by folk on the lookout for the Hooded Ones. They had seen more history in their ten years together than any of the Nameless who had been called in the last century. “Setting a bad precedent. The rest of the seven are freaked out about it. If she can go back and change history, our present may warp beyond reasonable expectation.” Aura quirked her lips. “If the Orb wants it, who are we to say no? It will simply take her over and ride her into those situations and we all know it.” “True.” It was a well-known fact that Aura had been possessed by the Orb over ten times in her tenure as a Nameless. Each time the Orb had taken over, someone had died. Removing folk from the time stream was not something most Nameless would attempt, but Aura was the Sentinel of Vengeance on at least six worlds that they had been able to pinpoint. She was now part and parcel of their legends and histories. The Orb was not 40
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big on concealment while killing. Aura sighed. “Where is she now?” “I have her under house arrest in Tavik’s quarters. He doesn’t mind. They have a future together. They just don’t know when it will start.” Ravikka rubbed her forehead as the thought of her great, great, great, great grandson with the second Terran Nameless ripped through her mind. As speaker for the seven, she could see the situation of all of the Nameless at any given time and right now, she was trying very hard not to think about her descendant and his new partner. Some things were better off left out of her imagination.
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Chapter Seven avik’s voice was a low growl, “Submit, Sky. This will go easier if you simply surrender.” Sky’s muscles tensed as the heat of battle was upon her. “I will never surrender. E6.” Tavik winced. “You sank my battleship.” She clapped and raised her arms in triumph. “Woo!” He shook his head as he reset his side of the game. “I cannot believe that you won the third round.” She snickered. “I can’t believe that acquisitions were able to find this for me. I love Battleship.” Her hands picked the tiny spikes from her board. It was day two of her house arrest while the council argued about her. The previous evening, Tavik had offered her the bed while he took the couch. Surprised at his thoughtfulness, she had demurred and told him to take the other half of the bed. When they woke up tangled together, they very calmly extricated themselves without mentioning that both of their bodies had responded to the embrace. She was attracted to Tavik and his obtaining Earth board games to keep her entertained while she was waiting for a decision endeared him to her even more.
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Sky stretched and wandered out onto the balcony. She never got tired of staring at the star-scape in front of her. A strange glittering started on her right and she turned to watch something taking shape on what had been an empty plain. “Tavik come see this.” He appeared at her side and together, they watched a pillar of stone take shape. “What do you think it is?” Aura was standing next to Randr on the balcony in a flash of light. Sky blinked. She would never get used to that. “I have no clue.” Aura grinned and stepped forward, turning Sky back to face the pillar. “The Orb is making you a private prison.” Sky’s heart pounded. “What?” Aura laughed. “Don’t worry. A prison is required by the letter of the law, but in case you hadn’t noticed, we don’t need doors to get where we need to go.” Sky’s lids flickered as she absorbed the ramifications. “So, I will be able to come and go?” “And food will be provided on a daily basis by the acquisitions department. The official ruling will occur in a few minutes, but I thought you would like to know what is coming.” Sky took Tavik’s hand and squeezed tight. “This sucks. I was just getting used to you.” He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I am not going anywhere. You are not the only one who will be able to come and go from that prison.” Her skin tingled at the slight touch on her skin and she tried not to let the surge of emotion show in her expression, but based on the look in Aura and Randr’s 43
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eyes, she failed miserably. She felt the blush climb her chest and into her cheeks. The communication device inside the apartment chirped insistently and Sky felt a certain amount of relief. Anything was welcome if it broke the cycle of knowing glances being thrown her way. Tavik went into his home and answered the call of the device. The shimmering stone was rapidly growing into an indefensible tower with no doors or connecting bridges to the other buildings of Home. If Sky were to call it her own, she would be on her own with no access to any of the others. Aura came and took her hand. “Don’t worry. It won’t be forever. They will accept your particular task set just as they accepted mine. It isn’t every race that takes killing those who must die in stride.” Sky coughed a laugh. “Mine seems to be the opposite. I am drawn to move the ones who should have died. Perhaps, it is balance, a little life for a little death.” The stars in Aura’s eyes swirled wildly. “You may just be correct.” Randr chuckled. “You would know.” Sky saw the tie between them as clearly as if it was drawn in the air. It was more than just the shackle of energy that bound them. It was the fire of attraction and affection that kept them together. Tavik returned. “The council wants to speak with you, Sky. It’s time.” She looked into his eyes and lunged upward, 44
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grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him for all she was worth. Light flared around them and they were standing in the council hall with a group of shocked councillors staring a moment later. Tavik’s hands were on her waist and her ass, making her giggle as she slid from his grasp. His expression was dazed to say the least, but he firmed up his lips when Ravikka cleared her throat. “Well, this is not well timed. Tavik, please stand aside from the defendant. Sky, you are about to receive your sentence.” “Good. The prison looks lovely.” The councillors looked from one to the other and Ravikka cocked one eyebrow. “You saw?” “I did. It looks lovely.” Gwetho leaned forward and stared at her. “You know what it means?” Sky straightened her shoulders. “I guess that I will transport into the tower and there will be no where for me to go. I will not be allowed to circulate with other Nameless and be left to my own devices.” He sat back. “How did you deduce that?” She couldn’t help her look of amazement. “I noted a large tower coming into being that did not have any doors and only had windows on the top floor. Either you are going to turn someone into Rapunzel or I am going into the tower.” “I don’t understand the reference.” “It doesn’t matter. The tower is designed to keep someone alone and away from the casual visits of others.” Sky looked at Ravikka. “I am ready when you are.” 45
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Ravikka lifted one hand and then clenched her fist. “Before I send you, I want you to know that we know that the Orb will still send you where it will. This is to keep others from getting the idea that stealing their loved ones from the hand of fate is acceptable.” “I understand. There are rules here and the Orb is asking me to break them. We will get through this eventually. How long is my sentence?” Ravikka opened her hand, a glow flaring out. “It will last until the Orb ceases sending you to avert death. Know that we do not do this lightly, but you need to live apart.” Sky inclined her head as the other councillors got to their feet and extended their hands. A bright light swelled and engulfed her as a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. Tavik’s whisper in her ear was low and deep. “Where you go, I go.” A moment later, they were both in her new prison and suddenly, Sky really wanted to check out the bed.
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Chapter Eight hy did you grab me?” Sky turned in Tavik’s arms and wrapped her own around him. He pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered, “Since I did not know what the interior of your new home looked like, I could not transport here and I really did not want to leave you alone. Who knows what you would get up to?” She went up on her toes and met his lips with hers. “Let’s find out. I am a little out of practice, but I believe that I can remember how it goes when two adults have a room to themselves with no threat of interruption.” He smiled against her mouth and worked at the ties of her gown. The bodice loosened and he slid the straps off her shoulders, baring her to the waist. Her bra was a silky black and stood out starkly against her skin. “Lovely. I am assuming that it is an undergarment of your people?” Sky trembled as he stroked his fingers over the fabric and her nipples beaded and pushed against the interior of her bra. “It is. It supports and gives a morale boost to the women wearing it. Sort of an I know something you don’t know moment.”
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Viola Grace “I am a fan of it right now and very glad that you have chosen to share this moment with me.” She tried to chuckle, but his hands were caressing, squeezing and stroking her skin through the confines of her clothing. She moaned and squirmed when his mouth joined the mix. Sky reached behind her to unclasp her bra, but Tavik gripped her hands. “No, the first night is not for consummating the union but rather for getting to know each other. Undergarments stay on.” Her mind reeled in shock, but her body didn’t care as he worked his way down her ribs and belly with first hands and then his mouth. Her belt clanked as the scissors hit the floor. He worked the rest of her dress off her hips with deliberate slowness and then he ran his hands over her from shoulder to ankle setting off a cascade of shivers and a distinct slickness seeped onto the interior of her panties. Blushing, she watched his nostrils flare as he neared the black silk. His lips curved and his lids grew heavy as he breathed in deep. “Your scent is intoxicating, it makes me crave a taste, but that will have to wait for the second night.” “Second night?” He laughed and stroked up the back of her thighs with his fingertips. “There is a night for every romantic advancement in my culture. Each one is embraced and celebrated so that no new sensation is ever lost in the mix.” She blinked at him, owl-eyed. “That seems 48
Avert sensible.” Her voice was a breath of sound during his tracing of her inner thighs. He laughed and got to his feet. “I believe that we should adjourn to the bed. A level surface makes things so much easier.” His clothing disappeared while she slowly edged her way to the bed, keeping her body facing his so she wouldn’t miss the great reveal. His blue and gold colouring continued under his clothing and the shading made the ridged muscles of his abdomen stand out in sharp relief. Her fingers curled with the urge to touch and her mouth watered at all of that exposed skin. He kept his tight trousers on and her belly clenched when she realized that he wasn’t wearing anything under them. He had to sit on the edge of the bed to remove his boots, so she took advantage of her target and stroked her fingers over the slabs of muscle on his back. He felt even better than he looked and she didn’t think that that was possible. Warm, hard and silky soft at the same time, his skin was an exercise in contrasts. He arched under her hands and she heard a low rumble come from his throat. On impulse, she ran her fingers through his hair, along his scalp and he shuddered at her touch. Sighing happily, she slid her hands over his shoulders and down the planes of his chest, enjoying the feel of him as she explored. When her fingers reached his waistband, his hands covered hers and pressed them to his belly. “That is a little too much for my self-control, Sky.” She sighed and wiggled her fingers teasingly. 49
Viola Grace “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” When he freed her hands, she trailed them back up his chest and then down the powerful columns of his arms. He twisted in her grip and lunged, forcing her flatly to the bed. “Something tells me that you will always test my patience and my self-control.” She snorted. Her mind had shown her a number of couplings with Tavik, stretching far into the future. “It seems that it will become my hobby to push you to the edge of sanity and you will enjoy every moment of it.” He pressed his lips against her neck before he started laughing, but when he opened his mouth and the press of his teeth against her skin made her moan and arch violently, he stopped and groaned instead. “I am beginning to think that there are detriments to knowing your lover’s weaknesses before you have come together.” She paled. He knew about her penchant for being bitten, a secret that only one lover had unearthed in the past. “It does seem to make things too fair too soon. Where is the spirit of discovery?” He chuckled and pressed soft kisses up her neck and eventually made it back to her lips. She tasted her skin on his lips and she was surprised at the heady nature of her own scent. Tavik licked her lips for entrance into her mouth and she opened just far enough to let him slip in to taste her. Sky had not been involved in a clothing-on, heavypetting session since she was a teen, but when he started to rock against her and the only thing working in her favour was friction, she pursued it with a violence 50
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that shocked her and delighted him. She rocked, pushed and ground her crotch against his, until finally, the blunt force sent her spinning into a sharp orgasm that left her panting and shaking, ready for more. Tavik groaned and his hips slid against her panties a few more times before he shook and jerked. “I will return in a moment.” Laughing softly, she watched him carefully make his way to her new lav and as he removed the cum from the inside of his trousers, she sniggered, relieved that she got away lightly. Her body was still humming with energy as it always did after her first orgasm of the night. It was her primary reason to stop masturbating. She had never had the urge to continue after one climax, but her body often demanded it. She finally realised that if you never started the engine, you didn’t have to take the road trip. Sighing, Sky lay back on the bedding and looked around at the ceiling. There was a skylight that allowed her to see the swirling cosmos in the distance and the wide windows did the same for the panorama of Home. It really was a nice location. There didn’t seem to be anything that she could possibly need that wasn’t there. If her sense of the future was correct, there was even a direct link to acquisitions to help her prepare for her law-breaking assignments. The moment that Tavik left her lav and approached the bed again, she was swamped by a wave of fatigue. She tried to yawn but her body simply started to drop onto the bed. Tavik cursed, “I knew that I should have let you 51
Viola Grace sleep first, but it obviously wasn’t that brain that was in control.” She chuckled, but he was covered with bright and black spots as she tried to bring him into focus. He swiftly folded down the bedding and tucked her neatly between the sheets, holding her tightly against him. “This was a long first few days and your body has not acclimated yet. Give yourself some restful sleep and things will look better in the morning.” She smiled and looked up at him. “Things look pretty good now.” His smile was pleased. “I am very happy to hear you say that. While many of the Nameless have casual relationships, I am not one of them. If you don’t wish to proceed any further, tell me now.” She sighed and snuggled as close as she could get. “I am very happy with the future presented to me by the Orb. You are in it rather frequently and I have no inclination to change my future.” Her body was humming softly, her nerves alert and full of energy. Despite the enervation, she fell asleep in his arms, looking forward to waking up the same way.
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Chapter Nine
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swish and a hiss woke Sky. She blinked and finally examined the room in which she had fallen asleep. A chute was slowly closing. A box that reminded Sky of the clothes box from the clothing repository was waiting for her. She sat up and realized that she was alone. Sky fought off a surge of disappointment and slid out of her bed. The box did indeed contain a change of clothing. Oddly enough, it was another one of Sky’s designs. She had no idea how the Nameless were getting them, as far as Sky knew, they were exclusive to her shop. A note fluttered to the ground when she lifted the dress from the box. Dear Sky, I was called by the Orb and didn’t want to wake you. I selected this dress so you would have a change of clothing. I will return as soon as I am done with witness duty. Yours always, Tavik 53
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Sky smiled and caressed the sweeps of the letters written in Alliance Common. It was her first note from him and she was planning on keeping it. She placed it on the bedside table and continued exploring her new home in the bright light of a new day. The place was huge and it was all hers. A large living room faced a bank of windows that let in all the morning light. She had a view of the entire expanse of the Nameless city. She knew that she couldn’t do anything to communicate with them, but it was nice to know that she was not alone. A sitting room beckoned to her, as did a kitchen that contained another chute. When she approached it, a screen came up with a variety of pictures and she tapped a selection of foods she thought she would enjoy and waited. Glasses were above a sink and she poured herself some water while she waited, and in four minutes, the chute opened and a covered tray skidded into view. “Cool.” She took the tray to the table and opened the cover. Some of the scents were not complementary, but she shrugged and proceeded to eat her breakfast. The moment that she finished the food, she put the tray back on the chute and smiled as it was retracted back from whence it came. Sky made a mental note to do the same with her clothing from the day before. With hope that the day would bring her something to entertain herself, Sky took a shower and then changed into the brilliant blue underwear and dress that was 54
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waiting for her. She started walking around her prison in slow laps, finally noticing a mirror that shifted whenever she walked past it. It looked to be similar to the one that Tavik had shown her in the library and as she placed her palm on the frame, the picture flickered wildly. As she watched it, images flowed across the screen that brought tears to her eyes. Grandma had been lovely as a young woman. Her husband had been tall and strong and as Sky watched them standing on their porch and looking out over their backyard where their children played, she was reminded that her roots were firmly embedded in love. Blinking rapidly, she watched the image move further back in time, to her great grandparents and one generation at a time, it took her back through all of the couples that had started her. A woman with snow-white skin, wrapped in furs was her final image. This woman looked up at a starry sky and as she watched, a portal opened and a wave of energy wrapped around her. The colouration of the power was pink and lavender, pulsing and swirling as it worked its way into the woman in the image. Sky winced at the silent scream that the woman enacted as the Orb made a home in her genes and she fell to her knees on the snowy hilltop. Tears tracked down her face and Sky couldn’t handle it anymore. She gathered the power and stepped into the image, walking toward the woman and holding out her hand. The woman jerked suddenly when she realized she 55
Viola Grace wasn’t alone. A knife was suddenly pointed at Sky and she grinned. Her grin was slightly forced, the cold air of the hilltop whipped around her, chilling her skin. Perhaps stepping into the frozen wastes during an ice age had not been the best idea. Sky smiled at the woman who had her lips and the same nose that she saw in the mirror every day. “Hello, Mother. I would just like to thank you for surviving long enough to pass along the tiny piece of your soul that I carry today.” The woman opened and closed her mouth, frowning. A bright flare of energy surrounded her for a moment. “Who are you?” Sky blinked in amazement. The Orb must be running their comprehension, because there was no way that she spoke the language that her ancestor was fluent in and there was no way that Alliance Common was spoken during the ice ages of Earth. “I am Sky, of the Nameless.” “What have you done to me?” Sky shook her head. “Nothing that was not also done to me. In you resides the seeds of power that will remain silent until they are activated. Do not fear it. You will never be affected by the energy again during your lifetime.” “How did you know that I was here?” Sky bit her lip. “I saw you in a dream and I came to comfort you.” “Did the gods punish me?” “No. You have been blessed.” The woman looked at her in surprise. “Why did you 56
Avert call me, Mother?” Sky blushed, “Because I did not expect you to understand me. The power that you were given is making it possible for our languages to be understood.” “That does not explain the reference to Mother.” “If you believe in time, then I am the current end result of your lineage. I have brothers and sisters who will carry the same seeds that you do and eventually, another of your line may take my place.” The woman lifted a fur from her shoulders and draped it around Sky’s pale and shivering body. “You should not have come out without dressing properly, Daughter.” With her hair loose, Sky smiled at the bright white hair that contrasted with vivid blue eyes in her ancestress. “What is your name, Mother?” “Cai. I am the skinner of the Black Deer clan.” “Do you make clothing?” Sky was smiling again. “I do. It is my true skill and while it has given me plenty of suitors, I had not thought to accept one of them yet.” Sky and Cai turned to look at the small community with its flaring fires down below. “What brought you out here today, Cai?” “The night called me. I cannot say why or how, but it summoned me to this place and now, I know why.” Sky’s skin took on a pink hue. “I am being summoned elsewhere, Cai, but please, keep an open mind. One thing that I do know is that my ancestors were gifted with true affection in their mated lives. Be well and I will come again if I am able.” Cai quickly kissed her on both cheeks and smiled, 57
Viola Grace “Be well, Daughter.” As the power enveloped Sky, she felt the smile on her face and it was almost brighter than the energy that transported her to another place and time. There were perks to being a Nameless after all.
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Chapter Ten
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ot, arid air blasted her as she took her first few steps onto the new world. The images that she was getting were of a tiny creature that was facing extinction. Sky just had to find it and then not gag as she lifted it to safety. “If I was a disgusting bug, where would I be?” Her out-loud musings were answered by the whir and chugging of a badly maintained skimmer overhead. “Oy, woman! What are you doing here?” The man was wearing goggles and what skin she could see wore smears of grime. Sky shrugged, the fur around her shoulders sliding against her skin. “I have no idea.” He landed his vehicle. “Get in here, the desert will kill you within the hour.” She stepped into the bed of the skimmer and it lifted the second that she was onboard. “Where are we?” He shook his head, “So sad, you must have been out in the heat for a while. We are on Kasirica, the dying world. Where do you last remember yourself being?” He was watching her closely, so she shrugged, “Prison, then on an ice world, then here.” 59
Viola Grace His expression lightened. “Ah. That explains it. Minders are truly bastards, are they not?” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.” That seemed to be the funniest thing he had ever heard and soon, they were moving through a ragged settlement. “You arrived just in time. We have caught an Alliance spy. He is posted in the forecourt and the third sun is on its way up. This is going to be good.” The skimmer driver was almost rubbing his hands together. He set his vehicle down and turned off the engine. “You can find some work inside until the last of the evacuation ships get here.” “Thank you for your kindness…” “Makkos. This is a time for kindness. Doesn’t cost much and you may do me a favour one day.” He lifted his goggles and the red blaze of his eyes took her by surprise. He must have noticed her staring, because he laughed. “I am in rut, we all are. The shavirel eggs are the only entertainment here. Your eyes are a little different. What species are you?” She smiled brightly. “I am a mutt. Not even my mom knows how many species are zipping around in my bloodstream.” Makkos smiled and helped her out of the skimmer, walking with her toward a ramshackle building with a tankard out front. The interior was as dim as it looked from the outside and it smelled twice as bad. Makkos steered her to the bar and helped her take a seat next to him. An exhausted-looking bartender came 60
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up to them and served each of them a glass of water. “Who is this, Makkos?” “I found her wandering in the desert. She is wearing one of those weird belts but has no idea of who she is. She also has a pair of scissors, so I think she picked the belt up somewhere.” Sky just blinked and smiled vaguely. “I make clothing.” Makkos offered her the glass of water and she picked it up, giving the glass a good look. “There is something floating in here.” “How is it that you haven’t seen a shavirel egg before?” The bartender wiped the counter absently. “I don’t know. What does it do?” Makkos gulped down his water and shuddered in reaction. His hands clenched and released repeatedly. “It gives you the feeling of being in the embrace of the most talented lover you could imagine and then engaging in the most stimulating sex you can think of all in a matter of seconds.” He moaned and twisted on his chair for a moment before shuddering with his teeth clenched. Sky asked the bartender, “Is it an insult to refuse it?” The man shrugged. “Not particularly, but all of the water left here has been treated with the eggs.” She cocked her head, “Where do they come from?” The bartender pointed to a tank in the centre of the room. There was a small creature inside and it was sitting on top of a mound of tiny crystals. “Can I go and look?” “Sure. It’s the last shavirel in existence. Its entire environment was wiped out during the first solar storms 61
Viola Grace and this one had been in a private collection.” Sky wandered over to the tank and wiggled her fingers at the creature inside. Are you here to kill me? Sky jerked as the voice echoed in her mind. With concentration, she tried to think toward the creature. I am not. I am here to take you to safety. Are you like him? Him? There was a male here with the same energy signature. He tried to take me and they captured him. Do you remember anything else about him? The small, fuzzy insect with the wide abdomen rose up and waggled its feet at her. He smelled like you. “Aw hell.” She continued to wiggle her fingers and smile vapidly at the shavirel before she turned and returned to the bar. Giggling a little, she asked, “Makkos mentioned that there was an execution in progress.” The bartender nodded. “In the main square. Take a sun shield, the third is rising soon and you don’t want to get crisped.” She smiled brightly. “Thank you. You have been very kind. I just wish I knew why I was here.” He grinned and waved her off. She made a show of putting on the shield before she tiptoed out of the bar and into the burning heat of the town. About a dozen of the locals were circled in the center of the open square. Her suspicions were realized when she saw Tavik strapped to a post in the centre of the exposed space. 62
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Everyone around her was wearing a sunshade made of foil and lined with a white soft material. Tavik was stripped to the waist and his knife was jammed into the floor at his feet. She moved quickly through the crowd and looked up at him, giggling slightly as she had heard several females do. The third sun burned the ground as it passed. The remains of the village were shielded, but the heat was still incredible. One by one, the spectators left the square to watch from the sidelines. Sky waited and stared up at Tavik as steam rose from his skin. The moment that the last spectator had walked away to watch from the shade, Sky sprang onto the platform and pulled her scissors. She sliced through the bindings on his wrists and wrapped herself in power, transporting them both to her prison. He was vivid purple and blue everywhere, his burns marked him on every inch of exposed skin. She steeled herself and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, walking him to the shower as quickly as she could. She set the controls to slightly cooler than body temperature and shoved him into the spray. “Come on, Tavik, come on.” With the water sluicing over him, he shook himself and stared up at her. “Sky? You came to get me?” “Of course. And as soon as you are stable, I am going back for the shavirel.” He smiled. “There is a quick way to do that. Use 63
Viola Grace temporal energy.” “We can do that?” “It is how I restarted your heart, so yes, we can do that.” His voice was hoarse. “Concentrate, contact the Orb of Time inside you and bring it out, focussing it in your hands. Then, put your hands on my body.” She shivered under the cool water and did as he said. The power was different than the energy she used to transport herself. It was part of her in some way. She pressed her hands against Tavik’s chest and focussed on his body returning to health. When the burn marks receded, she stopped the flow of power and moved her hands up to cup his face, kissing him sweetly before she popped back to rescue the shavirel.
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Chapter Eleven
T
he bar was full of people drinking, shuddering and enjoying themselves. Still wearing her solar shield, Sky walked up to the tank, pulled back her hand and rammed her scissors through the plexi that contained the creature. The shavirel didn’t wait but scampered up under her solar shield and hid in the fur around Sky’s shoulders. Sky didn’t look left or right but ploughed through the crowd and out the door into the suns’ light. She sprinted to the gallows while wrapping her hand in the folds of her solar shield and jerked at Tavik’s blade until it came free. The knife belt was hanging over the edge of the gallows and she quickly grabbed it as well. Why retrieve these things? These are the marks of our kind. No one should keep them who is not one of us. I see. Do you know where you are taking me? Sky could feel the creature moving around on her neck. The Orb has given me an image, so I will take you there. It looks comfortable, but how will you reproduce? 65
Viola Grace Amusement coloured the shavirel’s thoughts. I am asexual. The eggs mature and grow and lose their addictive properties, but the remaining population never let them grow and live to reproduce on their own. That is sad. It is. I kept hoping that some would survive, but the occupants grew more and more desperate for distraction. They are stranded and no one is coming for them. Sky moved between times and worlds, taking the shavirel with her. I thought that there were more ships coming. No more ships can pass through the solar storms. They will die. Aw hells. We will have to look into that. For now, welcome to your new home. Sky removed her solar shield, folding it neatly and tucking it under one arm. The creature came out of the fur and the wave of happiness was unmistakable. This is wonderful. It is like my home when it was green and alive. It is your home when it was green and alive. Your species is too dangerous to leave its home, but you can live here for thirty thousand years before one settler sets foot on this world. Thank you, Nameless. I honour you and my daughters will honour you. The creature scampered down her arm and Sky fought a shudder at the feathery-light feet. Having a sudden urge to scream and fling the creature into the forest next to her, she instead throttled down her instincts and held her hand out letting the shavirel 66
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scamper onto the leaves. Thank you again, Nameless. You may want to shake out the eggs in that fur. I dropped a few while you were pulling the dagger. I was nervous. Knowing a good idea when she heard it, Sky shook out the fur and watched a dozen tiny gems fly out and settle on the loamy ground. Thank you for that. I don’t think that the other Nameless would appreciate the little ones sprouting and running about. The shavirel chuckled, waved a tiny arm and scuttled into the undergrowth. Sky sighed and returned Home with only a slight shudder at how close she had been with a large spidercaterpillar-praying mantis mix. As soon as she returned to her prison, she went looking for Tavik. He was sitting up in bed and when she came in, he grinned, “I am guessing that you were successful.” She laughed. “I was. The creature is safe and we are Home. I will take a shower and try to see how much of me got scorched.” Sky draped his belt and knife across the edge of the bed at his feet. “Here you go.” Before he could say anything, she sashayed across the floor and into the lav. She showered and winced as her skin prickled from the near baking heat. The cooling water washed the grime and dust from her skin and her body ceased to hate her for a while. Heat had never been her favourite temperature. Sky had always preferred the silence and solitude of ice and snow. When her body was clean and the dehydrated skin 67
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soothed, she turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Humming, she dried her hair with a smaller towel and sorted it a little with her fingers. Her hair never enjoyed the strain of being brushed, but she could and did fluff it with long combs when she could. Clean, dry and still bright pink from the heat, she returned to the bedroom and dropped the towel on the floor before sliding between the sheets. It was difficult pretending to not notice that Tavik had watched her every step and shift as she wandered toward the bed. He turned toward her and propped his head on his hand. “You are very pink.” “I am. I turn this colour when I am exposed to heat.” Concern coloured his features. “Are you all right? Were you burned?” She chuckled. “Not like you were. I was lucky that you weren’t burned under your arms or your skin would have peeled off.” Tavik reached out and caressed her cheek. “Are you in need of healing?” She smiled, “I think I am fine.” “As your tutor, it is my duty to keep you in peak physical condition. I think I should conduct a detailed examination.” Sky shivered as his hands slowly stroked over her, the prickle of energy flowed into her via her skin and she arched into his touch. She shifted her thighs together and when he moved toward her, she lifted her leg and draped it over his hip. His erection prodded at her belly and when Sky rocked her hips upward, he slid against the petals of her 68
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sex. “I thought we had to wait.” Her mouth said one thing, but she shifted and reached down to open herself completely while he slowly slid home. He laughed and pressed kisses along her neck, biting her slowly as he thrust into her in short, pulsing increments. The corkscrewing, twisting of his hips combined with the pressure on her neck to take her senses to the edge, and she shrieked, then sobbed as her release struck her. He continued to thrust, pumping into her over and over as she whimpered at first, before she gripped his hips to pull him into her and keep him there. “Using your hands is cheating, Sky.” He pulled her hands from his hips and pinned them over her head, using his forearms to brace his weight. With a gasp, she said, “I didn’t know this was a competition, Tavik.” He chuckled low and deep, his body rocking rhythmically against hers. “All life is a competition and if you play right, everybody wins.” He nipped and sucked his way up her neck as he increased his speed and as she shrieked her second release, he joined her with a groan and a shudder. A strange swelling occurred at her entrance and they locked together. Sky blinked up at him. “You have a knot?” “Your men don’t?” She shook her head as he leaned in to kiss her. “How long does it last?” “Why, are you in a hurry?” He looked offended. 69
Viola Grace She smiled and leaned up to complete the kiss. “No, but if the Orb sends us on a mission, I don’t want us arriving like this.” He laughed and leaned in to suck her lower lip into his mouth. Tavik followed up on their kiss, flicking his tongue against hers as their heartbeats synched and slowed to a resting beat. “The Orb would not send us off like this, it wants us together, or I wouldn’t be here.” She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, spreading tiny kisses along his jaw and neck. If she was going to be stuck to one man for the rest of her time, she couldn’t have picked a better one than Tavik. Perhaps one day, she would check his history in the library and see what he got up to when he was younger. There might be a fantasy he was interested in reliving and she was up for it provided that he eventually return the favour. As they started to talk and she explained her experiences, comparing his arrival to hers as well as his reception. Their talk and joining lasted far into the night and when dawn spread, Sky knew one thing, if she was in prison, there was no one else she would rather be locked up with.
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Epilogue
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ky crept quietly through the jungle and kept an eye out for watchers. The young woman standing in the garden brought a smile to Sky’s face. As Sky stepped out of the shadows, the woman turned, smiled and ran forward. “Aunty Sky! I have been hoping that you would make an appearance. How have you been?” “Veema, you grow taller and more lovely every time I see you. I have been well. Is your mother here?” Veema rolled her eyes. “She and Father are at the base sending more samples and spending a night at the pleasure hotel. It seems that now that I am old enough to survive on my own, they want me to try it.” Sky wandered over to the bench that had been replaced twice since she had first dropped the scared girl off in the jungle outpost. Veema sat next to her and took her hand. “How are your studies going? It seems you are doing well in the botany segment of it.” Sky spent hours listening to Veema, making her dinner and sitting with her while she described a young Azon who had started to make excuses to visit. 71
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When she argued with Tavik or saw a horrific battle or the devastation of a plague, she came to Veema and watching her grow and thrive was better than any cure that the Alliance had ever developed. She was still in prison, still being sent across the universe to pick out one bright life and keep it burning. Having Veema growing and living and learning to love was reward enough. Tomorrow might bring a horror and unless the Orb willed it, Sky would not be able to avert disaster. Veema asked, “Will you stay the night?” “No. I am afraid that I am being called to duty.” Her skin glowed pink and she pressed a kiss to Veema’s forehead. “Be safe and sleep well. I am so proud of you.” Veema blushed, “Thank you, Aunty. I hope that your life brings you things to make you smile. You are far too serious. Take the time to enjoy life.” Sky started to gather her power as her next assignment coalesced in her mind. “I am restricted from taking time, but every now and again, I can give it. I will see you soon, darling. Good night.” **** Veema watched her rescuer disappear in a flash of light. Since she had grown old enough to read the data streams, Veema had looked into the origin of the mysterious woman who had taken her from certain death and brought her to safety. Aunty Sky was a study in contrasts. She was a Nameless, a Sentinel, a Guardian of Time, but she had 72
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gone into a battle and taken a child that was supposed to die. Memories of that night were fuzzy at best, but Veema remembered Sky’s caring arms and calm words to her grandmother. She remembered bright light and being taken to Teilia, the kindest woman that Veema could have wished for. With every bit of research into the Nameless, Veema found references to a woman who didn’t wear a dagger but rather a pair of scissors at her waist. Aunty Sky wore those scissors every time she visited. Veema also smiled at the fact that her aunty didn’t age. Sky looked the same as she had that first night and it confirmed the thought that her aunty moved through time. Veema put the last of the dishes away, locked up and went to her room. Sketches of her aunty lined the walls as well as images of her grandmother. Teilia appeared here and there but mostly it was Sky. As Veema lay down, she smiled at the one omission that spoke volumes about her aunt. Despite what folks normally said in those situations, Sky had not said the one thing that Veema would never had been able to handle. She had never told a girl who had lost everyone she had ever known that everything would be all right. Having lost everything in her life at that point, if someone had told her that everything would have been all right, she would have put up walls and kept herself from feeling. Without that platitude, she was able to accept her grief and the comfort that was offered. Her soul had healed, her body had grown, and it was due to the small visits by Aunty Sky that she kept 73
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moving forward in her life and education. Whatever had sent Sky to her world that day had touched her life and Veema was grateful. Her life held possibilities now that her old world would never have offered and if she had a Nameless to thank, then she was glad to have a name to put with the creature of legend. The Nameless would always be welcome in her home and the home of any of her family. It was the least she could do. **** Sky watched the image of Veema as she rolled over with a smile on her face. The young woman had locked up and then gone to bed. “Who are you watching?” She jerked her hand away from the frame and turned to Tavik. “An old friend, or she will be.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to the wound on her shoulder. “I can heal this for you.” She laughed. “I know, but I want you inside me when you do. If we are going to be stuck together, we may as well multitask.” He hooted with laughter and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to their bed. They spent some quality time arguing about who was winning and then he slid into her, using the internal contact to spread the power of the Orb through her. As they surged together, she felt the wound on her shoulder heal and she smiled into her bondmate’s eyes. 74
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They were unable to formally register their union due to the sentence that she laboured in, but they both knew that throughout their time in the Nameless, there would be no one else for them. Meeting Tavik on her deathbed was the only moment in her life that she didn’t want to tweak.
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Author’s Note Frolicking with time is tricky, so please pardon my gaffs. They will be plentiful. Veema will make an appearance in a later book, but I can’t say when, because I am not sure. Be on the lookout for a cross over with Tales of the Citadel in December of 2012. Thanks for Reading, Viola Grace
[email protected] www.violagrace.com www.exasybooks.com
About the Author Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales. Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
