Baffle

Sinder can spread confusion with a touch, but when she is kidnapped, poisoned and given over to the remains of a planet, she needs to re-evaluate her job vector.

Sinderella Baroque is a Retrieval Specialist for the Alliance. She is on a mission to save a seduced woman from an unsuitable marriage when she runs afoul of a race she was completely unaware of. They have an agenda and are taking a woman who meets their laundry list of requirements to their Avatar so that he can introduce her to the last remnant of a world long dead. When she meets the mind in the stone, it saves her from certain death as it seals her fate. With a living mind inside her own, Sinder is now stuck on the planet Crixox, living in the temple with the Avatar of the planet itself. Geor has wanted a companion for quite some time and Sinder meets all of his needs. Now, he will see if he can meet hers.

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. Baffle Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace ISBN: 978-1-77111-288-8 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

Baffle A Terran Times Tale By Viola Grace

Chapter One

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inder waited for the connection to go through and idly checked her nails for nicks and cracks. “Agent Baroque.” She sighed in relief and looked at the monitor. “Yes?” “We have an addendum to your assignment.” Sinder looked around her tiny shuttle, its familiar surroundings her only steady home since she finished Citadel training for her twisted talent. Adding to her existing assignments seemed just another familiar touch. “Do tell.” She found a nick in the nail of her ring finger and proceeded to buff it out. The officer on the other end of the com looked a little surprised at her lackadaisical attitude. “Um, yes. The original Hunter that we sent out has gone missing, and we suspect that he has been taken prisoner.” Sinder groaned and ran her newly smoothed hand through her hair. “Send me his info. I am an hour away from running silent.” “Yes, Agent. Good luck on your hunt.” She grimaced and inclined her head. “Thank you. I will await the file.” She flicked the disconnect and groaned. As a 1

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Retrieval Specialist, she despised the Hunters. They tended to charge in where they didn’t belong, and their reputation for stealth was overstated in the extreme. They also despised her kind, which didn’t help. Sinderella Baroque enjoyed her time as a Terran Volunteer. Her family had been all for her leaving to try something new and exciting. It was refreshing. They were actually in favour of one of her nutty schemes, and she took full advantage of it. Training in the Citadel was the most eye opening of all of the moments that had shocked her to her toes. She knew that she had a penchant for chaos, but the idea of projecting it to have an effect on those around her had never crossed her mind. It had, however, crossed the mind of the recruiter back on earth, and so, she was hustled from basic training to the Citadel without so much as a choice as to her destiny. She was to learn how to fly a shuttle and to use her personality quirk as a weapon. It was a situation she had never imagined but embraced with everything in her. When no Hunter could pull the target out in one piece within a restricted time frame, they sent a specialist. Today, that specialist was Sinder, and she was on her way to crash a wedding. The idea of creeping through the bowels of the stone edifice did not appeal to Sinder, but she had little choice. She had to get the Hunter out of wherever they were keeping him and only then could she grab her true target and make a run for it. Lady Seekua had been taken from her home world of Del Cania, and Sinder had to make sure that Lord 2

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Darthian of Nalu was not going to formalize a union between their two worlds. In theory, melding the two worlds was delightfully romantic, but in reality, the people of Nalu were known to take possession of mineral and agriculturally rich worlds by any means necessary. The innate seduction of the species’ voices made the Nalu lovely and hypnotic to anyone susceptible to their speech. Personally, Sinder thought that they were butt ugly. She watched the guards pass under her vantage point and held her breath. The implanted mineral in the Hunter’s thigh was giving her a subtle signal, and so, she swung free of the ceiling and made her way to the area that her own implant was directing her to. Sinder walked with a calm and serene attitude. No furtive movements to draw attention. If she were caught, she would be able to simply claim that she had become separated from her friends in the confusion of the biological checks. The Nalu were on high-security alert for the wedding, but there would be no problem with her slipping in as an honoured guest. It was a bonus to being one of the more exotic, new species. She was welcome everywhere she went, and it made getting in easier, while escaping became more difficult. That was where her talent kicked in, and she used it to defend herself and her target. Sinder let the implant in her elbow lead her through the halls, and finally, it warmed, indicating that she was within twenty feet of the Hunter. It wasn’t a prison cell, merely a guestroom. The door handle opened easily in her grip. She paused and looked into the room where the Hunter in question was settling 3

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his formal garb. “Oh, please excuse me. I seem to have gotten turned around.” He smiled vaguely. “No problem. Would you like an escort to the ceremony?” Sinder put a relieved expression on her face. “That would be amazing. Are you a member of the bridal party?” He approached her and offered her his arm. “I am acting on behalf of the bride’s family. Please, come with me.” She took his arm and blushed, looking down. Her gown was elegant and appropriate for a Nalu wedding, black and red, lace and pleats. “Thank you.” “You seem familiar, have we met?” She smiled and shook her head. “I doubt it. I have been living quietly on Feliaki for the last few years.” “How did you come to be here?” His tone was light, but he was fishing for information, still a Hunter within his stupor. Sinder smiled, “I came with the party from Feliaki. Since my species is still classified as exotic, it added some cachet to their party. Unfortunately, I got separated while we were going through the bio scans and from there, I ended up here.” He chuckled. “I see. How is it that you have an Alliance tracking implant?” She blinked up at him. “A what?” “The implant that tells me you are an Alliance member.” She snorted as they approached the groups of guests. “Oh, that. I used to be the assistant to a Nyal 4

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Ambassador. I was tagged to keep me from being held hostage, or at least to help them find my body.” He smiled down at her, “That must have been trying.” She snickered. “You have no idea. My kind goes into breeding availability every twenty-eight days. Try working with a Nyal under those conditions.” “I can only imagine. I am so rude. I am Jeroka Savik.” He paused and lifted her hand to his lips. She blushed, “Akani Smithie. Pleased to meet you.” “Do you see your friends?” She looked around and frowned. “I am afraid not. You have your duties to attend to. I will be fine here.” “There are reserved seats at the front of the hall. Please, come with me.” He placed her hand back on his arm and escorted her to the front of the wedding hall. Nalu were seated all around her, and a few tried to seduce her with the power of their voices. She smiled politely and eventually faked interest in them, but all she saw was the harsh goat-like features, square irises and squat bodies. Even their horns did not add any grace to their features. They were the worst example of the human mythological satyrs. They lusted, consumed and discarded people and planets with abandon. Lord Darthian was at the front of the hall, waiting with the official and a few of his men. Sinder looked around and checked for the size of confusion she would have to deliver. It was going to take a lot out of her, but she needed to deliver a strong burst to make her getaway. While she looked around, she noted a group of 5

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hooded figures who were causing a wide berth around them. The folk next to them didn’t even seem aware of them, but in a crowded hall, it was obvious to her that something was repelling the people in their vicinity. She dismissed them and paid attention to the growing excitement in the crowd. To Sinder’s embarrassment, Lady Seekua was wearing a similarcolour dress, and while it was not a Nalu faux pas, it was a Terran one. Seekua’s soft green skin glowed happily as she approached her groom. Sinder enjoyed the spectacle until the bride reached her side. The moment that Lady Seekua was next to her, Sinder got to her feet, punched her fist into the air and released confusion. All hell broke loose, and Sinder earned her pay.

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Chapter Two

L

ady Seekua was as affected by the confusion as everyone else, and having Jeroka next to the bride made it easy to grab them both and haul them out of the hall. They were disoriented but passive. It allowed her to project another mass of confusion in the hall leading toward the shuttle bays. Yanking two targets with her made the escape far more awkward than it would have been if only the Lady had been her subject of her rescue. Jeroka seemed to have been struck with a numbing blindness while Seekua was bemused and entertained by everything she saw. Wave after wave of confusion was deployed until they finally reached her shuttle. Sinder manacled both of her passengers, tranqued them and strapped them into their seats. When she double-checked that the ship was sealed, a few flicks of her fingers turned the shuttle from mild-mannered transport into armed, small warship. Sinder whistled under her breath as she fired up her engines and took off with the bride and her best man. 7

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The Nalu defenses consisted of orbital stations that didn’t last under the onslaught of her weaponry. She accelerated toward her pickup point and hoped that the sedatives wouldn’t wear off before she handed over her cargo. She really hated to watch Nalu withdrawal. It was never pretty, and both of her passengers were going to be in for a rough time. Sinder kept up quiet whistling as she keyed in the codes that allowed her contact with her pickup ship. “This is Agent Baroque calling for Com Officer Reggil.” “Just a moment.” The com officer waited. “He is off shift. May I redirect your call?” “Put me through to his private line.” Sinder sighed and waited for the call to be put through. “I am sorry, Agent. Com Officer Reggil will not take your call.” Sinder disconnected the call before the trace to her position could be made. She quickly contacted the Hunter station and asked for a drop point for their officer. Through the secure channels, she was given a position at Cario Station. With a heavy sigh, she changed direction and headed for the jump point that would get her close. She hoped like hell that there was some sushi at the end of her journey, because she was going to use every last bit of nerve she had to get to the station before her cargo woke up. Filing a report regarding the corruption of the connection on the Stegreana would have to wait for 8

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later. Reggil had just made it onto her personal-visit list and confusion was going to be the least of his worries. Right now, she wanted nothing more than a glass of wine, a comfortable chair and some sushi. If Cario Station could manage a nice representation of her favourite snack, she would be forever grateful. Sinder looked back at her unconscious passengers. “Damn, I hate crashing weddings.” In between her violent fits and seizures, Lady Seekua thanked her for the rescue. Her people were on the station, and they set up a guard of deaf men around her. A Nalu may try to seduce her again, but her guards would be immune. Jeroka was a problem of a different kind. He was struggling through the plummeting endorphins and wouldn’t leave her side. “I am impressed with your recovery, Jeroka, but I am going to grab a meal and be on my way.” Now that his blissful expression was gone, she could see traces of the handsome Hunter that he truly was. His face was a blend of the most attractive races, at least in her opinion, but she was not in the market for someone dumb enough to take on the Nalu without precautions. “May I come with you? My ship will not be here until tomorrow.” He caressed her arm gently. Sinder moved out of his reach and smiled tightly. “Yes, we can share a meal, but I will be leaving shortly thereafter.” He frowned as if perplexed by her resistance to him. “I thought we Hunters shared a special bond.” 9

Viola Grace Understanding dawned. “That is where you are mistaken. I am not a Hunter. I am a Retrieval Specialist.” “Oh. I see. I was unaware that the situation was as dire as that.” His shoulders stiffened. He seemed offended by the idea of being wrangled in by a space nanny. She fought her smile and simply told him. “I extracted you while you were walking her down the aisle to her groom. You were very happy to be the man of honour.” He shuddered. “I did…I mean…I was unaware of my actions.” Sinder’s heart eased a little. “I know. The Nalu are very persuasive and easily catch those who are unaware.” He was embarrassed. “I honestly thought I would be immune to their talents.” She patted him on the shoulder, wistfully taking in the tense muscle under her hand. “Many have thought the same. I have met several Hunters who thought that the Nalu’s talents only worked on women.” Jeroka nodded. “I was one of those. I know better now. May I compliment you on your lovely choice in gown?” “It is a Nalu traditional colouration for a guest at a wedding. I had no idea that it was so similar to the gown that Seekua would be wearing as the bride.” She brushed at the folds of her gown. “It seems rather fetching on you.” He inclined his head. She snickered and stopped at an information 10

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carousel, seeking the sort of food stall she was craving. When she found one that looked like it would fit her needs, she got the directions and led Jeroka down the promenade toward the food courts. “How long have you been a Specialist?” “Just over four years.” She was going to continue when the ground in front of them exploded in mist. Sinder shouted and backed away from the gas ball, stumbling and flailing as the ground tilted under her. Her head spun as she tried to get her balance. She heard low voices, and in seconds, hands gripped her arms. She looked up into dark cowls filled with shadow and eyes that burned like coals. The mysterious guests from the wedding were here, and they were carrying her away. Sinder attempted to inform her captors that she was the wrong woman, they were looking for Lady Seekua, but all that came out was a low moan. She saw the sleek shuttle a moment before darkness claimed her and couldn’t help but think, Their ship is bigger than mine. I wonder if they are compensating for something.

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Chapter Three

T

he taste in her mouth was not minty fresh. Sinder rolled out of the comfortable bed she was in and stumbled to the open door on the far side of the room. She scrubbed her teeth, gargled and used the facilities before tidying her dark locks and returning to the bedroom. There was nothing in the room aside from the comfortable bed. Sinder was still wearing the gown that had been on her for two days now, her shoes where tucked near the head of the bed. Idly, she sat on the edge of the bed and slipped the shoes on. In addition to the lav, there was one other door, and the mechanism moved slowly as she gently eased it open. Another bedroom lay on the other side of her door and beyond it, another door. She crossed the room as quietly as she could, unsure of whether or not there was an occupant in the deeply shadowed bed. The other door was tempting, and she crept up on it as silently as she could manage with her skirt rustling. Voices spoke softly on the other side of the door, so she eased it open. The group of men wearing cowls 12

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were standing and having a soft conversation. One of the men was seated behind a desk and the others were ranged and speaking urgently to him. “She is the one, my lord. I am sure of it.” One man bowed low. Another whispered, “Exactly as she was described, my lord.” The male leaned back in his chair and the shadows in his hood showed gleaming red eyes in the darkness. “Why don’t we just ask her if she is the one? She is standing behind you, Alif.” The inhabitants of the room pivoted together. “Lady, we did not expect you to wake.” She sighed and stepped forward. “I am not Lady Seekua.” They turned to each other and shrugged, the man named Alif chuckled. “We did not think you were, Lady. You were the one that we were sent for. Our lord was very precise, and you have all of the requirements for the lady he requested.” Sinder raised a brow. “Your lord requested a woman?” The man in the chair waved off the men grouped around him. “Wait outside.” The group of six men filed out, leaving her alone with the figure behind the desk. “Lady, I regret the method of your arrival here, but it was a necessary evil. Please, have a seat.” Sinder slipped into the chair in front of the desk, settling the gown around her. “May I have some tea or water?” He leaned forward, “Of course.” He ran his fingers 13

Viola Grace over a portion of his desk and nodded. “It will be here shortly. Now, would you like to know why you are here?” She fought a giggle and breathed deeply. “Yes, please.” He lifted the edges of his hood and slowly pushed the fabric off his head. Sinder blinked in surprise as she faced a creature with whispers of similarity to the Nalu, but only hints. Elegant horns swept back from above his temples, arcing around and down to end at the midpoint of his neck. Pointed ears were just below those horns, and a second set of horns emerged to sweep back along the skull, ending at the base of his neck. His nose was slightly flattened, his eyes deep red with square pupils and framed by sooty lashes. His skin was a soft, smooth midnight blue, his lips a darker black and his hair a peculiar royal blue woven with black strands. He had massive shoulders and wore silver jewellery on his wrists and biceps as well as several piercings in his pointed ears. “What are you?” She cocked her head. He smiled, “One of the last of the High Nalu, as are my court.” “High Nalu?” “My race divided into the High and Low Nalu. The Low Nalu are thriving because they will breed with anything. Unfortunately, we are slightly more selective, and as such, have retired to our own world to separate away from their activities.” “So, I am a breeding option?” Sinder blinked in surprise. 14

Baffle “No. Not precisely. In addition to being the lord of the High Nalu, I am also the Avatar from this world, and as such, I was presented with a rather unusual situation.” He leaned back and tented his fingers. “Crixox is a good world, a sound planet who enjoys us as occupants. However, that being said, Crixox is not the only mind on this world who needed a body to make herself heard.” “A she?” “Indeed. A portion of a dying world rippled through space and landed here with one request, that she be found a suitable body so that she can walk Crixox as the other inhabitants do. She laid out the description of the body, what she needed you to do, and what you had to be capable of on your own. The Nalu wedding was the best place to start, because the initial demand was that the body was not susceptible to the vocal seduction of our kind.” “Handy thing in an Avatar.” It was not lost on her that he referred to her in all of his descriptions of qualifications. Apparently, she was the chosen one. “Very much so. The meteor also demanded that you be strong, elegant, fertile and have a good grounding in your own mind so that she would not run you over.” He tented his fingers together. One of the qualifiers made her raise her brows. “Fertile?” “She wants a child to carry on her power. Transferring her energy via pregnancy is the best option for her. Of course, it need not be immediate. She will extend your life by centuries.” 15

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Sinder had an intense headache. She was about to blast him with a shriek of fury when one of the cowled men arrived with a tea tray. Her outrage got stuck in her throat as her host poured her a cup and handed it to her. She sipped and tried to calm her seething thoughts. “Sir, I believe that you have forgotten one very important thing.” Her host blinked in inquiry. “Yes?” “It is illegal to kidnap Terrans.” His lips curved in a grin, and she saw his teeth, startlingly white and sharp. “You will soon not be a Terran, so I fail to see the problem.” That was it. She pulled her talent together and struck him with a ball of power. He rocked back, blinked and the red in his eyes faded until a pure blue was in its place. His posture changed, and she winced as she realised that she had triggered the planet into the forefront of his Avatar. “You have much power, Lady. Geor is stumbling around his own thoughts right now. What precisely is your talent?” Crixox’s voice was deeper with a particular inflection that she couldn’t place. “Confusion. I can baffle the most intelligent of beings. It has been useful in my line of work.” “Ah, as a Hunter?” She sighed and shook her head. “No, I am a Retrieval Specialist. I would beg of you to allow me to return to my work and my assignments, Crixox.” He shook his head. “I have been looking for a companion for my Avatar for centuries, and your people are known to be excellent hosts. Kema will easily slip into you and take up residence.” 16

Baffle Sinder got angry all over again. “I am not going to just be handed over to a strange planet and let it invade my mind.” He sat back. “You will have no choice. Meet Kema and speak to her. See if she is not worthy of an Avatar considering all she has been through.” “I want to file my location with the Alliance at the very least. They will send folk in search of me.” She cleared her throat. “After that, I will meet with Kema.” Crixox smiled. “I can accept that as a fair compromise.” The ease at which he agreed confirmed that it was not a compromise at all. He stood up, causing her to crane her neck as he approached her height and surpassed it by a foot and a half. She took his hand and swallowed her sarcastic comment about him truly being the High Nalu. Her fingers fluttered in his. She tried to keep herself calm as they left his office and were immediately surrounded by the guard of hooded males. “Your honour guard?” “And my hands off world. It is Geor’s duty to stay here to be my presence on the surface.” Sinder watched the backs of the men marching down the hall around them. “How is he doing?” “He is regaining his equilibrium and will join you soon. He is not happy with you, by the way.” “Why would that be?” “He feels you impinged on his dignity.” The subtle tone of his voice shifted, and she knew she was listening to Geor. 17

Viola Grace “I was expressing my irritation in the most effective way possible under the conditions. I underestimated the speed at which Crixox could take over your body, Geor.” He chuckled. “You would have run?” “I would have walked cautiously to the first sign of daylight I could manage.” She laughed. “And then I would run.” “I do hope that will not be necessary. The com centre will be open to you at all hours.” Geor’s voice was enthusiastic in a bass-gravel sort of way. “That is nice, but I have no idea how long I will remain here.” “Fair enough. Crixox has filled me in on the details of your agreement. First, you will speak to your people and then, we will walk to Kema.” “Where is she?” Geor smiled as they entered an archway leading to daylight. “She is right where she landed on the edge of a volcano.” Sinder blinked as her eyes adjusted to the daylight. “You folks aren’t big on windows, are you?” He chuckled and helped her down the stone steps leading from the archway in a widening fan. Everything around her was made of white stone with glistening quartz veining. Buildings, walkways, towers, bridges, all made of the same stone. “It’s very…bright.” “The stone is the blood of Crixox, all of our structures are made from it.” Geor had pride in his tone. “It is very pretty. I suppose I was inside longer than I thought.” He nodded. “The gas did strike you harder than my 18

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men thought it would. You were out for quite a long time.” Sinder twisted her lips in a frown. “That explains why I was so thirsty, but I should be starving as well, and I don’t feel anything.” “Ah, that. Well, Crixox put a bit of his energy into you to sustain your body while you were out. It seemed the least we could do under the circumstances.” She snorted. They had knocked her out and dragged her to a place where three moons waltzed in the sky during the brightest day. Crixox seemed like a pleasantenough place, but the taste in the air and the hum of the energy around her gave her a creepy feeling of unfamiliarity. Geor and the guards were moving at a pace suitable to her shorter legs, but as they passed curious onlookers, she found she was still short of breath. When he asked her a question that she had been waiting for, a harsh cough substituted for a laugh. “What is your name, Lady?” She debated giving him a false name, but instead, she said, “Retrieval Specialist, Agent Sinderella Baroque of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra. I prefer to be addressed as Sinder.” He nodded. “I think Baroque is a lovely name.” She coughed again. “It is my surname, my family name. My family is in a patriarchal society, so I wear the name of my father’s family.” Her throat was raw. The air was not sitting well with her. She inhaled sharply and coughing resulted. “Sinder, are you unwell?” Geor’s hand was on her shoulder. 19

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She couldn’t answer. Her body fought for oxygen, and as she continued gasping and coughing, hands lifted her. Geor ran with her until more hands held her down, placing a mask over her face. They tinkered with the blend until finally she dragged in a shuddering breath. A High Nalu with silver horns and snow-white skin looked down at her with a frown. His blue eyes were bright and concerned. “The gas burned her lungs. In her body, it became a toxic substance. She will need to remain here until her lungs heal themselves.” Geor frowned. “How long will that take?” “Days, weeks, months. I don’t know. I have never dealt with someone who wasn’t Nalu before.” The man was apparently a physician. He ran his hand through his white locks and spoke quietly to a female who was standing nearby. Geor looked down at her, and Sinder met his gaze with fear in hers. She was terrified that she would not be able to breathe again on her own. Fire in her lungs was not something that happened all that often in her call of duty. He took her hand. “I will contact your people and see what is to be done. I am sorry about this, Sinder. It was never my intent to harm you in any way.” He stroked her arm with one hand while he held her fingers in his other. “I am sorry.” Sinder saw the sincerity in his eyes, and she nodded acceptance of his apology. He released her hand with reluctance and left her in the infirmary in the care of the physician and his assistant. 20

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Tears fell from her eyes as she realised that this was the most helpless she had ever been in her life. This sucks.

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Chapter Four returned, and there was a tension in every line of Geor his body. He didn’t speak a word to her, but his gaze was intense as Crixox shared the occupation with his host in a blending of eye colour. With the doctor’s help, he released her breathing tank and lifted both her and the tank in his arms. He walked slowly with the guard following them. She looked up at him and concentrated on breathing through the mask. His features were tight and determined. “Where are we going?” Her coughing stopped any further words. “To speak with Kema. Your keepers have given her permission to help you. Now, don’t speak. Your lungs are not up to it.” Their path took them over two bridges and up the side of a rocky hill. The scar from a meteor impact skidded up the hillside next to their path and when Geor reached the summit, the round mineral sphere that was Kema sat exposed and teetering on the edge of the crater that led down into a lava pool. Geor carefully navigated the edge of the crater, and 22

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with deliberate care, he set Sinder down next to the precarious stone. “Just speak to her in your mind. At this distance, she will hear you.” He spoke softly and hunkered down just out of reach. Um, hello? Greetings, Avatar. I have waited for you. Um. I have not agreed to be your Avatar. Do you wish to live? Yes. Then you have no choice. The gas they used to subdue you turned to acid in your lungs. Crixox’s touch was able to hold back the decay, but when his energy wore off, you were left with a dying body. I can fix that. Can’t Crixox simply put more energy into me? It would have the same effect. Only then, you would be a joint Avatar with Geor instead of my representative. I am by far the better choice. This can’t be. I need to get approval. Crixox has already obtained those agreements from your people, but he was unwilling to inform you for fear it would change your growing attraction to Geor. Sinder sat there, stunned. Just like that. To save her life, she had to allow a strange consciousness to set up housekeeping. I am not a huge fan of the process either. I was enjoying my flight through the universe until I smacked into Crixox. He is nice enough as a companion, but I want to experience more, and I wish to have a body to do it in. That means you. I promise to keep my intrusions to a minimum. Sinder coughed and blood spattered the inside of her 23

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mask. She made up her mind before she could change it again. How do we do this? Lay your hands on my surface, and open your mind. It will have to be quick, because my balance isn’t the greatest, your touch will destroy my form as it rolls it into the lava. Are you ready for it? A low croon came from the six guards, and they chanted a low refrain that entered Sinder’s bones and gave her the energy she needed to turn and touch the unstable rock that housed the last portion of a dead world. Fire cruised up her arms the moment that she pressed her palms to the hot stone. Kema surged along her nerve endings and into her mind. The stone shifted and rolled slowly down the incline before it settled in the pool, slowly sinking beneath the bubbling stone. Kema, are you in? I am. I am repairing you as I speak. Thank you for agreeing to host me, you only had minutes left. I felt as much. That level of weak, queasy and helpless are not things I normally experience. You have no idea how happy I am to know that, Sinder. Sinder laughed silently at the sarcasm of the sentient’s thoughts. It was nice to know that she and Kema had sarcasm in common. The planet’s mind was moving into her own and there was less of Kema than Sinder had thought. I am not whole. I am less than one ten-thousandth of my normal size. If I were larger, you would have needed to remain near my physical form. As it is, you are carrying all of me. Well, all that is left. I was only 24

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able to put my consciousness in that one segment, and it eroded on entry into Crixox’s atmosphere. He was very welcoming, but I knew what I wanted at that point and that thing was an Avatar. Why did you want one that was fertile? A delicate laugh rippled through her thoughts. That was all Crixox. Geor has been with him for a while, and he misses not having family of his own. I agreed that my Avatar would consider mating with his in an effort to produce little High Nalu hybrids, but my Avatar had to be compatible. They picked you. Crap. Indeed. Don’t worry. I can stall your cycle indefinitely. When you are ready, we will discuss it and not before. Well, that was something at least. A rush to motherhood had never been in her plans. Learning what her mating partner’s penis looked like had to be phase one of her plan, and given the size of Geor, she was not keen on that little exploration. You are amusing, Sinder. Your mind flits from one subject to the next with such speed. Thank you, Kema. You are far less invasive than I imagined. She chuckled and then inhaled sharply. No pain. She carefully reached up and removed her mask, taking soft, exploratory breaths. It feels better. Well, don’t try to run quite yet, but breathing should be fine. Your body is responding well. Sinder sat up slowly, checking her balance as she braced her hands on the stone under her. The world around her glittered with more than simply the normal 25

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colours of the spectrum, she could see the energy patterns in every living thing around her. Kema, what am I looking at? Crixox. He is in everything around us. You are seeing him the way that planets see each other. We have individual energy patterns, and now that I am bonded to you, you see them as I do. What did I look like? An image of her pale grey aura barely clinging to her body was placed in her thoughts. You were very close to the edge. Apparently. So, can I get up? If Crixox’s men will allow you to walk on your own, go ahead. Sinder fought a scowl and swivelled until she was crouching. With a low grunt, she pushed herself to her feet, swaying on the edge of the crater. “How are you feeling, Avatar?” Geor gripped her elbow and stabilized her. “Better. Do I need to take the tank back?” He laughed. “The guard will carry it. Come with me.” She wobbled and followed him off the edge of the crater, back to the path that snaked up the side of the open mountain. As she left, she cast one look back at the rock that had contained the soul of Kema. An image of glowing sky redolent with pinks and golds came to her mind, and a tear snaked down her cheek. Geor was watching her carefully when she returned to face him. He didn’t say a word but helped her slowly down the hill and back into the city of the High Nalu. The few people on the walkways took one look at 26

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their group and moved out of their way. The colours she was seeing in the population fascinated Sinder. When one of the women displayed two distinct patterns, it was obvious that she was pregnant. His voice was low. “What are you seeing, Avatar?” “Probably the same thing that you are, the colours of Crixox in the souls of the High Nalu.” Geor didn’t say anything, merely nodded and continued to guide her through the city. The guards were still with them but further out and less tense than they had been on their way to Kema. Sinder listened to Kema as she made space for herself in Sinder’s mind. The planet was humming softly, songs ancient and slow. The songs calmed the parts of Sinder that were still panicking at the feeling of another mind inside her own. Surrounded by strangers on a strange world, she had one friend, and she was carrying it with her wherever she went.

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Chapter Five

Geor“IledamhernotbacksurethethatwayI amtheyuphadto come. another trip to the infirmary. I feel fine actually.” She tried to keep her tone light. “The physician will still need to verify that your lungs are healing. I am still not sure what occurred there, but the Alliance provided us with your species specs, so he will have a better idea of what happened.” She nodded and entered the infirmary ahead of the group. The physician seemed shocked to see her up and walking. “Agent Baroque, you look better.” “I feel better. Mind you, I am now a we, so there are two of us in here now. One of us is bound to be in good shape.” He didn’t seem to know how to take that, so he bustled her into the examination room and closed the door in Geor’s face. Sinder stifled a laugh and hopped up on the table. In a peculiar mimicry of an earth physician, he listened to her breathing with an instrument slipped into contact with the skin of her back. 28

Baffle “If I did not know better, I would say this was a miracle. Do you really have the mind of the meteor inside you?” She shrugged and noted that the colouration of his aura had changed. He isn’t right. Get out of here. There was tension in Kema’s thought. Sinder faced the physician while she gathered her power and prepared to act. The physician seemed to have the same thought, and he lunged at her with a hypo in his hand. She didn’t scream. Sinder slipped from the table and speared the doctor with as much confusion as she could manage. He jerked to a halt, and his eyes widened. The hypo clattered to the ground, and he looked around in confusion. Sinder backed toward the door, unwilling to let him out of her sight. When she got the door open, she struck Geor. “What is wrong, Sinder?” She dragged in a deep breath. “I don’t think that the doctor is a fan of Kema. He tried to zap me with a hypo, but I am in fairly sound health, so I zapped him instead.” Geor gripped her shoulders and barked a strange sound. Two of the guards entered the examination room and quickly searched the workstation. One of the cowled men nodded and spoke, “A Purist, Lord Geor.” The doctor’s assistant was facing one of the guards. Geor whispered, “What do you see when you look at her?” 29

Viola Grace “Fear, confusion, but no hate.” Sinder could feel Kema watching nervously from within her mind. “Are you sure?” The guard facing the woman grunted. “Yes, and she could not have been affected by the spike, she wasn’t in the room. Her confusion is genuine.” Geor walked over to the assistant and spoke quietly to her. Two of the guards moved and flanked Sinder on either side. The guards in the exam room finished their work on the doctor’s workstation. One of them took the loaded data pad and the other took the baffled physician into his custody. Geor returned to Sinder’s side. “We will return to my home. I will fill you in on what seems to have transpired.” She nodded and took a few steps toward the door. The guards surrounded them and closed ranks, on full alert once again. Sinder followed the lead guard and noted that their destination was far more ornate than the surrounding buildings. “You live in a temple?” Geor quirked a strained smile. “We live in a temple.” She knew that he wasn’t just referring to Geor and Crixox. She and Kema were now in the equation with them. Once inside, the doctor was hustled off in one direction while Geor steered Sinder down a hall and into a large dining area. Row upon row of tables took up a lot of the space. It 30

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could house over a hundred diners if they got cozy. A solitary table was up on a platform at the far side of the hall. The glowing light coming through the panes of coloured glass would frame anyone sitting there. Geor took her right to the platform and settled her in a chair before summoning a server with a slight flick of his hand. The server brought tea and bustled off with a smile and a blush. “She likes you.” Sinder smiled and sipped at her tea. He sighed and leaned back. “Geor was popular with the ladies even before he became my Avatar.” Blinking, Sinder turned and saw that Crixox was in charge again. “Oh, hello again.” “How is Kema doing?” Sinder checked with Kema and smiled, “She is fine. Apparently, my mind is a mess and my body needs some fine-tuning. She is having fun fussing with a living being.” “Do you mind?” Sinder thought about it. “No, I don’t think I do. She needed somewhere to go, and I was the most suitable choice. It’s nice to be wanted for your more basic qualities. How long have you been in charge of the body?” “Since I had to stop Geor from killing the physician back at the office. The Purists are a small group who believe that Kema is my destined bride and that her host had to be a High Nalu. Sadly, this was not the case. The women who tried to sync their minds to Kema’s went mad.” Sinder spluttered on her tea. “And no one thought to 31

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mention this?” “You had already been poisoned. The doctor was the one who crafted the gas grenade in an effort to destroy you before Kema was offered your body as an option. If he had not brought you so close to death, you may have been able to return to your people.” She rubbed her forehead. “Somehow, I think I still would have let Kema in, even if I had spoken to my people.” “Why?” “She needed me.” Her words came out without her thinking about them, and Kema spilled warmth through her thoughts in appreciation. “And I think I needed her.” Crixox nodded. “That was the situation with Geor and myself. I needed a body to speak to the High Nalu settlers, and he needed a purpose beyond drinking and sex.” The thought of Geor having sex caused heat to spread through Sinder’s body. Her blush was horribly obvious. “Why didn’t he simply find a mate and raise a family?” Crixox sighed. “He couldn’t see himself with one woman for any extended period of time. The High Nalu were putting pressure on all of their population to pair up and begin breeding as quickly as they could. The problem was that the population has always been skewed in favour of males. They outnumber the females and fidelity has not been a major concern. He had been on the side of being the other male for so long that he couldn’t imagine a woman of his own seeking 32

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out another male. It is a bit of hypocrisy, but it was how he felt. By becoming my Avatar, he could wait until the right woman presented herself.” She sat with her eyes wide. “I see.” “He is calming down now and wishes me to cease discussing this. I will speak with you another time, Avatar of Kema. Enjoy your meal.” His eyes shifted, and she was once again facing Geor. She cleared her throat as his intense gaze raked over her from head to toe. “So tell me more about the Purists.” He nodded and sipped at his tea. “When Kema landed and Crixox confirmed that she was thinking within the piece of her world, the High Nalu were excited. No world has two minds to it, and the thought of a mated pair of Avatars was exciting. If it could come to pass, it would be a new triumph for the High Nalu. Dozens of females of all ages went to the summit and tried to bond with Kema, but they did not manage to blend their minds to hers. Madness kicked in and our population suffered. The Purists insisted that a High Nalu woman would be the new Avatar, so when Kema spoke to Crixox and told him what she needed, the Purists became upset. “They had held to the hope that one of our kind would be suitable for Kema, but there was no way. She simply did not resonate properly with our kind.” “Speaking of resonate, why did the guards hum like that while I was bonding to Kema?” His grin was amused and relieved at the same time. “It was part of a funeral chant of our people. If you died during the transfer, your soul would have joined 33

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Crixox. The resonance would focus your mind to his frequency.” “So, my mind would be carried off into the world I am standing on. Nice. Very pleasant.” She remembered the chant and her words were surprisingly sincere. “Not the worst way to go.” “I am glad you think so. It is a tradition that my people have carried out since they first began to feel Crixox’s mind near them. In theory, my ancestors are whirling in the energy around us right now.” He smiled. “Speaking of the energy, you can’t see the auras, can you?” He shook his head. “No. Kema knew that her true host would gain that skill but none of the others even came close to something like that.” Trays of food started arriving and more hooded guards filed in, took seats and began to eat. “Why do they wear hoods?” “It breaks connections with their families by hiding their identities. Since our population has more males than females, the men who can’t find mates or wish to live a life of the mind, join our ranks and serve the temple of Crixox. They are our police, security, counsellors, and off-world representatives.” She nodded and took some flatbread off one of the platters. I have changed your digestive process to match that of the High Nalu, also your lungs, circulation and hair follicle growth. Thank you, Kema. How many other changes are you going to make? A low laugh rippled through her thoughts. Eat up, 34

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you are going to get taller. “Fantastic.” Sinder muttered to herself as she piled more food on her plate. “Um. You seem hungry.” “Kema is making changes to me. She is increasing my body’s efficiency and making me a little taller.” That sparked a thought. “Is there someplace that I can get some clothing and some way I can pay for it?” “I will cover the first few outfits until you can settle in.” He held out his hand, and she quickly dropped her food, dusted her hands on her napkin and extended her palm to place her hand in his. A swift communication occurred between them but neither Geor nor Sinder was involved. Kema and Crixox spoke to each other rapidly via contact and energy, ignoring their Avatars while they caught up on what they had to say. Geor’s thumb and finger stroked her hand, and Sinder fought the shiver that rippled through her. While their planets spoke, Sinder asked, “So, what is normal dress for a woman on Crixox?” Geor shrugged, “Long skirts or loose trousers, wrap, long-sleeved tunics and matching jackets. There are gowns for festivals and special occasions. Slippers and boots. Your clothing depends on what you are going to be doing.” The conversation of the planets was over, and Geor released her hand. Kema changed direction in her thoughts and began a private project inside Sinder’s body. Power wrapped around her and pulsed gently while the planet went to work. 35

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Sinder was about to go through some dramatic changes, and she had no say in the matter. Sighing, Sinder reached for more food. If Kema needed fuel, Sinder had to provide it.

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Chapter Six

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he hoods turned to her frequently throughout the meal, and by the time the men had finished their food, Sinder was on thirds. “You seem…hungry.” She swallowed and sipped at the cup of water in front of her. “Kema is engaged in renovations. Apparently, her conversation with Crixox gave her a few ideas on how to change the design of my body.” Geor suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “Changes?” Sinder sighed and looked up at him. “Apparently, I am too short to fit in with the High Nalu. She plans on making me a little taller, is already tinkering with my digestion, as well as the density of my skin.” He looked alarm. “She isn’t changing your colouring, is she?” Sinder cocked her head. “She hasn’t said yet. Why?” “I rather enjoy the way you change from pale to pink.” He smiled and a light came to his eyes. She sighed again. “Involuntary reaction. I will see if Kema is willing to turn it off.” “Don’t. I like it.” He smiled, and her heart flipped. 37

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She wanted to smack herself in the head. Sinder hadn’t felt this weak in the knees around a male since she was a teenager. Getting giddy by having him simply look at her was not something a grown woman should do. Still, being giddy seemed a fun and pleasant feeling. She shouldn’t give up on it as a pastime. “I don’t think we have a choice. If she wants to change the way I look, she will. I am holding onto my talent and my personality. The rest is hers to play with.” He blinked. “That is a very calm way of absorbing a dramatic change.” “She gave me my life back. It doesn’t matter that she was the reason that it was in danger. She let me live. That is something that buys a lot of consideration from me. She can change my form as she wills, as long as she leaves my core being, I don’t mind.” “Is she changing you into a High Nalu?” His tone was casual. “No, not as far as I can tell. Just more me.” She shrugged and pushed her plate away to remove temptation. A yawn swept up, and she caught it behind her hand. “Apologies.” He snickered. “Don’t apologize. The day that Crixox moved into me, I passed out for a week while my body acclimated to him.” “Kema isn’t still tied to her world. There is no balance to be struck for her. Despite my nerves about having her move in for my lifetime, she gave up an eternity as a planetary fragment to take me as her host.” You realised that much more quickly than I would have thought, Sinder. Well, when my body healed and you took such 38

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delight in moving in, it came to me that I was now your home as much as I was left with you inside me. It is a far more equitable arrangement than most Avatar situations. Thank you for acknowledging it. Yes, you are definitely now my home. Sinder asked, What colour do my eyes turn when you speak? Violet. It is the colour of the oceans back on my world before I began to die. So, we were both caught before we could complete the process of dying. We have more in common than I first thought. Kema sent a warm burst through Sinder’s body. Geor was watching her with an amused twist to his lips. “You were speaking with her?” “I am, was. She and I were discussing our similarities.” He chuckled. “I will escort you to your room, and in the morning, you will be given some clothing that will allow for adjustment.” “Polite word. Adjustment.” “Overhaul seems a little violent.” He grinned and got to his feet, extending his hand to her. She snorted and got to her feet. Sinder reached for his hand as her body lurched. Her balance was off completely. She looked up at him and scowled, then blinked rapidly. “It seems that she started without the benefit of my body being at rest.” Her head was now even with his shoulder instead of his chest. Her limbs ached ferociously now that she was 39

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putting weight on her joints. Her dress was also uncomfortably tight. One deep breath caused an audible rip in the fabric. “Ow. And freaking ow.” Geor leaned down and lifted her, cradling her gently. “You shouldn’t put weight on them yet. Your next job should be resting.” She chuckled weakly and leaned her head against his chest. “I would ask to see a doctor, but the last time didn’t end that well for me.” He sighed. “I am sorry about that.” “Why? You didn’t do it.” “No, but the Purists have been growing more vocal as Kema’s position became completely unstable.” He spoke as he walked. “She wasn’t always teetering on the edge of a crater?” “No. There was a stable lip on the edge that eroded under the many feet of hopefuls.” Six of the guards silently wrapped around them once again as they left the hall. Their group moved gracefully back to where her bizarre day started. Sinder yawned again and snuggled into Geor’s chest. Kema was humming in her thoughts again, and it was with those ancient notes in her mind that Sinder fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Naked. The first thought she had when she woke was that she was naked. A quick peek under the covers proved that the gown had been removed after it had started to constrict her. Bits and scraps of fabric were pinned under her body and red lines marked her flesh. 40

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How much taller am I, Kema? By your measurement, fifteen inches or so. I read in your mind that it was important that you not be taller than your mate. Oh good. Sarcasm filled her thoughts. Sinder touched her head and sighed in relief that she only found her own black locks coming from her temples. No horns, thank the stars. She stifled a shriek when she touched her ears and then flicked them away from her fingers. That was new. You grew my ears? It was needed to have you blend in more with the High Nalu. I kept your colouration as it was. Geor is fascinated by it, especially your bright green eyes. None of the High Nalu have eyes that colour. It must be really noticeable when they switch to your violet. Apparently. I have gotten much information on Geor’s preferences from Crixox. He has been most forthcoming with his Avatar’s reactions. Mentally, Sinder laughed. Geor must love that. I don’t believe that Crixox has told him. Even a planet is not stupid enough to mess with a male’s ego. Getting out of bed on longer limbs while giggling was not an easy task, but Sinder managed it. There was a shower and a wide tub in the bathing room. She took the shower and looked wistfully at the bath. After her shower, she turned the water on low and swallowed as much cold water as she could manage. Her body was shivering, but she felt better. She used the air jets to dry herself before she dared to look in the mirror. 41

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Her black hair was wild and hung in a fluffed halo around her that did not conceal the new perky points to her ears. She focused and swivelled her left ear back and her right forward. With a little effort, she could move them at will. A hairbrush was in the fourth drawer she checked. After half an hour of brushing, she looked into the mirror and scowled. Are you growing my hair while I brush it? Yes. It seemed the best time. While you were lying down, I could not tell how long it was. Can you stop for today? My arms are getting tired. Her hair was now hanging to mid-thigh. What are you using for protein to build it? Um, you will need to eat again soon. Kema’s voice was amused. Wearing nothing but her hair, Sinder checked out the bedroom and looked for anything to put on. Shrugging when she didn’t find anything, she walked out into what had to be Geor’s rooms. He wasn’t inside, but his wardrobe surrendered a shirt that covered her from shoulders to mid-thigh. The guards were standing around his desk once again. Geor was on his feet with an astonished expression on his features. “Sinder. What are you—” “I needed something to wear, and this was the closest thing I could find. My dress apparently shredded in the transformation.” She could feel her ears swivelling as the men in the room made minute sounds of interest. Tiny huffs came from the guards and one took a step 42

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forward. Geor made a loud cough and his guards quickly left the room. She wasn’t sure, but Geor seemed broader in the shoulder as he came around his desk and pinned her against the door behind her. “Why are you out here in such a state of undress?” She looked down at her bare legs and then slowly let her gaze trail up his body, pausing at the erection that pressed against the fabric of his trousers. With a deep swallow, she continued to lift her gaze until she was staring into deep red eyes. “I am dressed by the standards of my species.” He gripped her waist and lifted her up. With a few steps, he settled her on the edge of his desk and stepped between her knees. Geor reached down and caressed her left foot, stroking slowly up her ankle, to her calf and the back of her knee. A deep shiver ran through her at the light touch on an erogenous zone she had been unaware of. His finger stroked slowly through the crease at the back of the joint, and her breath changed in pitch. Her belly clenched and she tried to close her legs to stop the distinct throb that her clit was sending through her sex. She was so swamped by sensation that it took her a moment to process his words. “Our species has different sensual points than yours did. Kema has matched your body’s function to that of the High Nalu, and our sensitivities are now yours.” His lips were next to her ear. With a soft breath, he warmed the skin of her ear, and he nipped gently with no warning. Fire coursed through her at the minute touch, and her 43

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breath left her in a rush as her body came wildly alive. Sinder clutched at his shoulders, digging her nails in as she fought for control over a body that had triggers she had never imagined. She tingled, she ached and she wanted him close, and all he had done was stroke her knee and nip her ear. He stroked one hand slowly down her arm, and she could hardly wait to find out what nerves were connected to that portion of her anatomy when a knock sounded at the door.

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Chapter Seven stood, took his seat behind the desk and watched Geor her struggle into an awkward state of attention facing the door. When she was ready, he pressed a button and the door opened. A mature High Nalu woman was standing in the doorway, and she looked both fascinated and irritated to be in the presence of the Avatar. “Avatar Sinder, this is Aliaha, the seamstress for the temple. She will help you put on clothing more suitable to your station and your new height.” Geor was amused. She resented that he was so easily able to put aside his arousal while her body was still on fire. “Pleased to meet you, Madam Aliaha.” Sinder flinched at the scathing assessment that the woman gave her. The seamstress’s ears flicked in disapproval as she looked Sinder over. “I can work with it. I will throw in lessons on how to dress appropriately in High Nalu society and a meeting with a hairstylist.” Sinder was bustled into Geor’s room, and the door was closed behind them. “Avatar Sinder, you are not of our people, and your 45

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face shows it, but after I am done with you, you will look like a woman of the High Nalu.” There was grim determination in Aliaha’s voice. “I put myself in your hands.” The seamstress put her bag down and withdrew a swath of cloth. “Take off that ridiculous shirt, and let’s get a skirt on you.” Sinder blushed, but she peeled out of the shirt and did as the seamstress told her. As the hours passed, she received more information on the High Nalu deportment and etiquette than she had imagined existed. “There. I think that is all for today. You will pass for a respectable woman now.” “Thank you for the praise, Ali.” Sinder moved carefully, mostly because of the metal bands that confined two locks of her hair. They swung every time she took a step, but when she made it to a mirror, she could see that Aliaha was correct. She could pass for a High Nalu woman now from a distance. It had been an arduous morning, but at the two-hour mark, Geor had a meal brought to them. Over the meal, they spoke to each other, and to Sinder’s surprise, she learned a lot about the guards and their reasons for being at the temple. Aliaha was Alif’s grandmother. She became the seamstress of the temple to keep track of her grandson. Once a male joined the temple, they handed over part of their thoughts to Crixox. No member of the temple was a Purist, and few if any, ever had thoughts of family before they entered into service. Alif was one who had seen his childhood sweetheart 46

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mate someone else, and since there were no other women who even entered his consciousness, he decided to join the temple. Aliaha just wanted to make sure that he was happy where he was and service to Crixox and Geor was not arduous unless it involved the Purists. Once Sinder had assured her that with Kema firmly lodged in her mind she would not be leaving Crixox anytime in the foreseeable future, they got along much better. As they ate, Sinder answered questions about her job and the assignments and places she had been. They actually had a tentative friendship by the time Sinder was wearing a pair of gilded sandals, a wrap skirt that allowed her sufficient movement, a wrap shirt in a glowing green with bronze embroidery that matched her eyes and the hair bands that marked her as a woman of high rank. “You look much different than I thought you would.” Aliaha looked at her carefully. “What did you think I would look like?” “I don’t know. Kema was insisting on different, so perhaps a lime green alien with nine breasts?” Aliaha smiled. Sinder smiled at the woman made of tans and browns. Her hair was tied in one column down her back with even banding. It was a high-working class marker. The two locks that were bound in front of Sinder’s shoulders indicated that she was not working class, and the long hair down her back indicated her unmated status. There were subtleties to their society that were going to trip her up, but she had been warned about the 47

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biggest problems that she would bump into in the next few days. “Are you ready to face your harshest critic?” Aliaha smiled, showing white teeth and flicking her ears forward. “I am. Let’s go kill my ego.” She straightened and let Aliaha lead the way to the door to Geor’s office. Aliaha swept through the door and continued out into the temple hall, leaving Sinder framed in the doorway. All erogenous zones were covered with the exception of her ears, and as she moved them, small gold bells chimed with every flick. Her Terran piercings had survived the change, so Aliaha had put on a pair of High Nalu earrings. She stood in the doorway until Geor looked up and smiled with a dawning appreciation for the view. “That is more appropriate but far less fun than your earlier garb. Is she preparing more?” Geor got up from his desk and held his hand out for her. He walked around her slowly, taking in the details. “Perfect in every detail. You look wonderful. Now, are you hungry?” She grunted. “You know I am. Kema is still convinced that for true beauty, my hair must reach my ankles. It seems like her personal preference because Aliaha didn’t mention it.” Geor choked on laughter, “Um, it is one of my preferences. Since few women could ever achieve it, it narrowed the women I had to consider as candidates for mate down to almost nothing. The other requirements listed to the populace were as unachievable as I could 48

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manage, but they still caused enough women to attempt to woo my attention that I had to get more and more exotic with my requests. Kema assisted by adding her requirements to the list, and then, here you are. I have to admit that I never thought the guard would be able find a woman like you and part of me hoped they never would.” As she stepped beside him down the hall toward the dining area, a few of the guards took double takes as she passed. “Why did you hope that they never would?” “My life has not always been as useful as it is now. I worried that a woman who was brought to me would be superficially what I thought I wanted and that she would be missing her own soul.” Sinder chuckled. “I don’t believe that it is an issue. You are not everything I want in a man, but rather, you are growing on me. The reason is that I never knew someone like you existed. How can I have a preference on a man that I didn’t know was possible?” He blinked. “I am not your ideal?” She smiled and went for honesty. “You are handsome, witty and have self-control that will probably end up driving me insane, but it will be a fun trip. If Kema demands a mate, she could do worse than you and Crixox.” They walked up the aisle to the table at the head of the dining hall, and they waited for their meal. Geor held her hand the whole way, and when they settled in their seats, he raised her hand to his lips, turned it over and nipped three inches down the interior of her wrist. Her blood pounded in her veins, and her belly 49

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clenched with just that small nip. His grin was wicked and promised that he knew all the spots on her new body to drive her insane. “Yes, you could.”

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Chapter Eight

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he clothing that Aliaha had fitted to her helped to make her feel less abnormal, but it rubbed her in all the strangest places. At no time in Sinder’s life did she ever imagine that the inner crease of her elbow would send her heart pounding when she bent her arm, but every joint on her body was aware of the touch and slide of her clothing. Kema was engaging in efforts to keep her calm by singing in her mind. Dinner was pure torture. Geor used every opportunity to touch her in what she would consider to be a casual manner, but when he made contact, it was something else entirely. Her skin was crackling with energy, her eyes were watering and she had her thighs pressed so tightly together that a secondary career as a mermaid was a definite possibility. “Sinder? Are you finished eating?” Geor was vastly amused, and it showed. She pushed her plate away and the guards below sighed in relief, leaving for their duties or their time off. “They were waiting for me?” He chuckled and stood. “They were. When you push 51

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your plate away, they will be free to leave. Just for future reference.” He held his hand out for her to take. Reluctantly, she placed her fingers in his, wincing at the heat that rampaged up her arm. “Where would you like to go?” “I think a walk would be a good idea. I need to get used to the new centre of balance in my body.” She concentrated on keeping her balance without lunging into him. “You are walking a little like a newborn calf.” He chuckled. She gradually steadied and stood tall in the halo of their guards. “Why do we go everywhere with guards, Geor?” “The High Nalu always have their leaders under guards sworn to their offices. In our history, assassination is far more common than we liked.” They made it onto the walkway outside, and the light of the sunset was a lovely glow. “How long have your people been here?” “Nine hundred eighty-three years. Our landing-day celebration occurs on the seventeenth day of winter. We have a large festival that includes all of the families who landed here. I was in the first generation born to the settlers, and Crixox called me to service when I made the decision that a regular family life was not for me.” She smiled. He was telling her all on his own. “Ah, the same reason I left the earth to join the Terran Volunteers.” His red eyes widened. “I am not sure that our 52

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reasons were the same.” She snickered. “I am sure that your motivation had nothing do to with the urge to try something new.” He laughed. “Perhaps. It was something similar. I was tired of the life I had been living and wanted to begin something more constructive. Bonding to Crixox was definitely a good option.” “So, you were here when Kema crashed?” “Yes. The disruption in the atmosphere got my attention and most of the population watched the meteor arc above us before it struck the side of the crater and rolled into a solid position. Crixox began to speak with her, and soon, it was put about that the meteor was the last fragment of a dead world. Women would walk up to the meteor and touch the cool rock, each was doomed to disappointment.” “Why do you think that the women went insane?” He gave it some thought. “I think that Kema’s energy was not nor has ever been compatible with my species. Each race has a different frequency that it can adapt to, and Kema is out of the High Nalu range.” He paused and started a tour. “This is a small bakery which provides some of the bread and pastries to the temple. Beyond are the butcher shop, a teashop and Aliaha’s dress shop. There are jewellery stores on the upper level.” She blinked as she realised that she was walking next to an outdoor mall. “Nice. Where do the farmers live?” He paused and pointed. “The green slopes that surround us on all sides are farms. Plants, animals, textiles, they are all grown around Sissithan.” 53

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She smiled at the name of the city. Back on earth the inhabitants would be called Sissies. “Is it a stable food source?” “Yes, we have enough to export and offer to local transports on our station.” She blinked. “We have a space station?” He chuckled. “Yes. We have a space station and a small shuttle port on the edge of the city. It is how the guards got you here.” “Nice. What am I supposed to do now, by the way? I am guessing that you don’t want me taking off and whirling through the universe in one of those aforementioned shuttles.” Geor froze in place. “I had not thought that far ahead. Would you consider taking some time away to learn about the people of Crixox before settling on a new job?” She shrugged. “I suppose so. Aliaha was willing to take me out to visit her family.” “It is a good start, but remember that you have to be with no less than three guards at all times.” “I don’t think that I am still in danger. Kema seems willing to fix anything that goes wrong with me as it comes up.” Sinder was prodding at him just to see his reaction. Crixox took over. “You are pushing buttons, to use your vernacular. He is seething. Was that your intent?” She winced. “Not really. I am just not used to being confined or having to answer to anyone. When did you learn Terran phrasing?” He chuckled, his eyes bright. “You are not the first Terran Avatar, nor will you be the last if the planets 54

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have any say in the matter. Your minds have so much space for us that it makes sharing the body very easy for both parties.” Kema was humming happily in the background, proving Crixox’s point. Sinder sighed. “Tell Geor that I was not trying to rile him up.” The blue eyes faded and red surged back to the fore. Geor dragged in a controlled breath. “I accept that you didn’t know I am sensitive to thoughts of my female going elsewhere.” She held her breath at the irritation that flared through her at his assertion that she was his. She blasted air out through her nose in a snort and felt her ears go back. “You may want to watch the possessive pronouns, or I might just baffle you again.” They were still walking slowly through the paved pathways of the city. Their confrontation had occurred on the move. “Baffle?” “Strike you with confusion. I am still able to do that even though Kema is living in my body. In fact, I have more control and power now than I did before.” He nodded with a jerk. “Neutral topic. What does your name mean?” She snickered. “Not that neutral. My mother was a fan of fairy tales, and she named me after her favourite character with a change to the spelling, so it would not be that obvious.” “Fairy tale?” “A story of supernatural beings who assist humble humans to find true love or rescue themselves from 55

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adversity. They are usually told to children.” She smiled. “Do you have stories like that?” He cocked his head, the horns gleaming in the light of the rising moons. “I vaguely recall tales of that sort, but I have never been one to believe in true love.” Sinder felt part of her fade and turn grey at that phrase. “Ah. Reality has taught you differently?” “The women who swayed through my doors and lifted their skirts were enough to confirm that they are just as opportunistic as the males.” His features were grim. “It is our way.” She looked around her at the people, some of who stopped to watch their slow procession. They looked happy enough, some in couples, some trios and others quads. “If it works for them, why complain?” “Would you turn to another male if you got bored?” There was a silent desperation in his posture. She sighed and stopped, turning to take his hands in hers. “My people generally take one mate and keep them until it becomes inconvenient. Many pair bond for their lives but others separate and seek what they thought was missing. I left my world, because I wasn’t interested in seeking either a permanent or temporary link to someone who may change their mind. “Fear of rejection in one form or another has plagued me all my life. Now, instead of being not enough, I fear I am too much for most males. Where does that leave me?” She raised her gaze to his and left the question hanging in the air.

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Chapter Nine lifted her hands to his lips and heated first one Geor inner wrist and then the other with his breath. “I think that we should continue this discussion in a more private setting.” Her body was tingling at the light caress of her skin. She licked her lips. “I am a big fan of discussing things.” He smiled, curled one of her hands around his arm and changed their direction back toward the temple at a much faster pace than they had used coming out. Kema’s singing took on a sensual turn, and it made Sinder ask, What are you doing in there? I have never had sex with a being like me. Planets usually just touch minds and leave it at that. This is a first time for me, so I am trying to keep your mood up. As Kema finished her thought, she sent a spike of heat through Sinder’s channel. It felt for all the world like a finger was inside her as she walked. That is really weird. Knock it off. “Sinder, what is wrong?” Geor slowed his step. She looked up at him and grimaced. “Kema is 57

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attempting to help your efforts.” He paused for a moment then grinned. She really wanted to punch him, but he increased their pace, and they moved with their guards into the temple. Once out of sight of the crowds, Geor lifted her in his arms and moved with alarming speed toward his office and their quarters. “I am not going to change my mind about the discussion. You don’t have to run.” Crixox swirled into Geor’s eyes and shared space in the consciousness. “He has been celibate a while, he is in a slight hurry to have you naked and moaning under him.” The shiver that ran through Sinder had nothing to do with Kema and everything to do with the image that ran through her thoughts. The door to his office opened just in time for him to slam through shoulder first. The door to the bedroom opened and was closed the same way. He set her on her feet at the edge of his bed. She asked the question in her heart. “What do you want from me?” He paused, and Geor regained control of the body. “I want you to react to my touch, I want to wake next to you in the mornings and I want you to let me help you plan your day until you get used to the High Nalu.” Sinder blushed, “I already react to your touch. The changes in my body have made it far more sensitive in what I consider to be strange places. I will wake next to you if you are not an early riser, which I know you are, so you might be out of luck there. As for planning my days, I will take all the advice I can get.” 58

Baffle “Then I would like to show you what parts of your body will sing when they are caressed. It is important to embrace your new culture.” She nodded soberly. “Very important.” He lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her inner wrist. Her pulse sped up, and when he nipped her skin, her heart thudded heavily. She shuddered as he used his mouth to caress her inner elbow, and when he tongued the skin, she fought to keep her knees steady. “How is that happening?” He smiled and turned his attentions to the other arm. “It was said that when the High Nalu were created, the women did not wish to couple with the men. The men were in a hurry, and the women experienced little to no pleasure. The gods changed the women and the men of the High Nalu so that they would continue to breed. “The women became sensitive to touch in certain areas that could be accessed in public. This meant that they had a better chance at reaching a climax with their partners and were more likely to pair bond with one particular male. The males were changed to crave the taste of their female and to hold back on their release in an effort to bring pleasure to their partner.” She shivered as his hands worked at the closure of her wrap top. He explained. “The clothing that the females wear is designed to conceal, flatter and yet expose certain areas to assist in their partner’s efforts.” She let out a low moan when he trailed his fingers down her neck, across her shoulders and down to her elbows. “This is bizarre. I have never had so many spots on my body that have driven me nuts.” 59

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He chuckled and stepped forward as her breasts were exposed to his gaze. He ignored them in favour of her ears. She held tightly to his shirt as his tongue cruised the edge of one ear and then the other. The light touch of his wet tongue followed by the cool air sent prickles of sensation through her breasts. Her nipples tightened to hard nubs, but the deep ache she was feeling was far lower down. She gasped as he traced minute kisses down her temple until he met her lips. Her hands clenched in reflex as she twisted up to get more of his specific taste. When he parted from her and continued his torture on her neck and collarbone, she whined low but licked her lips to catch the last taste of him. His hand moved ahead of his mouth, touching, caressing, arousing and teasing all in slow strokes. A few short tugs and her skirt was around her ankles, leaving her in her open shirt, her skirt at her ankles and sandals on her feet. She was in a haze of pleasure and swaying dramatically when he finished stroking the base of her spine and her knees gave way. “You held out longer than I thought you would.” With a grin, Geor lifted her and placed her on the huge expanse of his bed. She learned something very important about the men of the High Nalu, their horns kept their partner from crushing their skulls with their inner thighs. The cool horn rapidly warmed as it was pressed against her straining thigh. As Geor used his tongue to taste the slick honey that he had encouraged her to generate, she 60

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twisted on the sheets, her arms flailing for a grip. Geor reached up and grabbed her hands, placing them on his upper horns as he continued to feast at her sex, his tongue flicking at her clit before sliding lower and delving deep. The ridges of horn under her hand were a distracting sensation, but as she used her grip to control his rhythm, she found herself on the edge of release. It was a powerful feeling, Geor was giving himself for her pleasure, and she wanted nothing more than to return the favour. “Geor, I want you inside me.” Her low whisper got an instant result. Fabric flew, and soon, his dark blue body was sliding over and into her with deliberate attention. Her sex stretched, and in her mind, Kema made some adjustments. Geor slid into her until he was fully seated, and her body clasped him in a slow even rhythm. Sinder knew that his ability to fit inside her was part of Kema’s renovation. No way would that ten-inch cock have fit into her otherwise. She looked into his eyes, and his bright red gaze made her smile. “Just you and me.” He threaded his fingers through hers and pressed her hands next to her head. He rocked his hips against hers, and the slide and drag of the wide head inside her became central to her focus. The room was dark, Geor was dark, so it was only when his thrusts took on a sharp frenzy that she noted the glow that was coming from her skin and his. Despite what they had agreed on, the planets were with them as their bodies approached release. 61

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The feeling of his thighs sliding against hers with every thrust, the slow rub of his palms against hers as he mimicked the motion and rhythm within soon had her at the edge of orgasm once again. When the fire inside threatened to flare out of control, she opened her mouth, only to be silenced with Geor’s kiss as her scream came out in a broken surge of gasps. Geor groaned into her mouth in exchange, and she shuddered as she felt his cock bucking and twitching inside her. He shoved into her with jerky motions as his cock spewed the last of his cum inside her. His lips moved against hers slowly, coaxing her into a kiss that urged her to lean up into his oral caress. She licked his lips and tasted him, rapidly growing addicted to the flavour. It was one of the best things she had tasted in her life, and she wanted to stay lost in his kiss forever. Geor raised his head and smiled. “That took the edge off. Now, a little tidying up and we can begin all over again.” She shivered at the delight in his expression. It was going to be a very educational evening.

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Chapter Ten

K

ema was purring happily in Sinder’s mind. Why are you so happy? Crixox’s energy signature feels wonderful. In Sinder’s mind, Kema was tumbling around in her own afterglow. Sinder shifted, and Geor’s arm clenched around her. Smiling, Sinder laid her arm on top of his, weaving her fingers into the spaces between Geor’s. He didn’t speak, but she heard his horns sliding across the pillow a moment before he trailed his lips up and down her neck. “Good morning, Avatar.” She stretched and shifted her legs to straighten out the twinges. “Good morning, Avatar. I am surprised that you are still here. Usually you are in your office before I wake up.” “I have no plans for my day other than spending time with you.” He pressed soft kisses to her shoulder and she sighed and turned over to face him. The ridge of his erection was hot and throbbing against her belly as she pressed to him. “Geor, you can’t ignore your schedule just because I am here now. You do your thing, and I will find mine, eventually.” 63

Viola Grace He blinked in surprise. “You don’t wish to spend every minute of every day with me?” She chuckled. “If Kema’s estimate of my new life span is accurate, we will have plenty of time together. We don’t need to mesh our lives into one mass. You can have your interests, I can have mine, and we can meet in the middle for others.” His red eyes were glowing with a confusing welter of emotions, but his body was speaking loud and clear. Geor reached down and lifted her thigh, draping it over his hip and opening her to his touch. His fingers caressed the back of her knee, and slick moisture crept out with his delicate touch. She reached between them and stroked the column of his cock, gently moving her hand on his slick dark blue skin until he was flexing with every shift in her palm. Sinder levered herself upward to put his cock at her entrance, and with a coordinated flex of their hips, they joined together. He slid one hand through her hair to cup her skull and brought her head to his for a kiss as they leisurely met and retreated in a slow-motion recreation of the frenzy of the previous night. Her body flexed and caressed the column of his erection as he thrust and pulled back in a lazy, heady rhythm. Her over-sensitized skin took every touch of his hand and turned it into flames running along her nerves. She moaned into his mouth when her body tightened around him until he could barely move. In a shock of pleasure, the tension broke, and her moan was lost in a gasp as she gripped his arm for 64

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support. He thrust rapidly a few times before shuddering into her, giving her a low groan in exchange for her sigh. She went limp, dazed and sated. Geor pressed a string of soft kisses across her brow, eyes and the tip of her nose. Sinder was exhausted. Her night had been broken into half a dozen encounters that had brought her and Geor together in a rush of pleasure and eagerness to learn each other. The morning was a soft, slow confirmation that there was no hurry. After a shower and having Geor help her with the banding on her hair, Sinder dressed and shared a breakfast with him in his office. “So, what are you up to today, Geor?” He gave her a look through half-lidded eyes. “I was planning on staying in.” She shivered but gave him a stern expression in return. “I am going to go out and meet people today. You can come with, or you can stay here, but I am on a new world with only you to talk to. That is a recipe for disaster if ever I heard one.” He quirked a brow. “I can talk for days, weeks even. I was used to being alone on my shuttle, so I amused myself. Being around people now and then keeps me from blathering along incessantly.” He chuckled and sipped his tea. “Not that I have seen.” She made a face and got to her feet. The heavy bands on her hair swung and clicked against the desk as 65

Viola Grace she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Geor’s lips. “I promise to take no less than three guards, but I will need Alif.” Geor nodded and Crixox was sharing space when they said, “We will remain here, have Kema call if you need anything, and be home before dark.” “I will. Wish me luck.” She went to the door and picked Alif out of the six in the hallway. “Alif, you and two others will show me around Sissithan and to Aliaha. She has offered to introduce me to your family.” Alif nodded, and she could see a smile in the shadows of his cowl. “Of course, Lady Sinder. She will be only too happy to show off her new connections.” Sinder didn’t care what Aliaha’s motives were. She simply wanted to meet some of the locals to take the pulse of the people. Something Aliaha had mentioned was also humming in Kema’s thoughts, and to assess the situation, Sinder needed to be out where the people were. Alif bowed slightly and led the way out of the temple. One guard was in front and one behind them, but few, if any, folk were coming near. Aliaha was delighted when she entered the shop with Alif. “I didn’t think you would come today.” “I want to find my way on Crixox. The fastest way is by meeting the population. Take me to the town you were mentioning yesterday, and we can meet your family.” Aliaha laughed, “I have already met them.” Sinder rolled her gaze, and when Aliaha handed her shop over to her stunned assistant, they left with the 66

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older woman chattering nonstop. The passersby who had ignored Sinder, flocked to her now that Aliaha was next to her. Introductions were made, and a seven-minute walk took forty-five minutes. Once they reached the rail transport, Sinder had counted five Purists who wavered upon meeting her. Their hostility and curiosity faded as they got a close up look at her. From a few feet away, Sinder appeared to be a High Nalu woman. Her nose was a little sharper and her pupils were the wrong shape, but Kema had made the obvious characteristics to match her surroundings. The rail transport got them to the village in ten minutes. Aliaha was almost rubbing her hands with delight as they approached. “Did you warn them we were coming?” Ali nodded and grinned, “When I went to the back of my shop to get my bag. My daughters are delighted and terrified.” With the guards watching the approaching station, Sinder leaned close and asked, “Where is the woman you were mentioning yesterday? The Purist who tried to join with Kema.” Ali’s face sobered, “We will go there first. You will need a jovial atmosphere after you see her.” Sinder held her mind still as she followed Ali and the guards through the village. Several people ran to Aliaha for introductions, but she fended them off and told them that she and the Avatar would return shortly. The woman took her directly to a dark house at the end of the block and knocked. A worn, sad woman opened the door. “Aliaha, to 67

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what do I owe the pleasure?” “The Avatar would like to speak with Tish.” “You know that Tish doesn’t make any sense. What would Geor need with her?” “Not Geor. Kema’s Avatar. She wishes to see Tish, to find out what damage was done.” The exhausted woman looked at Sinder in surprise. “You? Kema finally took a body?” Sinder nodded. “She did, and she regrets the madness that some experienced. There was no way for her to tell you that your minds would not match hers, and some of your organizers did not take the hint from the first waves of attempts.” The woman blocked the door. “I won’t let you hurt her.” Sinder shook her head. “I am not here to hurt her, but I need to see her to understand what happened.” When the woman hesitated, Kema surged to the fore. “Out of my way woman, I can feel my power calling me.” Stunned at facing the mind of the meteor, the woman backed away from the surge of energy as Sinder entered the home. She heard the music as soon as she stepped inside. It took seconds to find the High Nalu woman sitting and rocking on the floor, crooning music from a planet long dead. The energy signature of her body was muddled. Sinder sat next to her on the floor and took her hand. Kema surged through the contact and collected all pieces of herself that she could find. Sanity returned to the young woman, and she 68

Baffle blinked at Sinder. “Was I successful?” Kema spoke, “You were not right for me, Tish, but you need to return to your life. Enjoy and know that you have touched a power that was never meant to hurt you.” A gasp from the doorway brought Tish’s attention around, “Mama?” The woman let out a low moan and ran forward to hug her daughter. Sinder got to her feet, walking back to Aliaha while dusting her hands on her skirt. “Okay, so you were going to introduce me to your family?” Aliaha smiled, “Proud to do so, and if you wish, I will create a plan to take you to the ten surviving mad women who are living in the same hell as Tish.” The Avatar smiled, “It isn’t hell. They are singing songs from Kema’s world. They took the music from her. It was all your bodies could copy.” “So, all these years they could have resumed their sanity by simply touching the stone again?” “No. It was a one-way trip. Once they were changed, they could not be saved until there was a place for the power of Kema to go. That is where I come in. I am the case for the power of Kema.” Aliaha had a dozen more questions, Sinder could see it in her eyes, but she held them while her family surrounded them. It was time for joy and discussions of power, and madness could wait for later. They had waited this long after all.

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Epilogue

T

wo years later. “Wake up, Geor. It’s the first day of the Landing Festival.” Sinder struggled out of bed and groaned as she tried to look past her belly to her feet. Her mate gripped her hand and nipped the interior of her wrist. She dragged in a slow breath and sighed on the exhalation. “They don’t need me there, Geor. They need their Avatar or Crixox. Get out of bed and get into the shower while I try and find my shoes and my feet.” After a year and a half, Sinder had given Kema the all clear for reproduction. Within two weeks, there was a third person sharing her body. Geor was delighted, having a family was one of his deepest desires, and now that it was happening, his good humour was boundless. He rolled out in a surge of muscle and lithe grace that made her want to strangle him. Her grace was a thing of the past. “Come along, beauty. Let’s get you ready for your audience.” Geor smiled at her and helped her to her feet. 70

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Her pregnancy was thankfully a combination of Terran and High Nalu. She was going to suffer five more months of swollen belly and out of whack balance. It was just her luck that the High Nalu showed early. “This is going to be an only child. You know that, don’t you? I am not a big fan of being huge and sticking out in a crowd.” He helped her into the shower and started to scrub her back. “We will see. I will be there with you every step of the way.” She wanted to punch him, but he meant well. After the shower, he dressed her and slipped her shoes on, tying them securely in place. His formal clothing took minutes to get into, and when he was ready, he extended his hand to her, and they left their rooms, heading for the front of the temple. A crowd filled the courtyard in front of the temple. Geor pulled her next to him and stood with one arm loosely around her waist. Crixox took over and spoke the words of greeting that he had said every year on this day since he had first taken Geor as his Avatar. This year he added, “And so, Geor and Sinder have begun to expand our family. Kema and I are delighted beyond words, and when this child of two worlds and two planets is born, it will show a new age for our people and their future. Life has won over the fear and panic of the past, and as these two Avatars begin their steps into being a family, I ask that you offer them help, support and comfort when needed.” Sinder smiled and asked Kema, Did you know he 71

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was going to do this? Well, darling Sinder, you are acting a little hormonal lately, and I can’t tinker with it, because I have no idea what normal is for one of your kind. A request for understanding is definitely not a bad idea. This is embarrassing. No, when you grabbed the Nalu Ambassador and hung him upside down by his feet for daring to say that you looked lovely in your pregnancy, that was embarrassing. When you wanted to get to the head of the line in the teashop and you struck everyone with confusion, that was embarrassing. Fine. Valid point. How is baby doing today? Good, strong and developing ahead of High Nalu standards. Fabulous. She blinked as she came out of her mind and back into her body. She reached out and patted her belly lightly, and the small gesture caused a wave of applause and a few howls of approval from the crowd. Since she had arrived, the birthrate had doubled, and gender lines were evening out in the new generation. She suspected that it was Kema’s effect on Crixox, but no one was listening. When the ceremony was over, they joined the others for the festivities in the courtyard. Tish and the other survivors were singing and telling stories to the young children at one side of the open space. There were now no women on Crixox who suffered from Kema madness. The power of the stone had kept them young, and several of them were accepting suitors, but others, like Tish, were taking 72

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their regained minds and becoming teachers. They had seen another planet, and it was appropriate to share all knowledge that they could absorb. Whenever Sinder looked at them, a soft smile came over her face. Out of madness, came the first full-time librarians and teachers of the High Nalu. Geor kept hold of her hand as they wandered, tasted and laughed with the population. She may have an independent streak, but he was there to keep her balanced. All in all, perhaps crashing a wedding wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to her. It brought her a man, the mind of an alien being lodged in her own, a new group of friends, a new family and an occupation that she had never imagined. Avatar to an alien world was not something covered by her high school guidance counsellor. Perhaps she could get it added to the career options somehow.

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Author’s Note Baffle confused me. Every time I thought there was a steady plotline, yoink! Sinder refused to stay in one frame of mind. She hopped around everywhere, and it drove me bonkers. The epilogue was necessary because several folks have wanted to know if my characters have kids after the book was over. This one does, but I don’t know if it is a boy or girl. I didn’t want to pry.  Thanks for reading, Viola Grace [email protected] http://www.violagrace.com http://www.extasybooks.com http://www.devinedestinies.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.