Destined (6 page)

She shuddered at the thought of being shoved onto the first low-class transport leaving Yacaro. Most of the cheap seats involved being sent in cold sleep, and once you were out, you were fair game. She didn’t have a lot of marketable skills aside from her paintings and sketches so that was the least appealing of any option that she had been presented with. Life as a slave didn’t suit her temperament.

“Yes. They were not pleased that I appeared. Apparently, one of the Guardians declared you to be off limits for extortion. I can guess which one.” Kebril smiled.

“You would probably guess correctly. He was…concerned when an officer came to my door and demanded a bribe.”

Kebril rubbed his face. “That sounds like him. How long have you known him?”

“Three days in total.”

Shock was printed on his features. “Three days and he declared himself?”

She nodded. “It shocked me too. Mind you, so did the sight of myself in his arms when I drew the sketch.”

He chuckled softly. “You were not interested in him?”

“I am drawn to him, interest does not enter into the question.” Unless she was drinking, then that grey skin and those dark eyes were all she wanted.

They sat silently while her head took up a steady beat that made conversation unappealing. Kebril noticed it, and he kept quiet while the driver took them across the continent and into the Edival mountain range.

A city appeared in the groove between two mountains. Their transport descended and landed on the roof of a building with a landing deck.

Kebril helped her out of the vehicle, and as she stepped out, she clung to him for support. Her legs were weak, her head spun and she was nauseous.

Medical staff came out to greet them, and after one look at her, they took her in and she was riding a hover bed into the scanning units.

Rhoda listened to the murmurs that broke down her injuries. Apparently, while her skull was the most painful due to a crack, her ribs were injured, and she had internal bleeding where kicks had been administered.

Kebril was nearby while they were listing her injuries, and as they began treatment, he turned and left the exam room.

Rhoda watched the medics carefully as they set about working on her body. She was stable in two hours, and they put her in a patient room to rest.

Kebril came in, and he stood next to her bed. “Drehl will be here shortly. He will administer your healing, and you can accompany him to his home.”

She blinked. “I thought I was going to your home.”

“That was before we knew the extent of your injuries. You need additional healing beyond just the bruising. It is an intimate procedure, and he will be the one to assist you.”

“This is about the nanites, isn’t it?” She frowned. “He is going to use his to heal me.”

Kebril nodded. “He is one of the few that can donate enough to cure this damage immediately. I mean, you would still heal, but it would take weeks if not months for you to be up to full health.”

Rhoda rubbed her forehead. “How long until Drehl comes?”

“Is the pain bad?”

“No, the pain of knowing that my work has been destroyed is worse than my headache.”

He shook his head. “Artists are a strange breed.”

She sniffed. “I prefer to think of us as random events in the population.”

Kebril sat at her side and took the data pad that controlled the entertainment screen.

“Are you planning on staying?”

He chuckled and scrolled through local news feeds. “You have to be kept awake until you are healed. I will honour my brother’s choice and keep you company.”

She made herself comfortable and watched the news of her arrest and subsequent release. The reporter made note of the fact that witnesses indicated she had not resisted and yet still suffered a beating. An inquiry was being launched, and she could not be reached for comment.

The close up of her bruising and the blood down her cheek from the open tissue made her wince. “I looked like hell.”

“You did. It was a little startling to see that the woman my brother had described as lovely and almost crystalline was puffy, bruised and dazed.”

An image of Rhoda from the gala appeared on the screen, and Kebril looked at the picture and smiled. “Ah, that is quite the difference and quite the gown. Your wardrobe was empty when I arrived. You will have to start from scratch, I am afraid.”

She groaned and leaned back into her pillows. “That is going to be a pain. Trying to find something to fit is complicated.”

“Well, we can make that easier. Pick a style and your scanned measurements will allow local seamstresses to bid on the right to make your gown. It is a fairly fair system. You decide if you want to accept the bids or not.”

She reached for the controls. “Can you show me how to do it and help me pick things that are appropriate?”

He grinned. “Of course. Now, shall we start with underwear?”

He took charge of her shopping, and together, they worked through the night until Drehl returned to heal her.

Chapter Nine

Rhoda felt him enter the building, and as he walked into her room a few minutes later, she was sitting up and smiling tiredly. She didn’t speak. She didn’t want to wake Kebril up.

Drehl looked like hell, but he walked to the side of her bed, took her in his arms and lifted her for a kiss.

As his tongue slipped into her mouth, she felt a tingling in her blood that started at their kiss and ran through her body. The ache in her head slowly began to fade, as did the pain in her face.

Drehl’s arm under her lifted her until her breasts were pressed tightly to his chest and she clung to his shoulders.

“Glad to see you made it, Drehl.” Kebril’s sleepy voice was amused.

Rhoda didn’t turn to look at Kebril. She kept her eyes closed and her mouth linked with Drehl’s. Every slide of his tongue sent spikes of heat and energy into her, and she wanted more.

When he parted from her, she made a sound of protest, but he kissed her forehead and her cheeks to calm her. “Good morning, Rhoda.”

She smiled, and the swelling faded from her face. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

He laughed and shifted so that one arm was under her knees, another behind her back. Kebril was already standing, and they left the hospital room with a nod to the staff.

“Why do Genarans need a medical centre anyway?”

Drehl whispered, “Not all have enough nanites to effect healing.”

“Oh.”

They left the centre, and he tucked her into his sleek transport. Drehl spoke to Kebril for a moment and gave him a short hug before he returned to take the controls.

Rhoda thought he was going to pilot them, but the ship took off without him doing a thing.

She could see that he was seething between irritation, concern and relief, and she didn’t know what to say. “So, your brother seems nice.”

He gave her an amazed look before snorting and pulling her into his lap. “Kebril came to see you in an effort to convince you that you were unsuitable. When he saw what had been done to your home and then your person, he had to act the gentleman.”

She blinked. “Oh. He seemed perfectly nice.”

Drehl chuckled and hugged her. “You charmed him. He also loves shopping for women. Combine the two and he was putty in your hands.”

She conjured the image of Kebril and putty was not the word she would use for the physical monolith he presented. “He did seem to enjoy the shopping. He was more into it than I was.”

Drehl nuzzled her neck. “He enjoys choosing clothing for his women. Consider it a fetish.”

She shivered until what he said sank in. “What? He was getting off on it?”

He chuckled and his lips worked over her skin. “Not in your case, but he did enjoy the hunt and working toward practical instead of titillating. Of course, he slipped in a few of his personal preferences, but they should be fairly easy to spot.”

“Why not in my case?”

His hand caressed her hip. Drehl lifted his head, the glyphs on his face giving him a serious expression. “When I healed you the first time, I left some of my nanites active in case you encountered one of my kind. Basically, when Kebril spoke to you, you had my marks in your bloodstream.”

Rhoda was tired, and she relaxed against him. “This is complicated.”

Drehl held her close, his body heat soothing her. “It isn’t complicated. You are now the bride of a Genaran and impervious to being ejected from Yacaro.”

Sleepily, she muttered, “Kebril said something about a ceremony.”

“My family will come to my home tomorrow. The ceremony will happen, full transference will occur and you will be a Yacaro citizen.”

She nodded and let darkness slip over her as her healing continued.

Light cascaded over her eyelids, bringing her out of her healing sleep. Rhoda sat up and rubbed her eyes.

An older woman who wore the same tattoos as Drehl sat at the side of her bed and set her embroidery aside. “You are awake. Excellent. Come along, daughter. I will help you get ready.”

Rhoda looked down, and she was wearing a silky ivory gown. She slid to the edge of the bed and levered herself up. “Ready for what?”

“It is your wedding day. Today, you and Drehl will declare yourselves in front of witnesses.”

Rhoda walked toward the woman and curtsied. “Rhoda Evergreen, pleased to meet you, madam.”

The woman took her hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I am delighted to meet you, daughter. Call me Elian or Mother if you would. I will tell you everything you need to know about the bonding ceremony.”

Waves of black hair, streaked with silver and violet, crowned Elian’s head. Her marks went from her forehead down to the corners of her mouth on each side.

Elian bustled her into the shower, and while she was getting her hair and nails done by another Genaran woman, Rhoda was given the details of the ceremony and a few bits of information about the Genarans that she had not thought to ask. The tattoos were rank markings. Rhoda would be wearing her own set about a week after the wedding.

Elian answered the door when there was a knock, and she smiled at whomever was on the other side before she took the bundle from him.

“Kebril has taken an interest in your fashion choices. He selected this gown for your vows.”

Rhoda froze as the blue-black gown that she had painted into Drehl’s portrait was in Elian’s arms. The underwear was a low pair of silky briefs attached on either side with segments of jewel-encrusted chain. The bodice was formed to fit over her breasts and was sewn down the sides to the top of her waist, swirling open to show her thighs and hips from ribcage to ankle. Bands that matched the straps of the top went around each bicep and held the sleeves in place. Once the gown was on, Elian attached a series of gems in Rhoda’s snow-white hair.

When she was dressed and the small slippers were on her feet, Elian opened the door where Kebril was waiting to act as her family for the ceremony.

He smiled down at her. “You look lovely in that, sister.”

She went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for your help with the gown, Kebril.”

“Drehl had me order it the same night he saw you at the gala. The measurements at the medical centre just helped with the final fitting.” He offered her one arm and his mother took the other. Their trio walked through long, empty halls until an assembled gathering in the courtyard showed their destination.

The unmistakable forms of Under and Hawk were sitting up front, wearing civilian clothing for the event.

Another male came forward and took Elian from her son. Based on age and physical resemblance, it had to be Drehl’s and Kebril’s father.

He took Elian to a position near the altar stone with the grooves cut in it. The Genaran did everything with an exchange of blood or nanites, including marriage.

Kebril walked her through the crowd and to the altar where the official raised his hands for silence.

“We are assembled here to join Rhoda Evergreen of Terra with Drehl Yaghin of Yacaro. Do they each have witnesses who will attest to their societal value.”

Under got to his feet, his black-on-silver eyes were sombre. “He is of value to Yacaro and its citizens and has proven it time and again.”

Rhoda bit her lip and stood in uncomfortable silence until a familiar voice said, “She is of value to the Genaran and their society.” Jemyalli was standing next to her father, a determined look in her eyes.

The official raised his brows. “How so?”

“Not only is she an artist, but she helps those who hesitate with declaring their love or accepting their destiny. It is not something that most can do, but she gives the gift with every portrait.” Jemyalli looked around nervously and stepped closer to her father.

The official smiled kindly at her. “Excellent. Now, extend your arms and place them on the altar.”

There was a groove cut into the stone, and she placed her arm in it, inner side of her wrist up. Drehl put his arm in the groove, wrist down, and he gripped her forearm tight. This was going to hurt.