Interface (5 page)

Mercuros nodded. "There is also a gardener, groundskeeper and of course our liaison. We have a fairly complete staff."

Rhenic nodded and raised her head. "Oh, The premier is coming this afternoon to speak to you, Mercuros. He did not mention the topic."

Following his lead, Vikki piled a plate high with foods that were barely recognizable but smelled familiar. She took a seat across from him at the table and together, they ate their first meal with an attentive Rhenic standing nearby.

Vikki tried everything on her plate, made mental notes as to what she did and didn't like and noticed that Rhenic was making similar notes.

"Why did you decide to leave your world for a life in the stars?" Mercuros looked at her and to her surprise, his two plates were completely clean.

"It seemed like a good idea. My friends and I made a pact to apply and I was as surprised as anyone to get a notice from the Volunteer Recruitment centre telling me that I was accepted and that I could begin assembling the pack I was to take with me to the Alliance." She smiled and poked at her dish. The omelette had an interesting fruit in the middle.

He propped his chin on his folded hands and smiled. "How did your family react?"

"They were in denial that I would be allowed to leave. They even tried to drug me so that I would miss launch day. I wanted to go. I had been dreaming of you since I was young and as I became an adult, the dreams definitely caught and held my attention."

"As did your thoughts meshing with mine in the dark of your nights."

He extended his hand across the table and she put her small pale pink hand in his without question.

They sat and let their emotions run through the physical contact.

Rhenic removed their plates and stored the remains of their meal. It wasn't nearly as much as Vikki had thought. Apparently, Drai ate a lot.

"Would you care to take a walk in the gardens?"

She smiled and got to her feet, walking with him with the table between them until they reached the end. When they could, they gravitated to each other and walked out the huge glass doors to the back yard.

The breeze felt good on her legs as it played with the long strips of her skirt. She sighed happily to be free of an obligation to get on a shuttle the following day.

"What was that sigh for?"

"I hate to travel. This is wonderful, knowing that tomorrow I don't have to get back into that damned shuttle and pray that it won't drop out of the sky on some unsuspecting world."

"You didn't have faith in your equipment?"

Their path was taking them past fanciful hedges in swirling patterns.

She laughed. "No. It stranded Vinni and me several times. Twice, it put our lives in danger. Takes two people to land it and more muscle than I usually have access to for liftoff."

A flicker of anger in her thoughts was foreign. "Don't get mad. It got me here in one piece."

He lifted her hand to his lips. "I am aware of that, but it does not ease my irritation that you were put at risk when I offered my coffers to you via the Geviil. You should have had a private shuttle that was reliable."

She smiled at his concern. "I appreciate your thoughts, but since you were not sure that I was me, how could the Geviil be?"

He made a noise similar to a grunt and they toured the gardens. When she admired a lovely bush of flowers, he made an imperceptible nod and a man appeared from behind one of the elaborate hedges.

"The gardener," Mercuros filled in. He paused. "We will have to return to the house. The premier has arrived."

Their pace was not any more rapid than their venture to the bottom of the garden. They stopped and enjoyed anything that caught Vikki's gaze.

As their slow mosey took them back to the house, the gardener passed them with a selection of flowers, most of which were the ones she had taken a liking to. Orange, red and pink faded into each other on those petals, each colour shading into the next with a quiet grace.

"Flowers for the house?"

"You should be surrounded by things you enjoy."

"As should you."

He lifted her hand again, inhaling before he pressed a kiss to her skin. "And with you here, I am."

When they walked through the garden doors, Rhenic was looking stressed. She had a tea tray in her hands and was walking into the front room.

They followed her into the receiving room and two men were waiting for them. Vinni was sitting on one of the couches, but the Geviilan male was looking at the statuary and books with a critical eye.

Rhenic put her tray on one of the tables and left as quickly as she could.

"I don't understand what he sees in her." The male sniffed with disdain.

Vinni winked at her. "Oh, she has her moments."

Mercuros tucked her hand under his elbow to rest on his forearm. "I certainly think so."

The premier jumped and whirled to face them. "Guardian, so nice to meet you face to face."

The male extended his hand in formal greeting and Mercuros calmly placed his hand over Vikki's before he extended the hand she was attached to for the greeting.

He paused and then turned to greet her, "Specialist. Thank you for coming."

She extended her free hand and he took it gingerly. She thought it was distaste until she noticed the bruises on his hand. Merc had given him a bit of a squeeze.

"It was expressed to me that it was urgent and so I came."

The premier took his hand back and she could see his fight not to wipe it on his smart tunic. "Well, I am sure that you will be only too happy to get back to your normal schedule."

Shock and rage came to Vikki's mind through their link.

Even Vinni looked surprised, but it was the reason that he was there. He was there to take her away. The Geviil wanted her gone.

She inclined her head. "That would not be wise, Premier."

He gave her a sneer, seemingly unaware that Vikki's hand on Merc's arm was the only thing holding him back. "I do not see why not. You have carried out your assignment and now you can be on your way."

"It is not that simple. I engage in a very stressful occupation, Premier."

"I fail to see why I should care."

"Because Mercuros is my mate, his mind and mine are linked. Now that we have…met, our minds have woven tightly together. If you send me away, Merc's composure will suffer and if I die on assignment, he will not survive long."

She felt Merc's amusement at the appalled look on the premier's face.

"What?"

Her dragon spoke, "What words did you not understand? When I agreed to sleep here and wake for the benefit of your folk, the agreement included the arrival of my mate and the home I required for her. She is now here. We will live together, have a family if we are so blessed and carry on as good citizens of Geviil, for that is what we are. The documents were signed and ratified into the Archives centuries ago. The agreement will not be altered now."

His voice raised to a shout on the final sentence and to Vikki's astonished eyes, fire snorted from his nostrils. She sent him calm and the fire turned to trails of smoke.

"I will have to discuss this with parliament."

There was a moment of silence and Vikki's lips twitched as a familiar hum ran through the psychic plane. She knew that hum and wished she could have been there when it happened. "Discuss it with Geviil as well. The planet has taken an avatar."

"What? That is impossible. Geviil is not sentient." The premier's colour had drained until he was powder blue.

She smiled and it wasn't a nice smile. "Yes, he is. He merely did not enjoy using your race as avatars."

"But, you two are the only off-worlders here. There is no one else."

Merc's mind caught on and Vikki smiled. "Well, there is one other."

She pointed to Vinni who was still reclining against the couch and a swirl of black and silver came through his eyes. "Greetings, Premier. Do you like my new avatar?"

The premier swayed and Vikki moved quickly to catch the small man before he hit the floor, or worse, the tea set.

"It is impossible. In all the years my people have been here, there has never been a report of communication with an avatar."

Vikki sighed. "Based on my research, with the exception of the liaisons who were brought up to communicate with Merc, you have not encouraged mental expansion within your species. The true soul of Geviil has lived within plants, birds, mammals and anything that took its fancy. In my line of work, you learn quickly that not all avatars walk on two legs."

Vinni got to his feet. "Well said, Vikki. Vinni thinks highly of you, though he believes you need more of a sex life." The planet looked at Mercuros through Vinni's eyes. "I believe that the problem has been solved."

Vinni came around and took custody of the premier. "Come along, Rasso. We have much to discuss and I will need to go over it with your parliament."

They were exiting the room and she heard the premier say, "What?"

"I am tired of being an insular planet. I want to see races, people, others. You and yours are going to change the policy or I will toxify the environment, get you off my surface and send out a general invitation to any species who wants to come and live here."

The conversation continued as they walked and when she went to the window, Vikki saw the skimmer rise and Vinni was still talking.

Vikki looked back at her mate and he spread his wings in what passed for a shrug. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Merc?"

"Do you mind? Mercuros is a bit of a mouthful."

He sighed and approached her, looping his arms around her and resting his hands on her buttocks. Bending, he whispered, "You can call me anything you wish as long as it is always me you turn to in the dark of night."

Chapter Eight

When you asked me if I wanted to take a ride, I thought you meant a skimmer.
Vikki stifled her scream as he changed altitude and she hung on for dear life.

Relax, dearest heart. You are safe with me. And where would the fun be in a skimmer?

He banked and she clutched at the spiny scales that wrapped over her thighs. They were chasing the sunset and Merc was revelling in his ability to fly without having to attend to a natural emergency.

This was fun for him. She could feel it in every flex of his wings, see it in the long serpentine twist of his neck. Her fear of falling could be controlled if he got to share this bubbling happiness with her on a daily basis.

She breathed in and out, the wind making it a little awkward but not impossible.

Why didn't you say so?

He shifted his angle and immediately his neck created a drafting system that allowed her access to a breathable bubble.

I didn't say so because I was concentrating on breathing. My body doesn't come with slit nostrils.

And I am thankful for it. Now, tell me, how surprised were you that your partner became the new avatar?

Not very. I…uh…bumped into the main consciousness when I was trying to contact you. It didn't speak, but I knew it was very eager for something.

You didn't mention it.

I didn't have time. I met you, ran to safety and then was dropped at your home. You showed up minutes later.

You still could have said something.
He angled his wings and she squeaked as they turned and headed back toward their home.

Like what? Oh, honey, I felt the biggest mind…it made yours look tiny.

He blasted two streams of fire from his throat.

It took her a while, but she recognized it as a laugh.

Fair enough. There was no good way for you to break it to me, but if he puts his mind near you…

She laughed.
He won't come near me. Vinni prefers men and most planets keep to their avatar's sexual preferences.

Fine. But if Geviil decides to experiment, let me know. I have a detailed knowledge of all of the deep crevices of this world and can make it mighty uncomfortable.

Vinni wouldn't let him. He is like a brother to me. A pink, horned brother.

Their conversation drifted into silence as they grew closer and closer to their home.

She hung on with white knuckles while he fluttered his wings to drop them to a light and precise stop. He shifted so quickly, she was on his shoulders and he was standing up.

"What the hell?"

He grabbed her legs and held her in place and she rode on his shoulders until they reached the house.

"This is just stupid. How am I going to get down?" Out of reflex, she was grabbing his hair, but there was no way she was going to make it through the doorway.

He grabbed her wrists. "Hold on."

"That is what I have been doing…yikes!"

With a surge of his thighs, he jumped and beat his wings heavily to propel them to the balcony outside their rooms. The touch of his hand on the door caused it to swing open and he ducked low to allow her to pass under the frame while he wandered casually toward their bed.

He turned his back to the bed and leaned far enough back to break her balance.

She squealed as she fell back. She propped herself up on her elbows and glared at him.

He leaped forward and covered her body with his own. "You make the most fascinating noises."

She blushed. "I am not your squeaky toy."

He started placing kisses along her temple and worked his way down to her mouth. "I beg to differ. You are indeed mine, as I am yours and I love the variety of noises that you make." He took her mouth in a kiss that left her breathless.

His hands fumbled at her clothing before the top was whipped off over her head.

He trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck. She tilted her head to one side to allow him full access and she whimpered when his pointed teeth grazed her shoulder. He held her, draped back over his arm, her breasts offered to him by her bent back. She hissed as he lapped at each nipple, wetting them before blowing a stream of cool air across them. It was more than cool, it was icy.

"How are you…"