Shattered Stars (11 page)

Silence reigned
for a few moments, and then, applause broke out.

Mero walked up
to her and held out his hand to help her to her feet. “Excellently
done, Hannah. Szriata is very proud.”

She carefully
placed her hand in his, avoiding transferring any of the paint.
When he helped her to her feet, he led her into the crowd, and
suddenly, she was a figure to be examined at exceedingly close
range.

Mero explained
about the body paint, and a few of the brethren let out nervous
laughs.

Hannah kept her
face calm as they analyzed her form, shape and the detail of the
painting on her skin.

Szriata came to
her and offered her a tiny glass of wine. “Here you go. Mero won’t
approve anything else.”

Hannah took the
tiny glass and smiled. “Thank you.”

The other women
surrounded her and forced the men to back away. It was odd, but it
appeared that they were defending her against their kin.

The ladies
migrated with her in their midst, away from the men. The questions
they asked her were about humans in general and the men in
particular.

Hannah gave
them what answers she could as the moon lifted itself above them.
Lights had been fired up along the outer edge of the gardens, and
the conversations were animated. If she hadn’t been tired and
hungry, Hannah would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Szriata finally
said something that startled her. “So, you have two sisters?”

Hannah looked
at the curious faces, and she nodded. “Yes. Both of them are minors
and hopefully still under my mother’s care.”

“Would you wish
this fate on them?”

There was no
hesitation. “No. I would wish that they could be free or have a
short bond. The lack of freedom, of hope is something that is hard
to deal with.”

Szriata
blinked, and one of the other women took offense.

“You would
rather toil in the fields and die an early death?”

“Myna, I would
rather choose the direction of my life every day. I am bound to
Mero; I want to be bound to Mero, but when I look out the windows
and see this entire world that I can’t step out into without
permission, it is a little tense. I am sure I will get used to it
in time.” She shrugged.

Szriata turned
the conversation to the new round of students compared to her
graduating class.

Mero caught her
gaze and beckoned her over. She slipped between two of the women
and walked up to him.

He pressed a
quick kiss to her palm. “Go upstairs and go to bed. We will be out
here for a few more hours yet.”

“Yes, sir.” She
inclined her head and went inside, heading to their rooms with a
relieved slump to her shoulders.

The shower
washed away the paint and powder applied seven hours earlier. She
hadn’t even known that time was passing as rapidly as it was.
Something about the Hmrain stopped time.

Wrapped in a
towel, she wandered back into the bedroom and fiddled with the
dance props she had been practicing with. She was glad she had gone
with the fans, though the spear was terribly tempting.

She activated
the telescoping device and whirled it around her head.

“My, my, little
one. You look almost dangerous.”

She whirled and
crouched as she took in the Hmrain named Earno. “You are not
supposed to be here.”

He shrugged,
his emerald skin flexing, and his insectoid wings fluttering. “I am
sure that Mero won’t begrudge me a taste of his new pet. We are
blood, after all.”

She smiled,
straightened and shifted until he was lined up with the balcony
door. She sauntered toward him until she was six feet away, and
with a grim expression, she aimed the spear at his chest. “I
begrudge you a taste.”

He smirked and
started laughing. “I did not think you had it in you. You soon
will.”

His threat was
obvious, but she was in no mood. She thrust the spear toward him
with a short jab that made him stumble back in surprise.

Two more jabs
got him over the threshold.

He gripped the
spear, and she grimaced, using her hold to spin and kick him back
hard enough to flip him over the edge.

The buzz of his
wings warned her he was returning, but the steady and familiar
thump caused a warm relief to run through her blood.

Mero was behind
his brother as Earno shifted to attack.

The moment he
was in motion, Hannah slammed the doors.

He smacked into
the glass and cracked it in two places. Mero landed behind him and
held him up with one hand around his neck.

“What did I
tell you, brother?”

Earno blinked
as the rest of the Hmrain fluttered and flew up to watch.

“You will have
a long flight back. Be prepared to apologize to my companion when
you return.”

For the first
time, Hannah saw the power that he was taking from her. Earno was
surrounded by energy and thrown toward the horizon.

She stood
behind the glass and shivered.

Mero was in a
mood. “Put on another gown, Hannah. You can sleep in my arms.”

Hannah nodded
and grabbed the first gown with an insulating fabric in her
wardrobe.

She smoothed
the fabric down and stepped carefully toward the balcony. Mero was
still bristling with outrage.

She walked to
him and pressed her hand to his arm. “Thank you.”

“If it were not
for me, he would not have come to you. I owe you thanks for
thinking as quickly as you did.”

“Thank Szriata.
She showed me that trick and necessity got me to use it.”

“I will make
sure to thank her.” He gathered her in his arms and held her
against him.

The sharing of
body heat was welcome because she was still in shock from seeing
Mero as anything other than an affable manager of crops and
business.

“Did he touch
you?”

“No. I already
had the spear in my hands.” She laid her cheek against his shoulder
and yawned.

“Good. It will
take him days to fly home. Let’s hope he has come to his
senses.”

He held her
while he spoke to his cautious brothers and sisters. One had the
nerve to ask, “Brother, you seem to have acquired a bit more energy
than is normal.”

“That is
correct.”

“Might we be
correct in assuming it has something to do with the woman in your
arms?”

He chuckled,
and Hannah smiled with her eyes closed.

“It does.
Though, if you combed through her species, you would be hard
pressed to find her equal.”

They began
talking about extraordinary companions, and Hannah dozed in and
out. Clutched to his chest was a comfortable place to be.

As she used his
heartbeat to soothe herself, she revelled in the knowledge that it
was beating for her. It was only fair. Hers was beating only for
him.

Hannah was nervous. She
paced and watched the chronometer. Szriata should be arriving any
minute.

When she saw
the shuttle, Mero laughed at her. He had a right to; she was
jumping up and down and squealing.

“Do you wish me
to go with you to the ship?”

She looked at
Mero and smiled. “You can if you want to. I will say that my
excitement for this moment will be shared at a later time. Perhaps
you can head to the etiquette classes and frighten the young ladies
serving tea?”

He cupped her
jaw and kissed her soundly. “Your insubordination is appreciated. I
will see you soon. Enjoy your afternoon.”

She watched the
ship land and ran out of the building and toward the tarmac.

Szriata exited
the ship first and smiled brightly. “I thought you would be
here.”

“Are they with
you?”

Szriata turned
and beckoned to a group of young ladies behind her.

The women made
their way down the ramp as Hannah bit her lip. Finally, two
familiar faces in plain shifts walked out of the ship’s shadow, and
she pressed her hands to her mouth.

The grouping
gathered at the base of the ramp, and Hannah’s sisters were staring
around with wide eyes. When they saw her, they stopped.

“Hannah?” Ruth
stared in shock.

“Han?” Deborah
was right beside her.

“Hiya, guys. I
thought you might like to see the sun again, even if it isn’t
ours.”

The girls
screamed and ran to her, hugging her and sobbing softly.

Szriata
gracefully cruised over. “Where is Mero?”

“Tormenting
your etiquette class. They were working on tea service, and his
wings wreck their measured steps around the table.” She was running
her hands through her sisters’ hair and everything felt right in
the universe.

“Szriata, how
much did you end up paying?”

Szriata ticked
it off on her fingers. “Ten years of rations per girl, plus a
five-person hydroponics system. So, about less than a thousandth of
your bond price.”

“Thank you for
making the trip.”

“It was a
pleasure; the girls were delightful, and we arrived just in time,
if you take my meaning.”

Ruth looked up
and frowned. “What did she mean
bond price
? We were told we
were free.”

Hannah stroked
her hair. “You are free. Both of you.”

Deborah looked
up with her face red and blotchy. “But you are not.”

“No. I have a
particular talent that makes me very valuable to my patron. I won’t
be free, but he did ask his sibling to go and get you just to make
one of my wishes come true.”

Ruth nodded.
“Mom’s boyfriend knocked her up. He was looking for someone else to
use when the military showed up with the offer.”

Hannah
shuddered in relief. “Nothing happened before that?”

“Just being
cornered and intimidated. Nothing else. I promise.”

Hannah sighed.
“Good.”

Szriata smiled.
“Shall we see how Mero is getting along?”

Hannah
chuckled. “I guess it would be better if they met him.”

“Your owner?”
Ruth nearly sneered.

“My patron. I
get food, lodgings, an education, combat instruction, clothing.
Whatever I need to keep me happy and healthy is given to me.”

The girls
didn’t look like they understood, and with them still years from
being adults, she didn’t want them to. Unfortunately, she was about
to give a talk about being a sexual companion. It was the payment
that Szriata had demanded for the trip.

Szriata gave
her a look. “They won’t be at the lecture.”

Hannah nearly
collapsed with relief. “Great. Well, I am sure that you two will
want to get settled at the school.”

Ruth scowled
again. “Where will you be?”

“You can reach
me with a com screen. I live...” She analyzed the skies and
pointed. “Over there. It is a six-hour trip. Not too bad in the
grand scheme of things.”

“So, why are we
here? Why don’t we live with you?”

They were
walking toward the port building, and Mero came toward them with
long strides, his wings behind him and the vest he wore for formal
occasions, gleaming with metallic embroidery.

Debbie
squeaked. “What is that?”

“That is a
Hmrain and my employer. Or patron, if you will.”

Ruth was
staring. “Do the wings work?”

Szriata
laughed. “Everything works. Let’s just get this over with. My kind
need pleasure to fuel our psychic batteries. It is a simplified
definition of the process, but that is the closest thing. So, your
sister provides sexual services to Lord Mero, and he turns that
into energy.”

Debbie’s eyes
were still bugging out. She squeaked. “You have sex with that?”

Hannah
grimaced. “Not all of him at one time.”

Ruth looked at
her in shock, and Szriata doubled over with laughter.

Debbie caught
onto something. “Does Szriata consume sex too?”

The educator
wiped her eyes and smiled. “I do. I am between companions at this
moment, but your sister’s generosity with her own energy has
allowed Mero to share some of the harvest. It is her sensuality
rating that makes her valuable, and the person that she is. She
lets herself feel and that is a very rare situation.”

Mero was upon
them, and he bowed low. “Ladies.”

“Lord Mero,
this is my sister Ruth and my sister Deborah.”

He rose and
inclined his head to them in turn. “It is an honour to see you
safely here, ladies.”

Ruth stared,
and then, she said, “Is my sister a slave?”

He quirked his
lips. “Did she say she was?”

“No. She gave
me some crap about being a bondservant, but that doesn’t make
sense. If she was a bondservant, she would have the option for
freedom when she had saved enough or done her time. She didn’t
mention a freedom date.”

Mero met her
serious gaze with his own. “Her bond price extends the servitude
beyond her normal life span, but she will gain her freedom if she
provides me with a child.”

Szriata
gasped.

Hannah was
wary. “That wasn’t mentioned.”

He shrugged. “I
won’t go into rut for another decade. There did not seem to be a
point in mentioning it early.”

She bit her
lip. “What if I don’t want to leave you?”

He wrapped his
hand around the back of her head and leaned in to whisper against
her lips. “Then, you will not have to. Child or not.”

She smiled and
kissed him, ignoring her sisters for the moment. They were safe, in
the sun and with air they could breathe. They could hate her or
have contempt for her, but she had gotten them safe and that was
all she could do.

Szriata cleared
her throat. “You are going to be late for the lecture.”

She was brought
back to reality with a thud. “Right. Sorry.”

With Mero’s
hand in hers and her sisters trailing behind them, they entered the
port while she tried to think of the down sides of being a sexual
companion. Right now, she couldn’t think of any aside from societal
stigma.