Shattered Stars (8 page)

The light
scents of food drifted through the halls, so she followed her nose
to the kitchen. The servants gathered were giggling.

The mean-girl
amusement was something that Hannah had seen before. She heard
whispered phrases. “Out in the open.” “Poor Dk’ket had to serve
them while she was on him.” “What makes her so special?”

When Hannah
heard that last one, she had had enough. “Hello.”

The women and
men scattered like she had struck them with a bowling ball.

“Lady, I am
sorry that you heard that.” A woman with lavender skin and three
eyes lined up on her forehead came up and inclined her head.

“As am I.
Please make it clear that my bond was purchased just as theirs was,
but I have less of a chance of buying my way free. Your name?”

“Loala,
lady.”

“Well, Loala, I
initially came here to introduce myself, but you already know who I
am. So, is there anywhere without anyone who wants to mock my
forced occupation?”

It was passive
aggressive, but she had to say it.

Loala shivered.
“I am very sorry, lady. There is the companion’s gallery. The
portraits of Mero’s companions are there.”

“Can someone
show me, please?”

Loala looked to
one of the young women who had been pitying Dk’ket for witnessing
the coupling.

“This is Jiita.
Jiita, show Lady Hannah to the portrait gallery and remain with her
as long as she wishes you to.”

The young woman
had the yellow stripes on black skin that marked her as a Rweko.
She should really have had a better relationship with sex.

Jiita looked
very nervous. “Lady, it is this way.”

Hannah nodded.
“Lead on.”

They walked in
silence through the palace. Several members of staff paused for a
moment to look at her, nodded and resumed their duties.

“So, what is it
about me that shocks your sensibilities, Jiita?”

She blushed.
“You had sex with the master in full view of Dk’ket.”

“Yes. She came
out and began serving while we were occupied.” Hannah made sure
that was clear.

“I thought... I
thought she was forced to watch.”

“I am sure she
has seen Mero with other women before.” Hannah couldn’t imagine her
patron as abstinent.

“Possibly, but
he has not had a bond companion here for three decades. He is a
good patron and keeps his staff safe, even from his own kind.”

“Do you know
that first hand or is it rumour?”

Jiita blushed.
“Dk’ket is in charge of our training.”

“Did she
complain about what she saw?”

“No. I just
thought that you had... that she was forced...”

“To see
something unsavoury.”

“Correct. Lord
Mero is a good patron. It is going to take some adjustment in our
minds to see him with a female. Most of us were not here for the
last one.”

“Get used to
it. This is why he bought my bond. I was trained to do your job or
run a household, perhaps be a clerk of some kind. This position was
sprung on me on my last day at the education station.”

“Oh. I thought
you had all kinds of training.”

“Nope. Those
who do get that kind of training probably are enrolled by their
patron. I was cash and carry.”

Jiita laughed
and covered her mouth.

The gallery of
companions was long, and the women were all of Hannah’s general
appearance.

“This is my
favourite. She sort of looks like you.”

The companion
in question was a woman of medium build, intelligent eyes and a
sexy smile. Her skin was a rich mahogany, and her hair was a navy
blue that reached her knees. The gown she was wearing was a version
of the one that Hannah was currently occupying.

The curve of
the lips was similar as were the set of the eyes, but the facial
piercings is where the similarities veered dramatically.

“She does look
familiar.”

“She was his
companion for two hundred years.”

“How do you
know that?” Hannah was surprised.

“It is in the
edge of the portrait frame. The day she started as companion and
the date she got her freedom or retired.”

It struck her
that, of course, Jiita would know that. She had probably dusted the
portraits.

Hannah walked
along and read the dates one by one. None of the companions had
lasted less than fifty years. She knew from her studies that the
lifespans of some of those species had been dramatically
exceeded.

She walked back
and forth, taking in the number of species that had provided the
service she was currently offering.

“I think I am
going back to the gardens now. Will you show me how to get
there?”

“Of course,
lady.”

Jiita was
walking next to her with her head high and chatting about the
flowers and the décor. “We are expecting the rest of Mero’s people
late next week. He has told Dk’ket to prepare for fourteen and
their companions.”

“Wow. That is
sudden.”

“They get
together every five years, always on a different world.”

“Interesting.”

“Yes, the
meeting takes a few weeks, and we are given leave to hide,
according to Dk’ket.”

“Why hide?”

Jiita blushed.
“Some of his people who do not have companions wish for sex.”

“Ah,
right.”

Jiita walked
her to the gardens, and Hannah smiled. “You can leave me here. I
can find my way home.”

The maid nodded
and returned to the rear of the house.

Hannah walked
along the hedges, touching, smelling and enjoying the plants in the
late afternoon sun. It was so nice to just walk in silence,
breathing fresh air.

She gathered a
few flowers and sat on the edge of a reflecting pool. Hannah
glanced up when a shadow moved over her, but there was nothing in
the sky.

A few minutes
of silent thought on what the Hmrain would be discussing and
another shadow crossed over her.

Her instincts
warned her of an approaching predator, but she tried to get back
into her reflection. Her mind was on alert, and she couldn’t
relax.

When she stood
to return to the large stone structure, she noted that the light
had faded dramatically. It was definitely time to get inside.

She was walking
across the grass with her bouquet of flowers when she was grabbed
and lifted. Her heart pounded as his grip was all that kept her
from dropping a hundred feet to the ground.

Instead of the
balcony, she was gently set on the roof of the tower. A blanket was
under her feet.

Her legs
wouldn’t hold her after the flight up to the tower. She dropped to
the ground and stared up at him. “That was unexpected.”

He knelt near
her feet, smiling wickedly. “You were outside a long time. I got
worried.”

She stroked the
soft blanket under her. “I can tell.”

He leaned
forward, and she backed up until she was supporting herself on her
arms. His lips were inches from her own when he whispered, “I am
very excited to show you my world.”

She shivered
and closed the gap between his lips and hers. His wings were
extended, and he shielded her from the brighter rays of the
disappearing sun.

He leaned in
and caged her between his arms as he pressed her back to the fabric
beneath her.

There was a
softness in his expression a moment before she closed her eyes to
surrender to him. She could feel his breath, but he didn’t touch
her.

She opened her
eyes and found him at very close range.

He whispered,
“Don’t close your eyes.”

Hannah stared
at him, feeling intensely exposed. The breeze made her dress
flutter, and her heart tripped in her chest.

He brushed a
kiss against her left cheekbone and then her right.

The change from
commands to this delicate seduction sent her senses into a
whirl.

She reached up
and touched his cheek, threading her hand through his hair with the
gold beads and metal bands cool against her wrist.

He smiled and
kissed her softly before pressing his lips to her neck, scraping
her with his teeth. The long, hot caress of his tongue moved over
her skin and soothed the scrapes.

He pulled her
dress down, following the fabric and licking and sucking at her
skin as he moved down to her thighs.

Her dress was
pulled off and set away before he lay between her thighs and held
her prisoner in his grip while his tongue slowly fucked her.

She moaned and
shrieked while her body clutched at the invading appendage. Hannah
could hear the echo of her voice through the valley around them.
She couldn’t keep herself quiet as his tongue rippled insistently
inside her.

His fingers dug
into her thighs, and she thrashed her head as her hips fought to
rise and fall.

He growled and
continued his attack until she screamed in a low and undulating
vocalization.

Mero continued
to drink from her until her body ached and the tension faded to
exhaustion.

He withdrew and
replaced his tongue with two fingers and his thumb on her clit.

Hannah
whimpered and her body flared to life again. With a slow motion, he
undid his pants and pulled them down and away.

Mero removed
his fingers and settled on top of her, his cock easing into her
without difficulty. He affixed the secondary appendage to her, and
it sucked and squeezed at her clit while he held perfectly still
and churned his cock inside her.

She stared at
him, his gaze boring into her and the stars appearing behind him.
Fear ripped through her for a moment, and she reached up to grip
his shoulders.

His cock
continued to twist inside her and heat exploded through her,
leaving her gasping and limp.

She stared at
him helplessly, and he withdrew. She was limp, sweaty and
exhausted.

Mero got to his
feet and lifted her into his arms. He took off and landed on the
balcony of his quarters, laying her on the bed before he went to
the lav to bring back two cloths, one warm and one cool.

He cleaned her
first and then pressed the cool cloth to her crotch.

She was a
little bleary when she asked him, “Can I close my eyes now,
sir?”

“Yes, Hannah. I
have what I needed. Rest. Tomorrow, we visit some of our
lands.”

She nodded
sleepily. “Sounds good.”

The soom they were
riding was long, wide and easily held both of them. In Hannah’s
mind, it was a horse crossed with an elephant. The hide was smooth,
and the saddle was minimal. Hannah just wished she was riding on
her own.

Mero sat behind
her with his legs framing hers, one arm around her waist and the
other holding the reins.

“So, we are
riding on the soom for a reason?”

“There are
thermal updrafts that make flight difficult, and the magnetic
qualities in the soil mess with electronics. We ride in; we ride
out.”

His wings were
draped over the back of the soom, and he seemed perfectly at ease
as the strange gait took them down the hillside and into the valley
below.

The slow rock
of the beast beneath her was soothing. She leaned back against Mero
and looked at the world around her. Farms. There were dozens of
farms growing crops in the volcanic soil. Plants bloomed, and the
scent of fruit and pollen were in the air.

Mero pointed
out the different crops and explained their uses.

“Sir, why are
we here?”

He chuckled. “I
am here to check on the harvests and make a distribution schedule
for my other worlds. This is a growth hub. The hundreds of acres in
this valley grow some of the most nutrient-rich food on this entire
world.”

“Fair enough.
Why am I here?”

He stroked his
hand across her ribs and hips. “Because you are mine and will be at
my side unless the situation is too dangerous.”

He pulled her
back against him and that settled that.

There were a
variety of species farming, and they waved at Mero as they made
their way into the heart of the farming community.

“You will
remain with Preeahsh while I speak with the farm manager. He will
keep you safe.” Mero murmured it in her ear before pressing a kiss
to her jaw and dismounting.

She looked at
the ears in front of her, and they flicked backward. “I am guessing
you are Preeahsh?”

The ears
flicked rapidly, and the soom turned to stare at her. She sighed
and settled in the saddle.

She flicked her
feet a little, a small bit of ankle was all that was exposed. Her
skirt was deep blue and had a lot of fabric. It let her straddle
the wide back without the skirt pulling. The loose top that she
wore had sleeves that covered her shoulder but were split from
wrist to armpit to allow the breezes to keep her cool while her
skin was covered from the sun’s rays.

Her hair was
loose down her back.

Mero left her
and wandered into the shade of a stall where samples of the fruit
and grains were laid out.

Things were
calm, and she kept herself interested by identifying the species
working on the farm. Preeahsh had no problem remaining in
place.

Hannah sighed
and took up the reins. The soom was surprised, but he followed her
directions as she coaxed him into moving in a circle.

When he was
pointed in his original direction, she smiled and patted his neck,
scrubbing her nails into his hide. He stretched his neck, and she
leaned forward to keep scratching. It gave her something to do
while she waited.

* * * *

Mero watched the
manager as he glanced at Hannah. Her presence was
self-explanatory.

The crops were
doing well this year, and he was about to ask about the training of
the wild soom when a shout answered his question before it was
asked.