Shattered Stars (9 page)

The crash of a
broken fence heralded the thunder of hooves that followed. Shouts
from the occupants of the town reached Mero’s ears, and to his
shock, a sharp whistle rang out, followed by Preeahsh running
toward the sound of hooves.

He watched
Hannah urging his favourite mount toward the escaped beasts, and
when she reached the herd, she turned so that Preeahsh was leading
the stampede.

She whistled
sharply again and led the animals down the road before slowing them
down and turning them, leading the slow group back toward the
paddock they had escaped from.

“Joks, you need
to have food and water for the soom when they get to the paddock.
Have men hidden and ready to close the gate that they broke
through.”

“Yes, my lord.”
Joks ran to do as he was bid.

Hannah was
still posed gracefully on the back of his mount, and Mero smiled.
She had obeyed his rules. She had not left Preeahsh. He would have
to make her punishment for endangering herself a light one.

He smirked. A
dance class was in order.

* * * *

Hannah pouted the whole
way back to the skimmer launch outside the valley. Preeahsh was
settled in the stable with his females, and Hannah was fuming over
the punishment that Mero had decided on.

Her patron was
very amused.

It took her a
few tries, but she finally said, “I didn’t hurt myself.”

“No, but you
endangered yourself. Those beasts are not tame. The would flatten
you in seconds. So, you will learn to be lighter on your feet in
case you are tempted to try something like that again.”

She wrinkled
her nose. “I am thinking it was a mistake to tell you how much I
hated dance class.”

“You get a
punishment that doesn’t injure you, and I get a more graceful
companion. We both win.” His smugness was cloying.

Hannah crossed
her arms over her breasts and enjoyed her sulk all the way
home.

Szriata was a
Yimerian of exceptional grace. Her pearlescent skin glowed, and her
midnight hair hung nearly to her ankles. Every movement was a
dance.

“Miss Hannah,
you mustn’t rush. This is a dance, not a race.” She stood behind
Hannah and controlled the movements of her limbs.

Hannah tried to
slow down. “I am guessing that going faster will not get this over
with.”

“You are
guessing correctly. You are lucky that you have been given this
chance to learn.”

Hannah wrinkled
her nose. “I am feeling that luck.”

Szriata laughed
and stepped away, looking at her in the mirror with her dark eyes
smiling.

“I think we
might skip this for something that is a little more active. The
formal dances are fine, but they don’t appeal to you. Let’s try the
bladed fans.”

Hannah perked
up. “Bladed fans?”

“Oh, yes. The
dances done with them are sensual and deadly. Mero will have to
trust you.”

Hannah snapped
her jaw shut. He let her put her teeth around his cock; he should
trust her with a blade.

Szriata went to
her supply box and opened it, putting aside some veils before she
removed two sets of fans. One for Hannah to practice with and
another for Szriata to demonstrate with.

The dance
master walked to the floral display on a small table, and with a
slight smile, she executed a turn, a bow and her hand moved,
flicking the fan open and slicing the head of the flower without
even trembling the stem. Those were very sharp fans.

Hannah fought
the urge to clap happily and followed her dance master’s
instructions. The day was definitely looking up.

* * * *

From his vantage point
overlooking the courtyard, Mero watched Hannah concentrate and
learn the motions of the blade dances. Of course, his little human
would be interested in fighting. She was obedient when she was with
him, but there was spirit behind her eyes. Duty and honour were
what kept her pliant.

He wanted
more.

Szriata was
patient with her and very amused by her student. He wondered idly
if Hannah realized she was dealing with another Hmrain.

* * * *

Hannah sat next to Mero
at dinner, and Szriata sat across from her.

“So, sister,
how is my companion at dancing?”

Szriata smiled.
“Impatient, brother.”

Hannah blinked
rapidly as she absorbed that. They didn’t look related.

Szriata smiled
at Hannah. “I am guessing that he hasn’t told you that the Hmrain
were a designed species a few eons ago.”

“Designed?”

“Certainly.
There was chaos in the empty sectors. Pirates, raiders, slavers,
they all hid on perfectly live worlds and preyed on those
travelling the shipping lanes around them. The masters decided that
a species should be created that would have no ties to any other,
including themselves. They combined genetics from dozens of races
to create us. We soon walked the worlds and brought structure to
the wilderness.” She winked.

Hannah looked
over to Mero. “So, you are...”

“One of the
Hmrain, as is Szriata. There are only two dozen others, but we are
sufficiently powerful to keep our worlds safe.” He filled her plate
from the selections that Dk’ket brought in.

She stared down
at the meal and blinked. Neither of her companions were eating. The
two sat and chatted while she ate dinner. They had their hands with
the fingertips touching on the table, and now and then, there was a
power flare. Mero was giving Szriata power.

When Hannah
finished her meal, she sipped at her water, listening to them speak
about crop rotations, supply runs and personnel.

She had a
question about that. “So, is everyone you employ a
bondservant?”

Szriata smiled.
“Of course.”

Mero chuckled.
“When they buy out their bonds, they are free to leave. We even
offer transport to any world they wish outside of the Hmrain
Dominion.”

Hannah had a
flicker of hope before it was crushed by a sober expression on
Mero’s face. “Not you, Hannah. You fall into a unique
category.”

She nodded.
“Right.”

Subdued, she
finished her water and waited with her hands in her lap. Her
muscles ached from the workout with the dance class.

She kept quiet
during their conversation until Szriata asked to be shown the
gardens.

Hannah blinked
and looked up, realizing that she was the one the woman had asked.
“Oh. Certainly. Please, come with me.”

She nodded to
Mero, and he took her water glass, sipping in the exact spot she
had. When he ran his tongue around the rim of the glass where her
lip print was, she felt a shiver go through her.

Szriata was
smiling gently at her in understanding. She held out her hand, and
Hannah took it.

Hannah was
supposed to be showing Szriata the gardens, but it seemed that she
had a good grasp of where they were.

“So, Szriata,
why have you lured me out here?”

Her instructor
laughed. “I did wish to see the gardens, but I really wanted to
talk to you.”

They entered
the curves of the hedge maze and walked slowly through the green
and violet of the living pathway.

“What did you
want to talk about?”

“Mero.”

She twisted her
lips. “Ah.”

“He has great
affection for you, but he fears that you cling to him out of
obligation.”

Hannah cocked
her head. “Why is that a concern? My bond was purchased for more
than I could make in four lifetimes. I cleave to him because it is
my job.”

Szriata nodded.
“I was afraid of that. What would it take to remove the pressure of
the obligation?”

“Well, as I am
aware that I am his by bond, I suppose a temporary cessation of sex
might be something that would allow me to analyze how I feel about
things.”

Szriata
frowned. “Does he feed from you often?”

“If you mean
sex, about three times a day.”

Szriata stopped
in place and stared at her by the light of the moons. “How are you
still conscious?”

Hannah blinked.
“Um, because as soon as it is over, I want to do it again. I don’t
tire of pleasure. I mean, it tires me out, but I sleep, and once I
have rested, I am fine.”

“Well, that
explains a few things, not the least of which is why you are so
valuable to him.”

Hannah got
suspicious. “How often should he need to feed?”

“Every thirty
days or so. What was your rating?”

“Close to three
hundred.”

Szriata smiled
slowly. “Are there men of your species in the bond program?”

“Probably. One
even made it into the sexual servant auction.”

The other
Hmrain rubbed her hands together. “That is definitely a good thing
to know.”

“Szriata?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you
here?”

“Well, I am
nearby, a dance master and I run a school for young freewomen.”

Hannah smiled.
“It sounds like fun.”

“It can be.
Teaching economics to young ladies can be trying at times. I was
glad of the break.”

“Is that what
your world does? Education?”

Szriata smiled
brightly. “Education and aphrodisiacs. We keep them very separate
for obvious reasons.”

Hannah laughed,
and the conversation turned to the art of teaching young ladies how
to pour tea without flashing elbow. It was definitely one of the
more innocent conversations that she had had and one of the most
enjoyable.

Mero came to bed, and
he didn’t say anything.

Hannah watched
him remove his boots and pants and waited with slick thighs for him
to whisper to her. He didn’t.

Mero crawled
into bed next to her, kissed her softly and curled his body against
hers. His breath was even against her temple, and she was stuck in
a mire of her own frustration.

Her lover had
had a conversation with his sister, and sex was off the menu.

Fuck.

He was gone
when she woke up, and her clothing was at the foot of the bed, as
usual. She washed up and pulled the dress on over her head.
Dammit.
She pulled it off again, turned it around and put it
back on. This was not a stellar start to her day.

Dk’ket came in
with breakfast while Hannah was putting on her shoes. Hannah’s
hands were shaking, and the task was perversely difficult.

“Are you all
right, lady?”

“Fine... I am
just... fine.” She sat and picked up her eating utensil. She
flicked it too hard, and the food went flying.

“You look
unwell. Should I tell Lord Mero?”

She held out
her hand. “No. No, please. I will be fine. I just didn’t sleep
well.”

She ate as
quickly as she could with Dk’ket watching her carefully. When she
was done, she got to her feet and smiled. “Off to dance class.”

The housekeeper
and major domo watched her until she was out the door. Hannah
straightened her shoulders and headed for the courtyard. Maybe
dance would get out some of her frustrations.

Four hours
later, Szriata called a halt. “I don’t know what got into you, but
we are done for the day.”

Hannah groaned.
“I was just getting good.” She flipped the practice fans as she
lunged and twisted.

“You were
getting deadly. Come on, we are going to spend the afternoon with
your seamstress. Maybe holding still will be the ticket to calming
you, because dancing doesn’t work.”

Hannah made a
face, and her stomach rumbled. Szriata smiled. “Perhaps food for
you first.”

Grumbling,
Hannah made her way to the patio, and her dance master came with
her. Jiita brought out the single meal and a pitcher of water.

Szriata nodded
toward the water, and Jiita ran to get another glass.

Hannah poured
the first glass and gave it to her dance master.

“Thank you,
dear.”

“You are very
welcome. Why don’t you eat?”

“We were
designed with the ability to feed off living beings around us.
Pleasure and satisfaction are the best meals we choose.”

“Will Mero be
all right if we don’t have sex?”

“He will be
fine. He would be fine if you did have sex, but if you don’t
climax, then it is only coupling, not feeding.”

The thought of
approaching the heights that he took her to but never going over
made her shiver.

Jiita brought
the other glass, and Hannah thanked her, filling it and starting
her meal.

“I see the
thought of sex without climax isn’t appealing to you.”

Hannah blushed.
“Not particularly.”

“It is the same
for him. He wants to see you happy, that glow in your eyes as you
stare at him as if he is the only being in the universe.”

Hannah stared
at Szriata. “How do you know that?”

“Ah, well, the
Hmrain can share their thoughts. His thoughts of you do go beyond
him seeing you as an energy source.”

“On the ship,
he was involved in some kind of council meeting.”

“Yes, many of
our brethren schedule communication. I am close, so I arrive in
person.”

“Will you be
here for the meeting in a few weeks?”

“I will indeed.
Now, on to other topics. What do you like to wear?”

Hannah tried to
explain jeans and t-shirts to Szriata, but she settled for skirts
that she could move in and possibly work out in.

“What do you
wish to wear for the first night of the Hmrain gathering?”

Hannah thought
about her options. “What am I supposed to convey?”

“Excellent
question. I would suggest wearing your sensuality like a brand.
Make sure that all know that only Mero can touch you.”

Hannah grinned.
“I don’t know if I would have the nerve for it, but the clothing
isn’t really clothing at all.”