The Tracker's Quest: (Forced To Serve #6) (12 page)

Hearing Zorinda’s question and comments startled her. The being within her was starting to speak more and more without being asked. Seta wasn’t sure yet how she felt about having a second constant companion. Her own nagging inner voice was just about all she could handle most days.

Thank you, but
not at this moment. You can tell me later if you feel it is necessary. We must be discreet. I don’t want Garmon to know about you.

We are agreed on the matter,
Zorinda sent back.

Focused on her internal dialog with the being within her, Seta jumped when Garmon put a hand on her arm.

“Cover your ears,” he commanded.

Noting his serious expression, Seta instantly did as he asked. She hoped her continued obedience would move things along for both her and Ji.

The driver lifted some sort of sonic device and blew through it. Seta tightened her grip on her ears and tried not to wince at the torturously large sound. Beside her Garmon laughed at her reaction.

“Ears of desert dwellers aren’t accustomed to the natural gifts of the Creators. Desert born females are especially sensitive. If you stay for a while, you will adjust to hearing more and louder sounds.”

Seta pulled her hands away when the pulleys started lifting the rock. After spending so much time on starships, she could tolerate the metal chains groaning under the rock’s massive weight. The driver drove through the opening as soon as the stone was raised high enough to allow safe passage under it. As they moved forward, Seta looked up and noticed the stone was very wide, much wider than it appeared from outside of the canton’s walls. She imagined it sufficed well in keeping out most intruders. . .including thieves from the desert canton.

When her attention shifted ahead of the transport again, her wide-eyed gaze focused on the most stunning scene she had ever witnessed on Ethos. Surrounded on all sides by multi-colored cliff surfaces, males and females travelled about freely. Children played in the pathways between domiciles. They all waved madly at Garmon and yelled out greetings as their transport passed by.

He turned to meet her gaze, his eyes sparkling with pride. “Welcome to the heart of the mining canton, Seta of Trax.”

She nodded as her gaze soaked up all she saw. The sight was beyond anything she’d ever imagined finding on her home planet. Even if her life had depended on making a polite reply no words could have escaped her dry throat. Seeing so many Ethosian males and females interacting normally had simply constricted her with shock. When she finally found her ability to speak, her most honest thoughts slipped out uncensored.

“Your females move about freely. They smile and laugh and touch their males. They play with their. . .with their. . .children.”

Seta was so emotional about the level of personal interaction she witnessed that it startled her when Garmon laughed loudly beside her. Whatever he found entertaining in her emotional reaction to her extreme disbelief eluded her understanding. When she glared at him, Garmon shrugged off his humor in one haughty lift of his shoulder. Finally he reeled himself in enough to meet and hold her gaze.

“We are a mining canton, Seta. Our work brings us enough prosperity to live as we wish, but it is dangerous trying to persuade the planet to surrender her treasures to us. If the female who shares your bed hates you, she is not likely to help dig you out when a mine implodes on itself. We prefer our females to find great joy in our safe return to their arms.”

“Are you mocking me for being so shocked?” Seta was more irritated when Garmon laughed again.

“Given your current bonding partner, anger was not the reaction I expected. There are good reasons our females are smiling, oh daughter of the worst Ethosian male I have met. Males in our canton are required to take pleasuring classes before mating—Ethosians and outsiders alike. Now you can understand why I am so fascinated to have a Siren among us. Males in his culture are trained as well. He could probably teach us many things.”

Since she had not really allowed Ji the liberty of teaching her much, Seta nodded stiffly as she sniffed back tears. She remained appalled to find herself at the mercy of an emotion she had not felt since Rena left her for good. To see with her own eyes that such a wonderful place existed on her planet was a priceless gift. And it was immensely relieving from a cultural standpoint. These people were people the Peace Alliance might want to protect.

“Despite your laughter at my expense, I must thank you for what you have created, Garmon of Ker. Ethos will now no longer seem like such a desolate place to me after visiting here.”

“The mining canton has been around for thousands of years and the rules have not changed much in all that time. The location migrates from area to area when resources decline. The current location you are visiting will be profitable for another few hundred years.”

Seta nodded. “You seem very proud your home, Garmon. It is admirable.”

“When my father died, the canton and its people were given into my keeping. Forgive me if I hurt your feelings with my amusement a while ago. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female cry when she arrived here. Usually her gaze is filled with profound relief, as I wish yours was, Seta of the horrible Trax.”

Seta laughed at the irreverent moniker, and though embarrassed, she scrubbed at her eyes with her hands. “Yes, well, I am sure I will get to the point of profound relief eventually. The Siren will be very sorry he missed my humbling moment full of female tears. He enjoys seeing me reach the point of an emotional meltdown.”

Something fluttered in her chest when Garmon put an arm around her shoulders and laughed softly at her comments.

“Vulnerability is also not the reaction I would expect from someone so capable of ruthlessly killing. We watched you choking the last of the thieves who tried to shoot you. You did not shed a tear over their deaths. While I’m not sure what that says about you as a nurturer, I’m hoping you can relax enough to be your true self here. I promise no one will try to kill you in my canton unless I tell them to do so.”

Seta laughed again at his teasing. The arrogant male hugging her in compassion knew exactly how happy he had made her with the mining canton. Was she destined to be at the mercy of conceited, arrogant males for the remainder of her days?

“I am sure you are well versed in dealing with females in shock. For all my time on my own planet, this kind of haven lived only in my dreams. Did you stay long enough in my father’s canton to see the life most females lead there?”

“Yes. I did. But being only one male—albeit a wealthy one your father courts frequently—I was incapable of saving more females when I last visited. It was not my destiny to start an insurrection in Suzerain Trax’s canton, so I had to settle for saving the one I dreamed about saving.”

Seta nodded and sniffed. “She was indeed a lucky female.”

“Seeing those happy tears in your eyes makes me doubly glad I got to witness your first sight of this place. Perhaps the Creators might one day bless me for saving yet another daughter of Trax.”

A harsh laugh escaped her before it could be filtered. Too many of her walls were down.

“Are the blessings of deities ever needed in places like this? What more could anyone desire? My dual-sibling Rena believed in the Creators. She devoted her life and suffered her death insisting she was in their service. I have been skeptical of their existence. . .and their goodness. . .until today. Perhaps Rena’s wandering spirit sent you to me.”

“Perhaps she did,” Garmon said softly. He lifted Seta’s chin with his fingers to raise her face to his. “You keep bowing your head when you speak, Seta. There is no longer any need. Each being’s value in the mining canton is determined by what they contribute to our way of life. You are free to say whatever you think. Everyone has the same opportunities here though not everyone makes the most of them. Yet the averages are still in our favor and the unity we enjoy grows from the integrity of the majority.”

“Are your words about your home always so poetic, Garmon of Ker?”

“Not always, but I am finding I would do a lot to wipe the pain from your gaze. You stir something inside me I forgot existed. I want to go beat up your sire and any other male who has ever hurt you.”

“Why do you care about my past? You hardly know me,” Seta said, shocked at his words.

“I trust the Creators and the intuition they have given me. You are a very special female. This I knew when you walked to do battle with those thieves without fear. You have my instincts singing, as well as all my body parts paying attention to your every movement.”

She hadn’t even known she’d been holding her breath until Garmon dropped his hand from her face and turned away. He made her nervous. . .and aware of him as a male. Though not as intensely as Ji, she still couldn’t deny she looked at him with female eyes.

She was relieved when the transport stopped and lowered to the ground. Garmon cleared the door with one leap. Her chest fluttered in awareness again.

“I can agree with you only if by special you mean I am damaged, resentful, and with a darkness lurking inside me. Because that is who I truly am.”

“Or merely who you think you are, Seta. Given a chance to put roots down in a better place, you might find yourself growing in ways you never imagined. You might find yourself wanting to smile.”

“I smile—when there is a reason. What are you really saying, Garmon? I prefer you to speak your truth plainly.”

Garmon nodded. “I suppose it’s only fair. Okay—here is what I am thinking. Up to now I have declined the honor of a mate. I have been waiting for a sign about the one who would be strong enough to stand at my side. It is disappointing when I finally found her to discover some other male has a prior claim—and perhaps one I cannot fight. I have read about Siren claiming. It is permanent.”

Seta sighed. She could lie and be found out as a liar, or she could tell the truth and hope for understanding. For once, she wished Ji was awake and handling this for her. Not that she wanted him to lie, but he would not see it as doing so anyway. Garmon said he wanted to hear her truth. She would give it to him.

“The Siren is my bonding partner, but not yet my mate. I have refused his claim up to now and will no doubt continue to do so. We have an agreement of sorts which I am honoring.”

“I see. What does your refusal of his mating claim mean? Are you not happy in your life with him? If you have need of sanctuary, you are welcome to live here. Since you are not officially mated to the male, perhaps the Siren will release you from whatever claim he thinks he has. I could challenge him for you.”

Seta took Garmon’s offered hand and climbed down. She should probably be talking less. It was the canton. It was all the smiling, happy people. It was the children racing and playing. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was to believe Ethos was a good place.

“It is a truth that I do not know my own mind about my relationship to Ji. Thank you for the offer to live here. It is appealing. However, I have a contract with the Peace Alliance, which is contractually binding and supersedes my agreement to the Siren. I could not stay on Ethos, even if I decided I wanted to stay. So there is no need to challenge Ji about me. Such action is unnecessary.”

“A female with your courage could be of great use here, Seta. And someone of your great beauty would have her pick of males when she was ready to have one. I think I would ask for first consideration, just because of my own interest. Being suzerain, I would at least like to be at the top of any potential list of suitors.”

“Me? Great beauty? Even with the dark streaks in my fair hair?” Seta demanded. Her face flushed with embarrassment when Garmon laughed and grinned. She should never have reminded him of his earlier words. Now he would think his opinion mattered. “Forgive me, Garmon. I should not have been so rude when you have been nothing but kind.”

Garmon shrugged. “Do not frown over so little a matter. I believe I would rather have your truth, however sharply it is delivered, than that cold politeness you want to offer. Crill will put your and the Siren’s belongings in our largest set of guest quarters. Come with me now to the Healing House. We’ll check on his condition and then I can show you around. Perhaps when your Siren wakes, he and I will have a chat about his intentions. Do you think he’d let me compete for your favor?”

Seta snorted and shook her head. “In case you are not getting even for my sarcastic rudeness, I shall tell you what I keep telling Ji. No male will ever own me again. I do not want another mate. So competing for the affection of a female who wants to be left alone would be a great waste of your time, Garmon of Ker. Choose another and live a happy life.”

“Your directness demands directness in return. In this you will find me a worthy male. I am not teasing in my wish to compete for your favor, Seta of Trax. But since my interest seems to bother you, I will not challenge your Siren. . .at least not for now. I will instead do my best to show you how good a life with me could be. You can make up your own mind. We have wonders here I doubt exist on even the finest of starships. I’ve never been on one myself, but I hear tales.”

Breathing deeply, Seta bit her lip to keep from saying anything more. Yes, she had physically felt Garmon’s interest when their gazes first connected, but it hadn’t occurred to her the male would admit his interest so openly and so quickly. Yet what worried her more than Garmon’s stated intentions was how she was reacting to the combination of the pleasant life in the mining canton and the pleasant demeanor of its benefactor. It was strange enough to interact with an Ethosian male who wasn’t ordering her around. It was stranger still to interact with one who seemed determined to charm her.

“Life on a starship is very limited. Surpassing its wonders will not be so difficult a task. I look forward to seeing the rest of the mining canton’s secrets.”

“Look at you—so beautiful—and so easy to please. You should know the more I learn about you—the more I like.”

Seta felt his fingertips lightly guiding her along as he pressed them against her spine. How was Ji going to handle Garmon’s interest? Probably not well. She felt her stomach flutter in response to the thought, confirming Zorinda had similar concerns.