Chapter Five

T he bird thudded to the ground but stood up again and chattered excitedly. Kris chuckled and patted her neck. “We can do it again. You can do more of the lifting.”

She was about to slide off when hands plucked her off the saddle and slammed her against a hard chest. Kris yelped and had to guess what had her.

She was being flown away from the barn at an increasing altitude. That narrowed it down.

“Essan?”

The deep growl was an affirmative.

She relaxed and let the energy expenditure do what it always did and knock her out. She would be fine in a few hours or days. There was no way to tell.

Kris could taste flowers, and the humidity in the air was heavy. She shifted, and the feeling under her was spongy, like moss. She used her body to get feedback before she opened her eyes. There was a sheet on her, no matter what else was going on, so she slowly grabbed the sheet and sat up, looking around her with curiosity. She was naked in a green house. All she needed was her grade twelve physics teacher demanding her homework, and she would know it was a dream.

There was a rustling nearby, and Kris held the sheet to her chest. Someone in a servant uniform walked toward her, jolted, and ran away.

Kris took inventory of herself. Prolonged burning always took a while to recover.

She felt the incoming footfalls long before she saw the scowling face of Essan when he came down the path through the trees.

She tried to speak, but her throat was dry. Essan stopped in front of her, and she shrugged and bowed as best she could.

He grunted and bent, grabbing her by her shoulders and hauling her upward. “Don’t do that again.”

She croaked. “Is bowing from sitting not allowed?”

He hugged her. “Yorness is worried but said you needed a lot of humidity.”

“I do. Is there some water around?”

He nodded. “You will be hydrated immediately. On behalf of the folk at the resort, I would like to thank you. There were a couple in one of the private areas that didn’t get evacuated. Thanks to you, they had enough time to make it through the maze of pathways to higher ground.” He wrapped the sheet around her and lifted her in a bridal carry. “You are a national hero. Does your body crash that way every time?”

“Only when the energy expenditure is excessive,” she muttered and croaked. “I always thought pyrokinesis would be easy, but it is like I was pushing the mud into place from a distance.”

He didn’t look at her as he stalked out of the green space. The shift to cold marble halls was jolting. The curving waves chiselled into the stone made it an interesting view as he walked. She had been hauled around by aliens before. The sheet was a nice addition.

“Why did you get me? I was at Yorness’s. I was home.”

“That is not your home. This will be your home.”

She barked a laugh. “Fuck that. You have an entire wing devoted to hoarding an alien collection. I don’t play well with others.”

“I don’t hoard. They are offered, and their pleasure all tastes different. A true mate is what I seek, and I feel that in you.”

“I am not wearing much; you are probably just in contact with my scaleless skin. Novelty is often mistaken for interest.”

“I will bear that in mind, and I will clear out my collection.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I am serious. I can taste it on your skin and in the energy you produce. Your body and mind sing to me.”

“I was hoping they would whistle.”

He blinked. “What is a whistle?”

“I can’t do it now, but after I have some water, I will be good.” She flexed her hands and went, “Where is my ring?”

“It melted off. Yorness has commissioned a new one, but the allergist has had time to create a protocol for your treatment.”

He was less tense as they spoke.

He took her back to the lab where she had been the first time and settled her in a machine she wasn’t familiar with. Her arms were in a cradle, and the machine was small by stellar standards. It felt a lot like a custom machine. The cuffs wrapped around her arm, and a hiss let her know that something was being pumped into her, but it was the sudden rush of saliva that let her know she was getting some saline. It was a hydration pod, and as far as she knew, she was the only person who needed it.

He had bought her a present.

It only took thirty minutes for the unit to finish its task. A female in a palace uniform smiled and held out peach-coloured, folded fabric. “Mistress, this is for you.”

Kris took the bundle and said, “Thanks.” It unfolded into the standard front and back panel. “No body suit?”

“He said if you asked that, it wasn’t necessary.”

Kris got dressed and wound the sash around her. She looked nearly naked, and she needed sandals.

The woman turned and handed her the flat shoes in the same peach as the dress. It completed the look. She started braiding the hair along her scalp, but the attendant stopped her with a gentle hand.

“The overlord would prefer to see it loose.”

“It gets in the way, and I eat a lot of it in high winds.”

The woman with crimson scales smiled. “Of course. I am to escort you to the main hall.”

“Oh. Yay. Well, lead the way.”

The woman nodded and led the way out of the lab, through the front entryway, and into the wide hallway past the guards.

Kris hated running around without a bodysuit. Her breasts were taking to being out on their own, and it made Kris a little self-conscious. Walking on a hard surface reminded her of why she liked them restricted.

They got several curious glances, but no one interfered with their progress. When they passed more guards and entered the main hall, Kris blinked as she ended up being walked past about two hundred Kifessan to the throne that Essan was seated on. The place was opulent. No part of the walls was undecorated, and even the floor had extravagant patterns. Essan was speaking with Yorness, and they both looked up as she walked toward them. Yorness looked relieved, and she quickly moved to Kris.

Kris was caught in a hug, and Yorness muttered, “You nearly sent me to the afterlife when the drone saw you. You were putting out so much heat, you were melting wood.”

“Why is Essan so cranky?”

Yorness leaned back and burst out laughing. “He just dismissed his harem. All of them. And notified the other worlds that more would not be needed.”

“What?”

“Apparently, you were putting out so much power, he is topped up for the rest of the year.”

“I thought they only ate pleasure or pain.”

Essan’s voice murmured, “That is because ferocious desperation is harder to quantify.”

Kris looked at him over Yorness’s shoulder. “So, I am a snack?”

He laughed. He eased his descendant aside and took Kris by the hand. “You, my lady, are the entire meal with no room for anything else.”

She blinked. “Wait. Have you been sampling without me noticing?”

He pulled her along at a slow pace and walked to the throne. “Your skin is exceptionally soft.”

“Wait. How do you know?”

“I would not let anyone else undress you before settling you in the green space. Yorness knows much about your pyro aftercare.”

“Well, she paid for a toy that kept losing power, so we both learned how I work.”

He smiled. “It is a very good thing.”

She nodded. “So, how long was I resting.”

“A few days. The damage the flood did to the mud flats has just been repaired,” he murmured as they walked.

“Why no body suit?”

“Consorts are accessible, and this is the traditional dress on this world.”

“Accessible. How charming.”

He chuckled. “A temporary seat has been arranged for you. Something more ornate is being offered to the artisans for design bids.”

“Wait. You are taking bids on a chair for me?”

“Well, it is technically a throne. It has to sit next to mine and keep you at a level where I can be in contact with you.”

“So, is that a necessity?”

“No, you are just very soft, and I like touching you.”

“Like a pet.”

“I do not think of you as a pet. I think of you as a consort. Once my needs have been satisfied, you will be able to do anything on this world that catches your interest.”

“Wow. That’s subtle.”

He shrugged. “Please find someone who says that Hmrain are subtle, and I will show you someone lacking brains.”

She snorted.

He smiled. “You make interesting sounds.”

There was a high-backed chair next to Essan’s, and he guided her to it and helped her settle.

She looked up and saw the room full of curious faces who smiled and began to applaud as Essan settled.

He spoke, and the tone reverberated through the room. “This is Lady Kris of the dead world of Terra. She is now a permanent resident of Kifessan.”

Kris blinked. “I am?”

“You are.” He looked at her. “It is the least I can do for your efforts.”

“Thank you.”

“You are most welcome. Now, we are looking to gather exhibits for a distant art gallery. Those petitioning here are displaying holograms of their work. The crowd will decide.”

She smiled. “Oh, good. I just like what I think is pretty. Simple soul.”

“I doubt that.” He turned back to the audience and rapped out, “Next!” with the confidence of a seasoned director.

Kris sat and wished that she had popcorn or at least her ring. She felt naked without it.

The room dimmed, someone stepped forward, and the art show began.

Kris woke up with something warm under her head. She opened her eyes and sat up straight, realizing she had nodded off in front of the entire hall. She checked her mouth for drool and then remembered. “How badly did I snore?”

Essan smiled at her. “No one noticed anything.”

She groaned. “That bad?”

He picked up her hand and kissed it.

“Ouch. That bad.”

He chuckled and smiles crossed the features of those nearest to them who heard her.

She sighed. “I never pass up the chance to wreck a first impression.”

Essan smiled. “We are breaking for a meal.”

As he announced it, the crowd moved and exited the hall. The Hmrain got to his feet and held out his hand. Kris put her hand in his, and he walked with her out of the hall and down a pathway, past more security, and then, they were in his private quarters if the heavily guarded area was any indicator.

He walked her through an exterior door, and a table was set with a wide variety of food and two chairs set nicely together.

The last servant set the food down and left the little courtyard. Kris looked at the spread and rubbed the spot where her ring had been. “This is lovely, but I don’t think I can eat it.”

“Try. Your body has been acclimating to this world and its produce.”

“Fine, but if I start wheezing, please get me to a repair unit.”

“Of course, Kris, but I have confidence that your allergies have been taken care of.” He smiled and held her chair for her. “Try.”

She nodded, washed her hands, and as she dried them, she looked over the food. She settled on something sweet. Her hands shook as she brought the item to her lips, and when she took a slow bite, she could feel Essan staring at her.

She chewed and swallowed and waited for the signs of a reaction. Nothing. Kris stared at him. “What treatment was I subjected to?”

“Well, you are now property of Kifessan. It is a proprietary treatment.”

Kris snorted. “I thought as much. This tastes really good.”

“Good. Continue.” He brought a hand to his lips and slowly stroked his finger back and forth.

She felt a blush and tried to convince herself that what she was reading in those stellar eyes wasn’t what she thought it was.

She ate her first meal slowly but picked up speed as the reaction she was used to never started.

When she was full, she had to stop, but she didn’t want to. “Dang. I barely made a dent.”

He smiled. “Your appetite will increase as you are able to consume more at a sitting.”

Kris nodded. “Well, at least this covering hides the food baby.”

He frowned. “What?”

“Abdominal distention due to overeating.”

He chuckled. “My mind went elsewhere.”

She blinked. “Right. So, what happened after I toasted the soil?”

“Oh, the dam you created cracked at the weak point you designed, and the mud flowed in the elevated channel and spilled into the flat near the resort. A few buildings were lost, but nothing compared to an uncontrolled flood. How did you know?”

“There was flooding on my world. One year, thousands lost their lives because they could not afford to evacuate or had nowhere to go.” Kris shrugged. “I researched how mud flowed, soil gave way, and how a tiny trickle of water can cause a landslide if the conditions are right. I looked up the mountain and saw trees moving. A flood had started and was coming our way.”

“Interesting. Do you often make such leaps of logic?”

“Yes. Frequently. It is why I was so effective as a bodyguard. Of course, Harwin was better for close combat. I tended to make a mess.”

Essan nodded. “I can see that. So, would you like to know why I chose you?”

“Because humans are compatible beyond standard numbers?”

“No, the designers intervened with you and your companion. You have the equivalent of Hmrain stem cells inside you. When I added some of my nanites to the mix, it began a correction for you. It simply took a prolonged rest for the full effect to take place.”

“I thought you said it was only a few days.”

“Well, as I think of time, it was only a short time, but I suppose two full seasons have passed. Yorness has visited you frequently while you slept.”

She blinked. “Six months?”

He shrugged. “It isn’t much time for me and now for you.”

Kris looked at him. “So, no consort contract?”

“Oh, we are filling out the contract. Once we have settled into domestic life, we can take a trip to Aten, and you can visit your friend Harwin. She is now queen of Aten, consort of Ra.”

Kris blinked. “Queen? Yeah, that tracks. She has that aura about her.”

He snorted with a soft hiss. “Ra has set a bad precedent. He gave her the entire world and is now filling it with your kind.”

“That’s something I want to see.”

Essan’s smile was soft. “You shall.”

She cocked her head. “Why are you sure that I am a match?”

He shrugged. “I bonded to you while you slept. Just a bite and injections of nanites. Not particularly fun, but it helped rebuild your immune system.”

She blinked. “Where, exactly, did you bite?”

There was a soft hissing as he laughed. “I will tell you later and show you the contact point. I withdrew some blood to test compatibility, which is why I am assured of the match. Blood or pleasure are both available to me in your form.”

“Um, when did you—did I—feel pleasure?”

“When you ate, and when you burned. You enjoy summoning fire.” He tilted his head. “Ready to return to the hall?”

“Um. Okay.”

He stood and helped her to her feet, bending low to press a kiss to her lips. She inhaled his specific, spicy scent and went up on her toes as he backed away. “Dang. Well, the designers figured that much out.”

He hissed softly in amusement. “We are distinct from our populations. I applaud your lack of hesitation. I hope to benefit from it later.”

They started, and she muttered, “Sure, but I am going to get you to do all the work.”

He hissed softly again and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Two more hours of watching art projections, and they had a date.