Chapter Eight

K ris stared at the lights and the huge amount of people milling at Yorness’s home as Essan came in for a landing. He walked to Yorness and inclined his head. “Thank you for your invitation, Yorness.”

“My pleasure, Overlord. I have invited some of my family, and they all decided to come to meet Lady Kris.”

Kris laughed and looked at Essan. “I appreciate the effort, but with this crowd, he isn’t going to be too far from me.”

Essan hissed softly and said, “You are correct, Kris.”

She smirked and kicked her feet. “Are you going to put me down?”

“No.”

He walked over to a wide stool on a platform and settled with her in his arms. Kris looked up at him. “No socialization for me?”

“They can come to you.”

He settled her on one of his thighs and looked at her. “I have gotten used to having your sole attention.”

She laughed softly, and in the distance, there was a trumpeting shriek. “What the hell is that?”

Yorness came up and sighed. “The beast you were riding has been watching for you and calling for you. That was the call that you heard. We have her confined in the barn.”

“Oh. Is she okay? We were flying on a warm cushion of air to give her a lift.”

“Is that how you did it? The news agencies who saw my footage could not understand how you made her fly.”

“Straight skills.” She laughed.

The moment the laughter made its way out of her mouth, the answering shriek from the barn was heard, and then, there was a crash. Other avians were making startled noises, and the enormous crack indicated something else had been destroyed.

The shriek sounded again, and Kris muttered, “I think that’s for me.”

Yorness sighed as the beast was doing flying launches toward them. “It figures that the runt would be attracted to you. Here she comes.”

The bird ran at Kris full tilt, knocking guests left and right. She backwinged, breaking right in front of Kris, and waddled over, making a soft chirping.

Kris looked at Essan, and he sighed. “Fine. We have room.”

She slid off his lap and went to the bird, stroking the feathers and rubbing her head against the bird’s neck. “Hey, little girl. Sorry, I got swept off. The overlord can be a bit of a bully.”

There was a soft hiss from behind her. “And Lady Kris can be unaware I can hear her.”

“Oh, I know.” She felt fluffy wings wrapping around her. “I am going to call you Vahshee.”

The bird chuckled and clacked her beak happily. She was trying to nudge Kris onto her back.

“No, Vahshee. Not without a saddle. I would fall right off if you did anything fun.”

Vahshee blinked, pulled her head back in a chicken-like fashion, and then backed up, whirled, and sprinted to the barn.

Kris looked at Essan. “I think she went to get a saddle. Can I go for a short flight?”

“I will be right behind you.” He nodded.

There was more crashing from the barn and a few startled shouts. Vahshee came prancing back to the party with the saddle in her beak.

She gave the saddle to Kris, but Essan got up and put it in the right position, tight enough, and after that, he lifted Kris and settled her on the bird. She quickly put her limbs in the right places and strapped in.

Essan made an excuse to Yorness, and Vahshee was walking through the crowd. She began to run as soon as she could, and Kris built warm air under her. The wings flapped, and then, they launched. Heavy wing beats pushed them upward until they were in the sky and gliding was possible. The city was visible, and even the farm was available now that she knew where to look.

She glanced to the side, and Essan was flying with them, gliding where they did and banking when they did.

“Okay, little girl. Back to the party.”

Vahshee turned, and they returned to the party with Essan following.

Kris couldn’t eat another thing. Yorness stared at the wreckage of the platters. “You seriously have no more allergies?”

“Not that I can detect. I am putting everything in my mouth, and so far, no adverse reaction.” She glanced at the smirking Essan. “Nothing out of you.”

He shrugged. “I enjoy your appetites. All of them.”

She blinked.

Yorness hissed in amusement. “Food drunk is a good look on you.”

“Well, it’s been a very long time. My allergies kicked in when I was a teen.”

She stretched and wiggled her feet. “Feeling full and actually tasting things is a delightful acquisition. So is the fire-proof fabric.”

Essan cuddled her. “It is late. Do you want to head home?”

“Well, I am not a great conversationalist while I am belching. I also need a few litres of water.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Yorness paused. “May I give Kris a hug?”

Essan set Kris on her feet, and she hugged her friend. “Thanks for bringing me here, Merchant.”

“You are welcome, Lady Kris. Go home and get some rest.”

Vahshee stood up from where she had been snoozing, dancing from foot to foot. Kris looked to Essan and said, “Can I ride her to the palace?”

“Can she handle the weight of all that food?”

Kris straightened her garment, and walked up to her steed. “She’s just fine.”

“Good. Let’s go while you are still awake and can keep the warm air under her.”

Kris nodded and got up into the saddle. She probably flashed all kinds of ass, but she got settled and nodded to the others who were watching. Vahshee walked calmly out of the party and took a few steps before they both worked to get her airborne.

Kris’s gut twinged as they flew, and she focused on getting to the city while Essan flew nearby. The palace came into focus as they got closer. The pain in her abdomen increased with every flap of the beast’s wings. Kris breathed slowly, and Vahshee headed for a building Kris hadn’t seen. When they were down, some of the workers came out and smiled. “She’s adorable, Lady Kris.”

Kris swallowed and unclasped the leather bands that held her in place. She struggled to get out of the stirrups and stumbled back. Essan caught her. “Kris, is something wrong?”

She looked at him and knew she was chalky and white. “I am not feeling great.”

He picked her up and walked to the medical bay that she was too familiar with.

The scanner hummed as Kris remained still. It felt like the most hellish PMS that she had ever experienced.

When the scanner opened, Essan looked at her. “Kris, how many ovaries does your kind have?”

“Just the two. One on each side.”

“After your accommodation changes, you seem to have grown a third. Right here. The source of the discomfort.” He smiled. “I am sorry it is causing you pain, but this is a Hmrain configuration.”

“Seriously? Those buggers tampered with me?”

“I am guessing that they simply planted the seed. When you began to change, it activated... and attached.” He carefully lifted her and kissed her cheek. “I have a painkiller in my quarters. It will probably knock you out, so I want you in bed before I administer it.”

“You aren’t just going to cum and rub it into my skin, are you?” She smiled slightly. “Again.”

He grinned. “No. That will not be necessary. I will save it for special occasions.”

She focused on keeping herself relaxed. He carried her through the halls and to his rooms. He settled her in his quarters and eased her slippers and clothing off her skin. No fabric other than sheets was allowed in his bed.

He flipped the sheet back and settled her, getting naked himself before he widened her thighs and dropped to his belly between them.

His fangs sprang down, and they gleamed with some kind of venom. She started to tense, but his razor-sharp teeth sank into the joint of her thigh and groin.

The burn of the bite made her smack him on his pointy ear. He remained steady, and soon, the pain was gone, replaced by a soft warmth that filled her and made her limbs languid and her senses dull. When he opened his mouth to a startling degree—something she normally appreciated—his fangs folded up, and he smiled. “Get some rest, Kris. We have a guest that you may find interesting arriving tomorrow.”

Kris was dopey and only vaguely heard him. It turns out that she had been feeling pain for longer than she had known. When it stopped, her body just wanted to revel in it by healing the nerves that ached and giving tense muscles relief.

She snuggled against Essan when he cuddled her against him. His wing wrapped around them both, and she fell asleep surrounded and safe.

* * * *

K ris was curious. She was wearing a colour that matched Essan, and he was nervous, so she was wondering who was visiting that could make him nervous.

The court was sparse, but they were quiet. There was a strange feeling in the air. It was like the feeling of a storm when lightning was about to strike.

Kris murmured, “Essan, do you have lightning storms?”

“We do, but not over the city. Why, what do you feel?”

“Power, and it is coming this way.”

“Good. That is what I am sensing as well.”

The doors opened, and a figure in a white cloak carrying a heavy staff walked toward them until it was standing in front of them. “Overlord Essan, I am Sister Wyford of the Abbey, here to visit your consort.”

Kris froze. “Wyford?”

The deep hood and gloves didn’t give a hint as to the species, but Kris knew that name. She stood up and walked to the figure that was taller than the one in Kris’s memory.

“What is the cloak for?”

“To give uniformity to the sisterhood. The cloaks are recognized in any Hmrain-touched world. It provides us with anonymity and has the added bonus of freaking out most citizens we are walking toward.”

The English words got Kris excited. “Are you someone I know? You are taller now, so I am guessing they tampered with you a little.”

“Lady Kris, you are now just over six feet tall, and your Hmrain is watching you with concern. I believe you have been frequently tampered with. Just like when we watered Grandpa’s truck, and the gas cap was open. The poor thing was never the same.”

“Teddy?” Kris whispered.

“Yes, Crunchy?”

Kris lunged and hugged her cousin. There was crying and sobbing on Kris’s part, but the cloaked figure was merely hugging her back. Teddy had been bubbly and emotional. She laughed, and everyone around her was happy. Now, this creature was still and powerful and didn’t feel the need to fill the moment with chatter.

“Teddy, what happened to you?”

“The story is long and horrible. The madness it brought on is why I was transferred to the Abbey and became a sister.”

Kris looked at her. “Can we talk about this?”

“No. Overlord Essan has hired me to be your guardian during our trip to Aten. Harwin has been told that you are unavailable, and it is only seven day’s journey to Aten. You will be reunited with your friend.”

“I was just reunited with my cousin. This is going to be quite the week.” She looked down. “Well, packing will go quickly.”

There was a light snort from inside the hood.

“Can I see your face, Teddy?”

“Not in a public setting, Lady. My face, my body are mine alone to bestow as I wish.”

Kris blinked. “So, you aren’t celibate?”

“Not when I don’t want to be.”

Kris nodded. “Right. Come with me.”

She grabbed Teddy by the arm and hauled her into the palace, or she tried to. The woman was solid. Kris sighed. “Come on.”

They walked through the halls and ended up in the private garden. Kris brought her to the high-humidity area and smiled. “Right, now, may I see your face, cuz?”

Teddy chuckled, set the staff to the ground, and it remained upright. She touched the edges of her hood and eased it back.

Kris stared at the familiar features and the new additions. A series of ear piercings marched down the edge of both ears. A chevron tattoo crossed the bridge of her nose, and a third eye had also been tattooed on her forehead between her eyes. The lip piercing was anticlimactic.

“Wow. I am guessing that all of that means something.”

Teddy smiled. “It does. The earrings are battles won. The chevron is my mark as a commander, and the third eye means I get drunk in public places.”

Kris paused and then burst into laughter that turned into tears, and they were hugging again.

Teddy stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Kris. You have family again beyond that of Essan. I won’t live as long, but I am here for now, and Essan can contract me for six months at a time.”

“Why only six months?”

“Because I am part of the Abbey. Rath’s Abbey. He is a Hmrain who understands that the greatest horrors we have experienced can be caused by love. That is why the Abbey exists, and that is why we are so competent as guardians. Also assassins. We know both sides of love, and we watch them with equal measure. Both are deadly.”

“Oh, Teddy. What happened?”

Teddy cocked her head. The flat braids along her skull gleamed. “Do you remember Arthur?”

“Yes. Did you lose him?”

“Oh, no. I was five months pregnant when we got the message. We started to move to the pickup point, but a day out, he stabbed me through the belly and chest, leaving me to die so he could go off with his teen girlfriend. I was in shock, but then, the wind woke me, and I got up to stagger to the pickup point. I just made it. My baby was dead. My son was dead, but they kept me alive until the education station. Once there, I was healed, but I went nuts. Rath had a standing order for someone in my situation, so I was sent to the Abbey. When I came back to myself, training started.”

“Holy shit. Artie did that?”

“Yes. He looked me in my eyes and said he wanted a fresh start. Then the pain.” Teddy smiled slightly. “I am looking forward to finding him eventually. I think that will be an entertaining meeting.”

“How did you get so tall?”

“I ate my veggies and other people’s veggies, and I had a genetic overhaul to remove disease and pathogen vectors. There was also some Hmrain splicing that occurred.”

“Wow. Me, too!”

“Maybe we just have the genes for it.” Teddy chuckled.

Kris paused. “Maybe. Wow.” Kris hugged her again. “I am sorry for your baby.”

“I named him Lancelot. They transported him to the Abbey, and he is buried there with a tablet to remember him. I talk to him when I am home.”

Kris was sad. “Is Arthur in the stars?”

“Yes, he and his new partner were in a colonization package before I could get to him. Rath won’t assign me to peacekeeping on their world.”

Kris paused and tilted her head. “I think I could pay a visit if you wouldn’t mind.”

“You think Essan would be on board with that?”

“Probably not, but I can burn a hole in steel if I really try. I am pretty sure I could boil Arthur’s pea brain from a distance.”

Teddy patted her cheek with a hand marked with banding. “I appreciate that.”

“What is on your hands?”

“Oh, focus banding. I can do remote crowd control. It makes me very effective.” She lifted her chin, nodded, and pulled her hood up. “Coffee break is over.”

Kris turned and saw Essan standing there. “You are wrecking a reunion with my cousin.”

He smiled. “I found your cousin. You have no idea how difficult it is to hire a sister for guardian duty.”

Kris whirled to Teddy. “What?”

“When I walk a world, people die. That is truly the Abbey’s specialty. They choose women who have a true connection with life and, therefore, a link to death. We see each other for what they are. Babysitting a consort like you is something they would have charged your mate through the nose for.”

“You said...”

“I didn’t want you to hear that we are the equivalent of reapers. Though we do a lot of crowd control.” She gripped her staff. “We are distinct when we set foot on a world. I can hold thousands in place or kill them a moment later. That is what we train to do. We have perspective and are trusted to do what is best for each colony we visit, even if that is to take the administrators out and deprive them of some limbs.”

Kris paused and smiled slowly. “I almost pity them, but I knew you had it in you. Sweetness and light can throw dark shadows.”

Teddy bowed from the waist. “This... is the shadow.”

“And it is as beautiful as the light.” Kris turned to Essan and beamed. “This is my cousin. Theodora Wyford, but I called her Teddy.”

“Sister Wyford, it is good to meet you. I have found yet another thing that brings light to Kris’s eyes.” Essan smiled. “So far, it is her link beast, farming, and you.”

The hood dipped slightly. “That sounds like Kris. Grandpa’s farm was always a fun place to be.”

Kris smiled. “We grew up together.”

Essan nodded. “So the files said. I am glad I have brought you together. Even for this short of time.”

Kris blinked. “Short?”

Teddy murmured, “My presence is costly. Rath sets a high price on our work, and we are in high demand. I was sent here from a rather nasty event and have another one lined up when we have completed our time together.”

“You said six months.”

“My next nine years are accounted for. I know where I will be at any given moment.” Teddy’s voice was low. “There is a strange comfort for me in a predictable life.”

Essan said, “Technically, Teddy is a Daughter of Rath , but the Sisters are the common name for the lack of males in their number.”

“Why daughters?” Kris asked. “Why collect women and give them the title of daughter?”

Essan said, “Because he trains them. He hates the dark sides of species, and the ladies are the light side. They are honour and justice. They have the power to carry it out.”

Teddy did a slow turn. “Plus, the robes are hella sexy. I am currently the only human, by the way. Rath only has one representative from each species at a time.”

Kris paused. “The robes?”

“So that no species can judge a female from their own people and try to use tradition to sway her. We learn all the skills of adaptation for each assignment, and we do what we were contracted to do. The Sisters bring peace at any expense.”

Kris thought about it and smiled. “You are going to love Harwin. How well does that thing wash? Can I hold your magic stick? When are we leaving?” Kris chattered, and Essan wrapped an arm around her waist, walking calmly with her to the main floor of the palace and out the door. A small vehicle was waiting for them, and Teddy followed, chortling softly.

They walked onto a familiar shuttle, and Yorness was waiting. “Come on, Nana Kris. We want to get the launch window. Sister, be welcome on my vessel.”

Essan snorted. “You mean my vessel.”

“Yes, honoured ancestor,” Yorness said cheekily. “Everyone to launch stations. We are on our way to Aten, and right now, the stars have aligned.”

Kris settled in, and Teddy sat next to her. Essan was in a special chair with a narrow back nearby, and Yorness was in her cushioned seat.

It had happened fast, but Kris had most of her family again, and they were off to confirm the situation of the last piece. Harwin had been excited to see the archaeologists and travel with their team. Kris wanted nothing more than to see what had happened and to show Harwin that she was all right as well. Landing on her feet had been her biggest dream, and now, it was coming true, even if she was growing scales and often found an ancient being between her thighs. He was seeking things that made her happy without assuming that she would make him her moon and stars. He really was all grown up, and she was fortunate to have him. She was already sure that he felt fortunate to have her. As sudden matches went, she was pleased.

As they took off, she wondered if the scales were going to spread all over. If so, foreplay was going to take forever. Essan liked to kiss each new scale. She had had weird hobbies of her own in her time. She was fairly sure he would tire of it. Now, how was she going to tell Harwin about the tongue?