Keen (7 page)

Tramic concurred. “Well, Lady, Drai poetry is full of blood and gore for love. He is playing to his strengths.”

The voice came from all around them but was a pleasant conversational tone.

Kee sighed. “I am guessing that the tomes in the library are full of Drai poetry? The archive doesn’t have them listed.”

Jherin winked, “The Drai don’t share everything with aliens, only what is necessary to set out bait for our mates.”

She poked him in the chest. “So, you admit to putting out bait to get me here.”

He grabbed her fingers and kissed them. “Of course. How else do you think an oaf like me would find a woman like you?”

“You are not an oaf. You are a giant with a dragon’s heart and a poet’s soul. What is on the agenda for today?”

“I thought you would enjoy a trip to the city.”

He freed her hands and she clapped them.

“Excellent. A chance to wear one of the dresses that Kyra gave me. The Azon have a definite sense of style.”

“Fine, go change and we will be on our way.” He grinned.

“Put a skirt on. I am the only one who gets to see what the artist missed out on.” She winked, and he chased her up the stairs. She shrieked when he caught her and tucked her under his arm, running the rest of the way with her secure against him.

Her clothing was still arranging itself in the wardrobe, so she waited until the nanites put it down and then picked the pale blue gown with black cincher and a full skirt. It fit her perfectly and it came with boots instead of sandals.

“Are you ready?”

“I still have to pin my hair up, Jher.”

She picked up the pins, and while she watched, they changed from black to the blue of her cincher. It took her two minutes to put her hair up, and when she was done, he lifted her in his arms and flew to the city.

The council was waiting for them, and as she walked in with her hand decorously placed on Jherin’s arm, it was quite obvious that they had made their connection.

Jherin spoke. “I have examined the requests at length and taken a few queries from worlds whose structures are collapsing due to dying stars. Five hundred thousand have been allowed, and they will all blend together in cities around the globe. No individual colonies will be allowed and an even distribution of species will be managed at all times. As the original colonists, you are responsible for the administration of those levels and details. The Jhenno will be administrators of this colony event.”

The council looked to each other and finally one councillor said, “You wish for us to be in charge?”

“You will be the supervisory council and mine will be the ruling vote. You arrange for twelve cities and tell me what you need. I will return in four days for the update. Begin to prepare, not only your citizens, but also yourselves. As a ruling body, you will be distributed throughout the world instead of being clustered around the archive. Make sure to put a council house in every city.”

They were staring in shock, and Jherin turned, walking out as suddenly as he had appeared.

She was amazed that they had taken it so well, and she told him so in silence.

They are planning to kill me before I clear the city. I believe that they will have the walkway to the archive covered. It is a good thing that this attack was anticipated.

Why good?

If the attack comes, you will know. Just know that you are completely safe with me.

I know. That is not in doubt.
She squeezed his arm and took him on a tour of the public gardens. If an attack came, she wanted them to be in a minimally populated area.

You truly do watch out for those around you.
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her skin.

“I try to. It is the hazard of being a middle child. I feel the need to let everyone around me have their happily ever after.”

He smiled slightly. “What about yours?”

“It will come when I am ready to let it.”

They walked through the public gardens slowly, giving the dissenters plenty of time to mobilize. The attack came when they were on their way back to the main gates.

A rush of seven men with drawn weapons faced them. Kyna recognized three of them as councillors. When the first blast of projectiles came at them, Jherin stepped behind her and wrapped his wings around them completely.

She heard the strikes, and the moment that they ceased, Jherin snapped his wings back and launched himself at the attackers, growing as he did. He was his full, tail-lashing, winged lizard form in seconds.

One of the councillors took a shot at her before Jherin blocked it, and to her shock, it struck her shoulder and she felt the impact as a light flick on her shoulder. A tiny tear in the gown healed itself and understanding struck her. The nanites were on her gown and coating her skin. If a bullet made a hole, they would fill it.

Kee watched the dragon tear the men apart, literally.

The scent of blood in the air was unmistakable and Kyna acknowledged that populating a world with different species was going to be complicated. The Jhenno might want to reconsider their attachment to the planet and seek something unprotected.

Thirty thousand Jhenno were on the surface of the planet at this moment. Letting them leave or set up a closed settlement on one of the larger islands was an option.

It is a good option. I will put it to the council. The archive is mine and they cannot have it.

Fair enough. Are you done with them?
She studiously didn’t look at the shredded remains.

Hands touched her shoulders and he pressed a kiss to her neck. “Keep your eyes closed.”

He lifted her and they flew for two minutes before landing. “You can open your eyes now.”

She peeked up at him and sighed when there was no trace of blood around his mouth. “I didn’t even see you shift back.”

“That happens when your eyes are closed.”

She wrinkled her nose and kicked her feet. “Put me on my feet. We are drawing an audience.”

He smirked. “Fine. Are you feeling all right? You look a little paler than normal.”

“I am not used to violence directed toward me. It will take some getting used to.”

“You will not be a target any longer. That ends today.”

There was a tone of finality in his voice, and as he held her hand and they returned to the council chamber, she knew that the gauntlet was going down.

She stood at his side as he spoke to the councillors who seemed surprised to see him. He laid out his requirements. All hostilities toward Kyna were to stop immediately or the colony would be invited to leave within thirty days of the next attack, and after that, those who remained would be destroyed.

The archive would be locked and all access would only come when the Jhenno were gone.

It was a simple solution. Cease hostilities or lose the only draw that the planet had.

One of the councillors sat up, “You cannot lock the archive.”

Jherin gave him a narrow-eyed look. “The blast shields went down this afternoon. The only thing that will open it is the touch of my dearest mate.”

The council exploded in conflict, arguing amongst themselves.

Jherin raised his hand. “I will give you a few days to come to a decision, but the new colonists are coming and Jhenno will be a draw for intellectuals from around the Alliance and beyond, your own records show that. I assembled that information and I control it.”

She stood at his side and kept her face impassive.

He took her hand, and they left the council chambers. The moment they were outside, he picked her up and swept her into the air.

There were things to be discussed, but she kept her mouth and her mind calm. Later would be soon enough. He had had a stressful day.

As they approached the sandcastle, she sighed and leaned her head against him.
I like your house.

He whooped and did a corkscrewing flight around the spires and outer walls of the blue structure.

Kee smiled; she guessed that he had been waiting for that moment and his reaction was all she could have hoped for. They were together for as long as she lived. Divorce was not an option in the Drai culture, and she could not see him finding another woman with a mind like hers.

He landed in the courtyard and put her on her feet. “Tramic has been doing some interior decorating.”

Laughing, she held tight to his hand as he brought her into the entry hall. “Wow. He did a wonderful job.”

“He can also craft clothing for you, if you like. The nanites can tear down and build up any molecules they wish.”

The glowing furniture was highly polished, and it was an excellent counterpoint to the blue stone.

He showed her the entertainment centre. “We have access to all the vids in the archives on voice command.”

She smiled at the thought of men with remote controls. All the couches were low to allow for Jherin’s wings, but she could imagine quite easily reclining against him while they watched something.

The dining room was set with places for twenty; the kitchen had machines that could produce anything from nothing more than base ingredients. It had gone from a cavern with a large library, to a home.

“Why did you lock the archive to my bio-signature?” she finally had to ask.

He pulled her to one of the couches and settled her in his lap. “With our minds, I have linked your life to mine, and mine to yours. I want you remembered for your wisdom and interest in the written word. That will only come if you are Prime Archivist.”

She blinked back tears. No one had ever thought to keep a memory of her. Even her family had only used her for their little moments. The idea of being remembered for her work and not just her attachment to a powerful man swelled her heart to bursting.

Kee kissed him. “Thank you.”

He traced her cheek. “It was all I could think of to show you how much you mean to my future.”

She sighed and pressed her cheek to his shoulder, settling into place and relaxing.

In a few days, they would have to find out whether the Jhenno wanted to go the easy way or the hard way, but for now, they had this moment together. Kee embraced this instant and filed the sensation of being cared for and protected in her mind.

* * * *

Five years later, the Jhenno Archive was one of the most desired locations for the true intellectual to visit. Kyna Utal was the key to accessing it and the researchers visiting the site gave her her due.

Ten thousand Jhenno had remained on the world and the rest had been found homes elsewhere. The government was stable and Jherin was involved in acquiring more books for the Jhenno Archive’s collection.

Kee swept into the library at the sandcastle and held up the volume. “What is this?”

Jherin looked up at his charming mate with a grin. “The detailed account of how we came together for the first year. Why?”

She bristled with irritation, sparks nearly flying from her mind. “Why was it in the archive under sex manuals?”

He walked up to her and put his hands on her waist. “You are very inventive, love.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “You are just flattering me to get something.”

He chuckled. “Nope. I was wondering if you could manage a repeat of chapter five, page one hundred and thirty-six.”

She gave him a narrow-eyed look, flipping through the book. She blushed a little as she read carefully, and then, she slammed the book shut. His charming mate nodded her head brusquely. “Fine. Bring the candles, I will get the honey.”

In her mind, she laughed outright while her face kept the businesslike exterior. Jherin admired her ability to feel one thing and show another, provided that he could do the same.

* * * *

When she grabbed the honey jar and put the book in the library, she headed off to bed with a grin. The nanites were going to have to scrub for hours when she was done with Jherin, but they didn’t mind a bit.

Keen
was all about intellect going out the window when she found a man she wanted. However, she was lucky in that he wanted her for her mind as much as her body.

We met characters from
Pan’s Legacy
and
Arena Station,
and it was nice to work them into a book after so long.

Keeper
will be the tale of a bodyguard who goes above and beyond when she is asked to sacrifice years of her life to keep her charge safe.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

[email protected]

www.violagrace.com

**PS. I now have a line of trading cards available with the book covers on them from my website. I am working toward getting all the cover art in a portable format but it will take time.

Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.