Tethered (7 page)

The long, narrow room had pale gray walls and a diffuse lighting system that made the whole ceiling glow. She slipped off her shoes and dug her toes into the matting on the floor. It was body temperature by the feel of it, firm but with a little give. She bounced lightly on her feet, testing the results. Hmmm, cushioning should she take a hard tumble, without being too soft to get some traction from it. Good.

“Combat training, single opponent,” she demanded.

A hole opened in the ceiling, and an elasticated cradle lowered a gray Manikin to the ground, the humanoid shape coiled into a fetal position. It had no facial features, the synthetic flesh of its body molded into a rough duplicate of human musculature.

“Manikin activated,” the neutral tones of the Monitor system announced, and the mechanoid unfolded itself and rose to its feet in a single fluid movement. It stood, arms relaxed at its sides with its fingers open. Tyree braced herself with fists raised, and the Manikin mirrored her.

“Begin.”

The faceless automaton came at her. She countered with a fist to its head and a knee to the stomach, the false flesh covering its metal frame absorbing the impacts. It rocked back under the blows but came again, aiming a flurry of punches to her face that she alternately dodged and blocked in turn. She whirled and planted her right foot in its chest, shoving it backward. A human might have fallen but the Manikin didn’t, correcting its balance in a wholly unnatural way as it charged back. Tyree dropped into a crouch and increased her molecular density. The Manikin fell across her back and she shoved upward, flipping it over. It rolled across the training floor before righting itself.

Movement flickered at the corner of her eye, but she kept her gaze fixed on the Manikin as it came again. It tried to grasp her arms and she ducked, grabbing its arm as she twisted. Jerking back with her full weight augmented by her increased density, she spun the Manikin off and away into the wall. It rebounded and shook itself, as if stunned.

“Hold,” Tyree barked, and turned to confront Zander. He leaned casually against the frame of the open doorway, his arms folded and an easy smile on his face. The confines of the doorway made him seem even taller and broader than he already was. Some people might have found that intimidating. For Tyree it merely sparked her irritation further.

“Entertaining enough for you?” she demanded. The exercise had barely gotten her pulse rate up but the sight of him watching set her heart hammering, and that just made her angrier.

Again, he quirked those dark eyebrows at her, as if amused by a child’s tantrum. “I’ve never seen a Su fight. I admit I was curious.”

“Didn’t you think I could?”

Don’t expect much of me at all, do you, Zander?

“From what you said earlier, I didn’t think you would need to.”

“It isn’t all just sex and psi-talent.” She stalked up to him. Inc-Su tended to be tall, and she was average for her kind at just shy of two meters. Even so, Zander still stood a hand’s breadth taller, and she hated having to stare
up
to look him in the eye.

“I never assumed it was.” He frowned. “We seem to be at odds with each other, which wasn’t my intention. What precisely have I done to upset you so much?”

For an instant she couldn’t speak. She knew she wasn’t the most even-tempered of people, even for a Su, and yet he seemed to have provoked the very worst in her.

“It’s not all you,” she acknowledged eventually, letting the last threads of her temper wind out with that admission. “All this—” she gestured to the world in general “—is—”

“Unsettling?”

“That’s one word for it.”

Zander stared at her in silence for so long she began to wonder what he was seeing. She started when he spoke again. “I think, despite the difficulties, despite your doubts, that you are more than capable of this mission. I have faith in you and your abilities, not just as a Su, but as my co-delegate. You are the only person in the galaxy that has the right DNA for the task, and you more than have the talents for it.” The last he said with a humorous twist to his mouth that drew a grudging smile to hers. The quiet assurance in his voice lifted the weight on her shoulders.

“Damn DNA,” she muttered. “But thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“My pleasure.” He smiled. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”

“Oh, I’m not sure about that. While you’re here, I think we should do some training together. You’re not very safety conscious.”

“Am I not?”

“You sit in the conference hall with your back to an open door. Are you asking to get stabbed?”

“I like the view from where I sit. Especially now.”

Heat scoured her face, and she drew a sharp breath. “Are you trying to
flirt
with me?”

“I’m trying to distract you.”

“It’s not working.” She tried to keep a grin from spreading across her face, but it was hard. “Afraid I’ll beat you?”

“I have no doubt of that.”

“So you’re not going to even try?”

Zander regarded her for a long, long moment. “I would be interested to see how Su training compares to a Warden’s,” he murmured at last, as if considering the idea for the sake of mere curiosity. He pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked slowly toward her, sudden intent purpose in his movements. A thrill of excitement shivered down her spine as she backed away a few steps with Zander following. He shrugged off his formal outer robes, and for the first time she could appreciate the broad expanse of his chest, the close-fitting fabric stretched over well-defined muscles. It appeared he hadn’t allowed his physique to slacken, despite leaving the Galactic Commission.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

Zander spread his hands in an open gesture to say that he was.

So why is he just standing there like a defunct Manikin instead of poised to fight?

Tyree took her combat position and Zander matched her, just as the Manikin had done. She’d never fought a human in practice before. This should be interesting.

She sprang forward and aimed two rapid punches at his face. Zander evaded both with a speed and grace totally out of proportion to his bulk. Her third he blocked with little effort, and she stepped back to reassess her strategy. But only for an instant.

A quick step forward and she lashed upward with her foot, snapping his head back. Zander staggered but didn’t fall. Her second kick failed as he grabbed her ankle and jerked her off balance. She twisted as she dropped and caught him hard in the knee. Zander collapsed. Both rolled aside, and then jumped up to face each other again.

Not bad.

Tyree bit back a laugh as they exchanged blows, each faster than the last. Zander blocked or evaded most, but not all. His skill almost matched hers, yet his defenses were just a fraction too slow. Each move she made tested his reach, his reflexes and his stamina until she could sense him struggling a little.

Time for the kill.

She floored him with a kick to the chest, the full weight of her augmented density behind it, but as she moved in to finish the fight he dove into her. Tyree landed on her back hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs.

Zander had her pinned to the ground. She bucked but couldn’t shift him. The triumphant smile on his face sent rage blazing through her gut. With hardly a whisper, she Misted out and went
through
him. Golden heat filled her for a second before she pulled free. Zander pushed to his feet and spun to meet her, but she cranked up her molecular density and punched him hard in the chest. He collapsed, gasping and coughing. In one fluid movement she sat astride him at full density, and the air
whumphed
out of his lungs. She pinioned his arms with her hands, her face hovering mere centimeters above his.

As her breathing slowed to normal, a huge grin split her face. She’d made a vow to herself to jump him, and she’d done it. Perhaps it was childish, but it warmed her heart.

“Your...reputation...is well deserved,” he gasped.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she complimented him. He’d fought well, but perhaps not quite with the determination—and certainly not the desperation—of most opponents she’d faced. “For a human.”

“Thank you. Perhaps we could try this again tomorrow?”

Tyree laughed. As much as he could irritate the hell out of her, he was equally amusing. “If you want to spend most of your morning on the floor...”

He gazed up at her with that easy smile, making no effort to struggle. Most humans, without the influence of her pheromones and the distraction of her naked body writhing above theirs, would not have been so trusting. So compliant. She found herself staring at his mouth. What would it be like to kiss him, without the use of her talents? Would it be as satisfying? As sensual? The warmth of him, the firmness of his body beneath hers, sent heat spiraling through her abdomen.

“Perhaps you could let me up now?” His words jerked her from such musings. What the hell was she thinking?

She scooted to her feet and he rose. As he gathered his outer robe and donned it, she turned her back on him, fixing her attention on the Manikin. Trying not to remember the feel of him underneath her. She didn’t need that. Not from him.

“End combat training,” she commanded. At least she could make that do her bidding.

The Manikin walked back to its original position, and the elasticated tendrils of the holding cradle reached for it as it curled up again. She waited until it was safely stowed away before returning to Zander. Together they walked back down the corridor.

“Have you ever taken on more than one Manikin?” Zander asked.

“What makes you think that?”

“I saw the way you fight. The Manikins are set for human combat but, as you’re so keen to remind me, Inc-Su are
not
human.”

And doesn’t that just bug you.
Tyree smirked. “You’re right. One of my Incu kin and I took on three.”

“And?”

“He got a broken jaw and a cracked skull. I broke both my arms.”

Zander made a sound of disapproval. “That shouldn’t have happened. Manikins are programed to avoid injuries to humans.”

“But, as you pointed out, Inc-Su aren’t human, and our Manikins are altered accordingly.”

He frowned. “That’s illegal.”

“Under Terran law, perhaps. Not in Refuge.”

“Refuge seems a very different world compared to most in the Territories.” He didn’t sound happy about the fact. “I wonder why you want to go back.”

“Because it’s my home. Because I belong there.” She stopped and faced him. “And because I have no choice. And even if I
did
have a choice, I’d still go back.”

His eyes held hers for a moment, a flicker of anger in their depths. “You sound like a slave. And yet your council called you rebellious.”

Fury lit her veins. “No, Mirsee was a slave, allowing herself to be bonded to a frigging human. I’d rather be Dissipated.”

She whirled and stalked away from him. How dare he? What the hell did he know? What did any human know?

Idiot. He has no idea what it’s like to be Su...

***

Tyree sat and fidgeted as Visaya played with her hair until the woman threw her hands up in exasperation.

“My lady, you must keep still.”

Tyree leaped to her feet, scattering hairpins like shedding a plague of beetles and forcing the woman to jump back.

“My lady!”

“Rig off,” Tyree growled, raking her fingers through her hair to pull at the braids.

Visaya flushed scarlet. “As my lady wishes,” she whispered before leaving.

Tyree glared at her reflection then tugged out the remaining braids. She’d be damned if she’d go through this every frigging morning. No one outside herself, Zander, and their small entourage were going to see her until they reached
Centralis
. Time enough when she’d
have
to maintain the farce. But not now.

Hair loose about her shoulders without the torturous knots, Tyree reflected on her behavior. She shouldn’t have snapped at Visaya. The woman was only doing her job, same as Tyree.

She shrugged off the guilt, smoothing down the short copper dress she’d chosen. The long ones tangled around her legs too much. Her outfit bordered on breaking Decorum, but she didn’t care. She slipped on her stealth shoes, blatantly ignoring the shelves of fancier and far less practical footwear Mirsee had favored. Or had they been part of her assigned wardrobe? Tyree was beginning to suspect Mirsee had been given no choice in anything, not even her clothing. What normal person would wear that kind of crud unless they were made to? Inc-Su were tied to Refuge, but at least they had freedom in all other things. She doubted Mirsee ever had.

More anger scorched through her. She stalked to the panoramic main hall...and found no one there and the view of Terris shuttered. Shock spiked into her chest. It gave her a strange sense of unease to see Zander’s chair empty. Only four days in and already she’d become accustomed to seeing him sitting here, his back to the door so he could watch the planet below turn. Perhaps he’d seen no point being here if she refused to join him.

“Monitor, where is Zander?”

“Zander D’joren is in the media suite.”

Before breakfast?

Tyree made a slow turn and wandered in the direction of the suite. Zander had sent her a timetable that so far he’d never strayed from, as if the routine were essential. For him to break it today seemed out of character, even from what little she knew. Had she done that? Disturbed him as much as he did her?

Thuds resounded from the media suite as she neared it. Whatever he was doing, it sounded active. She hesitated at the door. What was the protocol for this? In Refuge no one would dare interrupt another’s training, but that hadn’t stopped Zander intruding on hers. Without another thought she slapped the lock.

A Manikin shot toward her and she jumped back as it slammed against the doorframe. It righted itself and charged back at Zander. Tyree sucked in a breath. Another Manikin faced Zander already, exchanging a flurry of blows, and the ex-Warden seemed unaware of the second’s rapid approach.