Fractured Chances Read online

  They spoke calmly, and Varix was rubbing Nan’s back. She leaned against his chest, and she dozed off.

  * * * *

  Athena watched Varix slowly rubbing Nan’s back, and she smiled. She turned to Etska. “Why aren’t you that nice to me?”

  Etska chuckled. “I am, but you are asleep.”

  She snorted and leaned her head against him. “They are cute.”

  Varix murmured softly, “I can hear you.”

  Etska grinned. “Did you really threaten your companion with death?”

  Varix smiled. “I threatened her with the forfeit of her life. It is true. She’s mine now.”

  Nan mumbled. “I can hear you, asshat.”

  Athena laughed. “So, Etska, why would Nan ask if you had claws?”

  The sound of stone being cut sounded, and Varix finished tracing an arc out of the stone table. He held up the piece he had carved out. “This is why. They unsettled her for a while, but now, I have proved my self-control.”

  Athena looked at the cut stone, and she swallowed. “Yeah, that would do it.”

  Etska chuckled. “I am not hiding those blades. They were for the Hmrain who began as peacekeepers, taking care of illegal activities in the sectors. They came out before the rest of us and cleared the dark pockets of our territory.”

  Varix smiled. “And now I don’t care much for other beings, but I can’t be parted from Nan. I have been trying to think of a new name for her as she does not care for her given name, but I am unsure what to call her that would suit her personality.”

  Athena smiled. “Do you want it in Hmrain?”

  Varix cocked his head. “Can you think of one?”

  “Iana.”

  Varix laughed and then soothed Nan when she fidgeted. “Very nice. That would suit her very well.”

  Etska nodded. “Athena is very good at finding what is needed. So, what would you like for the khitans, aside from the initial financial transfer?”

  The negotiations began, and Athena returned to the side of her new buddies. They weren’t pets. They were more than that. To human eyes, they were demon cats, but to Athena’s eyes, they were perfect. She guessed it meant that her humanity was slipping away, but she didn’t give a fuck.

  She looked at the female, and she smiled. “So, we need to figure out names for you two. What language do you want?”

  She ran through sounds in her head, and when she got to something that they liked, they both sat up and purred. So, Pan and Syrinx were her new companions.

  * * * *

  Nan raised her head, and she nodded. “Good names.”

  Varix smiled. “Does that include yours?”

  She looked up at him. “What was that one again?”

  “Iana. It is Hmrain for she who watches over.”

  She nodded, “I am sure I will get used to it.”

  He nodded. “I will be sure that you do.”

  Etska cleared his throat. “Well, you can either rest here or on your shuttle. We haven’t set up guest quarters in the colony yet.”

  Athena chuckled. “We are still working on it.”

  “Well, our designer has come along to take a look at your textiles. Abix is a bit of a fashion centre, so using the newest and best fabric from Hyrnan would be advantageous.”

  Nan slowly moved, but Varix gripped her waist and turned her, his thumbs rubbing the joint of her legs and hips.

  She never thought that keeping her legs together would take two people.

  Her first socialization with another Hmrain and his companion was not what she expected, but the weird combination of formality and fun with a touch of embarrassment was oddly endearing.

  Nan—or rather Iana—was going to have to brush up on her Hmrain and the details of any planet that she landed on. Athena’s calm capability showed her that just being safe might not be enough. Iana might want to become something more. Well, she did enjoy studying. It would be something to do when she wasn’t hosting Varix or playing with the khitans.

  The evening sky was rising, and the green man emerged and announced dinner. Varix helped her to her feet, and they discussed the feeding schedule of Syrinx and Pan. It was the first major animal husbandry discussion of the evening but not the last.

  Designer Treal had bolts of fabric that she was salivating over. She thanked Athena and Etska profusely for their generosity.

  Athena was standing between her khitans while the ship was being loaded. “I look forward to receiving the dresses you have promised.”

  Treal bowed again. “Yes, my lady. These textiles are amazing. I will send you samples of everything I have made.”

  Iana grinned. “Are you glad you made the journey?”

  Treal nodded with her eyes shining, “Yes, Lady... Iana. The designs that I created for you are already getting orders. Thank you for allowing me to take images.”

  “No problem.”

  “I didn’t know you could dance like that.”

  Iana grimaced. “I didn’t know that Etksa and Athena were going to live broadcast the performance.”

  Treal laughed. “It was lovely, and I am very glad you were wearing all those layers.”

  Iana chuckled. “So am I.”

  The two Hmrain were shaking hands and clapping each other on the shoulder. The guys were congratulating themselves on a successful playdate between their companions.

  Varix’s performance had been fun and sprightly and a joy to dance to. Athena had tried to join in—off-camera—and Etska had enjoyed her efforts.

  Iana had gotten a leg up on her new name; having it whispered into her ears for hours had done an excellent job of getting her to answer to it. Of course, she now got a wave of arousal when Varix said her name, but she wouldn’t call that a bad thing.

  Athena reached out, and they hugged again. “Don’t forget to send me a vid of how to gut an animal. It is probably going to come up eventually.”

  “As long as you hang them upside down and have a strong stomach, they pretty much do it themselves. You just have to not nick the colon and make sure it’s dead first. I can not stress those last two enough.” She smiled.

  Athena made a face. “Yeah, I can see how that would be important. But, seriously, stay in touch. If you are only a few days away, we are practically neighbours, and since Varix has three worlds in his sector developed, you have more opportunity to visit.”

  Iana smiled. “Three, huh? He never mentioned it. Well, I will see what I can do. So, beware of the angry pork that we just dropped into that valley, ask me anything about the khitans, and sex while flying is a lot of fun as long as he has gotten sufficient altitude. Just don’t try it doggie style. That is terrifying.”

  Athena stared with her mouth open in surprise. Varix came up, and Iana gave Athena a final hug then headed up the ramp with Little Buddy on her shoulder. She had already thanked Etska for his hospitality, and he had thanked her for the dance.

  Varix’s hand on her lower back guided her onto the shuttle, and she buckled into her seat next to them as the transport shuttle lifted up and took them up to the cruiser.

  Varix kissed the back of her hand. “So, how did you enjoy the trip?”

  “It was fun. How often does a pair of khitans reach maturity?”

  “Every two years or so. They grow slowly. The little one on your shoulder is ten years old.”

  “Huh, so the pair that Athena has?”

  “Are older than she is.” He chuckled.

  “And that makes the matriarch hundreds of years old.”

  “Correct.”

  “Wow. This is going to take some getting used to.” She sighed.

  He reached over and unbuckled her, pulling her onto his lap. She rested her head on his chest and yawned.

  “Take a nap, Iana. You were up all night.”

  She wanted to glare at him, but she closed her eyes and napped for the few hours to the cruiser. It was his fault that she lacked sleep beca
use he was up all night. Being a companion was tiring, but she was up to the challenge. She had time to get the hang of it.

  * * * *

  Ten years later.

  Iana watched the graduating class of the first Urthers on Abix as the last of them was cheered to the announcement of their apprenticeship.

  She stood next to Varix as he handed out the formal apprenticeship tablet for personal transport design. Tonio was starting in the city in two weeks.

  During the socializing with the teachers, Iana was melancholy. Varix frowned and stepped to her side while Locanix tried to rub against her face to lift her spirits. Little Buddy had finally earned her name.

  Varix put his arm around her and casually walked her over to where they had some privacy. “What is wrong? I thought you would be happy?”

  She chuckled. “It is called empty nest syndrome. The kids are all grown up and in their own occupations. I am not needed anymore.”

  He turned her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I need you. The khitans need you.”

  She stroked his cheek. “I know. But it isn’t the same.”

  “There are others from your world here now. Does that help?”

  She grinned. “No. It is a hollowness in me. Not the world around me.”

  “Do you want a child of your own?”

  Iana leaned back. “You aren’t going to steal one, are you?”

  He grinned. “No, I was thinking about doing it the way bipeds do it all across the universe.”

  She blushed. “Oh. That way. I just thought that since we have been interacting that way for a decade with no result that we weren’t compatible on that level.”

  “The Hmrain are not designed to overrun populations. I can control when the sperm is active or not.”

  She raised her brows. “You have been shooting blanks?”

  “Sleepers. If you want to have a child, I can wake them up.”

  Her fingers drummed against his chest. “I will think about it.”

  “I breathlessly await your answer.”

  She pulled him down for a kiss and then went to congratulate the kids who had gotten the day off for Tonio’s graduation.

  Leena hugged her. “Na—Iana, you look younger every day.”

  “I look my age. How is medical school?”

  Leena grinned. “Top of the class, as always. Are you going to be there for the graduation?”

  “Of course. Travel on Abix is the one thing that I can do without a full security sweep.”

  A brittle voice sounded behind her. “Yes, of course. She doesn’t have to fuck for permission to travel locally.”

  Iana smiled and turned. “Ah, Mia. You came. How lovely. How is your work in the hospitality industry?”

  Mia was wearing a yellow evening gown in the morning, and her eyes had the same brittleness as her tone. She had failed out of design and now had to sell her body to live.

  Mia tensed in anger. “We can’t all be the mistress of the owner of the planet, now can we?”

  Iana cocked her head. “No. We can’t. I see you are still wearing yellow.”

  The younger woman, who looked older, looked furious. “I am a high-ranking courtesan.”

  Iana shook her head. “You are a hostess who has to be restrained for sex. Didn’t they tell you what the colour coding was?”

  Mia’s lip quivered. “It all came so easily to you. It isn’t fair!”

  Josh grabbed Mia and spun her around. “She kept us alive when she didn’t have to. She kept us together, got us to an evac point, and made sure that we weren’t separated into lots. She kept our shuttle from smashing into the mountains; she pulled the pilot across the terrain with her own injuries ignored while we sprinted ahead of her. She ended up in a coma, and when she woke up, she was given the position of companion. Yeah, that sounds really fucking easy. She’s only seven years older than you are. So, what were you doing when you were twenty-seven?”

  Mia’s lip wobbled, and she looked around at the group that had left Earth with her. “She... she...”

  Iana sighed. “Mia. My actions on Abix did not affect your fate. Any of the readers could have told you what you need in a relationship. They could have told you what you needed in a career. Do you want to know what you were suited for?”

  Mia frowned. “What?”

  “Negotiations. Flitting through the stars and seeing the different planets. If you are willing to re-educate yourself, you can still have that life, but leave the manipulations at the door.”

  Mia paused. “You would let me do that? Education is pricey.”

  “This is your second chance, Mia. Don’t fuck it up. The administrator will be calling you in a few days to make the arrangements. This is going to require language uploads and a lot of information crammed into you. It won’t be fun, it won’t be comfortable, but if you are willing to put up with some discomfort, you might be able to reap the reward.”

  Mia glanced toward Varix.

  Iana sighed. “Look into what happens if a Hmrain takes an incompatible companion. It isn’t pretty, and it isn’t pleasant. Imagine a grape turning into a raisin and then put that raisin over your own features. Ten years of draining that would end in your death.”

  She could feel Varix coming toward her. She shrugged. “You are an adult; it is your choice, but there are other wealthy men out there in the stars, and as an exotic Urther, you can find someone to pamper you. As for me? I work for a living.”

  Varix wrapped his arms around her, and he murmured, “Ready to go?”

  She nodded. “Finished talking to the admins?”

  “Yes, the next few waves of financing are set to come out of your account. Are you sure?”

  She chuckled. “Yes. I am not doing anything else with it.”

  Tonio frowned. “What are you doing, Iana?”

  Varix chuckled. “She is using part of the money from her contract to make sure that all children delivered here are housed, educated, and found compatible apprenticeships. Primary and secondary education has been paid for by her for Urthers and others who are without worlds. She also comes in once a week and reads stories to the littlest ones.”

  Tonio blinked. “You do?”

  Iana shrugged. “Varix comes in for business, and he flies me.”

  Leena grinned. “You just can’t stop caretaking.”

  “Apparently not.” Iana laughed. “It is a strange affliction, but it’s mine.”

  Varix kissed the side of her neck. “I find it endearing. She might be deflected if she has a child of her own.”

  Leena blinked. “Oh, so you are... and she is... well, congratulations.”

  Iana waved her hands. “We just started discussing it today. The empty nest thing is getting to me. He’s willing to knock me up to make me happy.” She paused as she realized how silly that sounded.

  There was a lot of laughter, and the others were grinning. Iana felt Varix’s hands tighten, and he launched upward without warning.

  She reflexively leaned her head back against his chest for stability; she had been in enough sudden jumps to develop an avoidance of whiplash.

  When he headed out toward the mountains, she slowly moved in his arms until her mouth was next to his ear. “What is the hurry?”

  “If we are to begin the next generation, you are susceptible now. It is best not to delay.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. “You seem committed to the idea.”

  He turned his head to kiss her while he held her to him and started working a hand under her skirt, and they began to get altitude. She chucked and nipped at his neck. The more she thought about it, the more she enjoyed the idea of a child of her own. If this didn’t work, they could try again, and again and again.

  She looked up at the sky of Abix and laughed as he climbed to where the air was thin. The alien sky was now home, and she was getting better at letting go while holding onto what was im
portant.

  The future loomed in front of her, and she knew that she had gotten a chance that she would never have seen coming. From a broken world to an endless sky, her luck had certainly changed. It was a good thing that Varix cheated.

  Author’s Note

  Whew. Another shattered star. Well, I have one more in my head, but it will have to wait for the new year. (Come on 2021.)

  I thought it was time that one of the Earthers gets stolen in a sorting grouping.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  About the Author

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

  In real life, she is now engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.