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  She smiled, “Do I fall under concern or inductee?”

  He laughed, the noise echoing as they approached the stone structure. “Orphia, I believe you are a bit of both.”

  Chapter Three

  There were indeed seven people waiting within the council hall. One man had a strip of cloth tying his eyes shut, but there was a glow emanating from under his lids.

  “Gwetho doubted the resolve of the Orb of Time. It is having a conversation with him.” A woman with braided hair and black cosmic eyes smiled at her.

  “I am getting the hint, Ravikka.” The man scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

  The woman grinned, “Good. As soon as the Orb is convinced, it will let you go. Now, back to business.”

  Ravikka straightened. “Welcome, Orphia Kardin, Walker for the Dead, Volunteer of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra. We are the Nameless, the Avatars of the Orb of Time. You have been selected to join our ranks far before you were born. The seeds of the Orb were deep within you and all of your ancestors.”

  Orphia nodded. “I understand. Xeric has filled me in on the majority of the theory. I am still working on the details, however.”

  “The details will come to you without difficulty, Orphia. Now, come with us and join our number.”

  Images of bad Earth horror movies that involved the heroine being led into the basement by a cult rang through her mind, but she straightened her spine, winced at the soreness and followed the seven men and women down the steps that curved against the wall.

  Even Gwetho was moving as if he could see, and he took a position along the wall next to an icon, as with the other members of the Council of Seven.

  Following an instinct she didn’t know she had, Orphia ignored the inner voice screaming it’s a trap and walked the stone spiral until she was standing in the centre of it.

  Space, glittering, full of stars and empty at the same time, was beneath her. At a silent signal, all of the seven pressed their icons, and in the distance, a glittering orb split from the rest of the stars and came toward her.

  When the light surged up and hovered in front of her, Orphia smiled and extended her hand. “I am glad you are done waiting too.”

  A small piece of the Orb separated itself and snapped into her. The burn was far less than she had felt during the healing, but as it spread through her body, her knees buckled. She had never been this aroused in her entire life.

  The Orb spun back into the darkness so Orphia walked the spiral and exited up the stairs. Three of the men of the seven turned their heads, but she ignored them. The Orb had triggered what would have been heat in another species, and she was doing her best to pretend that nothing was happening.

  Ravikka touched her arm. “I will give you your knife, and then, I think it would be better if you could find some privacy. Even I am attracted to you right now, and I have to admit it is disconcerting.”

  They entered the council chamber where Xeric was waiting. He scented the air, and she could have sworn she saw him paw the ground.

  “We need to assign you a tutor, Orphia.”

  “I will take her.”

  Ravikka looked over at Xeric. “You will wait until she makes the first move, Xeric, or we will see how you like being trapped in the past of Barrothiaka, but yes, you can be her tutor.”

  To Orphia’s surprise, Xeric’s ears flicked back when Barrothiaka was mentioned, but he inclined his head. “It is acceptable. You know that I will keep any others from coming near as well.”

  Ravikka nodded and opened a chest. As a few of the council members approached, Xeric stepped up behind Orphia and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  The shock of being backed into a rampant erection confined only by leather caused Orphia’s blood to heat another notch. She breathed in deeply, but it only served to press her more firmly against him.

  Ravikka handed her a belt with a dagger on it and inclined her head. “This is the badge of our office. Use the knife when you have need, it will be your last line of defense.”

  “I will take her to get her a meal.” Xeric’s voice rumbled through his body, and she could feel it on every point of contact.

  “Keep an eye on the others. You might want to stay on alert. If I can pick up on her pheromones, others may be all over her.”

  Orphia looked up, but there was a flash of light, and they were in another location. The scent of food was overpowering, and she realized that she hadn’t eaten since before the funeral.

  Her robe was still securely fastened, and the variety of clothing that she could see through the open archway made her feel moderately better.

  “Stay close to me, Orphia.”

  The scent that he was suddenly putting out overwhelmed her, and she reeled against him, images of herself licking her way up his chest, caressing that column of a neck and taking those sensual lips with her own were suddenly the only things behind her eyes.

  Blinking rapidly, she noted his smile. Those sharp white teeth cooled her jets but only barely. “A meal I think.”

  He nodded and escorted her into the huge space that was a quarter filled with Nameless. A plethora of buffet tables waited for her selections, and she didn’t waste a moment.

  She filled a tray with mac and cheese, meatballs and vegetables that she recognized from her travels.

  There were a series of statues on one side of the refectory, and when she sat next to them, Orphia was a little surprised to see her own face looking back at her. Three other statues nearby also wore Terran characteristics, and she asked Xeric when he sat, “Where are the other Terrans?”

  He grinned and pointed to an object behind her. “They are in the tower. The rules of the Nameless have restricted them, but I believe it is simply to keep them out of the sight of the regular population. Most of us are assigned to witness history, but the Terrans have been called to intervene in differing ways.”

  Orphia ate some of her food before asking, “So, what do you think I am in for?”

  He grinned, “Since your body is putting out pheromones that males are sensitive to, I believe that you might be some kind of bait.”

  She blinked, “Bait?”

  He inclined his head, his horns flashing in the bright illumination of the dining hall. “I know I would follow you into a trap. I expect that others might as well.”

  She raised a brow and he winked. It was peculiar to have it translate through the emotionless black eyes with swirling stars, but somehow, he made it seem the most natural thing in the world.

  “Flattering and frightening at the same time. Few men can manage it.”

  He laughed. “I was always an advanced student when it came to verbal sparring.”

  “Go to the head of the class.”

  He reached out and took her hand and wrist in his hand. His thumb caressed her pulse point over and over in a slow pattern, and she finally came to the realization that the reason that she wanted to be close to him was that his skin had the texture of suede. Each caress on her skin made her wish they were naked and alone but being in public suddenly seemed the safer option.

  “Why do you keep touching me?” She bit her lip when the words were out. She really did not want him to stop.

  “It seems like the thing to do. Do you know why my people died out?” He raised a brow.

  “No. Was it war, disease?”

  “No. It was refusal to dilute our bloodlines. A few of our people broke free and ran to the stars, blending the Hirn with a dozen races. The rest of us stayed home and gradually dwindled to nothing. Each female in heat cause riots and a marked drop in the population.”

  “I would have thought a female in heat would have increased your population, not decreased it.”

  “That would have been the case if we didn’t fight to the death for the few available females.”

  She nodded. “That would tend to have an effect.”

  Based on what Orphia had heard, the Hirn were not monogamous. Any woman was fair game in every sense of
the word. The peculiar thing was that this Hirn only seemed to have eyes for her.

  Chapter Four

  She was just finishing a cup of tea when the most peculiar thing happened. Her skin began to glow with a strange, translucent light.

  “It seems you have a call, Orphia. What do you see in your mind?”

  The image that she saw shocked her sensibilities. Even though she had attended a number of nude funerals, she had never had to put on clothing that made her look like a sex worker.

  “It is a seraglio. A number of women are lying around, nearly naked, and a man is sitting and having a conversation with what appears to be a Negotiator.” She closed her eyes and concentrated.

  “There is a woman glowing and looking miserable. She is the topic of the discussion. Someone is trying to buy her, and her owner is mulling over the plusses and minuses of the sale.”

  “What is our assignment?”

  She looked up at him. “I don’t know. I just know I have to be there.”

  He nodded. “It goes that way sometimes. Come along. I will show you to the Acquisition Centre.”

  They got to their feet, and he wrapped her in his arms, inhaling deeply as he transported them.

  The Acquisition Centre was milling with people, but the line parted the moment that she stepped forward.

  Xeric filled her in, “All those on active assignment are given priority. You need to let the system scan you, then select the clothing you need for the assignment. From there, we will go to the change room and prepare yourself.”

  She shrugged and picked out the clothing that would have made most female sci-fi icons look like nuns. The box that the bots handed to her was heavy but that was simply the weight of the chain.

  Xeric led her to the change room, and she was surprised to see that it included a full bath. She supposed that if you had to wash up before getting dressed or undressed, it would be a good thing to have.

  Orphia removed the belt with the knife, stripped off the robe and tried to make heads or tails of the clothing in the box.

  A knock on the door got her attention. “Do you need help, Orphia?”

  She looked at the chain and tried to figure it out. “I hate to say this, but yes.”

  Xeric laughed and came in, but his laughter caught in his throat when he saw her.

  She blushed but held the chain out to him. “I have no idea what goes where. They should have included directions.”

  He looked her over. “Well, there is one problem with this garment that we are going to have to deal with. It is not designed to be worn with this.” Without warning, his hand slid through the tuft of hair at the top of her sex, his long fingers curling under enough to graze the tips against her wet heat.

  “Seriously? I have to shave? I hate shaving.” Orphia had had to remove all body hair for assignments before, and the time afterward was always irritating.

  He snorted. “You will have to or this chain will tangle and rip out this small bit of fur for you.”

  With tremendous effort, she walked away from him and looked around in the bathing area for a depilation device. “Damn, no laser.”

  Xeric sighed and lifted her with one arm, perching her on the edge of the countertop. He reached into the cupboard and removed a small device.

  She had overlooked it, because she had no idea what it was.

  A narrow device with a head as wide as one of her fingers was tiny in his hand. He spread her thighs, and with slow, even strokes, he removed her small landing strip, working his way down. When his horns lightly scraped her inner thighs, she winced. Her body reacted to the small irritation with another surge of moisture, and her scent peaked again.

  When he spread her ass cheeks and continued the trimming until she was completely denuded, Orphia was desperately trying to come up with another topic for discussion and coming up with nothing.

  She jumped with a yelp when his long tongue snaked between the lips of her sex and worked into her, drinking her honey with a distinct intensity. Orphia was so aroused, she began to climax the moment that he pressed those sharp teeth into the edge of her clit. Just the threat of pain spiked her pleasure, and her harsh cries filled the room.

  He sat back on his heels and licked his lips. “There, not one hair left, I have checked.”

  The focus in his eyes took in the deep pink of her nipples against the cream of her skin. She shivered as the weight of her breasts suddenly worked itself into her awareness. The flare of light that rippled from her skin distracted them both.

  Xeric got to his feet and sighed. “Later.”

  She blinked up at him and knew that her expression was rather stunned. “Later?”

  He laughed and helped her to her feet. His gaze went over her from head to toe. “Definitely later.”

  She stood with her arms out as he wrapped her in the chains and minute scraps of fabric. One breast was covered, one exposed, the small scrap of fabric that she had identified as a top was, in fact, covering her sex by happenstance rather than design.

  “Now, we release your hair.” His hands worked at her braid, and when the heavy fall of black hair surrounded her, he growled in approval.

  Instead of covering her, her hair had the effect of making her look even more vulnerable and feminine. Standing next to the hulking form of Xeric, she looked like the standard slave girl from many a nerd’s fantasies.

  She breathed in, and his scent both calmed her and set her nerves on edge. “Where do we go next?”

  “I would love to say to bed, but we must do as the Orb commands. Put the image of the location in your thoughts.”

  Orphia swallowed. “Okay. What next?”

  “Call on the power of the Orb, and walk into the location. Just one step. Easy.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, and she met his black gaze in the mirror.

  “What about my eyes?”

  “If the Orb demands you dress this way, it will hide your eyes and anything else you need hidden.” He smiled. “I will be with you the whole way, you may not be able to see me, but I will be there.”

  She nodded and swallowed. It was an assignment, just like walking for the dead. She simply needed to find out what she had to do and work through it.

  “Where do I put my knife in this outfit?” She bit her lip, stalling.

  “I will carry it. I will be near you at all times. Simply imagine where you need to be and go there.” His words were calm, measured and reassuring.

  She concentrated, pulled the power together and took that first step. In an instant, she was in the seraglio and the unhappy woman was sitting on the dais, looking at the ground.

  Orphia took a few steps toward the dais and was horribly nervous about being seen. A translucent glow covered her skin as she made her way to her target. When she caught a glimpse of herself in a polished tray, she realized that she didn’t see anything. She was invisible.

  Confident that no one would see her, she drifted close to hear the conversation between the Negotiator and the man surrounded by recumbent women.

  “I cannot understand. Why that woman?”

  The Negotiator sighed. “He finds her scent appealing. He will not give any other reason.”

  “How much do you think we can get for her?”

  The Negotiator looked toward the unhappy slave and shrugged. “A small trade agreement, she isn’t worth more.”

  “Fine. Let him know he can have her for passage through his space and a replacement female of the same species. I don’t want to lose out on my collection.” The man smirked.

  The Negotiator stiffened, but he left the room.

  Orphia finally understood. This woman had to be sold to the purchaser. She had to find a replacement for whatever this woman was.

  Orphia sat next to the dais where the woman was sitting. “Good evening. Don’t look around, you won’t see me.”

  “Who are you?”

  “That does not matter. Who is trying to buy you, do you know?”

  The woman shook he
r head. “I was in my village and someone took me. The next thing I know, all these strange creatures are pawing at me, and I ended up here.”

  “Where is your home world?”

  “Far away.”

  “Do you know what it is called?” Orphia kept her voice low, but some of the women were starting to look.

  “They call it Terra.”

  Orphia blinked in shock. “What was the biggest local news that you remember happening?”

  The woman frowned. “Leif just left to go exploring.”

  “Erickson?”

  “Indeed. I was told that we were taken on a raiding party. No one was left at home everyone was seeing him off, except those left to clean up.”

  “I will return.”

  “Thank you for speaking to me. None of these women have bothered to learn anything about me. It was good to know that I am not invisible.”

  Orphia chuckled. “I am for now. Remain calm. This will be seen to.”

  Knowing what had to be done now Orphia ran after the Negotiator and followed him out of the palace and into the streets.

  The bar where he found the prospective purchaser was quite elegant. The purchaser himself was a shock. The Negotiator stopped next to a male that was sharing a drink with a friend.

  Xeric’s head turned toward her as she approached, and his smiled curled his lips. “I believe that the solution to your problem just entered the room.”

  The other Hirn male lifted his head and scented the air. “Wonderful. Yours?”

  “Yes. Orphia, please come here and show yourself.” Xeric held out his hand.

  She slipped her hand into his, and the moment she did, she became fully visible.

  The other Hirn and the Negotiator gasped.

  Xeric pulled her onto his lap, and he cuddled her close. “What did you learn?”

  “That I am to be sold in order to get her to him.” She jerked her head.

  “Orpheus, this is Orphia. She is a Terran and is willing to take part in your scheme to get Inga free.”

  The Hirn looked at her with hope in his dark brown gaze. “Are you sure? She was to be mine back on her world, but she was stolen.”