Dancer Read online

  “Lovely greeting to you, Delyth.” His voice was gravel over silk.

  “Thank you, High Prefect.”

  “Just Kurat. Always Kurat. Leave the honorifics to those who care. Please, join us. You friend Wissla was just telling a story about you being naked and hanging by your ankles above a crowd of onlookers.”

  Del sat in the chair he held out for her and corrected him. “It was not hanging by my ankles, I was hanging by my wrists. A bracelet caught as I was turning during the dance, and it caught on the moving scaffolding. My clothing caught on the stage, and soon, I was hanging by nothing more than the clasp on my bracelet. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of it, but I managed to climb back up the scaffolding and then flopped on the stage like a landed fish.”

  Wissla finished the story. “She stood up, bowed to the crowd without a stitch on her, and when she finished she said, Ta-da.”

  Kurat was scowling. “Why did you put yourself in that position, lady?”

  She chuckled. “I didn’t. Fate did, and fate can be a complete and utter bitch.”

  Chapter Three

  “So, Kurat, how did you become High Prefect?” Del propped her head on her fist and smiled loosely at him.

  He was holding his wine glass in his hand and twirling it absently by the stem. The wine he had ordered for them did not seem to be affecting him, but Wissla was passed out cold. Kisha had been dismissed by the entrée, so Kurat and Del were practically alone.

  Kurat grinned as he looked at her companion. “She doesn’t have much resistance to Fala wine, does she?”

  “I am guessing not. Why did you order something so heavy?” Despite her comments, she sipped at her glass.

  “It isn’t heavy. It is a standard Na-Lanvin wine.” His grin told her that despite the fact she felt in control, her body was showing the level of her intoxication.

  “How did you become High Prefect?” She tried to straighten up, but her neck felt loose.

  He sighed. “I do not know if you are prepared to learn about the keys to prosperity of my world.”

  “With this in my system, I doubt I will remember it. So, go on, tell me.”

  He chuckled. “Come closer.”

  She pressed her hands to the table and levered herself upright. He reached out and pulled her toward him, onto his lap. He made room for her between his body and the table. His burly torso provided enough support for her to lean against him, and the hard muscle under her was both stimulating and soothing.

  Kurat wrapped one arm around her and held her close. “My story begins during the call of the gods. Of course, we know that they are not gods, merely the remains of previous inhabitants of Na-Lanvin. Once every two centuries, they take a host, and in return for the body, they grant health and prosperity in the form of new mineral deposits and amazing harvests.

  “With other boys ages nine to eleven, I marched to the selecting grounds, and we waited. We did not know which of the gods had called us or who would be selected. We stood and we waited.

  “Two gods came roaring out of the selecting grounds in wicked balls of light and power. They passed over all of us before retreating for a moment to take aim. They both struck my body and burned along my nerve endings, making themselves at home.”

  “Why so young?” She ran her fingers along the arm that wrapped around her, noting for the first time the rich fabric he wore and the minute gemstones embroidered into the trim.

  He twitched his lips slightly. “The gods make changes to the body of their host. These changes are more easily accomplished in a younger form, before puberty sets in.”

  “That made you High Prefect?”

  “The gods within me took over control of the world from Yasur, the god of lightning, when I was thirty. With Rothu and Horik within me, I have wisdom beyond my life experience.”

  “There are other beings inside you?” Her voice was a squeak of surprise.

  “Yes. The god of war and patience…and Rothu.” His lips were quirked in amusement.

  “What is Rothu the god of?” She tilted her head back and met his leaf-green gaze.

  “Well, it starts like this.” He cupped the back of her skull and took her lips in a wild kiss. She moaned as his grip on her waist strayed up her torso to cup her breast, pinching the nipple with firm pressure.

  His thumb along her jaw kept her mouth open, and as his tongue slipped into her mouth and retreated, the taste of him sent her head swimming in a way that made the heady wine feel like water.

  Del twisted on his lap, raising her arm to caress his shoulder, and she surrendered to the intoxication of his kiss. His tongue was rough like a cat’s and his taste was chocolate, wine and a spice she couldn’t name.

  Her sex throbbed and her thighs shifted restlessly. She was about to shift in Kurat’s arms and straddle him when Wissla started to snore.

  The sound brought her out of her sensual haze like a dash of cold water. She jerked back and watched as Kurat licked his lips slowly, taking every bit of her taste within.

  He smiled and stroked a tendril of hair from her face. “What distracted you?”

  “Wissla. We are in a restaurant and my friend is three feet away and I almost straddled you and asked you to take me here and now.” She bit her lip as his hands tightened on her.

  His voice was a gravelly rumble. “You are a direct creature, are you not?”

  She shivered. “Generally. It makes things much easier if I don’t have to remember a lie or deception.”

  “Your Representative is quite a negotiator. She has extorted a phenomenal arrangement on your behalf.” He continued to cuddle her, idly stroking her leg through the light fabric.

  “I have no doubt. She is excellent at what she does.” She laughed lightly. “What no one is telling me is how long this assignment will last?”

  His hand cupped her thigh, seeping warmth into her skin. “That is a matter that depends on you and the goddess who will dwell within you. Many who are taken as host find it difficult to adapt to one aspect or another of life as a Na-Lanvin goddess.”

  She frowned. “How many goddesses are there?”

  “Nine at last count. Some disappear for eons and then resurface. It is the same with the gods. There is no way to know what will come to those in the selection ground.” His hand moved slowly on her thigh, down to her knee and back up again.

  His touch and the spicy scent coming off him were driving her to dangerous thoughts. “I believe I should get back to my quarters.”

  “The finalizations will occur tomorrow, but for tonight, may I escort you back to your quarters?” He smiled, and there was a distinct eagerness in his gaze.

  “What about Wissla?”

  “The restaurant will see her home. I will make sure of it.” He pressed a discreet button on the side of the table and a servant appeared in seconds.

  He gave the instruction to take Wissla home, and the attendant nodded, taking her address down when Del gave it to him.

  He left for a moment and brought another attendant. He lifted the unconscious acrobat in his arms and carried her out of the private room. Del stifled a laugh when Wissla opened one eye to wink at her before the young, handsome men took her out of Del’s view.

  “She was faking it.” Del shook her head.

  “I believe she was attempting to gain the illusion of privacy for us. You would not have come if I had requested you alone.”

  Del couldn’t deny it. She moved to get to her feet, but Kurat held her back, holding her chin and staring into her eyes. His smile of delight was obvious, but there was something more, something that literally darkened the green of his eyes from leaf into dark pine.

  “Yes, you are perfect.” His voice had that dark vibration to it again, and she could almost swear that there was a glow to his skin.

  “It is pleasant that you think so, but isn’t it up to the goddess to determine if she wants me?” She had to squelch the disappointment that flickered in her while she spoke the obvious.

>   “You are more suited to carry a goddess than any of the last nine hosts. One will undoubtedly find you to be their ideal and shift you into your final form.”

  This was news to her. “Final form?”

  “There are some changes that the goddess will make in your body to shift you into a being more like their bodies were originally. You will be taller, stronger and have more of a tolerance for pain.”

  She blinked and leaned away from him. “Will pain be a daily thing?”

  He shook his head. “No, but sex is an integral part of the relationship that you are about to enter. It may be a bit more…energetic than you are used to.”

  She pressed a shaking hand to her forehead. “That sounds ominous. I think I need to return to my room now.”

  His lips tightened, and he nodded tersely. “As you wish, but I do warn you, when you are on Na-Lanvin, there will be nowhere to hide.”

  Del swallowed. “I understand. I hate to say it, but you are the better option.”

  He raised his eyebrows as he got to his feet with her in his arms. “What was the other?”

  “Aren’t you going to put me down?”

  “No. Not until you tell me what the other option was, or rather, who it was.”

  The urge to tell him was there, but so was the idea that Baiss might not enjoy or survive the confrontation.

  She leaned her head against his chest and directed him through the halls to her quarters. Her palm opened the door lock, and he gently eased her to the bed.

  “It is a very small room.” He sat at the edge of her bed and looked around. “How can you live in such a small place?”

  She sat up on her elbows. “It is easy. Once you have travelled in tubes with a troupe, anywhere you can turn around is a definite palace.”

  He looked down at her and shook his head. “How is it that you have never been snapped up by one of your admirers?”

  Del laughed and patted his hand. “The breeding portion of the contract has already been fulfilled, so unless they just want me with no guarantee of an heir, they are out of luck.”

  “You have born a child?” He frowned.

  She chuckled. “No, but my DNA is rippling through my daughter on Yeffin. My friend Hara asked me to be mother to her child. The Yeffin use a contributor to breed and implant their genes within the egg. Loriana is four now. I went in, they took my egg and in no time, Hara was pregnant.”

  “So, you are a mother?” He was amazed and amused.

  “Father really. I don’t know what else to call the genetic donor who does not live with the offspring. Loriana calls me Tien Del or aunty Del.” Lethargy was washing over her. The wine combined with the taste of Kurat remained on her tongue. Her words grew halting.

  “Sleep well, lady. Tomorrow, we learn the details of your fate.”

  She smiled brightly. “Good night, Kurat. Goodnight, Rothu.”

  He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and left her side, closing her door firmly.

  Chapter Four

  “What are you doing with her?”

  Kurat turned to see a young male bristling with hostility. “Who might you be?”

  “Companion Baiss. Who are you?”

  Kurat bowed and introduced himself. “High Prefect Kurat of Na-Lanvin.”

  “What are you doing with Delyth? She is to be mine.” He puffed out his chest and flexed his biceps.

  Kurat analyzed him. He was fit enough, young enough but far too intense for Delyth. It was no wonder that she had chosen him as the better option. “She will not be yours. She does not wish to be yours. You unsettle her.”

  He slowly advanced on the young man, and Kovohn rose to the fore. When Baiss attacked, he simply stopped the fists with his own hands and held the younger male while he fought to free himself. “She does not want you. She does not want me either, but she is not being given a choice. It must be one or the other, and it will be me.”

  The patter of feet announced the arrival of security officers. Baiss was on his knees now, and Kurat simply held him, no pressure, just the weight of the god of war pressing on his mind.

  When the guards came forward, they asked, “What has transpired here?”

  Kurat smiled. “A fight over a woman.”

  He released Baiss, and the guards hauled him to his feet.

  The guards nodded to Kurat. “Please come and make a report, sir.”

  Kurat smiled. “Of course. This has been quite an evening, best to finish it properly.”

  He spent the next hour talking to security, and when he returned to his chambers, his smile refused to be dimmed. He had not been in the smallest of rows since the gods had changed him, nor had he had a woman in his arms who was not sure of what he was. Delyth had reacted to him alone until Rothu joined them.

  He leaned back on the bed designed for larger-framed species, and he smiled at the ceiling. Kurat wished he had had a chance to taste her slick honey. The scent alone had hardened his cocks, and as he stared at the patterns painted and carved above him, the steady throb kept a pulse of pleasure running through his body. For the first time in two decades, he felt alive, and it was a feeling that he wanted to continue.

  All he needed was the bright joy of an honest woman, and fortunately, he had already signed his part of the contract.

  * * * *

  A hangover was not the most pleasant way to wake up, but when Del realized that the pounding in her head had more to do with the door and less with her skull, she got to her feet and staggered to open it.

  “Harcor. Hello.” She rubbed her face and smiled brightly.

  “Delyth Raygen, may I come in?”

  Del quickly looked down and confirmed that she was still wearing her clothing from the previous night. “Certainly.”

  She opened the door and crossed the room to the dispenser. She keyed up some tea, and when she turned, Kurat was standing next to Harcor and Kisha.

  “Miss, I am here to inform you that all contracts have been signed, and you are now authorized to begin your mission on Na-Lanvin. The duration is unspecific. You will leave as soon as Kisha can pack for you.” Harcor flashed a brief, insincere smile. “Congratulations on your lucrative assignment.”

  He left, and she was holding onto her cup of tea with shock rippling through her. Kisha came forward. “I will pack for you, miss. Take a shower, and I will lay some clothing out for your travels.”

  Kurat settled on her bed, scooting against the headboard and folding his hands behind his head.

  “What are you doing, Kurat?”

  “You are now under contract to me, so I will make sure that nothing untoward happens until we are safely on Na-Lanvin. That means that you and I will be spending a lot of time together. It may as well start now.”

  She blinked at him, her mind blank. Kisha pulled the pins from her hair and ushered her into the lav, starting the shower and peeling Del out of her eveningwear.

  “What happened to my shoes?”

  Kisha chuckled. “I have no idea, miss. Shall I bring your change of clothing in here?”

  Del sighed with relief. “Yes, please. Something pleasantly covering. Nothing peeking out anywhere.”

  Kisha laughed and left her alone.

  The shower brightened her mind and woke her completely. She washed quickly and thoroughly, brushing her hair into a long curtain before winding it together in a braid. A quick snap of a clasp and she was waiting for Kisha. Her assistant appeared with a sheepish smile. “He picked it out. He tore my selection in two.”

  Del sighed in resignation. The trousers and tunic were of the softest silk, so it did match her first requirement, that of being concealing, but touching it would be akin to touching her skin, it was no barrier to contact.

  Knee-high boots on her feet prepared her for the metal grates of a star ship, and a wide sash gave her tunic shape. She gave Kisha a hug. “Thank you for all your help. Am I packed?”

  “You are. Thank you as well, miss. You are far from the staid and uptight women I nor
mally attend. It is an example that I wish to follow in my own life.” Kisha grinned. “You have to get out there sometime. He will come in here if you don’t, and I really don’t think there is room.”

  Del nodded. “Right.” She straightened her shoulders and left the lav.

  Kurat took in her clothing and nodded. “It will do for now. Are you ready?”

  She crossed her arms. “No.”

  “But you will come anyway?” He arched a brow.

  “Yes.”

  He grinned. “Good. I will take your bags. Our shuttle is waiting.”

  She nodded. “Certainly. Can I stop and say farewell to Wissla?”

  “Of course. Shall we go?”

  He opened her door and held it open. With a sigh of regret, she left her student room at the Companion Centre to go and say goodbye to her best friend.

  The shuttle was huge. It was not the standard four-man affair that she was used to. Two crewmen took her bags and preceded them with long strides. Kurat took her arm and showed her to the quarters that she was going to be sharing with him.

  It was a bedroom eight times larger than her quarters at the Companion Centre, which was a good thing, because the bed was four times larger than her own.

  “If you would like to get settled for launch, we can head to the passenger seats.”

  She nodded, still mute.

  He held out his hand, palm up, and she put her hand in his. He led her back into the hall and down to an area with plush seats large enough to accommodate Kurat’s huge frame.

  Once they were seated and strapped in, Kurat gave the signal to the command deck, and the engines started to throb under them.

  “So, Na-Lanvin are usually shorter than you are.” It was an obvious observation, but it started the conversational ball rolling.

  “Yes. As I mentioned, the gods make changes to their hosts. I am considerably taller than the average Na-Lanvin.”

  “It must make it hard to find shoes that fit.”

  He looked at her in astonishment and cracked up as the ship shuddered. “My clothing is custom made. Na-Lanvin is a wealthy world, and the home of the gods reflects it.”

  “What do you think the gods actually were?” She tightened her hands on the arms of her chair as they began to gain altitude.