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  After she gave her name and planet of origin, Silari kept to herself. The food of Niiko tasted nice and the preparations were not too exotic. She found herself eating with good appetite and a focussed ear on what was going on around her.

  Rashharna, the Selna, was positively purring into Maksuan’s ear. The Wyoran, Thira, had one of her hands suspiciously off the table.

  Silari found a teeny bit of amusement in the discomfort in the eyes of the Avatar. It was rather comforting to see that she was not the only one less than impressed by the process.

  “Ladies, I offer you the full run of the grounds, but please do not leave the compound as the local population is less than thrilled at the move that the Planet is making. Niiko means well, but the Yeruan have dignity beyond what they feel their Planet can tamper with.”

  He got to his feet and the light of the candles flickered and illuminated his elegant clothing.

  Aside from his long, loose hair, he reminded her of a samurai. Maksuan’s clothing echoed the boxy, pleated fabric of those Earth warriors and aside from the green-gold tinge to his skin. He could have stepped out of an ancient piece of Terran artwork.

  His skin was silky black with a gold shine as the light caught it. His eyes were black unless Niiko joined the conversation, when they turned a glowing emerald green.

  Silari was curious about the shape of his ears, but she was content watching him from a distance. He was pretty enough, but all admiration was going to be a one-way street.

  When they got to their feet, she immediately gravitated to the gardens that she had been looking at through the glass during dinner.

  The flowers were lovely, exotic and peculiar but exactly what her mood needed. She wandered down a path and it wasn’t until she came to a dead end that she realized she had stepped into a maze.

  “Damn it.” She stroked the flowers near her and listened for any of the other women in her vicinity.

  Humming to herself, she placed a hand on the blooms and gently caressed them as the light faded and she found herself in darkness.

  “Holy…” Lights began all around her, the flowers glowing in the darkness and letting her move with relative ease. She took slow and careful steps, always keeping her right hand on the wall.

  A voice came to her out of the shadows. “He is ticklish, you know.”

  She squeaked in surprise. “Avatar?”

  “Yes, Agent Henderson. We have not had a moment to speak and I simply wanted to know what you thought of this whole process.”

  He moved out of the shadows to face her in the glow of the flowers. The elegant bow he offered her showed the grace of years of practice. The black silk of his hair slithered over his shoulders and back again as he straightened.

  She bowed stiffly in return. “I apologize for my lack of grace.”

  “You have done very well considering that you are coming here off an injury.”

  She froze. “You know about that?”

  He inclined his head. “Not the details, but I am fairly sure that it was not pleasant.”

  She barked a laugh and tried to move past him. “You have a knack for understatement.”

  He caught her by one arm and took her hand. “You are safe here. No one will hurt you.”

  Silari looked up into his dark eyes and she kept her voice calm with effort. “I am not worried about injury here. There is little left to do to me that has not already been done. My body is damaged beyond repair and my mind hangs on by a thread. I don’t know why I was selected as a candidate for this.”

  He paused and Niiko surged to the fore, the green glow of his eyes casting shadows on the high cheekbones.

  “You are here because I wanted you to be. I have read your dossier, but do not worry, Maksuan is unaware of the details. I chose you because you have survived horror and came out on the other side with a desire for life. You are my choice, Silari Henderson, but Maksuan will have to know you the way that I do.”

  She shuddered, near tears. “Does he know what you are saying?”

  “No. I have blocked him, but he is eager to return to you. His society has a similar fashion sense to your current garb. The appeal is in not knowing what lies beneath.”

  “Thank you for not telling him.”

  The colour faded and she was looking up into dark eyes that were illuminated by the flowers around them.

  “Did Niiko say something to upset you?”

  She quickly drew in a deep breath. “No, no. He merely told me that he was the one who placed me here as a candidate. He didn’t say why.”

  “May I escort you out of the maze? You must have had a tiring journey and you have not had time to rest.”

  “Thank you. That would be very kind.” She chuckled softly and looked down at their joined hands.

  He looked surprised when he saw that he was still holding her hand, but he released her slowly and held his arm, wrist up, to her.

  She placed her fingers over his pulse and together, they walked out of the scented floral maze.

  “Where are the others?” She looked around and was surprised by the lack of women watching for Maksuan.

  “I dismissed fourteen of them to return to their homes. They are packing and the other nine are no doubt hatching some sort of plot to further their chances with me.”

  “Do you mind being chased like a small, fluffy animal?” She fought her grin as they approached the huge house that she now realised was the Avatar’s residence.

  “It has its perks, but I am finding it a little shocking. There is a cultural divide that the women don’t seem to be taking into account. Courtship among my people is rather different than most races of the Alliance. The male is responsible for making all the overtures and the woman is expected to remain aloof until the moment of declaration is upon them.”

  It made sense, several of the more traditional races held a similar bias. The more physically aggressive sex engaged in courtship and the more delicate of the sexes kept the home and engaged in support actions. It was a fairly equal partnership, as long as the efforts and strengths were both accepted and acknowledged.

  He led her through the halls and past a number of soberly dressed servants, slowly pacing at her side until they reached the quarters where the candidates were housed.

  He leaned forward to kiss her wrist, but she saw the trailing edge of her scar jutting from her sleeve and Silari jerked her hand away. She blushed at his confused look. “I am sorry. Please. Sorry.”

  She scuttled into the women’s quarters and met nine pairs of accusing eyes.

  With a sigh, she braced herself for the onslaught and they didn’t wait long before they attacked.

  Chapter Four

  Rashharna scowled, “So, you have been stalking him in the gardens all this time?”

  Silari twisted her lips in a matching grimace. “No. I went for a walk and the light disappeared. He came and found me.”

  Thira fluffed her hair. “It won’t do you any good anyway. Why would he want a woman like you when he can have one of us?”

  Silari held up her hands. “Whatever. You can have him. If you don’t mind, I am off to bed.”

  The Azon, Ydella, smiled. “Good night. He said we are going exploring in the morning.”

  Rashharna threw a slipper at Ydella. “Why did you tell her?”

  Silari rolled her eyes and waved good night to the women still in the common area. Fine, they wanted to have secrets. She could play at that game as well.

  Her room opened for her as she approached it. With a sense of relief, she stripped the moment the door shut and faced the open view. Inside her, she knew that Niiko had selected this room, because it had the best view and was probably the largest, but she didn’t care. It was lovely no matter the reason that she had been installed in it.

  With a heavy exhalation, she flopped onto the bed and worked her way under the covers. The day hadn’t been a disaster, but she didn’t know what to call it. Somehow, things had gone beyond her control. Oddly enough, di
saster had not followed.

  There was a small smile on her lips as she drifted off to sleep, images of the glowing wall of flowers teasing her thoughts.

  Flowers surrounded her and each one was glowing with a different colour. A figure separated from the glow and walked toward her.

  “This is the way you could see the flowers if you joined us. The life force of each blossom is different, the colour more vibrant than the one before it.” The eyes of Niiko smiled at her in Maksuan’s face.

  “Where are we?” She gestured to their surroundings.

  “We are in your mind. I merely took your favourite memories of the evening and crafted them to suit my perceptions. Would you care to walk?”

  He extended his hand, wrist up, and she had little choice but to place her hand on his wrist and let him lead her.

  They walked through the gardens until the rush of water showed her a beautiful cascade down a quartz cliff. “It is lovely.”

  “Thank you. My surface has many such treasures and they will all be yours if you agree to take on my Avatar as your mate.”

  She chuckled. Her clothing in the dream was a long toga-like gown. Her arms were unscarred, but she knew that it was simply her dream state that made them so. “I don’t think that it will be possible. Once he knows the extent of my damage, he will be revolted.”

  “Do you find him offensive?”

  “No. Of course not. He is very handsome and you chose well to have him represent not only you, but also his species. He also seems kind and polite, so he is an excellent catch.”

  “I am glad that you think so. He was a little taken aback that you rejected his kiss earlier.”

  “He would have seen my scars.” Her voice came out in a whisper.

  Niiko sighed. “I am sure that you are aware that I have a different criterion for attraction. I want to see joy in Maksuan’s soul. He had a few flickers of that this afternoon.”

  “It was probably when Thira had her hand in his lap.”

  Niiko snorted. “No, it was when he saw you caressing the flowers. The Yeruan are attracted to women who like to take things slowly. It woke any number of instincts in him and not one of them was linked to pity.”

  “Do you honestly think that he will not be disgusted by the marks on me?” Silari needed an honest answer.

  “I think he will pity you for the pain that you were put through and admire you for surviving. He has his own issues that he can explain to you in time, but for now, know that he is definitely more interested in you than any of the others.” Niiko lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her wrist where her scars started.

  Light cascaded and painted her marks on her skin in a glow that lit the night. Her belly, calves and arms all wore the designs carved into her physical body.

  “This is much prettier than the real thing.”

  “If I promised that it could be the everyday appearance of your marks, would you be more favourable?” Niiko led her to the quartz wall and showed her how to enter the cavern behind it.

  A huge chamber waited for them once they slipped through the narrow and well-hidden hallway.

  “Wow. I know that this is of your doing, because I have never seen anything remotely like it.” Silari looked around at the images carefully carved onto the quartz walls by expert and ancient hands.

  Columns of images depicting what she imagined to be the first Avatar of Niiko covered every surface.

  “She was Caragial, a lovely woman who had an open heart and a generous spirit. When I walked within her, Caragial’s people listened and obeyed both my words and her knowledge of their customs. We walked together for one thousand and one hundred years before she asked to rest.”

  Silari stared at the walls and moved on to the next Avatar. “Who was he?”

  “Orac. He was killed before we could completely bond.” Niiko was grim.

  It didn’t take much for Silari to figure it out. “You destroyed him.”

  Niiko nodded shortly. “He wanted power, eternal life and the opportunity to take advantage of his own people. This was hidden from me until we started to bond. When I read his true intent, I simply gave him everything without building him up before I did it.”

  “Is that what normally happens?” She bit her lip as she proceeded to the next set of images.

  “Yes, most planets take an Avatar in a series of stages. The first stage strengthens the Avatar, gives them power to survive the changes. The second stage alters their bodies, creates new nerve channels and locks their physical state. The third stage is moving into their minds. Once the first few changes have been enacted, the third can take place over an extended period of time.”

  Silari walked to the next set of carved images. A woman about to be executed but she stood and green light flared out of her eyes, killing the invading army.

  “You took her during a battle.”

  “I did. I had to give her only enough power to help subdue the invading army, but once she was mine, they stood back. They didn’t know that she wasn’t fully mine at that point, but Ukani was a treasure. She was my Avatar for eight hundred years. She met a male, fell in love and wanted a family. I carefully released her and she got to live out her life as she chose to.”

  A singular image of another male made her frown. “How long did he last?”

  “Parkalo was only my Avatar for eighty years. When Ukani came to visit me for the last time, she brought her grandson, Maksuan. Parkalo and I had never been a perfect fit and he was only too happy to resign and begin a normal life of his own. That was over three hundred years ago and Maksuan and I have been together since then.”

  “It sounds like you are happy with the pairing.”

  “I am, but I fear that he will wish to leave me as his grandmother did. If he has a mate of his own, this is less likely.”

  “You don’t want him to leave you.” Unable to control herself, she reached up to trace the relief carving of Maksuan in the rock. She also knew another thing—Niiko carved these images himself.

  “I want to keep him with me and I will provide him with everything I can think of to keep him happy. He has not been happy for a very long time.”

  Silari smiled and looked up at Niiko. “If he is waiting for someone in particular, I don’t think I will fit the bill.”

  Niiko smiled and pressed another kiss to her wrist. “I think you are far closer to his match than you think.”

  As she looked up into his face, he leaned forward and put a slow kiss on her lips. She was up on her toes with her heart pounding for a moment and then…

  Silari sat up in the predawn gloom and looked at her arms. The glow was no longer visible, but her memory replayed the glowing details over and over again.

  She got up and watched the light bring life and colour to the panorama offered to her by her windows. Morning was coming to Niiko and she couldn’t help but feel changed by the night before.

  With a calm certainty, she took a shower and brushed her hair before getting dressed again. It was a new day for her and if Maksuan was amenable, she was prepared to accept his advances. She just hoped that she had not scared him off the previous evening when she dodged his kiss.

  Chapter Five

  Ten women were waiting in uncomfortable silence when Maksuan came in. Silari let her lips twitch into a grin as he took in the tense atmosphere with surprise.

  “Good morning, ladies. Please come this way. We are to have breakfast and then a tour of some of the more interesting surrounding areas.” He gestured for them to follow him and turned on his heel to leave them behind.

  Snorting and keeping away from the Selna, who was glaring daggers at her, Silari joined Linorial the Oefric and kept close to Ydella the Azon. They were interested in Maksuan, but they were not aggressive enough to try to destroy a competitor.

  Breakfast was a quiet affair, Thira and Rashharna snuggled up next to their host once again, but he made an effort to speak to the other women at his table.

  Servants
ebbed and flowed around them while they ate and the moment that the dishes were cleared, Maksuan got to his feet.

  “I have a skimmer waiting for us. Please, follow me.”

  She caught that it was the second time that he had said please to the women who were under obligation to make themselves more attractive to him. There was no need for him to curry their favour. It was completely the other way around.

  Silari took her position in the skimmer, choosing her seat for the best vantage point of the surroundings. While the others formed a semicircle around Maksuan, she was alone on the upper level of the open vehicle, enjoying the sights of Niiko.

  The grasses were green with a hint of blue. The lakes and rivers were slightly more purple than those on Earth, but there was a definite similarity. Silari found that she had a smile on her face as they travelled and she didn’t care who was watching. To be out in the wild feeling air that had not been over processed by populations and industry was refreshing.

  Her assignments had often taken her to the lowest areas of cities on worlds without Avatars. While several of the worlds were in a holding pattern, many had simply felt dead and the species living there had simply used what little life force it had until there was nothing left but buildings and highways. It was a strange system that killed the planet the populations lived on until there was nothing left and they had to move to another world. Criminal elements flourished on worlds that lacked a soul and Silari had apprehended quite a few of them.

  To be on a planet that was fresh and alive was relaxing. The smile continued as the wind whipped through her hair and she felt the sun on her face.

  When the skimmer stopped, she was disappointed but followed Maksuan and the others to a waterfall that reminded her of her dreams.

  There was a wide meadow that was bracketed on either side by the quartz cliffs. The waterfall was much larger in reality than it had been in her dreams, but it was the same in every other respect.

  Silari took a seat on the grass as the others stretched their legs. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the waterfall, wishing that she had the nerve to see behind it.