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  Her alarm was blaring, her mouth was burning and her throat was working hard to keep the contents of her stomach inside. A litre of water and a tepid shower and she was feeling much better. Two cups of kaf and juice bolstered her even more.

  Two wine glasses, two plates and eating prongs were washed and on the draining board. The previous evening came to her in a rush and with it, she lost the battle to keep her stomach contents.

  As she completed her heaves and washed out her mouth, she wondered if she had simply imagined the whole explanation. If ignorance was bliss, she wanted to rewind the day and become unaware of her reason for being on Arcros.

  Nya groaned and pressed her forehead with her wet hands. She had to get to her office and prepare for her next client. The appointment was in just over an hour, so she had to get her ass in gear.

  Stumbling back to her bedroom, she opened the wardrobe and pulled out another complete uniform. The gown went on with only a mild fight and the robes and gauntlets with a light whisper of complaint. Against her normal style, she left her blonde hair down and grabbed another bottle of water on her way out the door. It was not going to be the most pleasant of days.

  "So, if you will sign here and here, I will have those design rights registered within the hour." Nya's head was pounding, but she kept her smile professional as Zukra signed his registration paperwork.

  He didn't require her as a mediator but as a notary and she was only too glad to simply scan, register and verify his designs for him. Within two hours, they had completed all the forms and he was on his way.

  A pass with her hand activated her direct Alliance terminal for registering agreements and she scanned in the forms as well as the designs on a secure frequency. Once that was done, she filed the physical documents and sent a ping to her receptionist for a cup of tea.

  Groaning, she massaged her temples and wished for time to speed past while she waited for the cup.

  When the door opened, she reached out her hand blindly and accepted the cup from her assistant.

  "Mediator Morris, I have need of your services." The masculine tone was not that of her chirpy receptionist.

  She jumped, spilling some of the hot liquid on her hand. Hissing, she shook her hand while transferring the cup to the blotter of her desk. Her guest was Yargo Zenki. His avian eyes were looking at her hair with direct curiosity and she realized that her first client had shown the same interest.

  "It doesn't move with my moods. I have to make it do what I want. How may I help you, Yargo?"

  She gestured for him to have a seat.

  "I have need of an official to perform the ceremony and it has been suggested to my clan that you are a suitable selection." He didn't seem enthusiastic but rather resigned to his query.

  "I am flattered, but I have no idea why anyone would suggest that. I can do the ceremony, but we both know that you would rather have your clan elder do the ceremony. Why the sudden change?"

  He exhaled, his feathers flat to his skull. "I was ordered to have you as my official. Apparently, the avatar of Arcros is insisting upon it and what she wants, she gets."

  Apparently, Berenghetti was interfering again. "Just a moment and I will call her."

  "No, don't!"

  His feathers snapped up in alarm, giving him a midnight halo.

  "Why not? I can tell her to stop interfering. She won't kick me off Arcros. She can't." Her words were grim, but they were accurate if her memory was correct. There was a creature digging to daylight who had an interest in her and Arcros and the Evians were depending on her cooperation.

  "I…you are serious?"

  She smiled at him, trying to put all of her calm into the curve of her lips. "I am usually serious about ritual matters. This is your wedding. Make it the one you want."

  He smiled at her, his feathers ruffling back into a more casual formation. "I think I just found my official. If you were willing to risk displeasing the avatar of the world we walk on simply to give me a good wedding, then how could I choose another? Your invitation will be arriving tomorrow. Have a good day, Mediator."

  He rose, bowed and left the room without letting her say another word.

  She stared helplessly at the closing door and muttered, "I suppose I had better bone up on Evian ceremonies then."

  Berenghetti helped her on the big day, sending the other attendants running from the tent. "This colour looks wonderful on you."

  "Which colour? I am wearing a freakin' rainbow." Her body was covered with deep gem tones. A ruby gown, sapphire robe, onyx belt and emerald fingerless gloves took the place of her normally white clothing. It was the same style, but that was where the similarities ended.

  "Their rituals are very colourful. The only bland ones will be the bride and groom." Berenghetti fluffed her hair out and smiled at her own reflection garbed in blue and gold.

  "Is it time?"

  "I believe so. I will be up front in case you forget anything. Arcros has officiated a number of times." Getty kissed her on the cheek and left her.

  Nya counted to five and straightened her shoulders, walking at a stately pace in her citron-coloured boots.

  It was show time.

  "Do you have the feathers?" This was the key point of the ceremony. After two hours of meditation, singing and fluttering of feathers, it came down to Viisha removing one of her feathers and Yargo removing one of his. They handed the feathers to Nya and she set them into the vacated position, flicking the tiny regenerator in her palm. The blood from the wound healed and they now wore their mate's feather in their own head for the rest of their lives.

  "With you now wearing each other's colours, I wish you happiness, prosperity and joy. Be good and kind to each other and to those you meet along life's journey. May all be well. I declare you Viisha and Yargo, bound for life."

  At her final declaration, the families and friends gathered rose to their feet and whistled their approval. The happy couple nuzzled each other's cheeks and stood to greet their community as a mated couple for the first time.

  Exhausted by tension, Nya wanted a cup of tea and a place to sit as soon as she could manage it, but first, she had to thank Getty for her help.

  Finding the avatar in a gathering full of folk dressed in every colour in the spectrum was quite the task. As usual, she was a popular figure to see and be seen with.

  A huge male was standing in the crowd, speaking to someone of average height and when the crowd parted, Nya made her way to his conversational companion.

  "Getty, thank you for your help. I don't know how I could have forgotten those words. That song is embedded in my mind now." She ignored the large male, having not been introduced. It was rude to stare at Evian males and though she didn't get a good look at him, she knew he wasn't someone she had met before.

  "Nya, this is Hyfor. Hyfor, this is Antonya Morris." Getty was so casual that it seemed she was oblivious to the rigor of the two creatures around her.

  Nya stared into his sapphire eyes, his midnight hair a neat frame to his rough jaw and aquiline nose. The clear cut of his lips showed his tension, as did the flexing pulse on the column of his thick neck.

  He was wearing a deep amethyst tunic in a wrap style favoured by the Enjels, his black trousers led to black boots and onyx accessories marked his wrists and waist. Now that she was staring at him, she noticed the peculiar protrusions behind him and her eyes widened as she realized she was looking at wings.

  He extended his hand to her and she put hers on top of it in a formal greeting. "Pleased to meet you, Hyfor of the Draikyn."

  "And you, Antonya of Terra. I have looked forward to this meeting for a long time." He lowered his head and raised her hand to his lips.

  The tingle of her hand in his had already started her senses clamouring, but the moment his lips brushed her knuckles, her knees threatened to give way.

  "I just found out about you this week. You have me at a disadvantage."

  His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes in a very
attractive way. "I intend to keep you there as long as I can."

  Chapter Four

  It was now obvious to Nya why Berenghetti had forced the clan to make her an official for this event. It was the best way to dress her up for the Draikyn.

  "There is a meal being served. Would you care to join me?" Being polite was always a good backup plan when you were thrown for a loop.

  He didn't release her hand but slowly led her off in the direction of the guest stream. "I would be happy to."

  Getty was beaming at them, the bright glow of Arcros in her eyes. Nya shot her an I-will-get-you-for-this look and let Hyfor lead her to the buffet.

  They moved together in silence, making the same food selections and choosing the same quiet outer table for their meal.

  As a server came by, Nya asked for tea and she noted Hyfor's grin. "Is there something funny about tea?"

  "No, but then I have never known someone to have a two-day hangover before."

  She paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. "You felt that?"

  "It did make its way to me, yes. I think I need to explain something in the Draikyn mate-selection process. It wasn't random. Not any Terran would have done. I needed you. Your mind resonates at the same rate as mine. We share a frequency and I can tap into that frequency to sense your moods. For example, right now you are rather perturbed and a bit embarrassed."

  She sighed and drummed her fingers on the table, pushing her meal away. "So, I am to have no privacy?"

  "Your thoughts are your own. Your moods sing along the frequency though."

  "Are you sure?"

  A light colouration of dark bronze skimmed under his tanned skin. "Well, as we engage in courtship, our connection will deepen."

  "What does courtship entail?"

  "Gifts, seduction and eventually, acceptance of the home provided for you." He ticked the points off on his fingers as if seduction was part of all lists he made.

  He must be hell on wheels in the grocery store.

  She stifled her amusement, but his head came up swiftly as he tried to determine what had made her laugh. She returned to her food and cleared her plate before sitting back.

  "So, the Evian destroyed the home you originally had planned?"

  His lips turned down in a scowl. "Yes. It was a structure built of gemstones. Apparently, it was too attractive a deposit for the Evian to pass up and since they came upon it via an underground tunnel system, until Arcros saw the stones, he had no idea what was going on."

  "Ah, yes. Getty mentioned something to that effect."

  "Yes, to say that I was rather upset was an understatement. It was all the avatar could do to keep me sleeping and promise me that she would put all of her effort into finding my mate. I knew that you were off your home world but was not in a position to seek you out."

  She fought the blush that rose in her cheeks at his frank gaze. "I am guessing you are a hard fellow to wake in the morning."

  He chuckled. "Only when I have been sleeping for centuries. Normally, I have a fairly alert demeanour."

  "I am glad to hear it. Do you have any questions for me?" She sipped at her tea and arched an eyebrow.

  "Yes, I have many questions, but they can wait until we begin our courtship. Would you care to dance?"

  Her lips twitched. "Wouldn't that constitute beginning a courtship?"

  He stood and held his hand out to her. "I won't tell if you don't."

  She smiled and took his lead, joining the dancers on the floor. Nya tried to hide her blush at the feel of his hand against her back, covering her from the base of her spine to the centre of her back.

  As he moved, he held her to an appropriate distance and shifted around the dance floor. She would have thought that his wings would have made him a little awkward in close quarters, but he had complete control over his personal space and hers as well.

  The music was classic Evian, harmonious and rhythmic. All of the musicians were in fine form for this great event.

  Together, Nya and Hyfor moved from song to song, shifting and twirling with a synchronicity that astonished her. She had never danced this gracefully with anyone in her life. It was as if they were meant to be.

  Wide-eyed, Nya ruthlessly squashed that thought. She may be his match, but it would take some time before he proved that he was hers.

  "I think I need to sit the next one out." She whispered it to his collarbone, the closest thing to his head that she could reach.

  "Of course." He completed the turn that they were on and escorted her back to their table. She was barely seated when he returned with glasses of water, one of which he pressed into her hand.

  She sipped at the water and watched the whirling dancers as the Evian entered and left the dance floor. They were truly a lovely species, but as she watched them, the music that she heard transformed to a more powerful tone and it was echoing in her mind.

  "Stop that, Hyfor."

  His voice rolled over her. "Stop what?"

  "Singing in my mind."

  He chuckled and she deliberately did not turn to look at him. "Get used to it, courtship has begun."

  She sighed and turned to glare at him. "Couldn't you have given me a ten count or something?"

  "I prefer to catch my prey by surprise." He lifted one of her hands to his lips and feathered another kiss across it.

  "I am prey, am I?"

  "You are my beloved mate-to-be and I am going to do whatever it takes to bring you over to my way of thinking. I never actually thought that the seers were correct. To know that you are here, living and breathing in front of me is almost beyond believing."

  The wonder in his voice was not feigned. He truly was looking at her as if he was not sure she was real.

  "So, you and other Draikyn left your home to sleep on other worlds until a woman who matched you happened to fly past? Isn't that badly thought out as a dating scheme?"

  He grinned but kept her hand firmly in his. "It is not the easiest set of traditions to follow through with, but we do what we can. And from what I have been told, at least three of the other Sleepers have met their matches. With me meeting you, that brings it to four woken, four matched. It may not be well thought out, but it is working."

  She made a face and laughed at her own reaction. "One of those women had Terran genes in her from an ancestor and the other two were in the same Volunteer batch as I am. I looked it up."

  "Then you are already aware of the possibilities of a relationship with our two species."

  She grumbled. "Yes, but I was not aware that my body had already been tweaked to those specifications."

  "For that, I am sorry. Arcros may have been a little too eager to bring my mate to me."

  She barked a laugh. "He had to if he wanted to keep the Evian settlement intact."

  A blushed darkened Hyfor's cheeks. "Ah, yes, I was rather upset when I found out that the home that took me fifty years to build had been torn apart to make jewellery. Can you blame me?"

  She laughed again. "Not at all. It makes perfect sense to me. So, that just leaves one question, what are you going to do about a home now?"

  "Arcros began the foundation for my home and I have been calling crystals into place for the last few months. The home should be ready for viewing within the month."

  "That soon?"

  "Yes, we will have a more accelerated courtship than I had hoped, but to be frank, I have been without female companionship for a very, very long time."

  Giggles won her over and she pressed her head to the table in an effort to hide her mirth.

  It took her five minutes, but she managed to raise her head and smile weakly at him. "Good to know. I won't say that I am in a similar situation, but it has been a while for me, too."

  He looked a little taken aback. "You are not a virgin?"

  "No, you are a decade late on that one. Plenty of rolling around in haystacks where I came from." She sipped at her water and watched his reaction. He was processing it fairly rapidly.

/>   She shot back at him, "Are you a virgin?"

  He looked insulted. "Of course not."

  "Then why should I be? For many women, it was a rite of passage to select our first male. I won't say that we always chose correctly, but we had the right to choose."

  When he had finished digesting that, he nodded. "You are correct. You are from a different species and it was to be expected that you would have different social traditions."

  That was the nicest way he could put it and she smiled and patted his hand. "You will accept it or you won't, but either way, it is the truth."

  He paused and then a grin spread over his features. "I suppose I can accelerate the seduction side of the courtship then."

  She groaned and gasped as his mouth pressed to hers in a kiss that knocked her out of her chair and into his arms.

  Chapter Five

  Nya tried to hold still, but her instincts had her clutching at his shoulders for support. After a few minutes of getting comfortable on his lap, she relaxed into the coaxing pressure on his lips. The room full of watchers faded as his mouth convinced her lips to part. The first teasing forays of his tongue made her shiver and it was the nervous clearing of a throat that broke their connection.

  Blinking frantically to clear her hazed vision, she turned her head to see the elders of both the Ordu and Zenki families.

  They ignored her and addressed Hyfor. "Sir, is the avatar correct in that you are Hyfor, the Monolith?"

  He sighed and pressed his forehead against Nya's hair for a moment before sitting up and addressing them. "Yes, I am indeed Hyfor, the Sleeper."

  They nodded at his correction and immediately peppered him with a cacophony of questions about geological stability and gem concentrations in the region. Nya pried her way out of his embrace and smiled, "I will see you another time. Enjoy your conversation, Hyfor."

  Her tone had softened on his name and his pupils flared as his pointed ears twitched in reaction to her voice. The imperceptible inclination of his head was a dismissal and without a look back, she left.

  Nya made her way to the happy couple and she bowed low, wishing them the happiest of lives.

  "Mediator, are you really the mate of the Monolith?" Viisha's whisper carried to the rest of the folk nearby and Nya was aware of the attention.