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  “Good. Now, it is time for you to go for a walk on the exterior balcony. You need to work out the muscles pulled by the standing and sitting.”

  “How did you come to work for his lordship?” She stepped into the wooden exterior sandals that clipped on over her house slippers.

  “I worked for his sister’s family, and when his sister and her husband passed on, I came to work for Lord Akutan as nanny to his niece and then housekeeper when she was grown.” Teriki was wearing a matching set of shoes, and they walked back and forth on the wide balcony overlooking the drop to a ravine below.

  “Tomorrow, you will go into town with Porali for stationery and ink. If you are on Rai, you need to know how to read and write. Much correspondence is still done the old fashioned way.” Teriki smiled, her weathered expression kind.

  Amy had to ask. “Why am I safer on Rai than any other world?”

  Teriki grinned. “Two reasons. The first is that we are a protected world. Only authorized vehicles, like those of the Guardians, can come and go. The second is that we are host to an ex-Guardian who has no trouble in expelling those who do manage to work through the grid.”

  “Oh. That’s handy.”

  “Indeed. We enjoy a security that few worlds can boast.”

  Amy had to admit that it made her feel marginally better. She straightened her posture and continued to pace until the graceful walk that the others engaged in without effort came to her with practice.

  Eating, pouring tea, etiquette and more walking took up the rest of her day. Amy didn’t have a chance to think about her previous life or what was going to happen next. She was embroiled in the present.

  Morning involved more lessons, but then, she and Porali left the house and got into a chair that had been summoned for the event. The Asian customs and methods that she kept running into made her wonder where the traditions had originated. Here or there? The blonde heads and darker burnished gold were the norm, so the similarity ended at costume and culture. The large catlike eyes were also something that took some getting used to.

  She swayed as the chair took her down the hill from the palace into the town.

  Porali sat next to her, and she blushed as the locals pointed at the ornate chair coming down the hill.

  “Have you never travelled by chair, Porali?”

  “No, lady. It is a little unnerving.” The maid gripped the handle on the interior and tried to balance herself.

  “Relax and move with the steps as much as you can.” Amy laughed. She had been on dozens of bucking ships, shuttles and transports. This was a day in calm seas in comparison.

  When the chair stopped, Porali tumbled out as quickly as she could to assist Amy in rising with dignity. Teriki had also ordered them to get some hairpins because that was just something that was not shared between women.

  The jeweller was their first stop. Porali introduced her. “This is Lady Amethyst Decker of Terra. Lord Akutan’s honoured guest. It will be charged to his account.”

  The jeweller nodded, and after peering at her colouring, he brought out some lovely bronze pins with purple semi-precious stones.

  Porali lifted the six-inch pins one by one and held them next to Amy’s eyes. She selected six long and six short pins, asking the proprietor to wrap them up.

  He wrapped them and placed them in a silk drawstring bag.

  Porali smiled, “And now, my lady, to the stationery shop.”

  Amy walked next to Porali, not quite sure what the purpose was to her being part of this outing when she wasn’t even expected to venture an opinion.

  The men on the street were taller than her by well over a foot. Their features were almost cruel with high cheekbones, feline eyes and narrow lips. Their clothing was far more comfortable than hers, wide-legged trousers, shirts that wrapped and were held in place with the obi-like sashes. Their sleeves were wide and some men wore robes with silken sleeves almost as long as hers.

  As she walked through the shopping district with Porali, she realised that she was drawing a crowd. She stuck closer to her maid and had to wonder what was causing all the fuss. The women of Rai were far more elegant than she was, and they didn’t seem to be wobbling on their shoes.

  * * * *

  Lord Akutan pulled on his reins and spoke to one of his friends. “Lord Havik, what is everyone staring at?”

  Lord Havik bowed his head in deference. “The lady who is on a shopping trip. No one has seen her before, but she is surpassingly lovely.”

  Akutan dismounted. “Where is this creature of loveliness?”

  “In the stationery shop. She went in there with a maid a few moments ago. We are waiting for her to come out.”

  Akutan grinned. “It is a good thing I am out of ink.” He walked through the crowd of men who bowed low as they realised who he was.

  He entered the shop with curiosity burning in his mind. He glanced around and had no trouble finding the women that the crowd was waiting for.

  The lady was poring over pens, and a slick black silk waterfall of hair hung down her back to her knees.

  The proprietor returned from the back and froze in place when he noticed his other customer. “My lord, what can I do for you?”

  The woman turned and looked toward him, meeting his gaze with a surprisingly frank look. He stood in shock as he took in the vivid purple of her eyes and their peculiar pupils. “The lady was here before me, please conclude her business.”

  The servant at the woman’s side jerked in recognition. “Lord Akutan, welcome back.”

  He blinked in shock as he recognized a member of his own household. “Porali. Thank you for the welcome.”

  The woman frowned and then a hot-pink colour covered her cheeks. She offered him a graceful bow. “Lord Akutan, thank you for your hospitality.”

  Her silken fall of hair almost reached the ground as she bowed with her slender fingers held together.

  “You are my niece’s friend? Welcome to Rai.” He reached out and touched her cheek with two fingers. It went against every protocol, but he wanted to know if it was as soft as it looked.

  “Thank you, my lord.” She straightened but kept her eyes averted.

  He wanted nothing more than to lift her chin and stare into those eyes, but the proprietor was watching far too avidly. “What brings you into town today?”

  She smiled, and the curve of her lips held his gaze, “Teriki is ordering me to learn how to read and write the common language of Rai. She did not wish me to dip into any of your possessions so authorized me to come and choose writing tools.”

  He looked at the items on the table. They were good quality and not extravagant. She was not attempting to gain goods through him. That was something in her favour. “It seems you have purchased the ink I came in to obtain. May I offer you a ride back home?”

  The thought of her plastered across his thighs was tempting.

  Porali forestalled his fantasies. “My lord, she is not dressed for riding.”

  He sighed at the practicality and stowed his fantasy. “Very well. I will see you when you return to my home.”

  * * * *

  Amy watched him sweep out in a flow of robes and nearly metallic gold hair. His eyes were dark bronze, but she could see the similarity with Blade. They really were related.

  Sharp features marked every inch of him. Straight, sweeping brows were over those fascinating eyes, his nose was a sharp blade that complimented the clean cut of his lips and the elegant line of his jaw.

  She watched the column of his neck flex as he spoke, and she guessed that he was a little more muscular than the average man of Rai. Something about him said don’t mess with me, and she was guessing that none of the locals did.

  The two days of etiquette stopped her from staring at his face, but she swallowed nervously as the last flicker of silk disappeared from the doorway. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweating and there was a distinct dampness between her thighs that told her the heat had not been contained to her che
eks. Just the sight of him aroused her, and now, he was going to be there when she returned to the palace.

  There went her restful sleep.

  Chapter Four

  The crowd had watched her get into the chair, and it had made her nervous. Getting out of the chair at the palace terrified her.

  She bit her lip as she exited the chair, but it wasn’t Porali’s hand that was extended to assist her. Long, lean fingers with surprising strength helped her out of the chair and to her feet.

  She kept her gaze averted, as tradition dictated. “Thank you, My Lord.”

  He raised her chin with the back of one hand. “You do not need to stand on ceremony. I have been off world and am aware that our traditions can be restrictive.”

  Amy tried to keep the hammering of her heart to herself, but she was sure that when she met his bronze gaze, he could read every pulse through her veins. “Thank you, Lord Akutan.”

  He smiled, and his beautiful features outshone the sun. “You are welcome. Now, may I know your name?”

  “Amethyst Decker of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, Mechanic First Class.” She didn’t mention her talent, as it had never had a rank attached to it.

  “Amethyst, I am delighted to meet you.” He held her hand and assisted her in balancing as she made her way up the steps to his home.

  She was embarrassed at the wobbling when he moved with such ease. At the door, Porali helped her out of the wooden shoes, and with a sigh of relief, Amethyst walked inside. The odd thing was that Lord Akutan didn’t let her hand go as he took her into the morning room where tea had been prepared. Thuds from the back of the house made her raise her eyebrows, but she didn’t comment as he waited for her to seat herself.

  Her aching thighs remembered the drills, and she sat down with the outer robe flaring behind her in a wide fan.

  Akutan smiled, “I see that you are a quick study. Teriki must have been relieved. My niece was a bit recalcitrant as a student in the ladylike arts.”

  He sat across from her, so she reached out and tested the pot to see if there was tea in it. The small motion with the back of her finger was subtle, but the jerk that went through her body at the effect of the heat was not.

  She poured tea for Lord Akutan and then herself. The contact with the teapot was causing a slight blister, and she cursed herself for being an idiot.

  “Did you injure yourself?”

  She nodded and watched the curls of vapour come off her cup. “I keep forgetting that the boiling point is a little higher here than back at home. Unfortunately, the burn point of my skin is right where it was seven years ago.”

  He reached out and took her hand. “Give me a moment. I am out of practice.”

  He pressed his thumb against the burn, and she hissed, trying to pull her hand back. His eyes darkened and locked with hers as a trickle of energy moved from his hand into hers.

  She shivered and mentally thanked the five layers of clothing for keeping the hardening of her nipples from being obvious.

  When he lifted his thumb, the red skin quickly faded to her normal colouring. No burn, no blister, no marks.

  She noticed, as she stared at him, that his hair was caught off his face with a clip of sorts holding it at the back of his head. Tendrils had worked loose and one hung in front of his left eye. It gave him a wild look as if the state of his hair proved his personal lack of emotional containment.

  “So, did you do anything else in town today?” He smiled but didn’t release her hand. His thumb kept rubbing back and forth along her knuckles.

  She blinked rapidly and thought. “Oh, we got some hairpins.”

  He cocked his head. “You are going to pin it up?”

  She chuckled. “That or chop it off if there are only two options. I am not used to having it loose.”

  He smiled, and there was a heated look to his eyes. “It looks lovely, like the night sky between the stars.”

  She blushed and tugged at her hand. “Thank you. I have been feeling a little like an ink spot since I came here.”

  He frowned but kept his long fingers wrapped around hers. “Has someone made you unwelcome?”

  “Oh, no. Teriki and the maids have been very kind. I simply feel a little out of place here.” She shrugged. “I suppose I have been feeling out of sorts for a while.”

  He kept stroking her hand but turned it so that his thumb was rubbing across her palm and occasionally her wrist. Shivers ran through her at the light touches.

  Teriki came in and bowed, giving their hands a pointed look before she glanced at Amy. Whatever she read in Amy’s face seemed to sooth her, and she said, “Lord Akutan, your meal is ready.”

  He grinned and whispered, “You are not escaping me that easily, Amethyst.” He rose to his feet and held her hand to steady her as she rose with him.

  Teriki was watching his lordship’s behaviour, and while she looked surprised, she had a smile on her lips.

  Amy sighed silently and let Lord Akutan lead her into the dining room where he helped her settle before taking his own seat. “You are a tiny thing, aren’t you?” he chuckled.

  She scowled. “Only when facing absurdly tall races.”

  He laughed. “I see I have struck a nerve.”

  The servants brought in the tea they had abandoned in the other room and fresh cups. Teriki poured tea for both of them before sitting back and waiting for the meal to begin.

  The dishes were brought in, and it was far more than Amy had seen in her previous meals at the palace.

  Teriki made sure that all was proper, and she left the room, sliding the door shut for pseudo privacy.

  “So, Amethyst, how did you come to be introduced to my niece?”

  She assumed that he meant Blade, so she said, “She retrieved me from Janial Prison.”

  He blinked. “Why were you there?”

  “I refused to obey the wishes of a Nyal nobleman.” She grimaced and ate some of the fish she had selected as her first dish.

  “He tried to force himself on you?” Dark, simmering anger was shining in Akutan’s eyes, and she felt a crackling of energy in the air.

  She held up her hands to calm him. “Not in the way you are thinking. I have a talent, and he wanted to use it for illegal activities. I refused, and he had me sent to Janial to think it over.”

  “What is your talent?”

  “Do you mind if I demonstrate?”

  “Please.”

  She reached under the table and pressed her hand up through it to grip her teacup. She slid the teacup down, and when she removed her hand from under the table, she paused to sip her tea.

  Akutan was suitably impressed. “So, thieving.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I didn’t want to use my talent for that sort of thing, so I opted to go into mechanical studies. I was pretty good too until the earl noticed me.”

  Akutan cocked his head as he ate as if he was mulling something over in his mind. “How did Blade find you?”

  “Apparently, one of my people is married to a Guardian, and she is keeping an eye out for Terrans in this area. She set Blade on my trail.” Taking tiny bites of the meal managed to keep her eating, but she had lost all appetite.

  Akutan was consuming everything in front of him. She didn’t comment on his consumption, but it seemed that he was a man of large appetites, though he didn’t show it.

  “Why did Blade bring me here when there are so many other places on Rai to stash me?” She bit her lip as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

  He smiled, and she blinked as his beauty blinded her. “I am her uncle, and I was also a Guardian before they were as organized as they are now.”

  She nodded as if she understood. “Ah. Well, thank you again for the hospitality. The prison was…”

  He gave her a commiserating look. “I have seen Janial. I do not envy you the experience.”

  She laughed. “It is a memory of fear and anxiety. I was not injured, but I was never safe.”

  “You are sa
fe with me.” His eyes took on a heavy-lidded look.

  Amy swallowed. “Why do I think that that isn’t quite true?”

  He laughed. “You are an excellent judge of character.”

  Chapter Five

  After dinner, he had matters to attend to, so a relieved Amy left him and returned to her room.

  She was reading a handbook on handwriting in Nyal common when one of the maids came in. “Lord Akutan requests that you join him for a bath.”

  Amy’s cheeks flushed bright red. “Right. Teriki mentioned communal bathing.”

  The maid’s face was stoic. “Come with me, lady.”

  There was no option. The master of the house had asked her, and there wasn’t an out for her unless it was her time of the month. Since she was on a three-year shot that did not allow her to bleed, she didn’t have an excuse.

  She got to her feet and followed the maid into the part of the house that had been marked off limits.

  The young woman brought her through the doorway and into a garden that was well organized and yet full of colour at the same time. The scents of the flowers were heady and relaxing. The low murmur of voices was their destination, and she ended up standing only a few feet from Lord Akutan while his clothing was removed layer by layer.

  “Please stand here, lady.” The maid began to strip her as calmly as her companion was disrobing his lordship.

  Each layer was carefully folded and set on a nearby rack. Amy was thankful that she was wearing less layers than Akutan was. The maid was finished with her, and she wore only the white silk shift that made up her first layer.

  With skilled movements, the maid removed the shift and scrubbed her from head to toe, pinning her hair into a loose topknot. Amethyst kept her gaze straight ahead, and the moment she was sluiced and clean, she took the maid’s hand to step forward and into the large, steaming tub of water.