Collecting Allure (Stand-Alone Tales Book 9) Read online

  She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the interior of the wardrobe. Beauty? She had normal and relatively symmetrical features, but she didn’t know if that meant beauty. She shook her head and closed the wardrobe, climbing back into bed. Stasis sleep wasn’t natural sleep. The irony was always that you were more tired after sleeping for days than you would have been if you had remained awake.

  She crawled back into bed and passed out. She always woke at dawn unless she was sedated. Then, she woke at noon.

  * * * *

  Her host eased under the door and checked on her as she slept. She was very pale, and she flinched as she slept. The pain emerged when she couldn’t fight it back.

  He had looked at her through the monitors while she travelled. This small creature had moved entire enclaves of Other to shift them away from the spaces that the humans wished to inhabit. She didn’t kill them, but she knew just where to strike. It was a strange mix of compassion and ferocity.

  He had checked the readouts as to her status and would have grimaced if he had been wearing a body. She had been truthful. Her body’s systems were degrading from the influx of energy, and she had months to live if she were lucky.

  He had replayed the recording of her conversation with her father. So, she was resigned to die. Hm. He could use that to his advantage. He needed to know more about her. How she thought and reacted. He needed to understand her and how she was so effective against the Others. Her knowledge might assist with their defenses.

  She was beautiful by human standards. Her face had a pleasing symmetry when she was in repose, but she was stunning when she was awake, and her intelligent eyes were assessing the world around her. He was amused at her hair colour. He had a flower that same shade of red and gold. It was vivid and strong until it wasn’t.

  She stirred, and he retreated from her chamber. He would be seeing those bright eyes face to face so-to-speak in the morning.

  The next few months were going to be interesting.

  * * * *

  Bella sat up and stretched. She had had a surprisingly good sleep in the hours before dawn. She got up and out of bed, finding the bathing room and a separate necessary. Nice touch.

  She took a quick shower and then returned to the wardrobe, picking out a leaf green gown that would make her hair look charming instead of shocking. The slippers snugged around her feet and had delicate embroidery when the skirt moved to expose the tips of her toes.

  Bella opened the door, and there was a bot on the ground ahead of her. It snapped to attention and led her through the maze of corridors. She smiled. It was cute.

  The walls were covered with portraits of beauty. She saw six or seven species that she recognized, including the elves of Nithuan. The portrait was fairly recent. The couple was obviously royal, the headgear gave it away. In contrast to the formal portraits that dotted the walls, this couple was sitting close together, smiles on their features, and their fingers were interwoven. This was an affectionate couple.

  Bella smiled at the image and turned to find the small bot, but he was gone. “Oh, no.”

  She walked slowly through the hall and flared her nostrils. She could smell food.

  She followed her nose and passed a few doors before she found one that was open. A tendril of smoky substance wrapped around her wrist and tugged her into the room. The small bot was near the head of the table, and it was dangling its little arms in dejection.

  She comforted the bot. “Don’t worry. He found me.”

  The bot chirped happily and zipped toward her, making circles around her. She chuckled and then looked at her host.

  She swallowed. She had never been this close to an Other who was this old before. His shape was fairly human but scaled up. His aura was the black smoke tendril that had led her in. The aura of an Other was an indicator of power. It meant that part of them could not be contained. This male’s aura took up the entire wall of the dining room.

  He tilted his head, his red eyes amused. “Ah, so you understand what I am.”

  “More or less.”

  A tendril pulled her chair out for her, and she took the hint, sitting quietly with the covered dishes in front of her.

  He cocked his head. “You are beautiful. Your father’s brain wasn’t wrong. Today, I will enjoy this profile, tomorrow, the other.”

  “Is he free of the unit?”

  “The moment that the shuttle left your home. You can contact him tomorrow if you wish.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “I can?”

  “Of course. You are here to be a study of humanity. That includes interaction with your parents or family.”

  She paused. “So, you are going to watch.”

  “There is nothing that happens here that I do not see.”

  She shivered. “Remind me to be more careful in the shower.”

  He paused and then chuckled. “You are making jokes.”

  “I am.”

  “They help you deal with stress.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I am Bella Allura Emra Korako.”

  “Sergeant.”

  She tried to look at him, but his eyes were intense, and she looked away. “Right. Sergeant Allura Korako. Allura is my preferred designation.”

  “Eat. I can hear your stomach.”

  She pressed her left hand to her abdomen out of reflex and reached for one of the domes. He removed the domes for her without her leaning in.

  She looked at the standard breakfast fare and then the hot broth. She blinked and smiled slowly. She went for the broth without hesitation before setting out the rest of her meal. She glanced at him. “Are you eating, host?”

  “Banor Lemian.”

  She sipped and looked at him. “Pardon?”

  “My name is Banor Lemian. To those off-world, I would be known as Ba-Lem.”

  The soup was really good. She ate it as efficiently as she could before turning to the fluffy rolls and the whipped eggs.

  “Are you eating, Banor Lemian?”

  He chuckled, and his eyes narrowed. “I have consumed what I require for the day, but if there is anything remaining, I shall consume that too.”

  She nodded and kept eating.

  “I do applaud your appetite.”

  She paused. “You are right. Now that I am no longer on duty, I should probably reduce my caloric intake by a few thousand.”

  He asked, “You need to monitor your intake?”

  “If I am not burning the calories, it will cause fat accumulation and eventual health issues. I can’t just choose the form I want to wear.” She looked wistfully at the fruit that she had piled on her plate and ate her protein and starch first.

  “So, you will deprive yourself? Not sound thinking. You have been asleep for days. You require sustenance.”

  Banor Lemian was serious. His eyes and the barely visible brows above them were frowning. “If you are to thrive here, you need to remain healthy. Do not stint on anything you require to achieve that.”

  “Wait, so I can exercise?”

  “We will have to arrange other clothing for it, but of course.” He seemed genuinely surprised that she would think she wasn’t supposed to.

  “Um, I thought that with the gowns and all, I was supposed to be akin to a living statue.”

  He nodded. “Ah, I see. No, you are here to be observed. That is the purpose of having you here.”

  She was confused. “So, what are the rules?”

  “Rules?”

  “Yes, the regulations for my time here. What I can and cannot do.”

  He cocked his head. “I had not thought of that. I suppose that unless otherwise notified, I would like to be with you for your meals. Humans do a lot of socializing during meals.”

  She inclined her head. “Okay. Will I be notified as to when those meals occur?”

  He nodded. “The bots will be sent to retrieve you, or I will come if you are out exploring.”

  “E
xercise clothing?”

  “It is being generated right now. By the time you complete your meal, you will be able to wear something more practical for exertion.” He inclined his head.

  She nodded and ate the food on her plate and then went for seconds.

  “You were on Morningale recently?”

  She paused and swallowed. “Yes.”

  “You were injured.”

  She looked at his red eyes that were blandly curious. “Yes.”

  “You are preparing to die.”

  She winced. “Recorders in the shuttle.”

  He inclined his head. “So, you knew that this was a finite situation.”

  She nodded. “I did, but I also accept that cooperation will equate to the amount of time you would otherwise have had coaxing a sobbing human into an agreement. So, quality over quantity.”

  “Precisely. You can spend the rest of your life here, entertaining yourself in any manner you see fit.”

  “And show up for meals three times a day.”

  “Correct. I will appear at random times and occasionally converse with you. Aside from that, you are free to roam throughout the castle and landscape. Oh, and you will always dress for dinner.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  He smiled. “Because I require it.”

  That was an answer. She ate the fruit and smiled.

  “You are amused?”

  “I am pleased. It is so rare that I get any food that is fresh, I am having to hold back from stuffing my face full.” She ate another piece with care.

  “What has driven you to the stars?”

  She glanced at him. “I was recruited. I have fairly good skills for assessing situations, and I am an excellent shot.”

  “You don’t say. Well, there are no energy weapons here.” He inclined his head. “I will be free to wander about without worry of reprisals.”

  She finished three-quarters of the food set out and blushed a little as she sat back. He nodded, and a tendril flashed out. The space in front of her had nothing left, not even the plate.

  A bot about three feet tall rolled in with folded fabric held up in his arms. It chirped cheerfully.

  “What is that?”

  “Your suit for exercising, though today, I would recommend that you simply walk around and get your bearings. Tomorrow is soon enough to run around the landscape. I would like you to confine yourself to the castle and grounds if you do not object.”

  Allura nodded. “It would probably be better for me to do recon today. A bot will come and get me for lunch?”

  Banor Lemian nodded. “One of them will come and get you wherever you are.”

  She nodded and bit her lip. “Am I dismissed then?”

  “Yes.”

  She got up and curtsied as her mother had taught her. “Thank you for the meal, Banor Lemian.”

  He rose to his feet and walked toward her. She slowly looked up and up and up into his red eyes. “You are very welcome, Allura.”

  She slowly straightened, turned to take the exercise gear, and left the dining room. The tendrils of shadow opened the door as she left.

  She stiffened her back and walked into the hallway, making her way back to her quarters with the clothing clutched to her chest.

  She prided herself with the fact that she didn’t run.

  Chapter Three

  Allura hung the practical bodysuit in the wardrobe and the shoes beneath them. It was a day for exploring. She was really too weak to do anything else.

  She smoothed her hands down her skirt and left her room, walking to the right instead of the left and opening the first door—a huge gallery that was filled with statues and portraits of elegant and beautiful creatures from across the galaxy. It was stunning but not what she wanted.

  She opened and closed a few more doors, and each one opened into a wonderful and gilded space. Allura looked around and went back the way she had come. She wanted air, flowers, and light. It had been far too long since she had felt natural light.

  She laughed and ran for the door, her skirts held up to let her legs move freely, and the door swung open at her approach. She was out in the gardens in under a minute; her giggle was bright. It felt good to just be somewhere where she wasn’t being judged. Yes, Banor was watching her, but he was observing, not judging.

  Allura stretched her arms skyward and spun. It would have been better if she wasn’t wearing anything, but this close to the castle, she was nervous about being considered lewd.

  She walked slowly through the maze of gardens, the flowers, the herbs, and even the gravel; it was all beautiful. She felt like a lump of pumice in comparison.

  The crunch of gravel under her feet was a slow metronome to her thoughts. It slowed the panic down, eased the inevitability, and brought her peace. The burning in her body was somewhat mitigated by her relaxation, and she thought about her family and their destiny after she died. Her pension would kick in, her sisters would get married, and her parents would finally be able to retire. It was worth quite a bit to be shot by the Others and survive. The research done on the energy alone had tripled the end value of her pension. They should be getting the first installment any minute and a substantial increase the moment her death was official. All that was needed was for the radiation to take its course.

  She walked slowly for hours until she looked up and found that while she could see the castle, her pathway was obscured by hedges of roses and high green embankments.

  “Aw, hell.”

  She looked around and tried to see her own footprints in the gravel, but it was difficult to see the way she had come. Well, she wasn’t getting closer standing still. She needed to begin the path back toward lunch.

  She heard a chime and looked toward the castle. It seemed that time had just run out. She looked at the hedges and designed a path in her mind, and then, she decided to run. She ran, jumped, tucked, rolled, got up, and did it again. She was dizzy but had covered seventy percent of her route when a dark tendril shot out of one of the windows and wrapped around her.

  She was lifted casually into the air, and that frightened her like nothing else. If his aura was strong enough to lift her half a kilometer away, he was beyond scary, he was terrifying.

  He pulled her onto a wide balcony and set her on her feet. There was amusement in the writhing shadows and his tone. “That is a technique that I haven’t seen before. You are all dusty.”

  She blushed and would have tried to dust herself off, but he held her arms to her sides. “I did not want to renege on being here on my first day. I also didn’t want to hurt the flowers, so it was the best way.”

  He snorted. “I see. Well, wash up and change for lunch. I will put you in your quarters.”

  He remained standing, and she was lifted and steered around the building to her own room. A piece of his shadow opened the door, and she was deposited gently inside.

  She had an assignment, and she had best carry it out. She kicked off her slippers and stripped off the gown and headed to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and winced at the dust and the small abrasions that dotted her. She was going to catch hell for that.

  A shower and quick brushing of her hair later, she selected a bright blue gown and matching slippers. Allura sprinted down the corridor and skidded around the corner into the dining room.

  He was still on the balcony, overlooking the gardens. He turned to her in surprise. “That was quick.”

  Banor was more physical today. There was more of a body and less of a hovering face with the rest obscured by roiling darkness.

  She curtsied. “I am guessing you have no objection to wet hair.”

  He got closer and then closer still. “No, I have no objection to that, but what have you done to your face?”

  She blinked. “I may have scratched myself a bit on the shrubs and gravel. It will heal quickly.”

  “You are correct about that.” He wrapped her in shadows to hold her
still, and then, he did something that stunned her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and aside from his lips, she felt something warm touch her skin. It was hot.

  He repeated it again and again; on each tiny wound, he pressed a kiss and then licked her skin. When he finished with her face, he lifted her hands to his lips one at a time. It seemed that his tongue found a lot to work on in the palm of her hand.

  She felt her pussy clench when his tongue slipped between her fingers, and she bit the inside of her lip to keep her expression neutral.

  When her arms and face were whole, he cupped her head in his hands, and he kissed her, his tongue skating lightly along the inside of her lip for the small bite.

  Shock was her first instinct, closing her eyes was her second, but by the time she had started to close her eyes, he was backing away. “There. All healed.”

  He unraveled his shadows from around her, and she swayed a bit, suddenly cold. He held out her chair, and she shuffled forward and sat down.

  She blinked, and her meal was sitting in front of her. “Where did this come from?”

  He chuckled. “It was brought the same way that breakfast was brought. You were simply distracted.”

  She put her fingers to her lips before she curled them into a fist and hid it in her lap.

  He unveiled the dishes, and she was surprised. It was a simple and cold meal—the kind of meal she used to get at home.

  She smiled and used the serving tongs to put the items on her plate, and then, she scooped up the cold salads and gave herself a large helping.

  She hummed happily to herself and started into her food.

  “So, did you enjoy the gardens?”

  She swallowed and nodded. “I did. They were lovely, and I enjoyed the mix of flowers.”

  “You appeared lost in your own thoughts.”

  “I had many thoughts on that walk. Many that will be modified now that I know you can see me so clearly.”

  He smiled slightly. “Do tell.”

  She paused and realized how she had bantered herself into a corner. “Um... no?”

  She continued to eat, and she glanced at him.