Wrapped in Fire Read online

  She continued to make her list, but she squeezed his hand. “I am fine. A little more medical treatment, and I will be fine. A few things torn, a lot of things scratched, and a few things gouged.”

  She completed her list and was going to hand it to Sagar, but Hreon grabbed it. “I will obtain everything on the list.”

  The general released her hand and said, “I want to add a few things.”

  He quickly tapped information in and handed it back to Hreon. “Thank you for taking care of that for me.”

  “It will be done. Stay safe, little miss. I will be back when I can. Sagar, behave, please. Grandfather has a guest.”

  Sagar nodded. “Of course. I will send for a tray of snacks for you.”

  When both of the men were gone, she looked at the general. “Why am I here?”

  “You are here because I knew that when I die, no one on Hellaz would care if you lived or died. I do care, so I want you somewhere safe, Dorra.”

  “Trust me, being stalked by your species through the marketplace does not make me feel safe. Zipping around in a thin layer of gauze and nothing else does not make me feel safe. I am hoping that some of your generosity allows me to put on a tunic at some point.”

  He chuckled. “But your breasts are spectacular, and your nipples are adorable. Why hide them?”

  “I hide them because people look. It is as simple as that. And because my species has a limited number of societies that allow or encourage semi-nudity.” She fussed with her hair, covering herself up.

  “I had no idea your hair was so long.”

  “It started off cultural, and when I went to the station, they stated that we were not allowed to do more than trim it. So, I just trimmed it every week, so it didn’t get to the point I would sit on it.”

  He chuckled. “I like the compliance.”

  “Right. Do I have to keep calling you general? It seems very vague.”

  “General Hrothan, son of Hellaz.” He smiled. “I used to catch your scent and wish I was ten years younger.”

  She chuckled. “Ten?”

  “Ten years ago, I could have ridden you until we were both exhausted. Now, I just think about what could have been and wrap myself in the images.”

  Dorra had no idea what to do with that. “Wow. That is... creepy.”

  He laughed and picked up her hand to kiss it. “I know. You are still young, but I have walked on Hellaz for three hundred years. They call me the general because I was the first member of the defending military and the overseer of the majority of all events on the surface.”

  “I thought all Hmrain descendants had wings.”

  “Only those born of a genetic match. Otherwise, we end up with one of two results. Those who resemble the non-Hmrain parent, or those who look like a Hmrain with none of the power. My family and I are the first kind.”

  “So, which parent is Hmrain, your mother or father?”

  He smiled. “My mother. She is the fire goddess of Hellaz. She held each of my children after they were born and each of my grandchildren.”

  She nodded. “So, are you choosing to die now?”

  He shrugged. “There is nothing for me now. Hreon is a good local leader, and Sagar may be a little careless at times, but he means well. Now that he knows who you are and why I wanted you here, he will be more obliging.”

  She snorted. “Right. At least he doesn’t have any of the Hmrain attraction for Terrans.”

  That seemed to surprise him. “He doesn’t?”

  She smiled. “No, Hrothan, he doesn’t. If he did, there would have been more of a response than he gave when the medic was putting my shredded sex back together.”

  “Why would he have responded to that?”

  “Have you ever had a repair unit pressed to your groin? It is warm, and it vibrates. Shall I continue?”

  He covered his mouth with his hand. “I see. Yeah, that should have provoked a response. I suppose that his family simply won’t carry the genes on for another generation. What do you think of Hreon?”

  “Well, he rescued me, so I am thinking of him favourably. Plus, he thinks Sagar is a bit of a twit as well, so he has my vote, but what am I voting for?”

  He smiled. “Neither of them has a partner, so if you are willing, you can have one.”

  She sat up straight. “What?”

  “To paraphrase what you told me once, I am pimping out my grandsons to you.” He cocked his head. “So, choose.”

  “Is there a category for none of the above?”

  He grinned. “No.”

  “Do they know?”

  He shook his head. “They do not.”

  “Are you going to tell them?”

  “When you have chosen.” He chuckled. “Now, in my bathing chamber, there is a grooming kit and some brushes. Let’s put me into some semblance of order.”

  She nodded and got to her feet, walking out. “Stop staring at my ass.”

  “What else does an old man have to enjoy?”

  She gathered the items and kits from his bathing room and returned to his bedside. His fierce dark red skin with the black markings all over his body was familiar to her. The thick, wavy black hair was similar to her own but three times as coarse. She brushed his hair back from his forehead, and that is when a servant brought a tray of snacks in.

  The older woman looked at her and scowled. “Miss. When you have a moment, please come to the kitchen, and we will discuss your duties.”

  Hrothan chuckled. “Relax, Avengar. She is my guest and companion. Sagar dressed her, and he is an idiot when it comes to such things. I am looking for something a little more circumspect with additional coverage if you can find it.”

  Hreon came in. “I have something. Here you are, Mistress Dorra.”

  He handed her a folded block of clothing, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

  Hrothan patted her arm. “Go and see if they fit. I want to check my grandson’s eye.”

  She nodded and headed to the bathing room to open the pack, and she held up the most basic of breast covers, two strips of fabric attached to a necklace. The fabric tied in the back. The matching skirt opened in the front and was tucked slightly to hold itself in place. The last thing in the pack was a flat icon that she recognized. It was everywhere in the house. She pinned the icon on the skirt under her navel, just to hold it in case her tucking didn’t work.

  She pulled her hair back and draped it over one shoulder. The previous skirt was smoothed and folded into a small packet and wrapped in the one that her current clothing had come in.

  She stepped out of the bathing room and walked back to Hrothan’s bedroom.

  He looked and grumbled. “Okay, maybe fifty years younger.”

  She grinned.

  Hreon stared, and he took a step toward her. “You look... more comfortable?”

  Hrothan clapped a hand over his eyes. “The word you are looking for, Hreon, is fuckable.”

  To her surprise, Hreon shrugged and nodded. “Yes. That. You definitely look fuckable.”

  She cocked her head. “I don’t know why men think that is a compliment. Technically, a fruit salad is fuckable.”

  They remained silent for a moment, and then, they burst into laughter, and she could definitely see the family resemblance.

  Chapter Three

  Dorra was given a cot in Hrothan’s office. He didn’t trust the servants when it came to a young woman in his home. She chuckled as she worked on his nails with the kit that Hreon had gotten for her.

  “What have you been doing? Clawing stone?” She glanced at him, and he shrugged.

  “I was crafting my epitaph. So... yes. I was clawing stone.”

  She used the motorized buffer and smoothed his nails out. “Well, you broke and split some nails. You are going to need a bit of oil on them.”

  “I believe that Hreon picked some up.”

  Hreon was sitting at the small table. “I did. I got every
thing on the list.”

  She nodded and got up, looking through the pack of treasures that she needed to take care of Hrothan’s grooming.

  She put the oil between her palms and slid her hands over her client’s. “So, why did you decide to start dying now, Hrothan?”

  He looked at her. “What?”

  “You bump along for a few centuries, and then, you have grandkids, and you realize that you would rather die than watch them have families of their own?”

  He scowled. “You don’t know anything about it.”

  “Yeah, I know. I am part of a firefly species. We flicker for about seventy years, and we are gone by a hundred. Well, most of us.” She shrugged. “So, your living or dying won’t have any effect on me whatsoever. But, do you have other grandchildren?”

  “No. I had two daughters, and each had a son.”

  “Ah. Well, those sons can have families or not.” She finished massaging his fingers and then oiled her hands to do the second hand. She slid her fingers through his, and the strengthening oil did its work.

  Hreon looked over. “What are you doing?”

  Hrothan chuckled. “This is how I met her. I tore a thumbnail, and one of my men suggested that I go to the salon for a repair. She tutted over the state of my hands and had me in a better situation in a matter of minutes. Her manager shouted at her the moment that I left, so I returned and made a second appointment for two months later. I have been going ever since.”

  She finished with his hand and wiped her hands on the towel she had placed across his thighs. “So, you are in bed because...”

  “I am dying.”

  She gave him a dark glare. “We are all dying. What separates the successful people from those who pass is that some folks keep fighting even when they are doomed. If I wasn’t like that, I wouldn’t be here. I would have starved in darkness and icy winds.”

  She got up and took the towel and tools with her. “Master Hreon, would you like me to work on your hands?”

  He blinked, bemused. “I would not mind seeing what the draw is.”

  She sat next to him and put the towel down along with the drills and grinders she needed for the Hellaz fingernails. She took a look and blinked. “Oh. Wow. Right.”

  She got to work, and she knew without asking that he didn’t have a current lover. Those fingers weren’t going inside anything without shredding it.

  She got one hand even and smooth, and then, he handed her his right hand. She buzzed, buffed, and clipped until his hands were smooth. Dorra oiled her palms and rubbed her fingers along his nailbeds before lifting his hand and running her fingers between his, then turning his hand over and massaging his palm.

  He shivered lightly in her grip but eagerly handed over his other appendage for the same treatment.

  Hrothan laughed. “It becomes addictive, and then, you want more. She also gives an amazing full-body rub, but I don’t have a table for that.”

  Hreon murmured, “It is downstairs.”

  She kept working at his hand until it was relaxed, and then, she set it down on the table, and she wiped her hands once again. “Hrothan, did you need a massage?”

  He shrugged. “I am good. Hreon looks rather tense.”

  She looked at the man who was admiring his fingertips. “They feel as strong as ever, but they look neat now.”

  “Master Hreon, would you like a massage?”

  He paused. “I would, but I would like it without my grandfather’s commentary.”

  Hrothan chucked. “His room is two down. I will give you an hour, and then, I am coming to check on you.”

  She got up and patted him on the shoulder. “I thought you were on your deathbed.”

  He smiled. “You are a guest under my roof. There will be no hint or coercion while you are here.”

  Hreon smiled. “I will get the bed. Do I need anything else?”

  “Two or three flat sheets.”

  “Right. I will come and get you when my room is ready.”

  She nodded and cleaned up in Hrothan’s room. “So, just to be clear, you are choosing to be in bed just because.”

  “Correct.”

  “Fine, but tomorrow, you are taking a bath or shower because that smell isn’t supposed to come off you until you are already dead.”

  He hooted. “I will shower while you are familiarizing yourself with my grandson.”

  She smiled at him. “And bring out a P-cha set. I am going to kick your butt.”

  He smiled and inclined his head. “I await the moment that you return, and I can crush your pieces.”

  She gave him a droll look, and he gave her an innocent smile.

  Hreon appeared in the doorway a few moments later. “I believe it is ready.”

  She nodded and looked at Hrothan. “Behave and order some dinner or something.”

  He smiled. “I will order dinner when you return, all flushed and sweaty.”

  She used a Hellaz hand signal to indicate her displeasure and followed Hreon to his room.

  Hreon was nervous.

  “This won’t hurt. I need you to disrobe completely and lie down on the top sheet on the bed. I will cover any part of you that I am not working on and move around that way.”

  He nodded, and she turned her back to mess with the kit. When she turned back, she noted that he was probably the same shape that his grandfather had been centuries before. She shook out one of the sheets folded and covered his backside and hips.

  “So, what part of this is making you nervous?” She moved the thick swath of his hair up and over his shoulder.

  He chuckled. “My self-control.”

  “Oh. Got it.” She poured the oil into her hand, let it warm, and then drizzled it across his back. “Let me know if I need to run for it.”

  He chuckled, and she got to work.

  The Hellaz had a fairly smooth hide with dark markings that ran across them. The rich, dark red was everywhere and provided unity of form, but Hreon was about five to ten percent larger than the rest of the male population. Same as Hrothan. They stood out by standing above the rest of their species.

  She worked at his shoulders, and he let out a grunt. Dorra found the knot in his shoulder and worked it loose. She slid her fingers over him evenly and sought out the next knot.

  “Um, I need to get a better angle on this. Do you have an objection?”

  He waved his hand and growled, “Go ahead.”

  She hopped up on the bed and knelt, straddling his back. Working rapidly with her fingers, she went over the connection point until the wadded tissue relaxed with a pop. While she was in that position, she ran her hands over him and looked for more trouble spots.

  As she scooted down, she noted that her inner thighs were pressing against his hips. She worked on his very delightfully shaped butt and then dismounted, reset his sheet, and started on his arms.

  “Did you do this back on your world?”

  “No. They taught me at the education station. I had to work on a number of species.”

  “Have you worked on any armour-plated species?”

  She chucked. “They require a percussor, but yes.”

  “How did you come to work on my grandfather?”

  “Ah, he asked me to check and see if there was anyone at the salon who could work on him. There was no one cleared for it, so I told him that as long as he would mention if I caused him discomfort, I would try it. I tried it, and he came back every four to eight weeks and booked me for an afternoon. I would do his nails, give him a massage, groom his hair, and we would play a few games of P’cha.” She chuckled. “He always wins.”

  Hreon muttered. “He cheats.”

  She leaned in next to his ear and whispered. “I know.” She went to his legs, flipped the sheet up so that she wasn’t getting a back view of anything, and she worked on his thighs and calves.

  When he was relaxed, she held the sheet up, and she said, “On your back, please.�
�

  He leaned up and said, “I do not believe that is a good idea.”

  She bit her lower lip. “Ah. Well, that happens. I will just weigh it down with something.”

  He looked at her and narrowed his black eyes. “Funny.”

  “It is, rather. My symptoms of physical arousal are rather minimal in comparison.” She smiled. “Now flip.”

  He rolled to his back, and she blinked. “Yikes. Right, well, I am just going to put this on top.”

  She looked and stifled a giggle. Now, it just looked like his hips were haunted. She turned and got a folded towel and eased him downward. She put her hands on her waist and cocked her head. “I dunno. Should I put a weight on it or something? Right now, it is just distracting.”

  He grabbed her and pulled her to him. “Just finish the massage and get this over with.”

  She grinned. “Yes, Master Hreon.”

  She poured oil directly on his belly and stroked upward and outward. He inhaled sharply. “How did that get so cold?”

  “Ah, I have been warming it up in my palms, but you were suddenly in a hurry, so I thought a light shock might help take your mind off things.”

  She rubbed her fingers over his ribs, his pecs, and then rubbing his collarbone and shoulders. She lifted his head, and when he went limp in her hands, she smiled. He closed his eyes and groaned as she got all the tension out.

  She chuckled. “When I get a rubdown, this is my favourite part.”

  He opened his eyes slowly, and there was a golden flare in the depths of his eyes. “You have this done to you?”

  “Sure. The groomers take care of each other.” She rubbed her thumbs along his neck, and she chuckled.

  “Why the laughter?”

  “Some of the intimate massagers are always trying to create a happy ending, even if they are just getting a neck rub.”

  “What is a happy ending?”

  “Something that you are not getting.” She chuckled. “Sexual release after a massage.”

  “Ah. Understandable.”

  “So, I have an odd question while I have you in a vulnerable position.”

  She moved down to his legs and worked on the last of the massage.

  “Certainly.”

  “How common are Hellaz same-sex relationships?”