Going Cold Read online

  Their private skimmer exited the rear of the shuttle and cruised toward their destination. She had two boxes with her, and both were for denizens of this world. The dress she was wearing was modest but made of a fabric that felt like mercury. It was cool and slippery at the same time.

  She sat calmly and watched the world go by. The trees had colourful fruit, the fields of grain were a reddish shade that she hadn’t seen before, and the sky above had a green tinge. It made her pale skin look slightly bronze.

  They flew over an alien landscape, and all Hesker could do was look at it. Her hands wanted to touch, and she wanted to smell the flowers.

  Half an hour out on the shuttle, and they were landing in the heavily guarded compound near the palace. The good captain left the skimmer and greeted the palace guards who came to inspect them. She got up and held the box for King Avedis in front of her. The golden-scaled Krin picked up the second box.

  She was swept with wands, and the clingy nature of the fabric and the captain’s presence smoothed things over. She was able to proceed without being groped by strangers.

  The captain and commander walked her into the palace with the others at her back. She was escorted into the audience hall and waited while she was introduced.

  “Her ladyship, Dame Hesker, emissary of the heir to the Imperium.”

  The king was sitting at a desk, and he nodded for her to approach. She walked forward and bowed, holding the chest close to her body.

  “Emissary, hm? With my grandson as an escort? Rise, Dame Hesker.”

  She straightened and extended her arms. “A gift from the heir to the empire and his charming wife.”

  She set the box down in front of him and passed her hand over it. There was a click, and he lifted the lid.

  He removed a book from the box and flipped to the page that was marked. He looked at her, his grandson, and the court. He laughed. “Oh, this is very, very good. I shall forward my thanks to the prince and princess. This is exactly what I am looking for. Dame Hesker, will you walk with me?”

  “Certainly, Your Majesty.” She watched him clear his desk, and he took the book with him, tucked under one arm. He offered her the other.

  She laid her hand on the back of his arm, and he led her out of the room, down the hall, and out into the wide gardens of the palace. She wanted to run headfirst into the flowers and learn them all. Eat all the herbs and prod all the mushrooms, but instead, she had to walk the manicured path with an alien king.

  “So, Dame Hesker, you have an interesting name. Is it a family name?”

  “It is a name that isn’t.” She smiled. “I made it up for my new journey.”

  “And child, where are you from?”

  She inclined her head. “I am a Terran. I am the same species as the imperial princess.”

  “You appear to be a Nyal in colouration.”

  She nodded politely. “I had the pigment removed from my hair and eyes. This is what Terrans look like if we are missing those pigments.”

  “You look Nyal.” He chuckled. “If you were, I would try and gain you for my grandson. He’s nearing the age where a wife would be a good thing.”

  “If you are referring to the captain, I would not be a good match for him.” She smiled. She was reading him, and he was a pale grey for lightly dangerous.

  “You are young, you are—” He looked at her. “What was so funny?”

  “Nothing. I am merely older than I look. Our avatar shaped me for this purpose, so here I am. I will run out my duties, and then, no one shall see me again.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “That is my plan. I wanted to see the stars; I wanted to look up into the darkness and see worlds and constellations I had never seen before. When I find a place where there is a starscape I think I can look at forever, I believe that is where I shall ask to set up my home.”

  He glanced at her. “Would you consider this world? My grandson looks at you with affection?”

  “Does he?” She cocked her head and looked at him.

  He stared into her eyes, and he suddenly whispered, “Perhaps I will start looking for a bride for him. You will have him for how long?”

  “Five years is the current estimate.”

  “That will give me plenty of time to make arrangements.” They started walking again, and now, there were more nobles wandering in the gardens.

  “May I ask what the book was?”

  “It was a tome that I knew about but had a hard time locating. Imperium regulations for inheritance. There are many folk here who wish to claim that throne, but only a few that I would consider acceptable.”

  “You want it to go to your daughter’s family. The captain, specifically.”

  “Correct. You are aware of the situation?”

  “I have a box for your son-in-law. They have sent him a gift as well.”

  “Raanan will be flattered. Is that where you are going next?”

  “Ideally, they would arrive here, but I am not sure that that is what will happen.” She smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her guards on one side and his guards on the other side.

  “Would you consider a suit from me?”

  She paused and looked at the man, who looked definitely mature, but he was still in good shape. “Not for another five years. If I am still available, as me then.”

  He inclined his head. “I shall. There is something about you that I find fascinating.”

  “Your senses are keen then. I find myself fascinating as well.” She smiled.

  He laughed.

  A palace servant came to him, bowed, and whispered in his ear. He sighed. “It seems that your wish will come true. My daughter and son-in-law have arrived.”

  They slowly headed back to a protected area where two proud parents were hugging an embarrassed captain.

  He straightened when she and his grandfather approached. “Mother, Father, this is the imperial courier I am assigned to. Dame Hesker.”

  She nodded to the two, and Krin stepped up to her with the box. She took it over with a slight smile and turned back toward them. “It is good to meet you. It is an honour to meet the captain’s parents. That being said, this is a gift from the imperial heirs.”

  She stepped away from the king, ran her hand over the box, and extended her arms to the very elegant and very mocha-brown couple. Raanan Adonai’s eyes were gold; his wife’s were red. They looked adorable together.

  The couple smiled at her politely and took the chest, lifting the lid, and Ceres Avedis lifted the note and started reading it with her cheeks getting darker and darker. Raanan smiled and removed the object from the box. “This was stolen eighteen years ago. It is a family heirloom.”

  A gold mask with no eyes was held up, encrusted with gems, and had straps that had some kind of a print closure device hanging in it.

  She tilted her head in curiosity, and she glanced at the captain. His expression was mortified.

  The king eased her away from the couple. “It is a mating mask. The wealthier families have them. As our first matings are done during heat and not always with full agreement by the families, it helps the new couple to rely on their senses.”

  She mentally thanked Hydrangea for giving her that talk.

  “Oh. Got it.”

  “I know it seems a bit barbaric, but it is a tradition.” Raanan lifted his wife’s hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.

  “We still have wedding by abduction here.” The king sighed.

  She felt the cold run through her. “I see.”

  “It is hard to break that tradition, so many of the families depend on it.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Dame Avedis looked at her and smiled slightly. “Are you a Terran?”

  Hesker drew back. “Yes. How did you know?”

  She grinned. “I met one once. Raanan hired a hunter to bring me home before we were formalized, and she was Terran. She had the same infle
ction and the same expression on her face when selling people was mentioned.”

  Hesker frowned.

  Ceres laughed. “Yes, that face. I had thought that all Terrans were like her, but if the princess can write that note and go through the effort of finding my husband’s family mask, I believe that I can open my mind to having her in control.”

  King Kirkan smiled at her. “Now, with that duty dispersed, will you join me for dinner?”

  Ceres looked at him. “Father?”

  “She has already turned me down.”

  Hesker nodded. “I have a duty for five years, and a place that lets or encourages women to be sold is not particularly attractive. I will find an empty space and make my home there when it is time.”

  Ceres smiled. “You don’t care for people.” It was a statement.

  “I do not. You look very pretty.”

  Ceres laughed. “Nice recovery. Would you care to go for a walk?”

  “The Avedis are big on walking.”

  “It is a good way to burn off calories and process lunch so that there is more room for dinner.”

  They went for a walk, and Hesker learned all about Kirlus Adonai-Avedis, the captain.

  They walked for about an hour, and then, they were summoned for dinner.

  Everyone turned toward the palace and started moving, which was why no one noticed when Hesker got a hand over her mouth and a searing pain to her skull.

  This had better not be a weird Nyal tradition.

  Chapter Five

  Hesker woke with a groan and heard a strange tinkling. She looked at her arms, and there was a delicate chain between them. Her skin felt icy.

  There were light sobs, and she looked to see two other women bound and chained together. Hesker was on her own, but she smelled blood in the air, so he probably thought she was out for the count.

  “Why am I here?”

  “Oh, little dove, you are going to fetch a nice price at the grand arena. I saw you in the gardens, and I couldn’t resist just one more.”

  She paused. “You grabbed these other women as well?”

  “Their families can ransom them back. Yours can as well.”

  She smiled. “Why would you do this?”

  “I have debts, and young ladies are a very fast way to make money. Feel honoured. You are making my life better while you are in the arms of your new owner or your own family. Everyone wins.”

  She got to her feet and crept up behind him in the vehicle. She looped the convenient chain around his neck and pulled. He choked, and they started to wobble. “Lower us slowly and carefully. You might get out of here alive.”

  The transport wobbled but slowed and settled in a meadow.

  “Good. Now, I am taking the two young ladies, and you can continue on your way, but you are not going to be selling anything tonight.”

  She unlooped the chain, and he grabbed at his neck. “You bitch.”

  She cocked her head. “Is that supposed to scare me? Offend me? Make me cry? Bitches have teeth.” She made a fist and broke his nose. She hit him again in the jaw, kicked him in the crotch, and used the safety strap of the seat to tie him up. After that, she fumbled for keys to the cuffs, and when she didn’t want to paw at him anymore, she opened the door and urged the young ladies to follow her.

  “Come on. I am fairly certain that my ride is just about here.”

  They followed her, and the lights of the following vehicles stopped and lowered to the ground. Commander Valat walked up to her and checked her head, growling before he looked her in the eyes. “Are you all right?”

  Her lips were tight. She held up her chained wrists. “Help, please.”

  He took the cuffs in his hands, and there were a slight squeeze and a click. The cuffs fell free.

  “I knew you weren’t like other boys.”

  He looked at her in surprise, and then, he winked. “Let’s get your head tended to. Who are your new friends?”

  “They were kidnapped and going to be sold as sex pets in the grand arena.”

  He nodded. “We saw your feed.”

  “I thought you might. I was hoping that you didn’t just have a headband fetish we would deal with later.”

  He moved close to her. “You didn’t kill him.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know how to fly those transports. I would have crashed us if I used the chain to saw through his neck.”

  He smiled. “But, you wanted to?”

  “Sure. His arteries would have sprayed up and out. This outfit would barely have suffered.”

  “Interesting calculating factor.”

  “Thank you. I am happy that I thought of it.”

  The palace guards were unlocking the cuffs on the other ladies, and they were being ushered into the skimmers.

  She nodded and swayed a little as she stepped toward the skimmer. “He may be a dick, but he hits really hard.”

  “I will get the med kit while we head back to the palace.”

  She nodded and let him settle her on a seat while he applied a numbing solution before he cleaned the wound and her hair.

  “Your head bleeds a lot.”

  “Yeah. It does. Head wounds are possibly my least favourite.”

  “You have been injured previously?”

  “Yes. A few times. The procedure I just underwent removed the scarring.”

  “I see. I am going to seal and close the wound. It may feel odd.”

  She waited for him to reach for something, but she felt a little tug in her scalp and then a warming that helped some of the tension in her shoulders relax a little.

  He finished in a few minutes, and they were nearly to the palace. He was humming softly as he carefully crafted and arranged a braid over her injury.

  “How does that feel?”

  “Better. Thank you, Commander Valat.”

  “My pleasure, Dame Hesker.”

  He put the kit away and took all of the bloody accessories to be disposed of separately.

  She brushed at the few stains on her clothing and nodded when she had tidied up as best she could. They arrived back at the palace and took the hand that Valat held out to her, using him to steady her.

  “Thank you.”

  “It would not do to see you fall over just after a powerful display.”

  Dame Avedis rushed up to them and said, “You were right behind me, and then you were gone. Your guards activated your tracker, and then, they went after you.”

  “Good. I am glad that it worked.” They were surrounded by nobles as they were led into the court and off to the private dining room. “It was worth having them embedded in me then.”

  Valat chuckled as if he knew what she was doing. He didn’t get bent out of shape when talking about life and death, so he just might know a smokescreen when he heard one.

  King Kirkan was very apologetic.

  “Please, forward your regrets to the imperial heirs. I have been injured on duty. I shall recover on duty, and I will continue my duty.”

  His majesty frowned. “At least stay here and rest tonight.”

  Valat squeezed her hand.

  “I am afraid not. I have many more worlds to visit and some species-specific medical care on my ship. I will not put you out, but I will just mention that he felt it was appropriate to kidnap me because the grand arena allows men to sell strangers to more strangers as companions, sex slaves, or pets. I will be none of those things, so you would soon have been dealing with a string of dead if my guards had not found me. I am too old and too tired to play nice anymore.” She smiled slightly. “Finally, I am in a place where it is appropriate.”

  Valat did something, which surprised everyone. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “The envoy is tired and has a head injury. I would suggest that we make a return visit when she has recovered.”

  She looked at his grip on her hand and the strange slow warmth that was running through her. “I reg
ret that I am not at my best. Captain Adonai-Avedis, please ask the woman with blue eyes if she would like to come with us. She has been repeatedly kidnapped and sold so that those involved can make a profit from her distress. I think she could use a vacation.”

  He frowned. “Take her with us?”

  “Yes, Captain. I am sure that your mother can help to arrange for a quick wardrobe until something else can be settled.”

  Ceres bemusedly said, “I am on it.” She and her husband walked off, talking in low tones to each other.

  Captain Adonai-Avedis was off finding the young woman who suited the journey, in Hesker’s tired eyes.

  She swayed, and Valat caught her. The king frowned. “Bring her to my study.”

  Her guard carried her while Yish and Krin brought up the rear.

  She whispered a request to Valat, and he nodded. He looked to Krin. “Water and some crackers and fruit.”

  The king opened the door to his study, and his guards were at attention for it. Yish spoke to them and then came inside to watch over her. Valat settled her on a couch.

  She looked to the king. “Do they get worse when something bad happens?”

  He smiled. “They do. They will be alert and far too close for a few days until everything goes into normal patterns again.”

  Valat checked her vitals with fingers on her wrist and a hand to her head.

  “Yeah, this is a little much. So, will anything happen to the kidnapper?” She didn’t have much hope there; if they let women and men be sold in the arena, then the perpetrator had done nothing more than moving merchandise. He was engaged in the sale of stolen goods, nothing else.

  Valat murmured, “If he had kept to the ladies born here, it might have been fine, but he assaulted and abducted the envoy of the imperial heirs. His life is forfeit.”

  King Kirkan smiled. “That is true. And a guest of my house. Yes, the sentence is death, but his family will grovel and attempt to pay their way out of the issue.”

  There was a knock on the door, and Krin came in with a tray. He set it down on a low table, and Valat pulled the table toward them. He helped her sit up and set the tray on her lap.

  She waved her left hand, passed it, and shoved the fruit away. Valat frowned. “Is it poisoned?”