Bride of Death Read online

  An hour later, he was trailing his fingers over her belly. “How do you know you are breeding?”

  She laughed. “I know the way all my maternal ancestors knew. Our minds go berserk in the early days, we run or fight to make a safe home for ourselves and our men have to make a safe place for us to stay. We need to be safe and feel safe.”

  “How long does this last?”

  “A few weeks to a month. It is different for every female. I just need to know you are nearby and will come if I call. Can that be arranged?”

  Althur pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It will be arranged. Whatever you need will be arranged.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am a man of my word. Whatever you wish will be provided, and if it is not, you and I shall run to the wilds and begin life without technology or other beings to distract us.” He laughed.

  She blinked. “We can do that. I know every plant on this world, and we seeded some of these confined ponds with fish. They are dead-end pools and the fish don’t breed, but they are very tasty with a little herbal addition.”

  He stared at her. “You are kidding.”

  “I am not. We had to travel with our own food breeds, and they were thawed and seeded when we were.”

  “Are there any other new species here?”

  “No, we didn’t have time to set up farms. We were on immediate harvest and stockpile runs. The food was all provided in protein packs from the ship or the fish. They grow fast.”

  He chuckled. “It seems that there were some questions that the enclave should have included in their probe.”

  “I thought it was a one-way device.” She stroked her hand along his chest and belly.

  “It was not. You spoke and we heard it. It is how we were able to pinpoint your language.”

  She smiled. “Then, I am grateful for it.”

  “We have to return to the ship.”

  She sighed. “I know.”

  “Bring some of those suits. You look more comfortable in them.” He laughed at her expression.

  Her delight must have showed in her face. In a few minutes, she had a bag packed and she was dressed again.

  She took his hand and hauled him through the caverns of her home. “You followed my mind?”

  “And your scent trail. We rarely use the skills anymore, but they roared into action the moment you went missing. Don’t run from me again. Run to me.”

  She chuckled and pulled him past the grand hall and toward the outer exit. “I will as long as I won’t be shot for doing it.”

  “They will stay clear of you now, and any of my men laying a hand on you will soon have that hand removed.”

  She pulled him into the light, and his skimmer was right outside the cavern.

  “Get on it, Saloa. I will send a recruit to retrieve your skimmer.”

  She smiled and stepped onto the skimmer. He stepped on behind her, wrapping his arms around her as he gripped the controls. As a flying position went, it was a lot more secure than hanging on and hoping you didn’t go flying without benefit of technology.

  He ran them back to the ship and into the skimmer bay after a quick pass over the city.

  The personnel stayed away from her as they returned and went straight to the dining room. She was served with a certain amount of caution by the wait staff.

  Althur was amused. “Gossip spreads pretty quickly.”

  Guilt rose up. “Did anyone get into trouble for my...escape?”

  “No one will be disciplined. There was no way for them to know how deadly you are.”

  “I wasn’t deadly, just dangerous. Deadly would have involved the cutlery from lunch.”

  He nodded in agreement and smiled, “I thank you for the upgrade in my status. After a check, I will be the only Breeder-Death Bringer on record.”

  She laughed. “Death bringing life. How unlikely.”

  His laugh filled the room, and while his subordinates stared, she smiled. He had caught her joy, and it was coming out. He would learn to defend himself against her emotions. It would just take practice.

  He would get the hang of it. She had faith in her Death Bringer. He was the man who had won her heart after all.

  * * * *

  “It’s a girl.” The physician tried not to show his amazement as he cradled the wet infant, but it was difficult.

  Saloa looked down and grinned at the newest Hinlior baby.

  The attendant wrapped the little girl in a white blanket and brought her over to Saloa.

  Once all matters were attended to and she was ensconced in clean bedding with the new arrival, Althur opened the door.

  Five little hybrid girls ran into the room, hushing each other as they peered at their new sister. The Anvin enclaves were already bidding in an effort to get the children assigned to their enclaves when they were adults. As part of the agreement that Althur had brokered for his offspring, no one could force one of the Prothean-Anvin hybrids into breeding. If they chose an unattached man and he reciprocated, he was theirs.

  Bloodlines were being strictly recorded so that inbreeding would not be a danger.

  “Ladies and Althur, this is the newest member of our family. Liasoi Hinlior. She is going to grow big and strong, but you need to help me with her and keep an eye on her, just like daddy keeps eyes on you.”

  The little girls nodded. Her first daughter had been the pride of her father’s eyes the moment that she was born. The first set of twins came next, and the next set of twins had caused folks to watch her belly like it was a ticking time bomb. This last pregnancy had all the Life Givers she passed ask her to pause and touched her hair and belly.

  If she could give the desperate women fertility via touch, she would, but if she could offer comfort, she would let them shave her head if they wanted to.

  Her position in Anvin society was odd and tentative, but it was hers, and as an alien on a new world that was her old world, she was doing just fine.

  She smiled and whispered to little Liasoi, “And when you are bigger, I will teach you hand-to-hand combat and weapons training. No one is taking your toys away.”

  The baby opened hypnotic blue eyes in her nut-brown skin, and she smiled as if she understood everything her mother said.

  “She has your eyes, love.” Althur sat next to her, and one by one, the Hinlior clan climbed up and nestled against their mother.

  “And your everything else. You Anvin make lovely babies.” She uncovered the toes and counted all the tiny nubs that clenched at her touch.

  “You do your part as well. Your hair and eye colour make for the most striking Anvin that have ever walked the universe.” He kissed her temple.

  They sat in bed for the one quiet moment that they would have as a family before Althur’s parents and siblings would enter the recovery room to worship the new arrival.

  It was going to be a whirlwind evening.

  Curled up next to her husband with her infant snuffling in the crib, Saloa felt the lightening in her heart that came with every one of her children. With each arrival came the same thoughts.

  She had been sacrificed to the monsters, been courted by a beast and finally had her prince. It was just like a composite of all the stories her mother had ever told her, and she was on her way to her happy ending. She hoped it took a while to get there, because she was loving her life and everyone in it.

  Author’s Note

  Bride of Death is a melange of fairy tales, but as always, the happily ever after comes running when you have a determined female on the job.

  So, the prisoners will be handed over to the new colony, and we might see more of the Prothean people...quite possibly the Anvin as well. There won’t be any more damsels in distress when they appear. These girls will be pursuing their happily ever after with a vengeance. How fast can Anvin run?

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  http://www.violagrace.com

 
[email protected]

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.