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  Laveen blinked. “Oh. Well, that is on a need to know basis.”

  Cora smiled, “Laveen, I need to know.”

  The woman frowned and looked around as if waiting for rescue. When nothing was forthcoming, she got to her feet. “Come with me.”

  Cora got up and took the staff with her. She couldn’t seem to leave it anywhere. It was a new reflex, but grabbing it was the first thing she did when she started moving.

  Cor felt the noise that Laveen was making, and she smiled slightly when a group of four guards fell in around them.

  “What is the reason for the guards?”

  “We are not used to visitors, and some of our people are not willing to accept strangers who suddenly appear without binding themselves to our world.”

  “Ah. I understand, funnily enough, I simply want to familiarize myself with the terrain, both above and underground. I don’t need to go in, I just want to know where the entrance is.”

  Laveen stopped in her tracks. “Oh. I thought…I mean I assumed you wanted to examine our home.”

  Cora chuckled. “No, that is not my business. You have a complete society underground, and I have no place there. I know it. My intent is not to intrude.”

  The guards looked at each other and shrugged.

  Borik leaned in toward Cora, “Do you know when Socorea will be back?”

  Cor fought her grin. “No, but I will make sure she seeks you out when she lands.”

  He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he nodded quickly and resumed his position behind her.

  Laveen dismissed two of the guards and walked toward the cliff edge where the shuttle had been perched. “This is much easier. We have skimmers stashed all over the place for just this sort of excursion.”

  Laveen pressed what looked to Cora to be a random rock, but the ground slipped aside and a skimmer rose on a platform. Laveen showed her to her seat, and Cora sat, tucking the staff against her and watched Borik at the controls.

  The tour of the local areas was more of a distraction than anything else. With her friend gone and Relak off on some mission she didn’t understand, she really wanted to have something to do.

  Flying above the garden and working their way out of the mountain valley, Cora learned something very important. The majority of Lero was mountainous and had a few flat expanses that were green and lush in valleys that matched the one Relak had his home in.

  “Is the entire planet structured this way?”

  Laveen leaned close. “It was Lero’s idea. He will flatten out areas if we need them for crops or expansion, but we have more underground space than we can use right now.”

  “Do you know what the population of Lero is?”

  “One million, three hundred eighty-two thousand and thirteen.” Laveen’s answer was proud. “My family does the census as well as service to the Avatar.”

  “Wow. Is there a religion on Lero? I have noticed that most living worlds do not have an organized religion.”

  “No, working with Lero is our focus. We have no need for false gods when our world speaks to us directly.” Smiling, Laveen pointed out an open doorway. “They are coming out for fresh air and insects. It is pollination season down below for the winter vegetables, and we need to obtain pollinators. It is easier to bring them in, have them work and release them back to the surface with all the pollen and nectar they can carry.”

  “Convenient. Do you think that Lero will bring more of your people to the surface?”

  “If we can gain a decade of peace with the Vahsh, he might. There is a danger that they will attack if they see that we are up and running again. The Vahsh are treacherous buggers. I would not put much past them.”

  “Even after seven centuries, you have resentment toward them?”

  “They have kept our Avatar from acting on our behalf. That has reduced our society’s ability to move forward with the research and development that we crave as a species. Leroans want to learn, want to increase our knowledge base and we want to use the unlimited power that Lero gives us to power vehicles and devices that can make a difference in the Alliance.”

  “What is the power, specifically?” Cor was enjoying the view, but it was rather repetitive as they saw valley after valley.

  “Crystals that house light and focus it. If you expose the crystals to daylight, or even starlight, they will continue to generate energy that can power a vehicle, a weapon, or a communication device. It is the blood of Lero. We can harvest what we will, and he creates more.”

  “The Vahsh want it?”

  “They do. They want the power that having access to a precious commodity will give them. Their world is destitute, or at least that is where they were heading seven hundred years ago. They were eager to strike a deal with Relak, but their representatives lacked self-control and Dahla paid the price.”

  “Is there an image of her somewhere?”

  “Of course. Every city, every library, and each market has her image. You will see them soon enough. I am sure that Avatar Relak will take you on a tour of our places soon enough.”

  The humming noise of Laveen’s sub-speech ran through the air. A moment later, Borik turned their skimmer back toward Relak’s residence.

  Cora listened to the humming of the words just outside of her range of hearing and came to the conclusion that it was a language that she could learn to understand even if speaking it was outside her abilities.

  “What do you think of me, Laveen?” It was an abrupt question that spurred itself out of her in a rush.

  Laveen blinked in alarm. “I think that you are the chosen of the Avatar. You seem a practical sort of woman even though I am not sure why you are the one to have woken Relak when so many other females have tried.”

  Cora smiled and hugged the truth to her, she knew why she had been chosen, why she had woken him. She had been able to because no other woman had been able to see him.

  As they flew back, she breathed deeply of the fresh air of the untainted world. They were able to move much faster with their target straight ahead, and as they approached the residence, a spark of silver shot down from the sky. Relak was on his way, and based on the flight path, it was Sox at the controls.

  A tumbling of joy ran through Cora’s chest. She wasn’t sure if it was because of Sox’s return or because of Relak’s, but she knew that her day was looking up.

  Chapter Eight

  The skimmer settled on the ground outside the residence three minutes before the shuttle landed. It was enough time for Cora to get herself under control and admire the sleek lines of the incoming shuttle.

  Laveen’s expression was smug. “The shuttle is one of our designs. This is the first time I have seen it in flight.”

  “I am guessing that Sox has a major crush on it. She has always been a fan of large bodies and sleek lines.” Cor shot a side glance at Borik, and he smiled.

  He seemed perfectly at ease with the idea that Sox was after him for his body.

  Cor kept her inner laughter stifled until the moment the door opened and Relak stepped out. Her amusement died as her breath was swept away.

  He had been the Avatar when he left, but his feet now were firmly on the ground and Lero was pouring power into him.

  Each step caused a cascade of rainbows, and when she broke from the hypnosis of the bright colours, she looked up into his gaze. Red blazed where his dark eyes had been, and it was Lero who gathered her in his arms and pulled her to him.

  Cora let out a small noise when his lips came to hers, and he bent her backward in an intense kiss that sent blood pooling into all the right portions of her body. She threaded her fingers in his hair, the cool, slick strands giving her another sensation. Lero tasted different than Relak, odd considering they shared the same body, but his taste was minerals and earth while his Avatar was everything alive and growing.

  The scar on his lip was the same and the hands that held her used more care but were still the same as Relak’s. She let him support her as s
he nipped at his lips and tasted him again.

  A throat clearing brought Cora out of her haze, and Sox was standing next to her with a solemn look on her face. “I am sorry to intrude, but the Alliance staff on the station just announced that the Vahsh are not happy. There is movement near the Vahsh moons and there is worry that an attacking force is on its way.”

  Relak-Lero groaned and kept Cora tight against him, his eyes shifted to a swirling mix of the two occupants of his body. “Is there confirmation?”

  “Not yet. The Vahsh are keeping com silence. We won’t know until they arm and head this way.”

  Cora scowled. “If they are on their way, we need to contact the Sector Guard, notify the nearest warship. Something.”

  He squeezed her. “We are protected, but you need to join with Lero for you to be as effective as we need you to be.”

  “Wait…what do you mean join with?”

  He looked down at her and sighed. “I wanted to make this request in a more romantic setting, but you are my companion and with Lero occupying my body, my life span is much longer than yours. To make sure that you remain at my side, Lero will join with you as the Avatar-companion and expand within you, synching your life to mine and mine to yours.”

  Blinking rapidly as she tried to absorb the information, she tried not to inhale too deeply. Being this close to him and his body carrying the unmistakable scent of arousal warped her senses.

  “Why does my joining with Lero increase my effectiveness?”

  He smiled, “Because when you join with Lero, you will control the core of the world and the satellites in orbit.”

  Sox cleared her throat, “Satellites? There weren’t any satellites when we came in.”

  Relak grinned, “You couldn’t see the world under your feet, why do you think Lero would let you see his defences?”

  Cora understood, and she closed her eyes to remember the flight in. She had been busy watching the girls when they passed Lero’s perimeter, she didn’t have a chance to look. Cor shrugged at Sox and her friend nodded.

  Clearing her throat, Socorea touched her collar and tapped it with one finger. She nodded once she had sent the signal.

  Still enjoying the warmth of his arms, Cora was amused when Relak turned to whisper in her ear. “What did she just do?”

  She whispered back, “She sent a signal to the orbital station, telling them that you were aware of the possibility of incoming Vahsh and asked them to keep us posted.”

  “All with a few taps?”

  Cora smiled against his neck. “It isn’t the Leroan long-range communication, but we get by without the second set of vocal chords.”

  She squirmed against him, enjoying the contact with all aspects of his body. She hoped that the Leroans were sexually compatible with Terrans, because otherwise, she was going to be in for a rough time. “I believe that it is time for the evening meal. Laveen has taken me on a tour of the local landscape, so tomorrow, I would like it if you show me one of the cities.”

  Instead of holding her hips, his hands cupped her buttocks to hold her still, a move that froze her in place as more nerve endings were rippling with pleasure.

  “Dinner sounds like a good idea. Your new bodyguard can get a location briefing from Borik. His family has served Lero for a thousand years.”

  Sox grinned and blushed. “I think that I have any number of questions to ask Borik.”

  Cora chuckled. “Keep it above the waist, Sox.”

  Sox quirked a brow at her, and her gaze flicked from Cora’s butt to Relak and back. “As you would say, is this the pot calling the kettle black?”

  Cora raised her hands. “My appendages are firmly above the waist.”

  Relak released her. “Right. A meal. It has been some time since I was on a regular schedule, let alone one dictated by anyone else.”

  Laveen nodded, curtsied and moved quickly down the path to his residence.

  Cora took his arm, and with a gentle tug, she got him walking down the path after what appeared to be their housekeeper.

  The guards followed, and Cora could hear the chirpy interest in Sox’s tone as she questioned Borik and then waited for his low reply.

  “Why did the Leroan’s develop the second set of vocal chords?” Cora had to know.

  “We developed on Lero’s world with mountains everywhere. Sending signals to the next village was arduous before we developed long-range communications. Even with the coms, we can still lose signals with other cities, but the reverberation of our voices travels down every stone corridor, bounces against the stone and gets to where it needs to be. The veins of core stone amplify the energy of the tone and make it faster and stronger with every passing meter.”

  “Lero changed you.”

  “Yes, Lero changed us to force us to develop as a people, as a unit. We went from a dozen small cities to a global nation in a year.”

  “Were you alive during that time?”

  “No, it was four thousand years before I was born. I gained the true knowledge when I became the Avatar.”

  They walked into the garden, past the spots where the tents had been set up less than a day before. “So, will I know everything when Lero sets up housekeeping?”

  “You will know what you want to know, whether that is everything will be up to you.” Relak lifted her hand to his lips, and she shivered as the touch translated to something much lower. He placed her hand back around his forearm and the smugness was palpable.

  She sighed as her body betrayed her at his slightest touch. Living with heightened senses in a modern city was difficult. She had been delighted when the recruitment officer told her that her skills would be used in more rural postings. With Socorea as her partner, she passed through her combat training and qualified as an Alliance guard. Every world she set foot on was a sensory delight or nightmare. Power prickled her skin, scents overwhelmed her or soothed her and the contact of strangers was never welcome.

  Here on Lero there was enough space for her to let her senses stretch out in a way that she hadn’t been able to do since she was at home.

  It wasn’t home yet, but it could be.

  Chapter Nine

  Dinner was more elaborate than the night before, and the dining room was up and functioning. The Leroans had their Avatar’s residence in full operating order.

  “So, the Vahsh returned to their home with all the symptoms of hypothermia in one of the warmest falls we had ever had.” Prefect Darmath was a charming man, and he had given his good looks to his son, Borik.

  Cora smiled, “I suppose that hospitality is all in the eyes of the beholder, and they did not behold anything that was appealing to them. After all, you provided them with tents, bedding and safety. What more could they have needed for three days?”

  Darmath shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that our sensors were going insane with the amount of whining those young women could emit. It was amazing. They never lost their energy for that.”

  The table laughed together. There was Cora, Socorea, Relak, Borik, Borik’s father Darmath and Borik’s cousins, Tiv and Neeko.

  They had all enjoyed dinner and were now sitting down to a glass of wine. Cora’s was diluted to ten percent of what the others were drinking but no one commented on it.

  Darmath finally asked a question he had obviously travelled to the surface to ask, “So, Lady Cora, when do you think you will want to come for a visit? The city of Ix is below your feet, and your people are eager to make your acquaintance.”

  “I believe that I will be able to come down the moment that we have confirmation that the Vahsh are no longer a threat.” She smiled and sipped at her kiddy wine.

  Darmath frowned, “But they have left.”

  Borik cleared his throat. “They are massing to attack, Father. They will be here in two days.”

  Relak was sitting casually, and Darmath stared at him. “You are not worried?”

  Relak sipped at his wine and shook his head. “I am not. Cora will wield th
e staff and communicate with the core stone. All will be as it should be.”

  Darmath seemed nervous. “No one has done maintenance on those satellites since your time. Are you sure they will function?”

  Relak smiled, “I am sure. I have faith in the chosen of Lero.”

  As Relak sprawled lazily in his chair, his eyes took on the unmistakable glow of Lero. “Do you doubt me, Darmath?”

  The prefect shook his head. “No, Lero. You have always had the survival of your people first and foremost in your thoughts.”

  “And I will continue to do so, but having a companion for my Avatar has been my priority for many of your generations. First, she will mate with us, and then, we will deal with the Vahsh.”

  Cora choked on her watered wine and spluttered. Relak reached for her with concern, and she batted his hand away. “Did you have to be so blunt?”

  He shrugged. Lero was still riding high. “It seemed the most appropriate phrase. I could get more graphic, I suppose. For example, the moment that I am inside you and Relak is thrusting into you, our bond will be—”

  Cora slapped her hand over his mouth, and those gathered around the table burst into laughter. His gaze was amused, and his smile was obvious under her palm.

  Sox was on her side. “Um, Lero, Cora’s people are a little hesitant about sexual matters. They indulge in them but don’t really discuss them and never in a public forum.”

  He raised his eyebrows, and Cora nodded. “It’s true. Well, in my family, we just don’t consider it a public topic. I can’t speak for all Terrans.”

  Darmath cleared his throat. “The Leroans are more casual about it. It is a necessity to make it casual when cries of passion can be heard for miles in our underground cities.”

  Lero moved his head away from Cora’s hand. “In fact, the people of Ix will soon be swarming to the surface for the fertility celebrations. Couples wed at harvest time and enjoy the relative privacy of mating in the open air before the weather gets too cold.”