Companion's Dilemma (Brace for Humanity Book 5) Read online

  “Aren’t you going to arrest them?”

  “No, we will wait and intercept them. Do not worry, none of your kind will be removed from this world.”

  “Why not just grab them?”

  He nodded and said, “Close your eyes.”

  She closed them, and the world spun around her, leaving her nude and standing in the teashop. “It’s empty.”

  “Folks who don’t want to get caught don’t spend much time in one place.” Lekorh put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Why the teashop?”

  “It is central and temporarily abandoned. It was easy to get in and have their meeting and then disperse.”

  She nodded, and they were back in his quarters. Sarah swayed and clung to his hands.

  “Oh, I shouldn’t have pushed you.” He stood and pulled her to her feet, walking with her in his arms before he set her at the edge of the bed. He pulled her dress off and tucked her in.

  She blinked at the rapidity of the procedure but lay back and settled her head on the low pillow. A bit of rest seemed just the thing right now.

  * * * *

  Lekorh finished his report to Iktabi, and he waited for a response.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I was touching her mind as it happened. She was reading thoughts that weren’t hers. It is going to occur tomorrow. Can we locate the portal?”

  “With the information you have provided, yes.”

  “Sarah managed the information extraction. I am entering that in her training file.”

  “We will have Hunters on the alert. Do we know what kind of females they are targeting?”

  Lekorh shook his head. “I am guessing that it will be women who have edged toward receptivity during the concert.”

  “Right.” Iktabi frowned. “Do you think we should give them a concrete target?”

  Lekorh knew what, or rather, whom he was referring to. “If you can get her mate’s cooperation, she might be a way to control their sphere of interest.”

  “Right. I will ask him.” Iktabi sighed and then smiled. “Take care of your new recruit. There are too few of you out there as it is.”

  “I am registering her as a companion. It will remove the possibility of her being removed from me by the administration.”

  Iktabi cocked his head. “Is it like that?”

  “It is. She is not receptive, but when she is, I will be there.”

  Iktabi nodded. “I understand. Will you be here to help monitor the events tomorrow?”

  “Of course. We will both be there.” Lekorh chuckled. “She already has the clearance, but I will have to arrange for some more specific apparel.”

  “Ah, right. The companion’s garb. That is going to take some adjustment. Use the breast support that Argo’s mate is so enthusiastic about. Are you going to have her trained as a bodyguard?”

  “It is traditional, but I don’t think it will be necessary.” He smiled.

  “You might want to go through the motions, just so as few people as possible know what she is.”

  Lekorh nodded. “Very well. I will tutor her myself.”

  Iktabi grinned. “It is a long time since you were a Nool guard. Do you think you can manage it?”

  Lekorh snorted. “I am sure I can keep one step ahead of her if I focus.”

  “You will have to. She is highly intelligent and very used to utilizing her skills for survival. Just make sure that if anything goes awry, you let me know. It would never do for other projects to know that I lost a naturally born psychic.”

  “She will be my responsibility.”

  “Yes, she will be. Now, get some rest, you look like you could use some time in bed.” Iktabi’s words sounded like they carried innuendo, but they were a simple observation of Lekorh’s issues with keeping his body rested enough that his mind could work.

  Across the Rrassic colonies and projects, the Saya were confined, kept in chairs or centrally located facilities to aid their scanning of the world under their care. Lekorh had despaired when he had first transformed into a Saya. Until the third eye appeared, he had been able to pretend that it was not happening. Once his mind opened, he was assigned to a master and acted as his companion, running errands and being his hands and feet. His master sat in a chair with his mind open, and he searched through every secret and truth in Lekorh and those under his care.

  Lekorh decided very early on that he didn’t want that kind of life. He liked his limbs under his control, wanted to feel the sun on his face, and even his third eye appreciated the alteration between silence and thousands of minds pushing in on him.

  His position in the VIP building, away from the city itself, was a blessed relief, and it was going to make his time with Sarah even more precious. It was just them unless they chose to venture into the city.

  Lekorh sighed and stepped away from his desk, stretching and then deciding that he needed to set up a bit more furniture. He had a permanent guest, and making her comfortable was fairly high on his priority list. There was plenty of space, so a few places to sit and relax were in order.

  A low chime rang, and he walked to the delivery slot. It was far too early for the furniture, so he smiled as he noted that Sarah’s clothing had been delivered. He gathered the small bundle together and carried it into his room where his wardrobe opened as he approached. He hung up her tunics and leggings, folding her undergarments and tucking them into a drawer. His robes took up far more room than her collection of serviceable clothing. When she had her companion wardrobe, he would need another unit added onto this one. Their clothing would hide their fatigue and give them an aura of aloof menace. The Rrassic found him more menacing than humans do. The humans did not know his purpose.

  With her clothing put away, Lekorh removed his own trousers and the long hooded vest that he wore when he knew she would be around. She was fascinated with his upper torso, so he made sure that when she was due to come by, he wore as little as he could. He wasn’t sure why she was enthralled by his master’s markings, but since she was, he used them to increase her fascination with him at every opportunity.

  Naked, he slid into bed next to her and let his body cycle toward sleep. He didn’t have the sex appeal of the Zjin, the confidence of the Regiz, the power of the Dorbin, or the dark surety of the Luthin. He was a Saya, and he had to use his mind to win the attention of his lady, so he was paying very close attention to what she wanted in a mate.

  When he had finished training her and it came time for her to choose a male, he desperately wanted it to be him.

  Chapter Six

  Sarah woke up in the dark of the night just before dawn. Her body knew it was time to go to work and her mind couldn’t override it.

  Lying on her belly with her left hand extended, she was surprised at the warmth beneath her fingers. She opened her eyes, and the limited light in the space showed that her hand was linked with that of Lekorh. He was holding her hand as he slept.

  Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared at his sleeping features. She didn’t want to pull her hand away, but she needed to use the restroom. His third eye opened and began to glow.

  She blinked and stared at it, but it wasn’t looking at her. She eased her hand from Lekorh’s carefully before tiptoeing away to attend the call of nature.

  When she returned to the bed, she tried to get back into the same position, but she couldn’t manage it.

  There was a sigh from the other side of the bed, and his left arm reached out to pull her against him. “Stop fidgeting.”

  She stiffened and kept her body rigid for a moment, but he was just rubbing her back, and she slowly relaxed. A few more hours of sleep might be just the thing she needed to get herself back under control.

  * * * *

  Lekorh used all his training to keep his body from reacting to her proximity. She smelled sweet, and it was a scent that was all hers.

  He held her close and felt the trust slowly grow. Her body relaxed and softened against him, her curves creat
ing a torture that he had never imagined. His inner thoughts were wildly chaotic, but he kept his body calm. He smiled with the chin resting on top of her silky hair. Normally, it was the other way around.

  They could spare another hour before they needed to rise to get to the admin building, but that was an hour that he could hold her, so he would not pass it up.

  The sooner that Sarah got used to physical contact with him, the easier their linking would be. If they could get to a position of trust, he could see through her eyes, and she would be able to see through his. It was a state that was whispered about by Saya-Rrassic, and for the first time, Lekorh realized it could be more than just a legend told to them to keep them looking for new worlds and new populations to blend with the Rrassic. The chance to find one’s ideal match and have it be a complete partnership was a golden prize that was dangled in front of all the Rrassic warriors. The Saya could just see it when the match was true.

  A handful of matches were in process across Imrahl at that very moment. The males and females were getting closer to meeting in a circumstance beneficial for them both. The concert later that day should shove a few of them into receptive relationships. He knew that his would not be one of them, but he had time.

  * * * *

  Sarah woke to an empty bed. Lekorh’s side wasn’t even warm.

  “Get dressed and come and have breakfast.” The words rang in her mind.

  She got out of bed, walked over to the lav and washed her face before taming her hair.

  Her eyes had dark circles around them but nothing that some tea couldn’t cure. She realized when he said get dressed, he had given her some information that she hadn’t noticed. Her clothing had arrived.

  She went to the wardrobe and opened it, finding her clothing hanging neatly next to his. She chose some dark grey tights with a three-tone grey, gold, and black tunic.

  Her underwear had been neatly folded, and that is when she had known that no bots had collected and forwarded the clothing. They moved it and placed it exactly as it had been.

  Sarah smirked. She was living with a neat freak.

  Once she was dressed, she walked to the main chamber and saw a few changes. The table was now a narrow rectangle, and plumper ones had replaced the simple cushions. There was also a vid unit in one corner with a two-seat couch facing it.

  The service set was also different from the one they used the night before. The teapot was larger, the water decanter was larger, and the platters were twice the size.

  “Am I going insane or is everything here bigger?”

  Lekorh smiled. “With a new companion here, it is only appropriate that I provide for you.”

  He was wearing loose and comfortable trousers, low boots, a simple tunic, and the hooded robe that marked his position as Saya.

  “But how did I not wake up?”

  “I deepened your sleep while I was moving things around.”

  She blinked. “Can you not do that?”

  “You needed the sleep. Your brain is still rerouting the signals around the damage.”

  Sarah sighed and took the platter he handed her. She had never had scrambled eggs on a formal platter before, but the small strips of toast were welcome. She had no idea how she was going to manage with the eating tongs.

  He smiled and brought the tea and water over with him. “You will manage.”

  She wanted to snipe at him for reading her thoughts, but the food smelled great.

  She settled the tray and then knelt on the new cushion.

  Lekorh was pouring tea for them. “The eating implements, please.”

  Sarah got back to her feet and got the chopsticks with tiny claws at the end and a palm plate for each of them.

  He grinned. “I don’t need the plate.”

  “I might; I would rather not have to change my clothing again.”

  She set one plate down to the side and put the other plate on her left palm. She handed him his prongs and inclined her head. “Thank you for cooking.”

  “You are welcome. So, why don’t you cook? I know you can.”

  She shrugged and picked up a wobbling piece of scrambled egg. She held the palm plate under it and guided it to her mouth. The egg melted, and she was smiling happily. “Because other people do it better. I just like to eat and go.”

  Lekorh sighed. “Here I was hoping I could get out of the chore.”

  “Why don’t you use a dispenser?” She smiled as she continued to eat the delightfully soft scrambled eggs. She had very little grasp of what animal had laid it, but as long as it wasn’t Sthik-Rrassic, she was fine with it.

  Lekorh coughed and put his free hand over his mouth. “That is an appalling thought.”

  She grinned. “I was just checking to see if you were listening.”

  “I will always be listening unless I am working on a security issue for the city.”

  Sarah nodded and loaded a piece of toast before lifting it to her mouth. It was acceptable to eat bread products with clean fingers, so as long as she was holding bread, she was good.

  “What else did you manage while I slept?”

  He continued to eat and then answered, “I contacted the overseer, and he is preparing an action against the raiders who have come in search of humans.”

  “Good. So, what are we doing today?”

  “We are going to the administration offices, and I will go about my day with you assisting me.”

  She blinked. “What will that entail?”

  “You doing research, studying, and meditating. Throughout the day I will ask you to perform different tasks.”

  She chuckled. “I will have to get you lunch.”

  “If the food is nearby and you go with an escort.” He gave her a stern looked with his gold and silver gaze.

  “Right. Wait, why?”

  “Because yesterday, you were a high-functioning empath, today, you are a telepath. Now, you are an asset that the colony worlds could and would kill for.”

  She wobbled her palm plate. “That is an exaggeration.”

  “I live in the most secure point of the entire world. Another Dorbin-Rrassic could be found to take over, but I am far rarer than Iktabi is. They need me to keep the project moving forward and monitored.”

  She frowned. “But, Itkabi is in charge?”

  “Yes. He deals with the people; I keep my mind open for the issues in the population and report it to him.”

  “Isn’t Iktabi a friend?”

  “He is and has been for years, but if he were transferred, I would still have a job to do.”

  “Right. Of course.” She inhaled and nabbed the last bit of egg from the plate. With the last morsel gone, she collected the plates and implements and took them to the sink. There was a dishwashing unit, but it was faster to just scrub them by hand.

  She finished the washing up in a few minutes and dried the cutlery and the platter. When the rest of the dishes were clean and put away, she smiled. “So, are we going?”

  He beckoned to her and gestured for her to sit. “We are going to sit and meditate for a while. Get used to it. Calming your mind and getting it ready for controlled application is half of our day.”

  She sighed. “Fine. What do I do?”

  “Drink the tea in four sips.”

  Sarah looked at him suspiciously. “Is that it?”

  “That is it. Not a drop left, no sip bigger than the one before it.”

  She wrinkled her nose and looked at the small cup. “Right. Let me guess, this is harder than it looks.”

  “It is. I will be tampering with your perceptions of how much you are drinking.”

  She thought a number of curse words, and he raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment.

  She sat and picked up the teacup, holding it in two hands as she took her first sip, paused, took her second, and by the time she got to her fourth, she felt the pressure on her mind. After the sip, there was a teaspoon of liquid left, and she glared at him.

  He smiled and poured more te
a into her cup. “It is a simple thing, and the worst outcome is a full bladder. Try it again. We won’t be entering the city until an hour after dawn.”

  She tried again and again and again until she had finished off the pot of tea.

  She groaned and pressed her head to the table. “I am going to slosh when I walk.”

  “Yes, but you were successful the last two times.”

  She lifted her head in shock. “What? I saw liquid in there.”

  “No, you perceived it. That was the point of the exercise. No matter what you thought you saw, I tampered with your perception. We accept the world our mind sees. It is up to us to work out the correct interpretation.”

  He smiled. “Now we can head into the city.”

  She stood up and raised her hand. “Just a minute, I need the restroom.”

  His chuckle followed her, but she didn’t care. She had consumed at least a litre of liquid. Her trip to the city would be hellish if she didn’t take care of it.

  Deceiving someone’s mind seemed like an interesting skill to gain. If she could figure it out, she might be able to slip away to play with friends now and then. Hopefully, she would be a quick study.

  Chapter Seven

  Sarah felt naked as they got in the lift to get in the compartment on magnetic rails.

  “It is strange. You left as one person, and you are returning to the city as something different. Do not worry, I will help you with your blocking when we approach the buildings.”

  She nodded and wiped her hands on her leggings. “So, how does this thing move?”

  “It is a direct shuttle for authorized personnel only. It follows me, and now us, from one site to the other.”

  “How did Iktabi and Isabella get home?”

  “They probably flew. Dr. Lem took this shuttle back to the city, and it returned here when he disembarked.”

  She nodded. “Okay, so if I needed to return for whatever reason...”

  “I added your authorization as a resident to the file. It will take you back to our quarters.”