“Yes, sir,” Kade and I both replied, then set about following his orders. After my comm was set up, I spent the next hour dithering over various options for something to do. I tried to learn more about the Denzogal Alliance, and quickly gave up, as I was too exhausted to read the articles. I looked for some music to listen to, but I was sick to death of Eumadian music, and the Solof and Denzogal music I found just sounded odd. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to listen to, but that wasn’t it. I tried to find a book to read, but nothing managed to hold my attention. But at the same time, I was desperately trying to put off going to bed. Lying down beside my master, feeling my skin crawl every time he accidentally touched me, would be like slow torture.
Eventually, though, I knew I couldn’t avoid it anymore. It was a choice between going to bed or falling asleep on the sofa, and while my master had not technicallyorderedme to sleep with him, I knew that failing to do so would get his attention in a way I would not enjoy. I got up and headed into the bedroom, deciding to leave my shorts and t-shirt on. Kade hadn’t ordered any specific nightwear for me, but these clothes were comfortable enough to sleep in, and they would provide a slight barrier between me and my master.
My master was already sitting in bed, his eyes drooping as he entered a last few notes on his comm. He gave me a welcomingsort of smile, nothing overly enthusiastic, but enough to let me know he was pleased to see me. Once upon a time, I’d longed to see such an expression on my master’s face. Now, it just left me cold. I slid into bed beside him and lay down, not expecting to get much sleep. His attempt to have sex with me in the shower had been abandoned, but I knew I couldn’t put him off forever. Would he try again tonight? Now that he understood more about my training, perhaps he knew he would need to give me more specific orders to gain my cooperation.
My master switched off his comm and unstrapped it from his wrist, setting it on the nightstand. Then he turned off the light, lay down, and settled himself comfortably into bed. “Goodnight, Jai,” he said softly.
This time, I chose not to reply.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JAI
Kade, my master and I were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when my master suddenly snapped his head up and muttered a vehement “Fuck!”
Kade immediately sat up straighter. “Are you all right, sir?”
“I’m a fucking idiot,” my master announced, while at the same time he started to tap rapidly at his comm. “I forgot to tell Cole about the smuggler.” I could only assume the news meant something to Kade. Cole was the man my master had run off to see yesterday, but I had no idea what he would have to do with a smuggler.
A moment later, my master’s call was answered, and an image popped up of a young human man and a blue woman. Was this the Vangravian female that my master had been informed about yesterday? The one who had requested political asylum? It occurred to me that at the time, I’d assumed my master had run off to assist her, but it now occurred to me that perhaps that hadn’t been the case. It was equally possible that he’d run off to arrest the woman, or to see that she was escorted off the planet. Was that what this call was about? Arranging a smuggler to take the woman away?
“Sorry for the short notice,” my master said to the man, “but you’re about to have a visitor. I contacted that smuggler friend of Rohinavon’s.”
“How did you get his details?” the blue woman asked, and I supposed that confirmed that her name was Rohinavon.
My master hesitated for a moment, then said, “I hacked your comm. Yesterday, while I was at the sanctuary.” He didn’t seem the slightest bit sorry for the intrusion, and I held my breath, wondering whether there was more context to this situation, or if-
“You had no right!” the woman screeched. She launched into a tirade about trust and loyalty, and I cringed. So much for extra context. My master hastily stood up and headed for his bedroom, even as he kept trying to placate her. Well, that told me a great deal more about my master. After last night, I’d hoped that I’d been at least a little bit wrong about him. He’d seemed so patient and reasonable, and I’d thought maybe, just maybe, there was another explanation as to how he would treat me that didn’t involve roomfuls of horny men and abandonment on the battle field. But here he was, arranging deliveries from smugglers and hacking people’s comms without their permission. It was hardly an indication of an upstanding moral character.
During my training, I’d sometimes tried to console myself with the idea that there could, in fact, be a plausible reason for my collection of skills that would do some good in the galaxy. Saving children from a warlord, for example, where seduction might play a part in distracting the enemy to allow others to complete their part of the mission. I’d only ever entertained that sort of idea as a way to try and stay sane, when the Eumadians were slowly and consistently slicing slivers of my personality away from me, and they seemed even more fanciful now, given what I’d just seen my master do.
I was just finishing my meal when my master came back, apparently having resolved whatever the issue with the smuggler was. He sat down without a word and tucked into the remains of his breakfast, the eggs now likely cold, but he didn’t seem to mind. That, at least, was a small point in his favour. I’d been expecting him to make a fuss about the temperature, and then perhaps demand that Kade make some fresh.
But he’d barely taken two bites when his comm beeped again, and he glanced at it, then cursed. He swallowed hastily, then set down his fork, plastering a smile to his face. “Hey, Zeke,” he said, when he answered the call. “Good to hear from you. What’s happening?”
“Good news,” the other man said, and I observed that he was likely a few years older than my master, but he was also wearing a military uniform. “I’ve spoken to Goroz, and he’s more than happy to send a team to help you out. He can’t wait to get started. I’ve asked him to give everyone a thorough briefing about Alliance culture. It’s one of those things that’s going to cause a few sticking points no matter how prepared we try to be, but if we can minimise the fallout, then all the better.”
My master nodded. “And they realise this is going to be a decades-long project? They’re not going to get bored?”
The man on the image grinned. “When Ranzors commit to something, they see it through. And if it means they get to start a war at the end of it, then all the better – as far as they’re concerned, at least.”
My master gave a helpless sort of shrug. “Okay, well, good, I guess. Send me a list of the soldiers on the team and I'll send it through to HQ.”
“Right away. Call me if you have any questions. And give Cole a proper briefing on Ranzor culture, as well. If both sides are properly prepared to deal with any miscommunications, it should end up smoother in the end.”
“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
He ended the call, and against my better judgement, I said, “Ranzors?”
My master nodded. “What I’m about to tell you is classified information and you are not to discuss it with anyone other than myself, Kade, or Henderson. But that Vangravian woman from yesterday? She has a son and she wants to raise him as a free person, not as a slave to the Eumadians. But if Vangal finds out, they’ll send bounty hunters to kill her. So we’re enlisting the help of some of the Ranzors to protect her and the child until her son’s an adult.”
I nodded and said nothing more, but inside, I was quaking.Ranzors? They had a reputation as being some of the fiercest and most deadly warriors in the galaxy, andno oneever wanted to risk getting on their bad side.
I really didn’t know what to make of that. The fact that my master wanted to protect the Vangravian woman was admirable. The fact that he was employing Ranzors to do it was lunacy.
Kade started clearing the dirty dishes from the table. At the same time, my master’s comm beeped again. He was a popular man this morning. He checked the caller, then glanced at me sharply. “Jai, help Kade clean up the kitchen,” he said, sounding just a little disappointed that he had to remind me. I ignored the twinge of guilt I felt and stood up, taking my empty plate and beginning to stack the dishwasher.
Once we’d finished, my master was still deep in conversation with whoever he was speaking to – presumably someone important, given that he kept addressing the woman as ma’am. And by now, he was insisting that they needed to take the project with the Vangravian woman away from him, since it was going to take far too much time, on top of the work he already had to do.
