Page 21 of Breaking Ties

“She tried to let nature kill me. Semantics. She is tired of me trying to keep her out of trouble, so I am willing to hand that duty over to your grandson, with my stipulations.”

“Does she... look like you?”

“Oh, the freaky white eye thing? You are one to talk.”

Eliana laughed. Her skin was a marbled grey with gold veining. She looked like she was made of stone with soft gold hair waving down her back. Her bat-like wings were the same marbled grey.

Aubrey pulled up an intake photo of Avery. “She’s still a little thin. It has been a rough few years. Height-wise, her head is just below my chin.”

She turned the tablet around, and Eliana looked at her. “You used to look like this?”

“Yes. My first act in medical was to cut my hair. I then had additional repairs from my escape that had to be tended to, and I ran into some of the designer’s programming. It made me into the stunning being that I am today. It took a few days for me to catch up on the growth spurt, but the gnawing hunger has ceased.”

The Hmrain looked at the image of Avery. “She is lovely. Looks sweet.”

“I haven’t bitten her since she was two and biting me. That is when I learned retaliation would not work.”

Eliana nodded. “My grandsons would attack each other, but after they worked it out, they worked well together.”

“How many worlds do you guard?”

“Eighteen. There is always room for more family.” She smiled. “Will she come with me without fuss?”

“Well, she is barely Hmrain-compatible, but time with your grandson will expand her mind and other portions of her. She will come without a fuss because I am not going to tell her. You will request her, and she will be flustered and flattered. She needs additional training and further education, but I believe that can be accomplished on your way home. I will let the station know to prepare clothing for her.”

Eliana waved her hand away. “I will handle that. We have fabricators on my ship.”

“Fine. Pass that sentiment over to the station.”

“You only want her punished with a short contract?”

“Until the four children are with her. Yes. I don’t care if she adopts them, but after that, she can be offered a one-hundred-year contract, and having fulfilled the contract, she and your grandson can live together happily as a Hmrain descendant and consort.”

“So the embarrassment of the short contract for twenty years. That is her punishment?”

Aubrey sighed. “I am not good at punitive measures. If she is humbled a little, a very little, it is enough. That is what I see. I see four contracts. Four children. One contract and a planet-wide party. I hope I am invited. I would like to meet my nieces and nephews.”

Eliana laughed. “You will be invited, or my grandson will have to find a new planet to work on. I may invite you to my world just for a social visit.”

“That is very gracious of you. I am here waiting for my own mate.”

Eliana blinked. “Who has the honour of being the match to the oracle?”

“A male named Vress.”

Eliana froze on her way to refill her teacup. “No one has seen him for years.”

“He will be here in three more days.”

“He killed one of his consorts.”

“I see.” She thought about it. “I don’t care. If he gets pissy with me, I can take him.”

“He’s one of the elders.”

“I know. I haven’t had a thing for older men before, but he is all I see, and I see thousands and thousands of images of him. That generally means I have seen him that many times. Many of those images are unclothed.”

Eliana nodded. “I see.”