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Oh, shit. Sarah tried to not let the horror show on her face as she shook his hand. This was one of the coldest beings she had ever met. No emotion or anything. Military discipline was one thing, but this…
“Hi, nice to meet you, Captain Kael. I’m …”
“Ms. Sarah Meericino. Yes. Leave your bag here. I’ll have one of the men take it to your room while I show you around the estate.”
Her new employer began to walk around the house from where he had appeared.
Sarah looked quickly around, taking a moment to realize that her tour was apparently beginning immediately. Her pace had to be fast to catch him, let alone keep up with the tall, long-legged Drakonian.
He didn’t offer any form of conversation. Sarah had no idea where they were headed or what to say to Captain Kael. He seemed cold and distant.
It made her worry about how well she was going to fit in. She was already trying not to be overwhelmed by all she didn’t know about her new home, and now she wasn’t even sure if she was wanted. Sarah had the strong feeling she wasn’t the Captain’s first choice.
“This trail leads to the intersection of the base where I will be working the majority of the time. It is also where you take Suki should the house be infiltrated.”
He pointed toward a worn path that led from the house through what looked like a thick forest. Sarah wasn’t necessarily sure she would call what she saw trees.
“Oh, okay.”
“And that’s all you really need to know out here. I’ll show you the accommodations.”
Sarah silently followed him into the once glamorous house. It now seemed foreboding, as if it was where happiness came to die.
She had been so excited and naïve about her new life. Now, it all seemed dismal. Captain Kael left a sour path in his wake, but Sarah was doing her best to not judge a book by its first impression. She tried to summon that excitement from earlier to hold on to but was finding it rather difficult.
She hoped that all Drakonians weren’t as … frigid … as Captain Kael. She had a hard time picturing him as a father to a little girl. She had to wonder if he was like this before his wife’s death or maybe her absence was what caused him to be so unwavering.
Either way, the familiar loneliness started to ebb its way back in. Sarah did all she could to keep it suppressed. She wanted that feeling to stay on Earth.
Kael quickly went through the first floor, showing her the essentials that all homes usually had. She made sure to hold any questions to herself, mainly because he never asked if she had any questions or paused long enough to let her speak.
He bounded up the stairs while Sarah took two at a time to keep up.
“Up here is where Suki sleeps. You as well.”
Sarah felt as if she were going through boot camp. She was becoming more and more unsure of this placement. Was it too late to ask for a change in location?
Before she could make an excuse to call to beg for a reassignment, a little girl’s voice rang through the hall.
“Father?”
“Ah, Suki. Just in time. This is Sarah. Sarah, this is my daughter, Suki.”
TWO
SARAH
Sarah heard a faint voice and turned to see a small girl with golden eyes similar to Kael’s. The girl also had the same intricate, deep red runes all over her body. Her tight black ponytail looked military-sharp, as did her stature.
Another similarity shared with her father noted Sarah. At this point, she wasn’t sure whether the curt manner was because of this particular family or a trait shared by all Drakonians. Either reason didn’t seem too alluring to her right now.
Sarah offered a small smile and nodded politely at Suki, hoping that was a culturally appropriate greeting.
She received a nervous, quick smile from the girl, who looked as though she were unsure if that was how she was supposed to respond. Suki glanced a moment at the girl’s father, who offered her a small nod.
“Suki, would you like to show Sarah the rest of the upstairs while I finish gathering the final paperwork for her to finish when you’re done?”
Sarah had thought that maybe the Captain would be gentler toward his daughter, but that wasn’t the case. Suki’s manner reflected his formal command.
