Page 12

I can’t get the guard off of my mind or the memory of chocolate on my tongue. I also have never taken such a long hot shower or had so many sweets in my entire life. And other than a mild stomach ache, I wake to the rising sun feeling better than I have in years.

All night, I dreamt of the guard. I wish he’d given me his name. Maybe I can get it out of him today.

Quickly getting dressed in a fresh race uniform, I hustle to the door and check the screen. There’s a shadow of someone in black tactical gear outside. “Is that my guard?”

“It is.”

My stomach cramps again, and it makes me grunt.

“May I suggest a breakfast to help you process all that sugar you ate last night?”

“Yes, please.”

“Lots of water first. Then choose something high in lean protein with fibrous vegetables.”

“Thanks.”

I open the door and peer out at my guard. He’s in the same black ball cap from the day before. After a brief glance, he looks away. I don’t even get to see his eyes, but I know he’s not as well as he was last night by the stiff way he moves.

“You look like me this morning. Got a stomach ache, too?”

“My capabilities are not hindered. Please proceed with your day,” he rasps.

Something has happened. He stays a step behind me like before and follows me into the lunch hall. He stands behind me while I eat. Having someone look out for me feels strange when I’ve always had to look over my shoulder. I check out of habit, anyway.

“You are safe, Miss Zariah. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Please eat.”

I return to my food, feeling better already.

Someone I vaguely recognize walks up to me. It’s the Vinym that helped me up during the races.

“Are you waiting on anyone?” he asks.

“No.” I motion for him to sit.

His scaly skin flushes from green to orange. “How are you after yesterday?”

“Survived it. You? Where’s the girl you picked up?”

He shrugs. “Hit and miss with this race. That was a miss. She’s interested in another species. I don’t believe in forcing what isn’t mutual. Ginarigons are very pushy.”

“Unfortunately.” I slide my plate aside. “Are you looking for a date?”

He blushes darker. “Just a friend, although you are gorgeous. I can see why they fought over you.”

I hear the guard behind me grumble a note, so I scan the room, looking for whatever he’s seen. But I find no Ginarigons or scuffles of any kind.

“They gave you a private security guard?” the Vinym asks.

“I didn’t mean to be a problem, but I guess familial reputation followed me across the galaxy.” I motion out to the ropes course, where everyone has started to gather. “You any good at that?”

“Me?” He scrubs his scaled head with a hand. “Not really. I’m in business. I made a lot from some AI programs that run industrial systems. But work takes precedence. Thought maybe a crash course in courting would help. Few, however, seem to find me interesting.”

“Maybe they don’t feel like you want them,” I offer, getting up from my seat to head for the race grounds.

“What do you mean?” He follows me. My guard stays close.

“Women like to feel wanted, needed, like they’re important. I know I do, even though I run a ship on my own. And after last night, I don’t really want to be here anymore.”

His eyes bulge as we walk out into the field. “You pilot a ship all by yourself in space?”

“Yeah. It sucks sometimes. I am the pilot, co-pilot, maintenance, fuels, cargo loader and unloader, and munitions restocker in war zones. There are a lot of times I wish I had someone to fall back on, but I have trust issues. So no one really fits the bill, do you know what I mean?”

“I do. So you’re saying I should be a bit more aggressive when I like a female?”

“If you want her, show it. And a little bit of muscle doesn’t hurt either. Just don’t turn into a Ginarigon.”

He nods. In his movement, I find myself caught up in the way his scales shift colors and reflect the daylight.

“I’m Zariah.”

“Hakip. Most just call me Kip.”

“Kip, nice to meet you.” Upfront, an Abr announcer tells us that the women will run the race first. First to the bell at the top of the tower wins. “And, for the record, I think your color-changing scales are very interesting.”

He blushes. “Thanks.”

Someone slams into me and hugs me. “Are you ready?”

Teol grins and bounces. “Tag-team our way to the top?”

“Sure. Uh, Teol, meet Hakip.”

“Hey, you found one!” Teol shouts.

I grimace and chuckle as Kip shyly lifts a hand. “We’re just friends.”

The large, dark and broody male that caught her last night joins us. “Teoool,” he rumbles, wings twitching behind him like they desperately want free of their bindings.

“Oh, Zariah, meet Gashnaar. He’s actually pretty funny when he comes out of his shell.”

“Ooonly for yooou, Teoool.” Gashnaar nudges her neck with his large nose. “Yooou’re up, ladiesss.”

I glance behind me and can’t find my guard.

“What are you waiting for?” Teol grabs my wrist, an excited look on her face. Her hair is smoothed into a long, thick braid today, and I wish I had done the same.

“My guard.” He said he’d always stay close. But with Teol, I figure I’m fairly safe.

“Ah, just lick your finger and stick it in their ear if anyone gives you a problem.” Teol gets to the railing and bounces on her toes.

“Gross.”

She shrugs. “Works on Keo every time.”

More women racers gather at the railing while Teol explains her plan of ascent. I’ll hoist her up to the rope bridge, then she’ll help me up with a hand. We’ll use the same tag-team method for the main hut, the sky bridge, the tower, and the bell.

The timer ticks down. I wonder if my guard is close. Electronic trance plays out over the speakers, growing louder and faster as we get closer to the beep. When I don’t see him, I turn around and find him just behind another woman, eyes on something down the row from us. It’s then that I notice a recent tear in his neck. It’s barely scabbed over.

Someone attacked him? When did that happen? I didn’t notice it when he brought me dessert.

It had to have happened after he left my room for the night. Did they attack him because of me?

Frustration that yet more good people are being hurt because of my father’s reputation grows. I thought it was over when I escaped him years ago. I see now I was wrong.

“Easy girl.” Teol rests a hand over my curled fist. “Whatever you’re thinking about, just channel it, yeah?”

“I’ll do my best.”

The buzzer goes off. Teol and I clear the railing in one move. We sprint to the rope bridge. I get there first, lace my fingers together, and prep myself for her weight. I see my guard watching from the crowd. His eyes are on me now. They’re a gorgeous honey gold in the morning sun, a color that warms me inside.

Teol plants her foot, and I thrust her upward. She practically clears the entire railing. I hear a yelp followed by a laugh. Then I see her hand reach down. I jump, grab it, and she hauls me up. “Powerful throw, girl!”

“StarBusters are big and clunky,” I reply as we climb the bridge railing onto the roof of the hut. Below us, women climb the rope nets, ladders, and poles to get inside the structure. We run across the bouncing boards of the bridge to the second structure. Inside is a spiral net that leads to the roof.

We grab it and swing ourselves onto the top. Teol slips, but I steady her with a hand on her jacket. I run out of rope, but she gives me her hand. Together, we get upright, crawl toward the pinnacle, and slap the bell.

“I see they changed the course a bit.” Teol breathes heavily beside me on the roof. “Variety is the spice of life, right?”

“I thought it was Creol,” I tease.

She busts up laughing.

“Thanks for not leaving me behind,” I say. “I half-expected it after I helped you up. But it’s not because of you.”

“Broken faith in the goodness of others.” She grabs a rope dangling from the side of the hut. “I get it. But we have to take chances to make changes. And life can’t get better without change.”

Teol flings herself over the side and zips down the rope to the ground like she’s done it a million times.

“What the hell, Teol!” I call after her, leaning over the edge.

She looks up at me. “It’s easy. Just feed the rope between your feet. Use the palm covers built into your sleeves.”

I look down at my sleeves and pull out a set of gloves stitched to the inside of the wrist. Damn it. How did I not see these before? “Thanks for waiting to tell me until I’m already up here!”

She laughs as the other girls climb back down and disburse. Most of them run to their males of interest.

With the gloves on, I grab the rope and consider just climbing down. But I can’t let Teol seem tougher than me, especially with the Ginarigons watching from the railing.

It’s just like a ship tether plus gravity and minus the protective suit. No biggie.

I fling myself over the side of the sky hut, rope in hand, and slap my legs around the tail.

The rope heats between my hands. I manage to get the tail looped around a leg enough that it slows my descent. I let go a few feet from the ground and land, to my surprise, boots down.

I guess I need to take my own advice and let them know I’m tough enough to want them to stay away and have a chance of doing so. I’m not a pink or a blue. I’m a red. I need to act like one.

I just wasn’t prepared to confront such interest when my father’s been gone for a year, and I don’t feel like I belong here.

Teol high-fives me and returns to her newest interest Gashnaar, who draws her in with a hungry growl, grabs her ass, and nuzzles her like the scent of her sweat actually turns him on.

Why can’t I find someone like him?