Page 13

Vahn turned as Kara walked in. He was shirtless, his muscular torso gleaming with sweat. His training pants were slung low over his hips and she couldn’t help noticing the perfect V-cut of his abs. He was standing in front of a mirror holding weights in each hand and both serpetri.

“I am using this facility,”

he said shortly. “You can come back later.”

Kara did an exaggerated scan of the enormous training room.

“Yes, it’s obviously not big enough for the both of us.”

“I prefer to train in private.”

“You’ve been in here for a while by the look of it.”

She gave him the once-over. “Shouldn’t you be taking it easy with your injuries?”

“I do not give in to weakness.”

He continued his bicep curls, glaring at her. “Why are you here?”

“Same as you. I need to work off some issues. And don’t give me the ‘I want to be alone’ crap because I’m not leaving until we talk.”

Vahn growled irritably.

“Vannla’s Sword, you are exasperating. Use the gym if you must but this is not the place for talking.”

“Vahn, you can’t keep avoiding me.”

“I am not avoiding you,”

he lied. “I’ve been busy.”

“For two days?”

“Zandarr’s Fountain, must I explain my every move to you?”

“Duh, it’s called marriage.”

He set his weights down irritably.

“If I promise to make time for conversation with you tonight, will you leave me in peace?”

“Tonight? You swear?”

“Yes, annoying human. Satisfied?”

“Okay. We’ll talk tonight. But I’m not leaving the gym, I want to work out too.”

“Fine. Go over there and do it quietly.”

“Gosh, and they say romance is dead.”

She moved away from him and went to the weight machines in the corner. She set them to the heaviest she could manage, then added a few more pounds for good measure.

For the next twenty minutes she worked steadily, concentrating on her reps, relishing the flex and strain of her muscles. The exertion felt good and she gave herself over to it.

Vahn resumed his own weight-lifting, trying to ignore his wife. It was harder than it should have been.

Having her so close, hearing her pant, smelling her sweat…

“This isn’t going to work,”

he said abruptly the next time she took a break. “We need to set some ground rules.”

“Ground rules for using the gym?”

“For everything.”

“Okay, how about this. I’ll do what I want, and you can go to hell.”

He got to his feet, anger boiling off him.

“You will not speak to me in that tone, human, or by Vannla’s Sword I will…”

“You’ll what, snake-boy?”

Kara was on her feet too. “I’ve done everything you asked since you brought me to Vraxos. I competed in those stupid trials, I fought off the competition, I sweet-talked my mother into accepting the peace deal, I got blown up by the same goddamn bomb as you, and you can’t even stand to be in the same room as me?”

“Screaming like a peraj farmer’s wife will not aid matters,”

snapped Vahn. Kara’s eyes blazed.

“Neither will acting like a fuckwit. Why are you running away from me?”

“I do not run from humans.”

“You could have fooled me. One kiss and you left the room so fast there were scorch marks.”

Her directness blindsided him.

“I… I do not wish to discuss this now.”

Kara saw his face and reined in her anger.

“I know you were upset that I kissed you,”

she said more quietly. “I shouldn’t have done it. But Vahn, you can’t just blank me. You can’t keep me out of the loop or people will begin to suspect something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for one thing, the banquet. Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

Vahn was taken aback.

“Sorry?”

“The Garana something. To celebrate the harvest. Why didn’t you mention it?”

“I didn’t think it was important.”

His brow creased. Was she really upset about something so trivial? “Does it matter?”

“Think about it. We’re supposed to be husband and wife. If I don’t know about traditions like this, it throws up red flags. Don’t you get it?”

She had a point.

“I apologize for the oversight,”

he said stiffly. “I will ensure you are aware of our social customs in future.”

“Good.”

She relaxed slightly. “So we’re going to the banquet then?”

“Of course not.”

“What? Why not?”

Vahn gestured dismissively.

“Why take the chance of exposing my amnesia? There is no obligation to attend. We will say we are already busy.”

“But people will talk if we don’t go. And doing things together is the best way to get your memories back.”

She looked at him imploringly. “Please, Vahn.”

“No.”

He shook his head. “That’s final.”

He turned away, signaling an end to the debate. Frustrated, she watched him slide his weights back onto the rack.

“What about a bet?”

she asked at last.

“A bet?”

“A wager. If I win, we go to the banquet together. And if I lose, I’ll oversee the decoration of the Emperor’s rooms, like you asked.”

His lip curled in amusement.

“You do not give up, do you?”

“It’s one of the things you used to like about me.”

“If you say so. What is the wager?”

“That I can get you on the floor within thirty seconds.”

He folded his arms.

“Are we back to fucking?”

“No, zift for brains. A fight. First one to knock the other one over wins.”

A low rumble emanated from his chest. Laughter. He was laughing at her. She gritted her teeth.

“Is that a yes?”

“It hardly seems fair, tiny human. I could flick you over with my finger.”

“You know I can fight. I won the combat round in shaa’baara.”

“Hardly a fair comparison. Your opponent was no doubt pulling their punches.”

Kara narrowed her eyes.

“You think I was given a free ride?”

“I think it was a possibility.”

“Well, let’s see, shall we?”

She took up a combat position, body half-turned, weight on the balls of her feet, both arms raised. “Have at it, snake-boy.”

He frowned. Somehow, he had the feeling he was being tricked. He knew logically that she was combat trained. She was an SDF fighter-pilot after all. But that meant nothing compared to his advantages of height, weight and strength. Not to mention his extra limbs. He waved them pointedly at her.

“And there are no restrictions in this fight? You do not, for instance, need me to tie my serpetri behind my back?”

She bared her teeth at him in a feral grin.

“No restrictions.”

“Very well. If you insist.”

He wasn’t taking it seriously, she knew. And that was his downfall, because he didn’t even see her attack coming.

One of the things she and Vahn had perfected during all those weeks and months they’d spent on Minerva-6 was the art of unarmed combat. Specifically, he had taught her how to take down a Vraxian warrior in a set of moves which she now executed flawlessly.

Vraxians are big but sometimes that works against us.

She feinted to the left, then pivoted to strike at his exposed flank. He grunted and bent forward with the impact.

Don’t bother going for the head. Vraxian skulls are too dense. But our jaws…

She launched a snap-kick at Vahn’s face which was now within range, her boot connecting solidly with his chin. His head ricocheted backwards.

Our feet are always bare so ankles are a weak point.

She dropped and span in a perfect leg sweep, her foot connecting with Vahn’s ankles. He toppled forward clumsily.

Serpetri can be dislocated, just like an arm.

She landed on his back and took hold of a limb. It was the one which had been injured in the explosion, the scales rough and discolored. She hesitated, suddenly unwilling to hurt him further. Her momentary pause cost her.

With a violent heave he threw her off his back, then rolled to pin her to the floor. His serpetri slammed into the mat on either side of her head. She met his yellow gaze calmly.

“Too late. I already won, snake-boy.”

“How did you do that?”

He was angry and humiliated. She’d taken him down as if he was a nedek hatchling.

“I had a good teacher.”

He stared at her, conscious of her body beneath his, aware that his wounded male pride was heightening his emotions.

“Explain. Now.”

“On Minerva-6. We trained together. You taught me those moves.”

“Impossible. Why would I teach a human to best a Vraxian?”

“Because you love me, you jerk!”

He flinched at the sudden anger in her voice and suddenly they were somewhere else. On stony ground. She was beneath him, just like this. Spreadeagled. Furious. Demanding an answer from him.

“Tell the truth. Did I hurt you? Even a little bit?”

“Drek.”

The intensity of the flashback was almost physical. He rolled off her and breathed deeply, in through his nose, out through his mouth. Kara sat up cautiously.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I… I saw something. A memory. A tiny fragment.”

“What? What was it?”

Excitement gripped her. “Was it a memory of us? What did you see?”

He shook his head and rose to his feet.

“It was nothing. A place. Minerva-6 I presume.”

“It wasn’t nothing, it was something. It was something, Vahn!”

She stood to face him. “And it proves I’m right. Us being together can jog your memory.”

By Vannla’s Sword, she was stubborn. He gave in.

“Very well. I will honor our wager. We can attend the Garana Sana banquet together. Satisfied?”

“Yes. Thank you. Um…”

He bristled with impatience.

“Is there something else? Some other way you can annoy me?”

“No. I just…”

Hesitantly, she touched his arm. “I’m glad you remembered something. Even if it was just a flash. It must be hard for you not to have your memories. I don’t know how I’d cope if it was me.”

He hadn’t expected sympathy from her. He looked down at her hand, at the smoothness of her caramel skin against his own armored flesh. So small, he thought. So delicate. And yet she’d put him on the ground in three quick moves.

He wanted to say something, to acknowledge her compassion, but he didn’t have the words. So he stayed silent until she removed her hand.

“Is it all right if I use the bathroom in your quarters to clean up?”

she asked stiffly. He nodded.

She left the gym, giving him the solitude he no longer craved.