And then Olivia ruined it by tapping the big male on the shoulder and breaking their kiss.
“Detective Rast,” she said, frowning. “Is that you? What are you doing?”
The male pulled away from Nadiah and as quickly as the luck kiss had begun, it was over.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Olivia repeated. “Why are you even at my sister’s wedding?”
“I don’t know.” He scowled at Olivia in a very unfriendly way. “I just came up here to interview Commander Sylvan and Commander Baird. But before I knew it, I was being forced into this ridiculous get-up and pushed into the damn wedding.”
“This ‘ridiculous get-up’ happens to be the native costume of my planet,” Sylvan said mildly, as he and Sophie joined the conversation. “Though I don’t know why you’re wearing it instead of my good friend, Merrik, who was supposed to be here to perform the kiss.”
“I don’t know either,” the big male protested. “Ask that guy.” He pointed at Deep, who was standing with Lock and Kat at the far end of the sacred grove, talking to some of the other wedding guests. “He’s the one who made me wear a fur skirt and these damn matching boots. And he’s the one who told me to just stand here until the, uh, the ‘luck kiss’ thing. Which I guess is what we just did?” He turned to Nadiah, one eyebrow arched in question.
Nadia had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Yes, that was the luck kiss. But…are you saying you’re not a Kindred?”
“He’s human,” Sylvan assured her. Then seeing the disappointed look in her eyes, he put a hand on Nadiah’s shoulder comfortingly. “Sorry, daughter of my mother’s sister.”
“Oh, this is all my fault.” Sophie bit her lip. “I’m so sorry, Detective Rast. I knew you were coming up here today but then it just completely slipped my mind. Deep and Lock must have thought you were Sylvan’s old friend who was supposed to come in time for the ceremony.”
“Don’t worry, Talana, there’s no real harm done.” Sylvan put an arm around his new bride and hugged her consolingly. “After all, even though he wasn’t meant to be in the ceremony, Detective Rast certainly did credit to our traditions.”
“I’ll say.” Olivia laughed. “After a kiss like that, there’s no way you could have anything but good luck in your marriage.”
The tall male’s cheeks went dark red with embarrassment but he held his head high. “About that,” he said to Nadiah in a low voice. “I’m sorry. I don’t know…I’m not sure what came over me. If I hurt you—”
“You didn’t,” she said quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. A human. He’s just a human—not a Kindred at all. But how is that possible? I was so sure. So sure…
Detective Rast cleared his throat. “All right then. Good.” He turned away from her to face Sylvan. “I can see it’s your wedding day and you’re somewhat, ah, preoccupied, but I still have a few questions I’d like to ask about Lauren. I know you believe her to be safe but she’s still missing and her mother is very upset.”
“Of course she is,” Baird rumbled, coming up to put an arm around Olivia. “But why don’t you let me handle the questions, Detective? I’ll be happy to tell you anything I can—you’ll have full Kindred cooperation.”
“I’ll come with you and tell you everything I can too,” Olivia offered. “We want to see Lauren get home safely as much as you do.”
At the mention of the missing girl’s name, Nadiah began to have a strange feeling. It started as a tingling in her fingertips and spread up her arms to encompass her entire head and face. Oh my Goddess…what is it? What’s wrong? The others were still talking about Lauren and every time they mentioned her name, the feeling grew stronger. Then Nadiah remembered something her grandmamam had told her when she came of age.
‘You may have an al’lei my child,’ she’d said when she was explaining about the manifestation of Nadiah’s powers. ‘A waking dream. They’re very rare but not unheard of among those with the Sight. If an al’lei comes upon you, don’t try to fight it. Let the power flow through you. Speak the words that come to you and hold nothing back.’
Lauren couldn’t have held back if she wanted to. A vision rose before her eyes, blotting out the sacred grove and everyone in it. Suddenly she saw a narrow, crooked alley wrapped in violet shadows. A girl was there, a human girl with smooth, light brown skin and warm amber eyes and she was following another female who was leading her…leading her…
“Into danger,” Nadiah heard herself speak the words aloud but somehow the voice that came from her throat was not her own. It was deeper and filled with authority. It tolled like a bell in the sacred grove. All conversation stopped and every eye was on her but she couldn’t stop.
“I see her,” she went on in the strange, sonorous voice. “Lauren—the missing one. The chosen of the Scourge. She with the star between her breasts. He has taken her to O’ah where the purple darkness never recedes.”
“What…Nadiah, what are you saying?” She heard Sophie ask in a small, trembling voice. “Why are you talking like that?”
Nadiah couldn’t answer—the al’lei wasn’t over yet. “He has tried to safeguard her but another has deceived her,” she went on, still seeing Lauren before her eyes. “She is in danger…so much danger. If he does not return to her soon it will be too late. Too late…too late…” The vision faded as suddenly as it had come, leaving her feeling weak and lightheaded. “Goddess!” she whispered in her own voice. The world went gray and swam around her and then her knees gave out and she collapsed.
Strong arms caught her and someone held her protectively. “Are you all right, uh…”
“Nadiah,” Sophie said. “Her name is Nadiah.”
“Are you all right, Nadiah?” the deep voice repeated.
Her eyes fluttered open and she saw that the human called Rast was holding her. He was looking down at her anxiously, a worried expression in his truegreen eyes.
No, not truegreen, Nadiah reminded herself with a spasm of regret. Just green. He looks Kindred but he isn’t, not really. And despite the intense heat she’d felt from him during the luck kiss, only a Kindred warrior would be able to challenge her blood bond.
“What happened?” she asked weakly. The events of the past minute were strangely fuzzy in her mind.
“That’s what we’d like to know,” Olivia said.
“You started speaking in a weird voice and then you fainted,” Sophie told her. “You were talking about Lauren. Saying she was in danger.”
“Omigoddess!” Suddenly the vision rushed back. Nadiah put a hand to her head. “I saw her, Sophie! I saw Lauren. She was wearing blue and red and she was following a female who was leading her into danger.”
“Danger? What kind of danger?” The human was staring down at her with a disbelieving frown on his face. “Are you trying to say you’re psychic or some kind of bullshit like that?”
Nadiah frowned back. “I have the Sight,” she said stiffly. “Although it’s never manifested quite so strongly before.”
He arched an eyebrow at her incredulously. “And you expect us to believe you suddenly saw Lauren, wherever she is?”
“I did see her.” Nadiah struggled to get out of his arms. “Don’t look at me like that. And put me down.”
“With pleasure.” He sat her on her feet and crossed his arms over his broad, bare chest. “You should know something, lady—I worked long enough at the PD to see this kind of thing a lot. People lose a kid and they get desperate. Desperate enough to call in some fake who claims to be able to locate their child through ‘astral projection’ or some shit like that. But you know what? It never pans out. It just gives them false hope.”
“She’s not trying to give you any ‘false hope.’” Sophie put herself between Nadiah and the human detective and glared at him angrily. “She’s just telling you what she saw. Nadiah has a gift.”
“She saw you coming,” Olivia put in, joining ranks with her twin sister. “She even knew the color of your eyes. Although
she didn’t say anything about you being a jerk.”
“All right now, this isn’t solving anything.” Sylvan put a hand on his bride’s shoulder. “Come, Talana, I think the detective is simply upset because he’s been searching so long and hard for any trace of Lauren’s whereabouts.”
“Are you siding with him?” Sophie frowned at him incredulously.
“I’m not siding with anyone,” Sylvan protested. “I’m just trying to defuse the situation.”
“Consider it defused.” Detective Rast gave Nadiah a cold look. “I apologize if what I saw was offensive—it’s just that my experience leads me to disbelieve these kinds of claims.”
Nadiah lifted her chin. “That’s quite all right, Detective. I don’t expect a mere human to understand my gift.”
“A human? Who’s a human?” Deep and Lock came up with Kat between them.
“He is.” Nadiah nodded at Detective Rast who was still frowning at her.
“He is?” Lock looked confused. “But I thought…with his eyes that color of green…”
“So did I,” Deep put in. He look at Sylvan. “Forgive me, Brother. I was certain he was your friend, Merrik.”
“No harm done,” Sylvan said in a tight voice.
“If there’s no harm done then why are you all so upset?” Kat asked, her blue eyes flicking over everyone’s faces. “And what was that you were saying a minute ago?” she asked Nadiah. “Something about danger?”
“She saw Lauren,” Sophie said eagerly.
“I had an al’lei,” Nadiah said stiffly. “A waking dream. My grandmamam warned me I might have them when I came into my powers. I saw Lauren in an alley filled with purple shadows. She was wearing red and blue and I had the feeling that she was in terrible danger. She…” A feeling of dread rose in her throat and Nadiah put a hand to her chest, trying to hold it back. “She’s in trouble.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s not there to protect her. I don’t know where he went but—”
“Again?” Detective Rast gave her a disgusted look before turning to Baird. “Commander, I’m going to change back into my clothes and then I’d like to get this interview over with.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Baird rumbled.
“Thank you. And best wishes on your wedding.” Rast nodded at Sylvan.
“Thank you.” Sylvan frowned. “But Detective?”
“Yes?” Rast turned back for a moment.
“Don’t disrespect things you don’t understand.” Sylvan’s ice blue eyes glinted dangerously. “I know there are many things beyond the realm of human experience but that doesn’t excuse rudeness toward my kin. The Sight runs in my family. If Nadiah says she saw Lauren, then she did see her.”
“You can believe what you want,” Rast said shortly. Then he strode off toward the male’s changing area where, presumably, he’d left his clothing.
“Whew.” Lock shook his head. “He’s a prickly male.”
“And a rude one.” Deep frowned.
“You’re one to talk about that.” Kat elbowed the dark twin with a small smile. Deep returned her smile with one of his own but his twin brother, Lock, looked troubled.
“Nadiah,” he said, turning toward her. “Forgive me, but we know Lauren was headed for the Maw Cluster. Did you happen to see the planet she was on during your vision?”
Nadiah frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“You said she was in O’ah, wherever that is,” Olivia volunteered.
“O’ah?” Lock looked even more troubled. “That would be on Primus Six, I think. And you said she was wearing red and blue?”
Nadiah nodded. “Yes, and blue shoes with crimson red soles. They were very pretty, actually.”
Lock shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”
“Afraid? Why are you afraid?” Kat demanded.
“Yes, why?” Nadiah felt the fear threatening to close her throat again.
“Because.” Lock frowned. “I believe that on Primus Six, those are the colors of the skin trade.”
“The skin trade?” Sophie asked at the same time Olivia said, “What’s that?”
Deep answered for his brother. “Prostitution,” he said, his black eyes troubled. “If what you saw was accurate, Nadiah, somehow Lauren has been sold into sexual slavery.”
Chapter Seven
The girl with the orange skin led Lauren to the mouth of the alley and then turned right, into the marketplace. Things seemed to be winding down now at the end of the day, but there were still plenty of strange things to see.
Lauren watched wide-eyed as what looked like a walking tree with purple bark glided down the middle of the street. To her right, a tiny gnome with bulging iridescent eyes haggled with an insectile creature with two heads and broad, glittering transparent wings that buzzed angrily. Further down across the road, she saw what appeared to be a vending machine selling amputated fingers. Ugh! she thought uneasily. I hope those are just some kind of macabre candy. Like the gummy eyeballs you can buy to give out at Halloween back home.
Just as she was beginning to think her eyes were going to pop out of her head from the strangeness of it all, the orange girl stopped so abruptly Lauren almost ran into her. “What—?” she began.
“We’re here.” Her guide nodded at a small, dusty booth with a faded red awning. Behind the counter sat Blix. He was in his human form again with pale blond hair and eyebrows. When he looked up and saw Lauren, he smiled broadly.
“Well, well, my dear,” he said, rising and coming around the front of the booth to greet her. “So here you are. I had hoped you would take me up on my offer.”
“It seemed…reasonable.” Lauren nodded guardedly and crossed her arms over her chest. She wished she hadn’t let Vlanka rearrange the red scarf-like tok so that it exposed her breasts through the sheer light blue shirt.
Blix laughed. “Don’t worry about exposing your lovely breasts, my dear. It’s quite common here on O’ah. Especially with those in the trade.”
“The what?” Lauren frowned but he waved her question away.
“Unimportant. Did you bring me some cubes?”
“A few.” Lauren pulled the handful of food cubes out of the pocket of her skirt and held them out for him to examine. “Uh, fair warning though,” she said, feeling suddenly guilty. “Most of these feature live worms as their main entrée. So…” She shrugged. “I don’t know if you’re interested in that or not.”
“Worms?” Blix frowned and plucked several of the cubes out of her hand. “What kind of worms?”
“Well that’s just it—I don’t know. I mean—”
“Stop!”
Both their heads turned and Lauren felt a surge of relief so great her knees almost buckled. Xairn was striding towards them.
“Xairn!” Lauren took a step toward him… and stopped. He didn’t look nearly as happy to see her as she was to see him. In fact, he looked positively furious. His broad shoulders were tensed and his big hands were curled into fists at his side. The look in his red-on-black eyes was terrifying and that was saying something considering that his eyes looked forbidding at the best of times.
The minute he reached Lauren, he grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her close to his side. “What in the seven hells are you doing?” he demanded, looking her up and down. “And why are you dressed like that?”
“She is dressed like that because I gave her the clothes.” Blix came forward, his pale purple eyes glittering.
Xairn turned to her, his face so fierce it was frightening. “Is that true?” he demanded. “You accepted the clothes from him?”
“Well, yes,” Lauren admitted. She could tell she’d done something completely wrong but she didn’t know what it was. “I’m sorry, Xairn but I—”
“Strip.”
“What?” Lauren stared at him, uncomprehending. Surely he didn’t mean—
“You heard me. Strip.” Xairn glared at her. “Take off every single piece of clothing the Spider gave you right now.”
/> “But…but I can’t just—”
“Undress now or I’ll undress you myself, Goddess damn it.” His eyes flashed and when Lauren was a little slow to obey him, he reached for her and started unknotting the long red tok himself.
“No!” Lauren tried to push his hands away. “We’re in public. I don’t want to be naked in front of all these…these people.” If walking trees and gnomes and talking insects could be considered people, anyway.
“You have a choice,” Xairn growled. “Get naked now in public or spend the rest of your very short life getting naked over and over in private.”
“What are you talking about?” Lauren protested as he unwound the tok and threw it at Blix’s blond head. He turned back and started immediately on the elaborate buttons running down the front of her pale blue blouse.
“There’s no time to explain. Here.” He stopped undressing her long enough to strip off his own shirt. “Take that off and put this on. Hurry.”
There seemed to be no point in arguing with him. Wondering what kind of alien custom she’d broken by accepting clothes from a stranger, Lauren stripped quickly out of the pale blue blouse and shrugged into Xairn’s shirt instead. It was much too large and drooped down to her knees. Which suited her fine, since the lovely cobalt skirt was the last thing to go. She was bare beneath the shirt but at least she was covered.
Xairn took each item of clothing as she handed it to him and tossed it back to Blix. The blond alien caught the blouse and skirt in turn but there was a strange little smile playing around his lips that Lauren didn’t like.
“You might as well have saved yourself the trouble, Scourge,” he said, passing the outfit to Vlanka who folded it neatly. “In return for the clothing, your little pet gave me these.” He held out the three food cubes he’d plucked from Lauren’s palm.
Xairn’s face was suddenly as impassive as stone but his deep voice sounded strangled when he talked. “That’s all? She gave you nothing more?”