Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

Remember your vow, he told himself. You swore it to the Goddess herself, after what happened to Ka’leesa. Remember your promise!

No, he wasn’t likely to forget it anytime soon. And anyway, as soon as he ushered the little Elite onto the next shuttle back to the Mother Ship, he would, in all probability, never see her again.

Which was just as well, since she was too damn enticing for her own good. In fact, Valen told himself, it was probably better not to even ask her name. That way he wouldn’t be tempted to try and find her later. He would just keep things businesslike and get her onto the first shuttle headed home.

13

Selena decided not to try the strange, bright blue wine that the big Kindred had ordered. But she did drink a big glass of the crystal-clear water and also dampened one of the linen napkins to clean the rest of the blood off her hands. Then, feeling considerably refreshed, she studied the food.

The fruits on the tray were like nothing she had ever seen before. They were sliced up neatly into little cubes but their colors were so bright and vivid they made even the pinkest dragon fruit or greenest kiwi back home look dull in comparison. They were arranged in a rainbow swirl, radiating outward from the center of the silver platter.

The cheeses, which were scooped into tiny spheres about the same size as the fruits and piled in a neat pyramid on the side of the platter, were good too. Some were creamy and soft, while others were crumbly and hard and they ranged in color from baby blue to deep peach to palest pink, but they were all delicious.

Since she really was hungry—it had been a long time since the lunch she’d had with Kat before her fitting that afternoon—Selena decided to go ahead and really eat, instead of just picking at the contents of the elaborate platter. She amused herself by trying different fruit and cheese combinations while she waited for the big Kindred to return.

She had just decided that her favorite combo involved a small round ball of creamy, mild cheese that was pale pink with a cube of brilliant blue fruit which had a sweet-tart flavor a little like a kiwi mixed with a strawberry, when he at last returned.

“Oh, no—you didn’t find it, did you?” Selena said, seeing the grim look on his chiseled features.

“I am afraid not, though I searched the hallway and the surrounding area thoroughly, twice,” he said. “It was probably taken by one of the many thieves that live in the spaceport—there is a thriving black market for Seals, considering how difficult it is to get one in the first place.”

“I think Kat—the girl who was helping me on the Mother Ship—just 3-D printed mine,” Selena said. “I mean, she made it on her replicator, where she made the rest of my clothes for my visit here.” She sighed. “She warned me not to lose it and that’s the first thing I did, almost the minute I got here!”

“Well, you didn’t exactly lose it—it was taken from you,” he pointed out. “But unfortunately, if you wish to continue your vacation here at Ma’shorka Centra, you’ll probably need to go back to the Mother Ship and have your friend print you another.”

“But I don’t have time for that!” Selena protested. “I’m not here on vacation—I’m supposed to be presented to the Emperor tonight and I don’t think they have another shuttle back to the Mother Ship for at least several hours. There’s no way I can get there and back in time!”

Valen raised his eyebrows.

“The Emperor himself, you say?”

Selena felt her cheeks get hot with a blush as she remembered the way the Ma’shorkan policemen had reacted to her claim.

“Yes, the Emperor,” she said stiffly. “You see, I’m a professional violinist and my friend, Jessica, is married, er Joined, to the Kindred Ambassador here—Commander Tolern. They got me a part in the upcoming gala.”

His face cleared. “Oh yes, I know Tolern! I’ve had dealings with him before, while trying to work out some especially difficult cases. A very decent male. Well, if you have him to guide you through, you might be all right after all.”

“But I don’t,” Selena protested. “Have him, I mean. He’s with my friend, Jess—she just sent me a Think-me message right before I was attacked. Her little sister was in a car accident and she’s in surgery right now, so Jess and Tolern are on their way back to Earth to stay with her and make sure she’s okay.”

“Hmm…” He frowned. “Well, this is a damn sticky situation. You won’t survive long as an unaccompanied female here in the spaceport.”

Selena wished she could protest that she would be just fine, thank you very much, but recent circumstances had proved that wasn’t true. Unfortunately, Ma’shorka Centra was a horribly sexist world where women alone were at a distinct disadvantage.