Raised to Kill

“Do you want to know your second surprise?” her new husband asked, breaking into her worried train of thought.

“Oh, of course. Yes, please, husband,” Allara said politely. Had he made her new shoes as well? She didn’t really need them—her wedding slippers would be fine with any of the dresses Kat had made her.

“Your second surprise is…music lessons!”

He looked so excited when he said it that Allara couldn’t help smiling a little. But she wasn’t sure exactly what he meant.

“What kind of lessons, husband?” she asked.

“Do you remember Selena—the violinist from the string quartet yesterday?” he asked. “Well, she’s staying aboard the Mother Ship for a while and she’s agreed to give you lessons every day for as long as you want.”

“Lessons on how to play the vio-lin?” Allara asked, wide-eyed.

“Or any instrument you want,” he said, grinning. “Apparently she’s very talented—she teaches a class called ‘orchestra’ back on Earth—so she can teach you to play almost any Earth instrument you have an interest in.”

“Oh, but women must not touch instruments!” Allara protested, though she could hear the longing in her own voice. How she would love to make the vio-lin’s Song her own!

Brand frowned thoughtfully.

“Well…I know that’s a rule on your planet,” he said, stroking his chin. “But maybe that only applies to the musical instruments of the Q’ess. And the instruments you’ll be learning to play with Selena are all Earth or Kindred instruments. So it should be all right—don’t you think?”

“I…had not thought of it that way,” Allara admitted. By his way of thinking she would be allowed to touch an instrument and learn its Song. After all, Selena and the other woman in her string quartet touched and played instruments and the Gods had not struck them dead or cursed them with any horrible maladies—at least none that she could see.

“Well?” Brand was looking at her, a little smile playing around the right corner of his mouth. It showed a dimple that made him seem almost boyish for a moment.

Allara gazed at him. How could her enemy look so harmless and act so sweet? Was it all to throw her off her guard somehow? Or was he truly being sincere? She didn’t know.

“What do you say, baby?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow. “You want to take the lessons?”

Allara took a deep breath. What did it matter what she did? Once she completed her mission, she would be dead. And until then, there was no one here to cast shame or blame on her for acting in a way no woman did among the Q’ess. She was free here—at least until her husband took her—which he showed no signs of doing anytime soon. Free to do what she wanted.

And more than anything, she wanted to make the vio-lin’s Song her own.

“All right,” she said, smiling at Brand. “I will do it. I will take the music lessons.”

“Great!” He looked so excited for her that Allara found herself smiling at him spontaneously. She had never heard of a man—any man—being so kind or encouraging a woman to rise above her given station. But it seemed to please Brand immensely to give her things and offer her opportunities. Why was this? Did he have some hidden motive?

It doesn’t matter how nice he is—he is still the enemy! her aunt’s voice whispered in her head.

Allara bit her lip. She would do well to listen to that voice and to remember her mission. Still, she could not fulfill it yet, so she might as well pass the time pleasantly.

Smiling at her new husband, she took another bite of the breakfast he had prepared for her. It seemed as though, instead of killing, first her husband and then herself as she had planned, she was going to have a pleasant second day aboard the Kindred Mother Ship.

Who could have guessed that things would turn out so strangely?

Sixteen

“So this is the music suite,” Brand said, putting his new bride down reluctantly. On their way to her music lesson the corridors had been crowded with Kindred warriors and Allara had mentioned that she felt like a child in a roomful of adults.

Eager for any opportunity to hold his new bride close, Brand had swung her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. Allara had blushed prettily and protested that she could walk herself but she didn’t really ask him to put her down. In fact, after a moment she had relaxed against him, putting her head on his shoulder, as he strode down the busy hallways.

He hoped she didn’t think he was treating her like a child or an inferior—that truly wasn’t his intention. It was just that she was so tiny and adorable he couldn’t resist the urge to pick her up and cuddle her.

Already he was thinking of holding her again in bed that evening. Kat had made her some silky new nightgowns to wear and he looked forward to feeling her curvy body through the diaphanous fabric.