head.
Piqued at him, her confinement, and life in general, Kiara sat stiffly in her chair. "Can't we please do something? If I stay here any longer, I'll go bended ."
He sighed and closed his terminal. "What would mu Tara like to do, go shopping again?"
Despite the deadpan voice, she caught the sarcasm. "Not hardly."
"Then what?"
Kiara thought for a minute. There had to be something they could do that wouldn't
endanger their lives, or where people wouldn't gawk at her guard.
Tiyana's party!
Kiara smiled, remembering why they had gone shopping yesterday. "My best friend's
birthday party is this afternoon. We could go to it!"
"A birthday party?"
Dread was obvious in his voice. Kiara stared at him, wondering why such a simple
occasion would wring an emotional response from him. "Well, why not? It's in a housing
building, the only people invited are friends and business associates. Tiyana said it would
be just a small gathering."
He growled.
Kiara smiled the smile that always bent her father to her will. "Please?"
He growled again and for a moment, Kiara thought he'd deny her. "If it will keep you
from going bended , all right. But," he said, interrupting her beaming smile. "We are only going to stay for one hour. No longer."
She pursed her lips. "Well it beats staying here the whole day," she said with a sigh.
Rising from her chair, she watched him return to his work. "It's at four-thirty."
This time, he didn't even bother to growl, he just ignored her.
Sighing wearily, Kiara made her way to her room where she decided she could spend the
next few hours catching up on her reading.
* * *
Kiara smoothed her dress with her hands, double checking to make sure she looked fine
for the party. Tiyana had warned her a group of promoters would be there, and a
disillusioned promoter could damage her career as much as death. In the dancing
business, image was everything. Opening the door to her room, she went to find her
sullen guard.
Once again, Rachol was there to house-sit as he so grudgingly called it. To her the effort
seemed a waste of his time. She couldn't imagine why they needed someone to stay in her
flat all the time. But she wasn't willing to argue, she was too relieved to finally be going
outside the confines of her four-room flat.
The two of them leaned over the computer terminal which sat on her counter, absorbed.
They spoke in their weird language, oblivious to her.
Kiara took a deep breath. This was the first time in her life she actually blended into the
background and she found the experience horrible, if not somewhat humbling. What did
she have to do, run through the house nude to capture their attention? "Excuse me?" she said.
They looked up simultaneously.
"We're going to be late."
Nykyrian pushed himself away from the counter. "Get started on it," he said to Rachol.
Rachol nodded, a seductive smile on his face as he stared at her.
Without another word, Kiara retrieved Tiyana's present from the kitchen table and walked
to the door. Nykyrian walked past her and opened the door for her.
"We won't be gone long," he told Rachol.
Kiara bit the caustic remark she wanted to utter. She promised herself she was going to
enjoy herself at the party, no matter what.
Tiyana's flat was just two streets over. She and Tiyana had been classmates and best friends at several academies while growing up, and as adults they both danced for the
same company. When Kiara had first starting looking for her own place to live, Tiyana
had insisted she live close by so they could continue their lengthy gossip sessions and
late-night food binges.
Doing her best to ignore Nykyrian and his latest dour mood, Kiara rang the bell. After a
brief wait, Tiyana opened the door, her beautiful face beaming as she recognized Kiara.
"Sweetie!" she exclaimed, drawing Kiara into a fierce hug. "I was so afraid you wouldn't come."
Kiara smiled, pulling out of the hug before Tiyana
Piqued at him, her confinement, and life in general, Kiara sat stiffly in her chair. "Can't we please do something? If I stay here any longer, I'll go bended ."
He sighed and closed his terminal. "What would mu Tara like to do, go shopping again?"
Despite the deadpan voice, she caught the sarcasm. "Not hardly."
"Then what?"
Kiara thought for a minute. There had to be something they could do that wouldn't
endanger their lives, or where people wouldn't gawk at her guard.
Tiyana's party!
Kiara smiled, remembering why they had gone shopping yesterday. "My best friend's
birthday party is this afternoon. We could go to it!"
"A birthday party?"
Dread was obvious in his voice. Kiara stared at him, wondering why such a simple
occasion would wring an emotional response from him. "Well, why not? It's in a housing
building, the only people invited are friends and business associates. Tiyana said it would
be just a small gathering."
He growled.
Kiara smiled the smile that always bent her father to her will. "Please?"
He growled again and for a moment, Kiara thought he'd deny her. "If it will keep you
from going bended , all right. But," he said, interrupting her beaming smile. "We are only going to stay for one hour. No longer."
She pursed her lips. "Well it beats staying here the whole day," she said with a sigh.
Rising from her chair, she watched him return to his work. "It's at four-thirty."
This time, he didn't even bother to growl, he just ignored her.
Sighing wearily, Kiara made her way to her room where she decided she could spend the
next few hours catching up on her reading.
* * *
Kiara smoothed her dress with her hands, double checking to make sure she looked fine
for the party. Tiyana had warned her a group of promoters would be there, and a
disillusioned promoter could damage her career as much as death. In the dancing
business, image was everything. Opening the door to her room, she went to find her
sullen guard.
Once again, Rachol was there to house-sit as he so grudgingly called it. To her the effort
seemed a waste of his time. She couldn't imagine why they needed someone to stay in her
flat all the time. But she wasn't willing to argue, she was too relieved to finally be going
outside the confines of her four-room flat.
The two of them leaned over the computer terminal which sat on her counter, absorbed.
They spoke in their weird language, oblivious to her.
Kiara took a deep breath. This was the first time in her life she actually blended into the
background and she found the experience horrible, if not somewhat humbling. What did
she have to do, run through the house nude to capture their attention? "Excuse me?" she said.
They looked up simultaneously.
"We're going to be late."
Nykyrian pushed himself away from the counter. "Get started on it," he said to Rachol.
Rachol nodded, a seductive smile on his face as he stared at her.
Without another word, Kiara retrieved Tiyana's present from the kitchen table and walked
to the door. Nykyrian walked past her and opened the door for her.
"We won't be gone long," he told Rachol.
Kiara bit the caustic remark she wanted to utter. She promised herself she was going to
enjoy herself at the party, no matter what.
Tiyana's flat was just two streets over. She and Tiyana had been classmates and best friends at several academies while growing up, and as adults they both danced for the
same company. When Kiara had first starting looking for her own place to live, Tiyana
had insisted she live close by so they could continue their lengthy gossip sessions and
late-night food binges.
Doing her best to ignore Nykyrian and his latest dour mood, Kiara rang the bell. After a
brief wait, Tiyana opened the door, her beautiful face beaming as she recognized Kiara.
"Sweetie!" she exclaimed, drawing Kiara into a fierce hug. "I was so afraid you wouldn't come."
Kiara smiled, pulling out of the hug before Tiyana
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