determine if you can
scan and copy the human ship’s data archives without being
detected,” the Sural told him.
“I am not confident it can be done. I
can defeat their protections, but not without alerting
them.”
“Look into it further. I want access
to their medical information.”
Chapter Seven
Marianne stood at a window in the family library,
five standard years into her assignment—her second autumn on Tolar.
The trees, bushes, and groundcover had turned yellow late in the
season, preparing for the long winter. Kyza had become a little
girl, and she had her father, if not captive to her every whim, at
least subject to them. Marianne herself found it difficult to deny
the child anything. Only Storaas resisted her manipulations. The
old proctor had tutored the children of too many Suralian rulers—no
one could connive him into anything, not even a talented,
beautiful, and charming child.
Storaas had directed a guard to search
for Kyza when she burst out of hiding with a piercing shriek and
flung herself at Marianne, clinging to one of her legs.
“Kyza, NO !” the old tutor
boomed in deep, authoritative tones, gesturing to the guard, who
sprinted out of the room. Marianne’s stomach twisted in panic for
no definable reason, and she reached down to pat the girl’s head.
“No!” Storaas barked, to Marianne this time.
Marianne jerked the hand back and
looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“This is a matter in which you cannot
become involved.” His tenor voice dropped to a low and intense
pitch. “Do not move. Do not attempt to comfort her.”
The Sural burst into view in the
doorway, striding toward them. He dropped to his knees on the floor
matting and pried his daughter from Marianne’s leg. Once he had
broken Kyza’s hold, Marianne’s stomach stopped twisting. Kyza flung
her arms around her father’s neck.
“Fafee, I am alone! All alone!” she
cried into his robes.
“Hush,” he murmured, his eyes closing.
“I am here now.”
“Come, proctor,” Storaas said in a low
voice. “We must leave them.” He took an arm and pulled her along
with him out into the corridor, giving Kyza a wide berth. Marianne
looked back at father and daughter. The Sural held Kyza in a gentle
hug, eyes closed, but Marianne’s skin still prickled from the wild
panic in the air.
The Sural’s face drained of expression
and became serene. He was handsome enough to make a woman’s heart
ache. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? Her own heart tightened,
and she squashed the thought altogether. That was
unprofessional.
<<>>
Kyza’s emotions surged as she beat her
senses against the Sural. With gentle ease, he caught her and
wrapped his own senses around hers, holding her fast. The world
faded, leaving only his small daughter, clinging to him and drawing
on his strength with a tenacity and fierceness that swelled his
heart. So strong . And she was his child— his continuation— his legacy. Instinct sent his senses questing
outward, seeking adults close enough to interfere and try to take
her from him, and found two guards. He turned toward the nearest
and scowled.
<<>>
Storaas guided the human tutor to
safety in the corridor, relieved that bonding with his daughter
occupied too much of the Sural’s attention for him to notice the
woman’s flash of desire—Tolar’s captivated leader needed no further
encouragement. As he led the object of his ruler’s infatuation
away, two guards flew out the door of the library, where the Sural
remained with his daughter. Storaas chuckled.
“What was that all about?” the human
proctor asked, turning toward him.
“Let us walk in the garden,” he said,
ignoring the question and heading out a nearby exit.
“All right.” She followed him into the
morning sunshine, and he sensed annoyance rising in her. Her voice
rang with it as she added, “You Tolari, you have a lot more going
on under the surface than you let me see.”
He released her arm and picked an
autumn
scan and copy the human ship’s data archives without being
detected,” the Sural told him.
“I am not confident it can be done. I
can defeat their protections, but not without alerting
them.”
“Look into it further. I want access
to their medical information.”
Chapter Seven
Marianne stood at a window in the family library,
five standard years into her assignment—her second autumn on Tolar.
The trees, bushes, and groundcover had turned yellow late in the
season, preparing for the long winter. Kyza had become a little
girl, and she had her father, if not captive to her every whim, at
least subject to them. Marianne herself found it difficult to deny
the child anything. Only Storaas resisted her manipulations. The
old proctor had tutored the children of too many Suralian rulers—no
one could connive him into anything, not even a talented,
beautiful, and charming child.
Storaas had directed a guard to search
for Kyza when she burst out of hiding with a piercing shriek and
flung herself at Marianne, clinging to one of her legs.
“Kyza, NO !” the old tutor
boomed in deep, authoritative tones, gesturing to the guard, who
sprinted out of the room. Marianne’s stomach twisted in panic for
no definable reason, and she reached down to pat the girl’s head.
“No!” Storaas barked, to Marianne this time.
Marianne jerked the hand back and
looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“This is a matter in which you cannot
become involved.” His tenor voice dropped to a low and intense
pitch. “Do not move. Do not attempt to comfort her.”
The Sural burst into view in the
doorway, striding toward them. He dropped to his knees on the floor
matting and pried his daughter from Marianne’s leg. Once he had
broken Kyza’s hold, Marianne’s stomach stopped twisting. Kyza flung
her arms around her father’s neck.
“Fafee, I am alone! All alone!” she
cried into his robes.
“Hush,” he murmured, his eyes closing.
“I am here now.”
“Come, proctor,” Storaas said in a low
voice. “We must leave them.” He took an arm and pulled her along
with him out into the corridor, giving Kyza a wide berth. Marianne
looked back at father and daughter. The Sural held Kyza in a gentle
hug, eyes closed, but Marianne’s skin still prickled from the wild
panic in the air.
The Sural’s face drained of expression
and became serene. He was handsome enough to make a woman’s heart
ache. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? Her own heart tightened,
and she squashed the thought altogether. That was
unprofessional.
<<>>
Kyza’s emotions surged as she beat her
senses against the Sural. With gentle ease, he caught her and
wrapped his own senses around hers, holding her fast. The world
faded, leaving only his small daughter, clinging to him and drawing
on his strength with a tenacity and fierceness that swelled his
heart. So strong . And she was his child— his continuation— his legacy. Instinct sent his senses questing
outward, seeking adults close enough to interfere and try to take
her from him, and found two guards. He turned toward the nearest
and scowled.
<<>>
Storaas guided the human tutor to
safety in the corridor, relieved that bonding with his daughter
occupied too much of the Sural’s attention for him to notice the
woman’s flash of desire—Tolar’s captivated leader needed no further
encouragement. As he led the object of his ruler’s infatuation
away, two guards flew out the door of the library, where the Sural
remained with his daughter. Storaas chuckled.
“What was that all about?” the human
proctor asked, turning toward him.
“Let us walk in the garden,” he said,
ignoring the question and heading out a nearby exit.
“All right.” She followed him into the
morning sunshine, and he sensed annoyance rising in her. Her voice
rang with it as she added, “You Tolari, you have a lot more going
on under the surface than you let me see.”
He released her arm and picked an
autumn
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