Vaaden Warriors 1: Rheul by Jessica Coulter Smith Page B
Authors: Jessica Coulter Smith
Tags: Sci-Fi
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her.
Foreboding filled me, and I realized these feelings weren't good. I hadn't even been introduced the woman yet, and I already wanted to protect her? What would be next?
I moved to stand before her. I looked down into her upturned face; guileless blue eyes stared up at me. Her porcelain skin looked petal soft, and I wanted to touch it, to see if it felt as silky smooth as it looked. Clenching my fists, I fought the urge to sweep her into my arms and hold her close, to breathe her in.
"What's your name?" I asked her gruffly.
"Darcy."
"I'm Rheul. Do you know why you're here?"
"I was told I am to be your slave," she answered softly, her voice wrapping around me like warm silk.
Damn. I was in serious trouble. Only in her presence a matter of minutes, and I already wanted to sink to my knees and bury my face against her, inhaling the scent I imagined would be uniquely hers. I wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with me, but I needed to fix it and quick.
My expression must have given something away because Bastian smirked at me and Enid had a knowing look in her 10
eye. I cleared my throat and reached for Darcy. "It's time I took you home and got you settled."
"Rheul, would you mind if I visited her?" Enid asked.
Bastian growled. "Forget Rheul. I don't want you visiting.
You're not to go to the slave quarters!"
Enid rolled her eyes and sighed, patting her pregnant belly. "Honestly, Bastian. It isn't like I haven't seen them before. In case you've forgotten, I did live there for a while."
"Things are different now," he said, putting an arm around her.
She smiled up at him and for one moment, I envied them.
I knew I'd never experience that with a Vaaden woman, but one day I would be required to marry, especially now that Bastian wouldn't. While Enid might have special permissions not allowed to most slaves, she was still a slave. She and Bastian could never marry, no matter how much they might want to.
Clearing my throat, I took Darcy by the arm and led her to the front of the house, and called over my shoulder, "I'll see you later."
Once we were outside, I led her toward the slave buildings. "Time to take you home."
Darcy looked up at me. "How is it that I can understand everything you say even outside of a home? While I was confined, I noticed the translation boxes in the cells, and I saw one inside the house."
I flipped up the collar of my shirt, showing her a small silver circle. "This translates up to five hundred languages, automatically selecting the ones being spoken." I smiled down 11
at her. "Since I designed it, I figured I should be the first to test it."
She looked impressed, and I felt proud of my accomplishment, which made no sense. What did I care what a slave thought? Her opinion didn't matter.
"Is that where we're going?" she asked, pointing to the tall windowless building ahead of us.
"Yes. Your... I believe you would call it an apartment, is in that building."
"Mine? You will not stay there?"
"No."
She looked up at me a moment longer, but didn't say a word. When we reached the building, she looked at her surroundings, but I couldn't tell anything by her expression. If she was shocked or appalled, she didn't show it.
When we reached the fourth floor, I opened her apartment door and ushered her inside. Even though I'd had the inside re-done for Enid when she'd stayed with me briefly, during a time when Bastian had clearly lost his mind, I'd made it over again for Darcy. Enid hadn't used it, but it still seemed like the right thing to do. The living room and kitchen had a shiny stone floor, similar to the marble on her planet, in a soft blue.
The furnishings were done in peach, beige and a medium blue. Colors I thought a woman might find soothing.
To our left, the bedroom door already stood open, and she walked inside, her feet sinking into the plush flooring, a cross between the plush carpets on Earth and fur. The bedroom floor was gray while the walls were slate blue. It was
Foreboding filled me, and I realized these feelings weren't good. I hadn't even been introduced the woman yet, and I already wanted to protect her? What would be next?
I moved to stand before her. I looked down into her upturned face; guileless blue eyes stared up at me. Her porcelain skin looked petal soft, and I wanted to touch it, to see if it felt as silky smooth as it looked. Clenching my fists, I fought the urge to sweep her into my arms and hold her close, to breathe her in.
"What's your name?" I asked her gruffly.
"Darcy."
"I'm Rheul. Do you know why you're here?"
"I was told I am to be your slave," she answered softly, her voice wrapping around me like warm silk.
Damn. I was in serious trouble. Only in her presence a matter of minutes, and I already wanted to sink to my knees and bury my face against her, inhaling the scent I imagined would be uniquely hers. I wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with me, but I needed to fix it and quick.
My expression must have given something away because Bastian smirked at me and Enid had a knowing look in her 10
eye. I cleared my throat and reached for Darcy. "It's time I took you home and got you settled."
"Rheul, would you mind if I visited her?" Enid asked.
Bastian growled. "Forget Rheul. I don't want you visiting.
You're not to go to the slave quarters!"
Enid rolled her eyes and sighed, patting her pregnant belly. "Honestly, Bastian. It isn't like I haven't seen them before. In case you've forgotten, I did live there for a while."
"Things are different now," he said, putting an arm around her.
She smiled up at him and for one moment, I envied them.
I knew I'd never experience that with a Vaaden woman, but one day I would be required to marry, especially now that Bastian wouldn't. While Enid might have special permissions not allowed to most slaves, she was still a slave. She and Bastian could never marry, no matter how much they might want to.
Clearing my throat, I took Darcy by the arm and led her to the front of the house, and called over my shoulder, "I'll see you later."
Once we were outside, I led her toward the slave buildings. "Time to take you home."
Darcy looked up at me. "How is it that I can understand everything you say even outside of a home? While I was confined, I noticed the translation boxes in the cells, and I saw one inside the house."
I flipped up the collar of my shirt, showing her a small silver circle. "This translates up to five hundred languages, automatically selecting the ones being spoken." I smiled down 11
at her. "Since I designed it, I figured I should be the first to test it."
She looked impressed, and I felt proud of my accomplishment, which made no sense. What did I care what a slave thought? Her opinion didn't matter.
"Is that where we're going?" she asked, pointing to the tall windowless building ahead of us.
"Yes. Your... I believe you would call it an apartment, is in that building."
"Mine? You will not stay there?"
"No."
She looked up at me a moment longer, but didn't say a word. When we reached the building, she looked at her surroundings, but I couldn't tell anything by her expression. If she was shocked or appalled, she didn't show it.
When we reached the fourth floor, I opened her apartment door and ushered her inside. Even though I'd had the inside re-done for Enid when she'd stayed with me briefly, during a time when Bastian had clearly lost his mind, I'd made it over again for Darcy. Enid hadn't used it, but it still seemed like the right thing to do. The living room and kitchen had a shiny stone floor, similar to the marble on her planet, in a soft blue.
The furnishings were done in peach, beige and a medium blue. Colors I thought a woman might find soothing.
To our left, the bedroom door already stood open, and she walked inside, her feet sinking into the plush flooring, a cross between the plush carpets on Earth and fur. The bedroom floor was gray while the walls were slate blue. It was
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