“You are Lady Nakkua?”
She smiled and yawned in his arms. “That is what they tell me. I prefer to be just Rowen.”
“You repair plants?”
“I heal and encourage plants. It is a compulsion more than a talent. Irudan is heaven.”
He was carrying her through the tunnels and his hands were very careful.
She was surprised by his next question. “Where is your husband?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably doing something important or something.”
“Why wouldn’t he be there?”
She opened her eyes a slit and looked at the empty faceplate. “Ask his parents.”
He chuckled. “He might have his reasons.”
“He probably does. I don’t care. I am enjoying the plants.” Blackness fought her mind for supremacy and she fought back.
With a short upward hike, they broke the surface again and the air was clear of dirt and filled with night-blooming flowers.
Another man came up to them and spoke quickly to the one holding her. She was dazed enough to notice the burnished orange of the other man’s uniform.
“Fire Fall says that your wound needs to be cauterized. It does not seem to be clotting.”
She nodded. “That sounds right. I feel like I am draining away.”
He knelt on the ground and lowered her while the other male examined the slash down her arm.
“Hello, Lady Nakkua. I am Fire Fall and I will be causing you pain today.”
“Go for it.” She dug her free hand into the turf and held on while Fire Fall examined her wound before he drew a line of fire down her skin.
She gasped, arched and passed out, only to wake up seconds later to scream her head off.
* * * *
With a med kit over his shoulder and Lady Nakkua in his arms, he gestured for Uadon to remove the block from the manor.
Walking Darkness headed toward the count and countess. “We have found her. She was battered and injured but she will survive. Where can I put her?”
Countess Akadeel gave the woman a pitying look. “Her room is in the manor at the top of the stairs on the left. The gold suite.”
He nodded and walked the short distance to the manor, and from there, toward the stairs that he had pelted down as a child.
His wife weighed no more than a feather and her skin was chalky. Fire Fall had given him a list of medical treatments and they all began with getting her out of her gown.
Walking Darkness set her on her bed and removed his gloves and helmet. He turned her gently and opened her gown and the undergarments that let the strapless creation hang so perfectly on her. Her feet were stained with soil and he smiled at the clue she had left them at the split path of the tunnels. Two shoes had sped up their retrieval.
He went to the lav and brought back a basin and towels. With care, he wiped the blood off her skin before moving on to the dirt. Her body was a map of the evening and he kicked himself for not being there with her. They may have a marriage of convenience, but she didn’t need to be alone.
Once she was clean, he administered the supplemental shots for blood production and he covered her with a sheet. He couldn’t do anything about the mud and leaves in her hair. The bots would take care of the sheets in the morning. Once the medical attention was finished, he looked around.
His mother’s touch was everywhere. The gowns in the wardrobe were definitely her choices, as were the deadly shoes. He suspected that if his wife had a choice, it would have been gardening boots all the time.
There was something odd leaning against the wall and he peeled back the fabric cover. She hadn’t been shopping for interior design items. His parents had only set up her accounts that morning.
He leaned back in surprise at the image on the canvas. Seeing his own body occupied with that of his proxy wife was a bit of a surprise. He crouched in front of the image and analyzed the curve of her shoulder, the expression on his face. He knew the portrait style as well. Guardians all over the Imperium had been lining up to get their image under Rhoda’s brush. It seemed that she had offered this portrait to Rowen the moment she had agreed to the match.
He ran his finger over the curve of her lips on the image. If he had seen this first, tonight might not have happened.
She stirred and hissed on the bed. He was at her side in a moment, holding her down and murmuring softly. “Easy, miss. You have had quite the evening.”
She struggled against the pain. “Who are you?”
“Walking Darkness. A Guardian of Irudan. We had to find you in the tunnels. It was not an easy thing and you were injured. Your wound was healed, but it took fire to stop the bleeding so you will have to head to the medical centre in the morning to remove the blisters. For tonight, you are safe in your rooms.”
She looked up at him with dazed eyes in a leaf green that surprised him. There were stars around her pupils, and she focussed on him with difficulty. “Thank you, Guardian. Is the tree all right?”
He smiled. “It will be returned to the research area and the podders will have to move to their next sprout.”
“How many are there?” She tried to sit up but he held her down.
“It is not your concern. We will deal with them as they appear.”
“How did they know who I am and what I am doing? The only people who know are the academics and the tunnel had to have been crafted the moment I arrived.” She lifted her left arm and hissed. “Nasty.”
“The healers can remove the mark.”
“I am more concerned with the blisters rupturing while I am at work tomorrow. Scars don’t bother me.”
He tried to look casual. “I am certain your husband objects.”
She snorted. “He is doing whatever he is doing and I am doing whatever I am doing. The two need never meet. I would rather be useful than worrying about my appearance to please someone else. Lady Akadeel is the exception. She is scary.” She smiled at him, belying her statement.
He had to admire her aplomb. Without thinking about it, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was like kissing a flower petal spiked with heat.
She froze in shock and then tensed, lifting her good arm. The blow that she administered to his jaw was unexpected and knocked him off the bed and to the floor.
Rowen sat up and glared at him. “I may have been a damsel in distress and you my knight in armour, but I am not going to go any further than
thank you.
I am married by whatever means and manner. Feel free to show yourself out.”
He fought the urge to grin. He was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it. “As you wish, Lady Nakkua, but I will see you again. There is the matter of the deposition that you must make for the peacekeepers. I will see you tomorrow or later today. Get some rest, Lady Nakkua, it has been lovely meeting you.”
The moment she asked about where to find medical treatment for the burn scar, Lady Akadeel was summoned.
Rowen sat in a corner with the waitresses milling around and bringing her cup after cup of tea. Rowen had braided her hair into a thick cable that rested on her left breast and her standard gardening gear was her preferred clothing choice of the day.
It wasn’t Lady Akadeel that came through the door. Two hooded Guardians, one in black and one in shades of flames, came to her.
“Lady Nakkua, we are here to escort you to a healer.”
The one in flames bowed. “My apologies for the scarring, but it is my only party trick. Fire Fall, at your service. You might remember my companion Walking Darkness from last evening?”
She twisted her lips and inclined her head. “I seem to recall his medical attention and I am delighted to see him again.”
Walking Darkness bowed. “If you are ready, Lady Nakkua?”
She rose to her feet and waved her bruised right hand. “Show me the way and I will follow.”
Fire Fall stood next to her while Walking Darkness led the way. “I thought you only suffered a gash last night.”
“Ah, I must have hit my hand on something during the events of the evening.” She smiled and shrugged innocently.
“Right. Please, this way.”
They walked with her out and down to the tubes. The private tube pod was waiting, and the moment that they stepped into it and settled, it slipped onto the track and they were zipping through the darkness.
She sat between the two Guardians with her fingers laced together.
Walking Darkness lifted her hand. “How did you do this?”
“I must have hit a rock last night.” She flicked her gaze toward his face.
His eyes widened. “My jaw did that?”
Fire Fall leaned over and chuckled. “You hit him?”
“I have no idea what I hit. I woke up with the bruise.”
Fire Fall whipped out a data pad. “What species are you again?”
She looked at him with surprise. “Terran. Why?”
“I have got to get myself a Terran. The Irudan women are far too caught up with the hero business. I want a woman who will put me in my place when I get out of line.”
Rowen laughed. “Seriously?”
“Of course. Once you gain the status of Guardian and are on a few news vids, the women of the Irudan come flocking to you at every public gathering in search of a husband. Even if they don’t know who you are, they know what you are and that causes weird situations. Walking Darkness can tell you about some of the scrapes he has been in. Women hide in the oddest places when they see him and try to catch a glimpse of his face or other bits.”
“What good would that do?”
“If they could confirm his identity, they could force him into marriage. Blackmail.”
“Wow. Why does it matter?” Rowen kept her attention on Fire Fall. She could almost feel Walking Darkness’s gaze on her.
“Family is everything here on Irudan. Being an unwed Guardian is a social disparity. The older you get, the more folk watch you. Once a Guardian is married, they no longer have a reason to hide themselves. It is a peculiar situation. A wife makes them unattractive to the opposite sex.”
“I see. Well, that explains why a Guardian would do it, but with your knowledge of the Irudan, why would an ordinary man do it?” Rowen waited for the answer, but their pod came to a halt and was lifted from the tracks.
Fire Fall lifted her by her elbow and helped her leave the pod. Walking Darkness didn’t say a word and his hands were clenched.
They walked her through the open underground spaces and to a very elegant medical facility.
The receptionist smiled brightly at the two Guardians. Rowen smirked that she was finally invisible. Her height had always made moving in society awkward, but here, she was average in most ways aside from skin tone.
Walking Darkness stepped forward. “Lady Nakkua has an appointment with Healer Wyfin.”
The receptionist leaned forward and pressed her breasts together in invitation. Rowen was amazed at the blatant move. The woman didn’t know anything about Walking Darkness aside from his status as a Guardian. At least Rowen knew that he was a helluva kisser.
The receptionist inhaled sharply. “The healer is occupied. Perhaps we could have a chat while she waits?”
Walking Darkness sent a tendril of shadows over to the com unit and his voice became harsh. “Call him.”
The receptionist sat back and she pouted.
Leaving Walking Darkness to negotiate her time with a healer, she caressed the plant on the edge of the countertop. With Fire Fall at her heels, she wandered through the waiting room, ignoring the other patients. She encouraged all the plants she touched until a young man came up to her.
“Are you in much pain, miss?”
“As much as can be expected.”
“Who are you here to see, miss?”
She looked back toward the counter where the receptionist was in full flirt once again. “I am supposed to be seeing Healer Wyfin but the receptionist won’t let us through until Walking Darkness agrees to see her socially. Apparently my pain doesn’t rate.” She chuckled.
The man stiffened his shoulders and walked to the reception desk, standing behind the woman who was telling Walking Darkness that she would let the lady have her appointment if he would take her for tea during her break.
The young man tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Summon a replacement. Your services are no longer required. The lady in question has second-degree burns and a broken hand, and that is merely what is initially visible. Withholding treatment for your sex life is not the mandate of this practice.”
The woman began to shake, and she reached for the com, asking another woman to come to the front desk.
The young man smiled at Rowen. “Please come this way, Lady Nakkua.”
“Um, thank you, but I didn’t want to get her fired.”
“She made the choice to forget that her first duty is to the patient. I am Healer Wyfin, by the way.”
“I would greet you properly but…” she shrugged.
“I understand. Come this way and we will soon have you sorted out.”
Fire Fall was on her heels and Walking Darkness was immediately behind them.
“Would you like them in the room? The Guardians, I mean.”
“Certainly. It will not make a difference to me.” She smiled and flexed her right hand.
She sat down in a medical chamber unlike anything she had ever seen. It was more of a spa than cold and sterile than she had anticipated.
“I will need you to put on an exam gown so that I can do a full workup. They are off to the side there behind that curtain.” He smiled brightly and went to wash his hands.
She was less than enthusiastic about the full workup, but she stripped out of her gardening clothing and slid into the gown that tied on the sides. The entire gown was designed to be peeled apart to view her skin and then replaced to hide it again. It wasn’t a bad design as long as you weren’t in a hurry.
With her braid down her back, she tiptoed out in bare feet. Fire Fall and Walking Darkness were watching her, as was Healer Wyfin.
“So, are all medical facilities like this?” She settled on her back with her arms relaxed.
Wyfin shook his head. “Most use machines for diagnostics. I am one of the few contact healers on Irudan. Your injuries as a side effect of your kidnapping gained you today’s appointment.”