Noble

An alien genome leads Myra to a world her ancestors called
their own and a people who demand that she give them all
she has to give.

Humouring her grandparents leads Myra to discovering that
a member of her family belonged to an alien race, and that
race wants her back now. The people who killed her
ancestors demand the last viable member of the Day clan,
and she has no idea why.

She finds out that her bloodline is the key to bringing

back a portion of the population that have died out. The
women. Her alien people survive by abducting their brides
from a variety of species, but if she can claim her birthright,
she can bring the trigger back and fertility will return.

Arbor-Dren–assassin, warrior and snappy dresser—is the

consort that she chooses, and he is more than capable of
dealing with her learning curve, and all of her other curves
as well.

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This  book  is  a  work  of  fiction.  Names,  characters,  places,
and  incidents  either  are  products  of  the  author’s
imagination  or  are  used  fictitiously.  Any  resemblance  to
actual  events  or  locales  or  persons,  living  or  dead,  is
entirely coincidental.

Noble

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0218-1

Cover art by Carmen Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the
reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part
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Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

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Chapter One

yra faced her grandparents in their kitchen, the well-
worn butcher block warm under her palms. “Can you

repeat that?”

Her grandfather smiled brightly. “We want you to apply

for the Volunteer Program. We have a suspicion about our
family, and we want it confirmed.”

“What do you suspect?”
Her grandmother held her husband’s hand. “We believe

that we have an alien in our bloodline.”

Since her grandparents were third cousins, it explained

why both of them were keen.

“You have to be kidding.” She rolled her eyes and sipped

her hot chocolate with the teeny marshmallows rapidly
dissolving as she waited.

“No. Here. This is the family tree, and it goes back five

hundred years.”

With reverence, her grandfather opened a book that was

surprisingly hollow. A creased and brittle page came out of
the box, and he unfolded it with the air of someone holding
something sacred.

Myra looked at the unfolding document with curiosity.

“What is that?”

Her grandmother smiled. “He told you; it is our family

tree.”

She knew she was currently looking at the nuts of that

tree, but she examined the page as it unfolded.

The name Elspeth was next to a peculiar icon, and the line

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joined into a weird nubbly branch that never spread out
more than two children of varying sexes until it culminated
with her. The oddest part was that the line joined
consistently every four generations back into one strand.

“So, we are really inbred.”
Her grandmother sighed. “We are pulled to our own

kind. We can’t help it.”

“Our own kind? You are really hopping that we have

aliens in our blood.”

Her grandfather pointed to the icon next to Elspeth. “It

isn’t any family crest on Earth. That only leaves one option
that we can now consider.”

Ah, there it was. Because there were now actual aliens on

Earth, they might be able to tell her where her family came
from. Myra was betting it was some banal corner of a
European country, because what else could it be?

The form was easy enough, but when one of the

attendants beckoned her over, she was a little surprised.
Myra followed him into a back office where a medical setup
was waiting.

“With your permission, miss, I would like to take a DNA

sample.”

“You can’t be serious.”
“You have the right to refuse, of course, but our scans

indicated that the supposition of off-worlder in your DNA is
possible.”

“Why do you need a DNA sample if you have already

scanned me?”

“Confirmation. Many races are similar to yours or

blended with others. A sample will gain us precise
information.”

She nodded. “What do you need as a sample?”
“Blood and saliva as well as a tissue scraping from your

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wrist.”

She swallowed. “Right. The sooner we start, the sooner

this will be over.”

He grinned and pressed a small icon to her wrist before

swabbing her cheek. When he finished the cheek swab, he
removed the icon and a small triangle of skin had been
abraded.

The blood was a finger prick and three bright drops.
“That is it. We will be in touch.”
“So, you will let me know if anything odd pops up?” She

bit her lip.

“We will be in touch.” He smiled and inclined his head.
Sighing, she left the medical room and walked back the

way she had come. To sooth herself, she put her headphones
in while in the hallway, and as the tunes rang in her ears, she
calmed.

She breathed more easily, and her muscles relaxed. It was

done. She couldn’t say no to her grandparents, so now, her
obligation was over.

* * * *

Recruiter Norz looked at the results. “You are certain?”

“Yes, sir. All three samples confirm it. She is a Kameraet,

of the Day clan.”

Norz stared at his assistant. “I thought they were all

dead.”

“Apparently not, sir. This is a very strong and very pure

genetic line, considering what she listed on her form.”

Norz shook his head and ran a hand over his scalp. “I

suppose I have to inform them. Damn. I wish it were any
other species. Why couldn’t it just have been a stray Dheman
or Enjel?”

“Will they insist on landing, do you think?”

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“To reclaim the last of that line? I think we will be lucky if

we can have her launched from the moon base without a
warship panicking the populace.”

Norz went to the long-range com while muttering to

himself about genetic lotteries and hoping for luck.

His best bet was the Kameraet ambassador in the court of

the Imperium, so that is where he placed the call.

Thirty minutes later, the connection was finalised and the

Kameraet ambassador was facing Norz in a holographic
display.

Norz inclined his head. “Apologies for disturbing you,

Ambassador.”

“I am guessing that this will be worth my time, so

proceed, Ontex.”

Norz kept his expression blank, as he had been trained to.

“I have come across one of your people. Well, the direct
descendant of one of your houses.”

The ambassador raised his brows. “Which family?”
“The Day family. She is a direct descendant of the Day

clan. There is no doubt.”

The ambassador’s expression was shocked, to say the

least. “You do know that this will throw my people into an
uproar.”

“I do.”
“Do you have...wait...you said she?” His manner shifted

from shocked to predatory.

Norz kept his wince to himself. Indeed, this was precisely

what he had hoped would not happen.

“Correct. The descendant is a female.”
The ambassador narrowed his eyes. “How old?”
“She is twenty-six.”
The smile was bright. “I will contact Nimrah immediately.

They will be in touch with you at this terminal number for

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the pickup of our new High Lady.”

Norz nodded. “Thank you, Ambassador.”
The man’s features blurred as the call was disconnected.
Norz sighed. The Kameraet had been master traders

throughout the Imperium, but now, they were an organised
gathering of highly paid assassins and spies that owned four
sealed star systems and everything in them. Their obsession
with  bloodlines  bordered  on  the  frightening,  and  Norz
worried for Myra’s safety and sense of freedom. If she was
the last of her line, as they suspected, a line of males would
be  presented  to  her,  and  she  would  have  to  choose  a  lord
quickly. If she didn’t make the move, they would feel free to
coerce  her  and  that  would  probably  not  sit  well  with  her
Terran sensibilities.

An hour later, the Kameraet had arranged to send a

warship to pick up their newly found member. Norz had
negotiated frantically to get them to agree to remain beyond
the moon with their ship, and finally, the high lord
acquiesced.

Norz had to deliver the woman to the moon base in three

days’  time.  He  hoped  that  it  was  enough  warning  for  her,
but  she  had  entered  her  DNA  into  their  system  and  that
system  was  cross-referenced  with  the  Imperium’s  scouting
department.  Once  she  offered  those  samples,  she  was
doomed.

* * * *

Myra was sitting and watching a movie with her
grandparents when a knock sounded at the door.

Her grandmother was irritated. She had watched the

movie a dozen times, but it was nearing her favourite part.
“Who the hell is that?”

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Myra chuckled and got to her feet, heading for the door.

When she opened it, the person standing on the other side
was familiar to her by rumour only.

The small, silvery man in the precisely tailored suit

smiled at her with shark-like teeth. “Myra Musgrave?”

She nodded. “I am.”
“My name is Recruiter Norz. I have some news for you.

May I come in?”

Myra looked past him to the three vehicles in front of the

house, all in sombre black, unremarkable in every way
except for their quantity. “Please.”

The sitting room of the old Victorian house that her

grandparents made their home was cosy and covered with
images of family through the ages.

“Please have a seat.”
He nodded and paused. “Would you ask your

grandparents to join us? This is information they have been
looking for.”

Myra raised her eyebrows and headed to the living room,

turning off the television and explaining. “The man from the
Volunteer Program is here with news.”

Her grandparents got to their feet and followed her into

the sitting room where Recruiter Norz was looking at the
family photos.

“Recruiter Norz, this is my grandmother, Abilene

Musgrave, and my grandfather, Albert Musgrave.”

Her grandparents extended their hands in turn and

smiled hopefully at the alien in their midst. Everyone took a
seat, and Recruiter Norz smiled brightly, not showing his
teeth this time.

“Well, Myra came into our offices earlier today, and I

have the results of the testing.”

To Myra’s surprise, it appeared that he didn’t want to

speak but was forcing himself.

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“It is my duty to notify you that you do indeed have an

off-world species in your bloodline.”

Her grandfather beamed and her grandmother smiled.

Myra watched the recruiter and noted something he wasn’t
saying.

“They are called the Kameraet, and they are coming to

collect Myra.” He blurted it all out in one statement.

Myra blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Her grandmother scowled. “You can’t take her.”
“I am not taking her. The Kameraet are coming to take

her, and if she is not on the lunar base, they will come to the
surface and take her. That is not something that we want to
happen.”

Myra cocked her head. “I thought we were a

protectorate.”

“Terra is. As a descendant of the Day clan, you are not.

You are considered a captured member of their society, and
they are coming to retrieve you.”

Her grandparents looked at each other. Her grandfather

said, “What about us?”

Recruiter Norz smiled slightly. “They are not interested in

you. Your contribution to your bloodline is complete.”

Myra was getting a bad feeling about this. “What if I

choose not to go?”

Norz sighed. “You do not have a choice. You are the last

surviving member of the Day clan, and they will come to get
you. They are, in fact, on their way, and it would be better if
you were somewhere where they could retrieve you without
any issue.”

She swallowed. “What if I don’t volunteer?”
“It is no longer a matter of volunteering. You have

enough genetic proof to make  you a non-human, and your
people  are  coming  to  get  you.  They  usually  do  so  with
methods  that  would  not  be  appreciated  by  your

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governments, and so, I am asking you to please pack your
bags. The laws of the Kameraet and their worlds now
govern you. We need to return you to your people.”

Her grandparents were shocked.
Myra nodded and got to her feet. “Right. Fine. I will pack.

Grandma, Grandpa, as soon as I know more about our
family, I will let you know. Consider this a more expanded
genealogical survey.”

She kissed them both on the cheeks and headed upstairs

to pack her bags. Putting her family and her world at risk
was not something she was interested in. Learning that she
wasn’t completely human was another hit.

She needed some time to think, and a spacecraft was the

perfect place to do it. She wouldn’t have to shut out her
world; she wouldn’t be on her world.

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Chapter Two

yra was alone on the shuttle with the exception of the
pilot. She got up and heaved her bag on to her

shoulder.

Music was blasting in her ears, and it kept her in a world

of her own as she left the shuttle and was taken down the
hall by a solemn, pale green woman in a bodysuit.

The music kept her from panicking, like it always did.

Recruiter Norz had provided her with a crystalline player
for her music library that would not require charging.

The woman showed her to her quarters and tapped her

ear.

Sighing, Myra pulled her earbuds out and looked at the

woman.

“Thank you, Miss Musgrave. This is your com station.

Your family has been given a matching terminal, and this is
the contact location identifier. You can use it anywhere.”

The woman ran through the small dispensing unit in her

quarters that would provide her with food for the next two
days. She was basically under arrest until the Kameraet
came to get her.

When the woman showed her the research terminal, Myra

finally got interested. The moment she was alone, she
researched what she could, and the more she learned, the
more her stomach churned.

Assassins, spies and armies for hire marked what had

once been a fairly well-rounded society. The Day clan had

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been targeted to remove them from power. Several members
had tried to run, but they had been hunted until they were
extinct in two decades. The one member of the clan that had
escaped  was  reported  dead  when  his  ship  crashed  on  a
primitive  world.  Surak  Day  didn’t  have  an  image  in  the
records,  but  the  picture  of  his  grandfather—Ekohart  Day—
had  the  same  definite  stamp  that  was  on  Myra’s  own  face,
even after all those passing generations.

Well, that was something to tell her grandparents. She

used the code, and after three minutes, her grandparents
were huddled around the terminal, listening as she told
them what she knew.

Her grandfather wrote everything down, and her

grandmother gasped at the image of their ancestor.

Myra didn’t share what she knew of the clans of Night

and Eclipse. That wasn’t something that she wanted her only
family to think about. Death and disappearance surrounded
the history of the Day Clan, and that was just the men. The
women simply ceased to be on record. Myra hoped that they
got away.

She chatted with her family for a bit and then logged off,

citing exhaustion. Air kisses were blown and the screen went
dark.

Myra went to the dispenser, got a cup of coffee and

settled back at the information station, reading as much as
she could about the people who were coming to pick her up.

When she finished, as tired as she was, she had trouble

falling asleep.

The learning flash helped her work through documents

that  didn’t  translate  well  into  English.  Two  more  days  of
learning  all  she  could  about  the  Kameraet  and  the  species
they  gathered around them made her feel that she was not
going  to  be  surprised  by  what  she  would  be  facing  in

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eighteen hours. The ship was coming in, and she just had
one more night before she was launching herself into space.

No one at the base was sure what to do with her, so they

were leaving her alone. She was left with her research and
her music, and she immersed herself in both.

When the knock struck her door, she jolted to her feet. “I

will be right there.”

Myra took a deep breath, grabbed her bag and opened the

door.

There was a wall of matte black chest plates in front of

her, each attached to a large male with a mask covering his
eyes and cheekbones with black cloaks hanging to their
ankles, the hoods drawn up.

“Um, hello.”
One of the men extended his hand, and she recognised

the small scanner from her time in medical. She held out her
hand and turned her wrist up for the sample to be drawn,
tugging her sleeve out of the way.

He carefully pressed the scanner to a spot near her elbow,

and she winced as the sample was taken. A moment later,
the scanner chirped and a light glowed blue.

Instead of the men relaxing, they sprang into action,

surrounding her and marching her along the halls to the
launch area.

There was no one else in the halls, which was extremely

odd. Even when she had arrived in the middle of the station
night, there had been folks moving around.

Six men surrounded her, and she just marched behind the

cloak in front of her until he and the others stopped. Myra
tried to stop, but since she couldn’t see anything, she ran
into the back in front of her.

“Oof.” She staggered and recovered herself, but the man

she had struck turned toward her, his lips curving into a

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smile.

He didn’t say a word, merely turned back to the wall she

could barely see in front of him, and he entered a code into
the lock. They started to move again.

Two security locks were passed, and finally, Myra could

see something. A sleek black ship was waiting for them.

This was it. Either she went forward, or she tried to find a

way out of this. Her mind scrambled around as it had been
doing since Norz came to the house. She couldn’t find a way
out. She was going to disappear and no one was here to wish
her luck or see her go.

The men around her didn’t let her mull it over. They

walked up the metal pathway and into the ship without
hesitation. That was one of the characteristics of the Night
clan. They did not hesitate.

She was marched down another hallway until a door

opened, and her wall of men parted to let her walk inside.

The room was surprisingly wide, had a small couch, a

dispenser and a terminal. The moment that Myra stepped
inside, the door slid shut behind her. Locked in again.

“The day just keeps getting better and better.”
She dumped her duffel bag on the floor as the engines

fired up. There was a folding seat flat against one wall, and
she settled in, tightening the straps.

This was a shuttle, and it was going to approach one of

the larger ships. She had no idea how long that would take.

When the minimal pull of the moon was done, she

unbuckled, knelt on the floor and put her earbuds in. Music
became her universe, and she turned her mind inward.

The men who had escorted her to her current quarters

were definitely Night clan. She had seen enough images of
them to know them on sight. Their deep, dark gazes told her
that they were not the Eclipse clan. Those folk had eyes so
pale as to be piercing white in dark skin.

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The Night clan were the assassins, the Eclipse clan were

the spies, and both were warriors for hire as well as
invading armies. The role of the Day clan had been to rule,
and there had been mention of the growth of the Kameraet
being in their hands. Apparently, the other clans didn’t think
so, because they had destroyed the Day clan to the last man.

She grimaced as she redid her last thought, well, all but

one man. Why they wanted her now was still a mystery.
Perhaps they wanted to kill her in public and stamp out her
line once and for all.

Based on the progress on her playlist, she was locked in

her own thoughts for about an hour when the ship she was
in shivered slightly.

Sighing, she got to her feet and picked up her bag. She

pulled out one earbud and tucked it into her shirt while she
kept the other one in. She needed all the help that the music
could give her.

Her muscles tightened when the door opened without

warning. The dark gathering around her doorway was
enough of a hint. Time to go.

They walked her back the way they had originally come.

The wall of darkness was the same, and soon, the interior of
a shuttle bay gave her something else to look at.

Her escort took her into the larger expanse of what had to

be a warship, and they walked her to a door that turned out
to be an office. Her guards parted, and she stared at the
occupant of the space.

A man with white eyes and dark skin sat at the desk, and

he smiled slightly. “Please, come into the medical centre,
lady.”

Her mind was translating for her, but it took a while.

“Medical centre?”

“Yes. We have to do a decontamination protocol as well

as inoculations for our local diseases.”

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It made sense, but she had been through the

decontamination on Earth.

He stood, and his height made her blink. She had thought

that the guards were tall, but he was over six and a half feet
by several inches. The nine-foot ceilings now made a certain
amount of sense.

He opened the door behind him, and he escorted her into

the medical centre, a cubicle was set up for her with a solid
wall keeping it from the view of anyone who came into the
space.

“Lady, please remove everything and place it in this

container. I will decontaminate it and return it to your
quarters.”

She looked at him. “What will I wear instead?”
He blinked, those pale eyes looking right through her

clothing. “There is a wrap on the medical bed. It will enable
you to go through the necessary scans.”

Myra wrinkled her nose and kicked off her shoes before

peeling off her socks. “Are you going to watch?”

“I am the primary physician on this vessel. You have

nothing that I have not seen before.” But he turned his broad
back.

She held her breath and stripped as quickly as she could

until she was only wearing the recording device and her
headphones. A moment later, she had untangled the medical
wrap and was covered again.

“Done.”
He turned and looked at her music player. “That as well.”
She closed her fist. “It is my music. I don’t want to be

without it.”

“I will decontaminate it here in the centre, and you can

take it with you when you go.”

She unclenched her hand and dropped the player on the

edge of the tray. He scooped it up and walked away with it.

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Myra had never felt more naked.
He returned and beckoned her forward. “Please, come

this way and stand in the scanner.”

Her feet were small compared to the footprints that were

stamped into the machine. She leaned back against the
padded metal rest, and when she was still, he set off the
scanner.

Myra tensed as the light and sound went over and

through her. It moved up and down for a minute, and then,
it reset.

“Now, the decontaminator, please?” He showed her to

the machine, and it did what it was supposed to do with a
prickling light.

“Why doesn’t anyone touch me, even casually?” Myra

asked what was foremost on her mind.

“It would be an insult to touch you. You are High Lady of

the Day clan. You outrank everyone on this ship.”

“Oh. What is your name?”
“Medic Winfel.”
“Thank you. What is next, Medic Winfel?”
He smiled. “Inoculations.”
“Then proceed.”
She could see her music player and headphones in a small

box under glowing light, and the sight kept her calm
through a riot of injections administered at half a dozen
points on her body.

“How sick are these going to make me?”
“You might have some fever, but if anything else

happens, have your guard call me.”

She nodded and wiggled her toes. “Can I have my music

player back?”

He retrieved it, and when she heard the familiar notes in

her ear again, she sighed in relief.

“Your guard will take you to your quarters, and the

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captain will come and speak with you in an hour. Clothing
has been provided.”

Myra nodded. “So I run around the ship in this wrap?”
“It isn’t very far.”
She sighed and headed for the door. Her clothing and bag

were nowhere to be seen. Someone had to have snuck in
while she was in one of the scanners. She shrugged and
continued into the wall of her guard. In a minute, they were
underway, and five minutes later, she was in her new room.

Oh joy.

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Chapter Three

edic Winfel briefed the captain. “She is definitely Day
clan and will be extremely powerful once she is

woken. I have administered the primer already.”

Captain Dron nodded. “Good. I will provide her with the

catalyst when I speak with her. How did she seem to you?”

“Surprisingly calm and in remarkable physical condition

considering her appearance. She looks soft, but there is a fit
body beneath those curves.”

“Surprising. From the information we were sent, it is not

normal.” The captain looked over the reports and prints of
the body scans.

“It might be a sign that she has a stronger pattern than we

had  anticipated,  in  which  case,  her  awakening  will  be
easier.” Winfel was relieved. It had been a matter of tension
for  him  on  the  flight  out  that  they  were  going  to  tear  a
woman  apart  at  the  genetic  level  based  on  a  trace  of  Day
DNA in her body.

The captain nodded and reached into his desk. “Let’s

hope that this little item from Sek-Rah has stood the test of
time.”

Winfel looked at the small box. “Has it been tested

before?”

“In eight hundred years, we have never found a member

of the Day clan to test it on, not that we were looking until
five hundred years ago.”

“Should we wait until we reach home?”

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Captain Dron shook his head. “No, we need her ready to

assume her duties the moment that we land. There is no time
to wait.”

Winfel nodded. “I will be standing by if anything is

required.”

The captain jerked his head in dismissal, and Winfel was

left wondering how the lady would do when she had to
assume the genetic heritage she carried inside her.

* * * *

Myra looked up from her meditation when her door opened.
Apparently, knocking was not of cultural importance.

The man who came in wore the badges of a ship’s captain,

and he was not someone she had seen before. She rose to her
feet and smiled brightly.

“Hello.”
“Greetings of the day to you, lady. I offer you this gift on

behalf of the Kameraet people. It has been waiting for one of
your kind for many centuries. I am delighted to be able to
deliver it to you.”

He extended his hand, and the small box gleamed in the

light. It was a brown so dark, it was nearly black.

Myra knew better than to take gifts from strangers, but

everyone around her was a stranger, and if she didn’t take
stuff from them, she was going to starve.

She smoothed the medical wrap down and reached out to

take the box. Her palm tingled when she touched it, and she
pulled it toward her, examining it closely.

“It is pretty. What is it?”
“Open it and find out.” There was anticipation in the

captain’s white eyes.

She swallowed and felt for the catch. A small projection

stabbed her, and she yelped, but the box opened.

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A small, glowing light illuminated the silky interior of the

box, and as she stared into her cupped hands, the light
moved, elevating slightly. In a move so fast, she could only
feel it, not see it, the light shot into her chest, and fire ripped
through her body.

She thought she screamed, she needed to scream, but the

fire went on and on until she hit the floor and passed out.

Medic Winfel was watching her with concern on his face.

“You are awake.”

“That was the suckiest present ever. What did it do to

me?”

Winfel grimaced. “The Day clan kept the power of the

Kameraet.  Not  just  as  leaders,  but  our  actual  psychic
capabilities  were  bound  in  the  cells  of  your kind.  After the
uprising,  the  Days  ceased  to  be.  Not  simply  because  they
were hunted, but the females refused to breed, and their line
died  out  in  less  than  one  hundred  years  from  the  initial
coup.”

“You kept the women?”
He blinked. “Of course. We are not barbarians. They were

our healers, our protectors. We may have classified them as
weak, but it was not until they were gone that we realised
what we had done. Sek-Rah made it quite clear and ceased
to speak with us.”

“Sek-Rah?”
“The soul of Fremiat, our home world. Her Avatar had a

child  and  that  child  mated  with  the  Day  clan  over  an  eon
ago.  That  is  when  you  rose  to  power.  Without  one  of  her
children  in  control,  she  has  ceased  all  communication  with
us, and our own world has become barren and hostile.”

“So that is where we are going? Fremiat?”
“Correct. If you are a member of the Day clan, as we

believe you are, you will be able to bring peace to Sek-Rah,

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and she will bless our people once again. We can come home
instead of pressing outward to take over unsuitable worlds.”

She sighed and struggled to sit up. “What did the light

ball do?”

“It was a gift from Sek-Rah. She said that if we ever found

one of the Day clan alive, we should present the box and the
gift would do the rest.”

Myra wiggled her fingers and toes. The fire had faded

into a comforting warmth and a strange energy. “Are my
clothes ready yet?”

“Some pieces were destroyed in the decontamination

process. We have found a suit for you that should fit you
fairly well.”

“Not unless your females are the same size I am.”
He chuckled. “We don’t have females. That was another

thing that the Day clan brought to us. Their presence kept
the few women that there were fertile, and the men could
sire daughters.”

“So where do you...you mean that you had to find

alternate sources of breeding?” She couldn’t think of a better
way to say it.

“We began to raid other species for what we needed, but

we still had no daughters. No female Kameraet has been
born in eight hundred years. Not Night clan, not Eclipse
clan.”

She was really feeling the energy in her body now. “If my

clothes are gone, can you get me that suit? Is there a place I
can exercise on the ship? I really need to burn off some
steam.”

Medic Winfel quickly moved to a cupboard and pulled

out a folded garment. He returned to her and left her alone
with the one-piece outfit with built-in footwear.

It took some wrestling, but she managed to get herself

tucked into the suit and her thumbs through the hole in the

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sleeves and sealed the front closure. It was snug but
supportive, and she wanted to exercise like she never had
before.

“I am decent. Now, where can I exercise?”
Medic Winfel raised his eyebrows. “I will take you to the

exercise space. You should be able to work off some of your
excess energy there.”

“Lead the way.”
Her music player was inside her suit, and the headphones

dangled out of the neckline. She followed Winfel out of
medical, and her guards gathered around her.

Winfel led the way.
In three minutes, Winfel opened a door, and their group

filed inside to a balcony that overlooked a huge space filled
with obstacles and climbing apparatuses.

“Oh, wow. I have never tried parkour before, but I am

definitely willing to give it a try.”

There were a few men using the space, but as soon as the

leader of her guards let out a sharp whistle, they stopped
what they were doing and left the facility.

Winfel smiled and led her down the stairs to the main

floor and escorted her to the start mark. “Run, skip, do what
you will, lady.”

She nodded and looked at the structure in front of her. A

map of the facility appeared in her mind, and she suddenly
knew how to get through the maze. “I am going to be sore in
the morning.”

She put in her earbuds, cranked up the music and

launched herself up the first obstacle without hesitation. The
focus of physical activity was cleansing. She felt the power
in her body humming in every vein, every muscle.

Myra ran across the top of the obstacle and leaped for the

next, landing and keeping her forward momentum.

She ran, jumped, climbed, fell a few times and kept

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getting up. It could have taken fifteen minutes or an hour,
but when she finally limped off the course, she felt relaxed
and her body was back to normal levels of energy.

Winfel was staring at her with shock in his gaze. “You...”
She rubbed her hands on her thighs. “Did I do it wrong?”
“Um, no, but you came very close to beating the ship’s

record.”

“Oh. Well it did what I needed it to. Can I go back to my

room now?”

He nodded slowly. “Do you need medical attention for

your leg?”

She flexed what had been a nasty sprain. “Nope. It seems

to have fixed itself.”

“I see. Well, please come with me, lady.” There was still a

stunned shock in his tone, but he gestured for her to precede
him.

Her guards inclined their heads as she approached, and

she waved her grubby hand at them. “Uh, thanks. I think I
need a shower.”

The walk to her quarters was a little odd. She could swear

that her guards were having trouble breathing. She didn’t
think that her sweat was that bad, but Myra had been wrong
about her feeling alive in space, so she wasn’t a good judge
of what was what.

In her quarters, she found a few sets of clothing, and she

took a shower before heading to bed.

When she woke in the night, she went to the terminal and

looked up the iconography of the Night clan. All of her
guards were of that clan, and she wanted to know what their
masks and the engravings on their breastplates meant.

After two hours, she went back to bed and tucked herself

in. If she read it right, the eldest sons of high families who
had all proved themselves in battle and assignments in their
chosen field of assassination surrounded her.

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Their gathering was highly unlikely, and Myra began to

be suspicious. Why would they put six of their best around
her? If she was as important as they had said, she didn’t
think that any of their people would hurt her.

She turned to her side and pulled the sheet up trying to

ignore the fact that they were her people now.

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Chapter Four

remiat was as desolate as Winfel had said. There was
green but no blooming, and a feeling of emptiness.

Myra heaved her much-lighter bag over her shoulder and

stepped into the skimmer that was waiting to take her into
the city.

Her six guards were with her, and one of them was flying

the skimmer. It cruised above the ground with dizzying
speed that didn’t leave anything but swaying grasses in its
wake.

She fidgeted as the energy level started rising again. “So,

what are your names?”

The pilot looked at her. “It is inappropriate.”
“Why?”
“We are your consort candidates. To get on a verbally

intimate level with all of us would be awkward. It might
lead to conflict within our group.”

Myra blinked. “Consort candidates?”
“Yes. We have been selected from different families; we

all have leadership experience, and when you choose one of
us, we will take control of Kameraet people.”

She blinked. “What if I can’t choose?”
It was funny that her mind didn’t say wouldn’t or don’t.
He gave her a solemn look. “Then, we will have to make

the choice for you, so let’s hope it does not come to that.”

She nodded and stared at the approaching city. A small

suburb was clinging to the outer wall of the larger expanse,

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and the people there were a mix of female aliens and the
Kameraet.

“How many live in the city?”
The man next to the pilot gave her a surprised look. “No

one. The city sealed itself up centuries ago. All attempts to
gain entry have been rebuffed by the capitol itself.”

That made her curious, but she sensed that the curiosity

would be answered in a matter of minutes. They were flying
direct to the large entry gates of the city.

Folk came out of the homes and followed them as they

decreased to a slow crawl toward the gates.

“Um, why are we being followed?”
The pilot smiled. “Since the news came forth that you

existed, there are several who are sceptics and need
convincing. Everyone who can walk will be there to witness
you opening the gates of the city.”

The skimmer settled down on the main road near the

gates. The crowd stayed well back, but a wall of emotion
that was broadcasting from them.

Myra rubbed the back of her neck and tried to figure out

what she was supposed to do next. The guards beckoned
her, and she kept her bag over her shoulder as she headed to
the gate.

Icons were embossed in metal showing the rising sun, the

eclipse at noon and the night stars. The door was split
through the centre of the eclipse and two huge handles were
at chest height.

“So, I just have to open this door?”
Her guards were behind her, and she looked back over

her shoulder. They nodded.

How hard could it be to open a door? She pressed her palms

to the metal, and to her shock, her hands sunk inside the
solid-seeming panels.

“Son of a bitch!” She tried to pull her hands free, but the

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doors hummed, and as they parted, they pulled her inside
the city.

A cheer rang out behind her, and she stepped forward

quickly to free her hands from the clinging metal. It
stretched but freed her before it snapped back into the shape
of a rising sun.

She looked around the interior, and instead of a city

marked by decay, it was pristine, clean and had manicured
green spaces. There was no colour beyond the green areas.
The main wide road led to the central tower, and since she
was already inside, Myra kept walking.

Everything was made in a pale gold or white stone. The

city was designed with light, and all structures reached for
the sky. Spires and twists were everywhere, and her new
energy wanted to flip her around and send her running
along the skyline.

She fought the new instinct and continued on her path to

the centre of the city. Myra heard voices behind her, but she
kept going. A quick glance behind her showed that her
guard was lined up along the pathway, unable to follow.
The gold band of light in between her and them was holding
them back, but she pushed aside her unease and continued
forward.

The building with the tower had a similar door to the

front gate, and she pulled it open the same way.

There was a call, a summons that rang through her mind.

She followed the call, and after half an hour of hallways, she
was standing in a throne room with the great seat
emblazoned with the same sun symbol that marked the
doors.

A voice whispered, Take the seat. It is yours. Take what is

yours. This is where you belong.

The voice was gentle, coaxing and warm.
Myra put her bag down on the floor, and she stepped up

onto the dais. The throne hummed when she touched it, and

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the moment she sat down, she was swallowed in a burst of
light.

* * * *

Sek-Rah smiled as the energy of the Day clan ran across the
surface of Fremiat. Her granddaughter contained all the
power of her entire clan now. Myra would have to choose a
consort, of course, but that too had been taken care of. She
would know her match with a kiss.

Sek-Rah took her staff and walked into the centre of the

throne room. Myra was giving her all to the world, and Sek-
Rah would be here when she came out of the power transfer.

* * * *

Across the world, greenery rustled and woke from their
endless early stages, maturing as the Kameraet watched.
Buds formed and waited for the next wave of power.

* * * *

Myra slumped in the throne and caught her breath with
some difficulty. “What the hell was that?”

“You woke up, child.”
Myra’s head lifted with a snap. A cloaked figure with a

tall staff stood in the centre of the room. “Who are you?”

“I am the Avatar of Fremiat and your ancestor. My name

is Sek-Rah. Welcome to my world.” A hand lifted, and the
figure exposed a feminine face and masculine hands.

There was a conflicting sense of gender around Sek-Rah.

“You are not...You are not female, are you?”

A rich chuckle ran through the room. “I am a functioning

hermaphrodite. There used to be more of my kind, but they

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were killed with the rest of the Day clan.”

“How is it that you are my ancestor?”
The woman leaned against her staff. “Once, a long time

ago,  I  wanted  a  child,  so  I  engaged  in  a  bit  of  personal
experimentation. It wasn’t comfortable, but I had a daughter,
and Fremiat claimed me, so I gave my child the blessings of
this world. She passed them down to her children, but they
always  came  to  rest  in  the  daughters  throughout  the
centuries.  She  was  the  goddess  of  spring,  and  her  children
made  Fremiat  lush  and  fertile,  leaving  the  animals  and
insects to me.”

“What happened? Why did the Night and the Eclipse rise

up against them?” Myra leaned forward and paused when
her head spun.

“The Day rulers were powerful but not always wise. They

made mistakes that caused lives to be lost, and since the Day
clan was restricted here, they were easy targets. Your
ancestor was the only one who could escape, and it was only
because he was already in orbit having an affair with a
married Nyal noble. He stole her vessel and ran when he got
the message.”

Myra blinked. “He was fooling around with a married

woman?”

“The Day men did not remain faithful to their spouses or

the  spouses  of  others.  The  power  that  rested  in  them  to
create fertility didn’t remain something that they  broadcast
to  the  masses  as  you  have  just  done.  The  men  sewed  their
seed with as  many women as they  could seduce, and  for a
Day clan member, seduction is easy.”

Sek-Rah leaned on her staff. “What is your name, child?”
“Myra Musgrove. I apologise for not introducing myself

earlier.”

“Well, Myra Musgrove, I am glad that you have made it

home. Your presence here has woken this world and your

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coming will change lives. Now, before I let your guard in,
would you care to change into something a little less bland?”

Myra blinked. “What are my options?”
Sek-Rah beckoned. “Come with me. I will show you what

I have prepared.”

Myra got out of the throne, but her skin still glowed.

“What is that?”

“You are now the entire Day clan. The pale glow that

marked your ancestors is concentrated in you.”

She picked up her bag and followed the figure that had

started her entire bloodline by fucking itself.

The clothing was daring and fun. She selected a black

bustier with some tight black pants and high black boots. A
red sash completed the outfit, and Sek-Rah helped her with
her hair.

She looked completely at ease in the clothing and that

worried her a little.

“Since you are my only family here, how do I choose a

consort?”

“Kiss them. In the moment of the kiss, you will see what

they truly desire and what their heart longs for. If you do not
see yourself more prominently than power, move on to the
next man.”

“What next?”
“Seal the union so that you can complete the waking of

this world. Fremiat was upset that I put so much power
inside my child, but we waited, hoping that one of yours
would return.”

“Wait, one of mine?”
“Oh, there are others.”
“My grandparents.”
“No. Others. As I said, the Day men were irresistible. I

can count nineteen others on your world with a touch of the

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Day clan within them. It is not as strong as your bloodline,
but it is still there.”

They returned to the throne room, and Myra settled in her

rightful place.

Sek-Rah took up a position next to the throne, and she

asked, “Are you ready?”

“I suppose I am. Drop that shield.”
The Avatar lifted her hand and smiled. “It is done. The

Night clan should be here in four minutes.”

“It took me half an hour to walk it.”
“You get the power, they get the physical prowess. You

can’t have everything, Myra.”

“What does the Eclipse clan get?”
“Intelligence and the ability to thrive away from a home

world.”

Myra nodded. It did explain a few things.
She waited with the Avatar of the world she sat on and

watched the light shifting across the floor. “Who kept the
city clean?”

“Fremiat. Despite her irritation with me, she honoured

my decision to wait for the power that had taken root off
world to return.”

“I am still dealing with the fact that I have cousins, and

now, there is a world that does housekeeping and tailoring?
I think I need a nap.”

“That will have to wait. Can you feel them? They are

almost here.”

Myra looked to Sek-Rah. “Why didn’t the Days fight

back?”

“Your clan can’t kill. This power has given you all the

energy of a Night clan member, but you still can’t kill.”

Myra nodded and sat back. She could feel the approach of

the Night clan. In the distance were the normal population,
but just outside the door, the six guards were on the

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approach.

With a tap of her heel on the floor, the door opened and

her guard spilled through. Their running defied gravity as
they approached the throne. Finally, they halted at the base
of the dais, and she was able to smile at them. “Hello,
gentlemen.”

They bowed low, which was impressive considering the

armour they all wore. When they straightened, they bowed
again to Sek-Rah.

“My ancestor has given me advice on how to choose, so if

you could all line up, that would be appreciated.”

Sek-Rah chuckled. “It is the way Day women have always

done things, and while their men might have strayed, they
were still the priority.”

Myra didn’t know about that, but if she had to choose, a

kiss was a fun way to do it.

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Chapter Five

coot forward so that your toes are on the edge of the
dais, please. You are a little too tall for this to work

otherwise.”

It was amusing that they did as she ordered. She didn’t

think about it, she just walked up to the first man, put her
hand behind his head and pulled him down to her for a kiss.

Images spun in her mind of a laughing woman with a

small child. The woman had blue skin and the baby had
black eyes.

She released him and slowly shook her head.
The next man preferred men.
The next had two mistresses and no children.
She was surprised by the fourth. He had an image of her

standing behind the golden throne with him sitting on it.
That wouldn’t do at all.

She desperately kissed the fifth and found the sight of a

woman with red eyes and golden hair.

Steeling herself, she faced the man that she had bumped

into, the pilot of the skimmer. “Last chance.” She muttered
it.

He was smiling as she kissed him, and the image in his

mind was definitely not of another woman.

Myra had never seen herself tied to a bedpost with

shadowed hands running across glowing-bright skin, but it
was definitely an image in his mind.

She tried to back away, but he snapped his arms around

“S

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her, crushing her to the breastplate as his tongue teased her
lips.

She moaned and welcomed him, tasting him as he did

her. He lifted her against him, and the kiss grew wilder.

Her body was rioting. She wanted his armour off, wanted

to see his face and wanted to wake up from her very weird
dream and find herself back on Terra. It was a world of
want, but it focused on wanting him.

“Gentlemen, the High Lady of the Day clan has made her

decision. Please leave and I will seal the building. The couple
requires privacy.”

Sek-Rah chuckled. “Her chamber is up the third staircase,

down the hall, room with the double doors.”

Myra wrapped her legs around his waist as her chosen

consort began to walk. The breastplate frustrated her. She
had never been one to throw herself at a guy, but the longer
she kissed him, the more heated images of her limbs tangled
with his flared and flickered in her thoughts.

It was like silent dirty talk that didn’t end because one

partner got embarrassed; it just went on and on.
Psychological foreplay at its best.

When he mounted the stairs, she came close to passing

out. The rubbing of his armour against her clit was
tantalising, but she wanted to feel skin beneath her palms as
well as everywhere else. It was a torture of monumental
proportions as he moved up the steps with fluid grace.

He broke the kiss, and his breathing was ragged when

they reached the upper floor. Myra shrugged and moved her
attention to his neck, feeling his pulse thunder under her
tongue and the sweet-salty tang of sweat on his skin.

She stopped the part of her that hesitated and continued

to nuzzle at his skin, listening to his thundering heartbeat
and revelling in it.

When he slammed through the doors, she closed her eyes

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as the sunlight blazed in through the windows.

He placed his hands on her arms and pried her off him.

“Lady, the clothing needs to come off.”

She reluctantly unhitched her legs and slid down his

body. She stepped back and untied her sash, letting it drop
to the floor.

Her partner removed his cloak, and with quick

movements, his armour fell on the floor.

She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots

before opening the closure of her tight trousers and working
them down her thighs. She stood again and tried to watch as
her consort stripped, but the fabric clung to her faithfully,
and she had to tug it free. By the time she was done
removing her pants, he was wearing nothing but the mask.

With quick motions, she untied the closure of her bustier

and let it fall to the ground. The only thing she was wearing
was the hairpins.

His skin was the same deep mahogany all over, his

muscles rippled in waves across his abdomen and there was
little to no body fat in evidence on his form.

The penis jutting toward her was familiar in size, though

a little wider than the average human’s. She had not done
much experimentation back on Earth, but what experience
she had told her that the friction was going to be delightful.

The mask was strange but it suited him.
She licked her lips. “What is your name?”
“Arbor-Dren.”
She took a step toward him. “Hello, Arbor-Dren. I am

Myra.”

He reached up and pulled the mask from his face.
Tattoos marked his skin beneath where the mask had

been, giving him a fierce appearance and turned his roughly
hewn features into an intimidating snarl. Myra stepped
forward with a smile and lifted a hand to his cheek, rubbing

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the markings with her thumb. “Definitely intimidating.”

He looked down at her, but his eyes were so dark, it was

hard to tell if they were crossed or not. “You are not
repulsed?”

She threaded her fingers through his dark hair and pulled

his head to hers. She didn’t know what he expected from
her, but she knew what she wanted from him.

Her skin still glowed with light, and this would dim her

down to a tolerable level. A whisper from her lips said, “You
are not turned off by my alien pedigree?”

Arbor-Dren pulled her to him, his erection pinned

between them. “It is not even in my thoughts.”

He kissed her again, and the images that flooded her

mind were definitely not concerned with her point of origin.

He moved his hands over her back, cupping her butt and

pulling her up against him. She locked her legs around him
and gripped the hard curves of his shoulders with her
fingers. He walked to the bed with her plastered to him, and
he lowered her to the yielding surface.

He moved until she was up at the head of the bed before

he pried her hands from his shoulders and unwrapped her
legs from his hips.

With the light streaming in through the window, she

should have been nervous, should have been. Instead, the
exposure to light made her more wanton. When he ran his
hands down her body from neck to groin, she arched into his
touch. His fingers were slightly rough, and the feeling was
delightful.

Kneeling between her thighs, he stroked both hands over

her from shoulder to hip and everything in between. Her
nipples ached as he abraded them gently, and his thumbs
stroked a sensitive spot just above her pubic bone.

Myra bit her lip as he familiarised himself with her skin.

Every point that he touched glowed hot white. The

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brightness seemed to fascinate Arbor-Dren, because he had
no urgency as he continued to stroke her skin.

She giggled when he ran his fingers up the backs of her

knees, and he smiled, slowly pulling his fingers across the
sensitive skin again. She kicked reflexively and he chuckled.

When Arbor-Dren moved one hand between her thighs,

she held her breath until she was about to pass out. His
fingers moved slowly over her folds and sought out her clit.
There was a bit of fumbling, but he moved so deliberately
that it didn’t matter. When his fingertips grazed his clit, she
jumped, her thighs shivered.

He stroked her, watching every flinch and quiver.
She blushed as her body started to move her hips against

his  hand.  When  a  human  realised  that  their  bodies  had  an
entire  repertoire of  moves  to  share  with  a  partner that  had
nothing  to  do  with  deliberate  thought,  it  was  always  a
humbling moment.

She closed her eyes and let the pleasure take over. Her

breath came faster as he stroked two fingers into her, and his
other  hand  stroked  her  clit.  When  she  got  close  to  orgasm,
she tried to move away from him, but there was no escape.
He  continued  the  slow  strokes  until  the  invisible  coil
snapped,  and  she  bucked  rhythmically  against  his  hands.
Light burst from her in waves, and she fought for control of
anything around her.

Arbor-Dren kept his hands moving until she slumped on

the bed, sweating and breathing heavily.

He withdrew his fingers and licked them. She watched

from between her narrowed eyes; her blush could have lit a
fire.

Arbor-Dren moved over her with slow focus. His chest

rubbed against her skin as he crawled up her body with a
serious intent in his gaze.

She had no objections to anything he had in mind. Even in

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his imagination, her pleasure and surrender had been his
focus.

He kissed her as he rubbed the head of his cock against

her. He flexed his hips and eased into her with a slow
undulation that took him deeper with every small motion.

Myra pulled her legs up so her feet were flat on the

sheets. She tilted her hips, and he pressed into her; his kiss
was wild and his body teased her.

Her light turned to fire under her skin. She glowed

brilliantly, and the power coming out of her blinded her
eyes. She moaned in soft whispers against his lips and
stroked her hands down the deep groove of his back. Myra
cupped his buttocks and pulled him into her, increasing his
speed.

His undulations ground him against her and her clit.

Energy jumped through her limbs at every impact, and as
the pounding increased, she clawed at his back in
desperation.

He moved his head to one side, breaking the kiss a

moment before he held himself tightly against her, groaning
through his teeth.

His hips jerked in short bursts, and Myra shuddered. She

was still on the edge of release, but she wasn’t going
anywhere.

Arbor-Dren shuddered in slow waves of muscle; he

finally  relaxed  against  her.  With  care,  he  withdrew  and
curled  her  to  the  side.  He  lifted  her  exposed  thigh  and
moved behind her. He eased into her with a slow slide, and
he  moved  gently  while  stroking  her  clit  with  slippery
fingers.

She stared out the window while he moved inside her,

smiling as he nibbled and kissed her shoulder. He shifted
and curled his arm under her, cupping her breast and rolling
her nipple between his fingers before kneading the mound

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as he moved softly within her.

The firestorm of release turned into a gentle wave as she

shuddered in his arms. The light came out of her in slow
pulses that filled the room and continued outward. The
energy continued on its journey as Arbor-Dren kept the slow
circling of her clit sending ripples through her.

When she slumped against him, she felt his light bite on

her shoulder.

Their breathing slowly gained a normal rate.
Her actions crashed in on her with a horrible suddenness.

There was no music to distract her now, she was lying in the
sun with a strange man wrapped around her, and he was
still inside her. There was literally nowhere to run, not that
her legs would hold her.

Her body was still glowing, but it was a soft light that just

made her look a little blurry.

She jumped when he said, “Myra, you seem a little tense.”
His hand still cupped her breast and the other was idly

lying at the juncture of her thighs.

She swallowed. “Tense is a good way of looking at it.”
He wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her

back against the muscles of his torso. “Why?”

“I don’t normally...I don’t know why I was...I have no

idea why I jumped into that.”

He kissed her shoulder again. “Would you like me to

explain, or shall I have Sek-Rah do it? It is a matter of
Kameraet tradition for the Day clan.”

“Is this a lecture about the birds and the bees? I believe I

have figured that part out already.”

Arbor-Dren clicked his tongue. “I do not know what that

means, but I am honoured that you chose me. I will be an
excellent consort.”

She sighed and squirmed against him. “I have no doubt of

that. I just don’t know what I am.”

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“The High Lady of the Day clan, matron of Fremiat,

bringer of life, the walking hope, the light of joy.” He
brushed his hand down her thigh, across her knee and
around to her backside.

“Why all the titles?”
“You enable us to create females. The Kameraet had

believed it was merely superstition until the females ceased
being born. If our union is successful, the pregnancies on
Fremiat will begin to have females within them.”

“So...”
“So every couple on Fremiat is trying to make

daughter...right now.”

It was a sobering mental image.

Viola Grace

Chapter Six

rbor-Dren seemed completely at ease in the nude. Now
that she wasn’t shrinking from his markings, he was

delighted to be out of the armour.

Myra sat up and wrinkled her nose at the musky scent

that hit her as she moved. A shower was in order.

As she crept out of the bed and moved toward the

bathroom, she asked, “Do you know how Sek-Rah came to
be the Avatar?”

He followed her close. “I do. She was pregnant with her

only child, and she had just gone into labour. She was dying
and the other Avatar was dying. Fremiat went from one to
the other, letting one die and healing the new mother. She
immediately gave her daughter the power of joy and
fertility, as she would not have another child.”

The idea of him following her into the shower was

slightly creepy, but he walked to the controls and ran the
water of the large corner shower and turned on the multi-
spray heads.

To her surprise, he coaxed her into the spray and handed

her a cloth with aromatic liquid soap in it.

Myra chuckled and began to wash her shoulders,

working her way down between her thighs. Arbor-Dren got
his own washcloth with a more masculine scent and shared
the corner of the six-by-six shower space.

When she rubbed at her sex, she winced a little until the

heat of the water relaxed her. She continued down to her

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ankles and then stood to face the shower sprays again. Her
legs were going to be a little stiff but there was an entire city
to explore, and she was quite sure she would be able to work
the muscles loose.

Myra wrung out her washcloth, left the shower and found

lengths of fabric to dry with. She wrapped herself up and
checked her hair in the mirror. It was a bit of a disaster.

With smooth moves, she plucked the pins and clips out of

her hair, smiling at the slick feel of her hair as it tumbled
free. A quick dig around found a drawer with several
pristine brushes.

She sat at the dressing table and brushed out her hair

while Arbor-Dren completed his shower.

“I have to ask, Arbor-Dren, why the masks for this

mission?”

He stepped out and reached for a drying cloth while he

turned off the shower. “We did not want you to make your
judgement based on appearance. It is our standard work
uniform. It did not appear to send any apprehension
through you.”

Myra smiled. “I looked up what I could of the Kameraet. I

still wasn’t prepared for what happened to me, but that is
something I will deal with.”

He wrapped his towel around his hips and scowled.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think that a woman from an alien world would

simply crawl into bed with the first man who has fantasies
about her? My behaviour was outside my experience.”

He cocked his head. “You seemed willing.”
“I was! That is what shocked me. Haven’t you ever had a

moment when you acted out of character and surprised
yourself?” She bit her lip.

“Of course.”
She flapped her hand at the bedroom. “I am very

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surprised.”

He sighed. “You will need some time to adjust to the

idea?”

“Probably.”
“I would like to remain in your bed every night.”
She blinked at the thought that she would sleep anywhere

else or demand that he do so. “Of course.”

He smiled. “Good. In that case, did you want to explore

the city?”

“I would like that, Arbor-Dren.”
“Call me Arbor, please.” There was a relaxed attitude to

him that replaced the action-ready tension that she had
noticed earlier.

She took in the very pleasant aspect of him wearing

nothing but the cloth around his hips, and she swallowed,
trying to remind herself that jumping into bed with him
again would be tacky and a little bit painful.

Myra finished brushing her hair straight and put the

brush back where she found it. She headed back into the
bedroom and worked to get herself back into her clothing.

Her inner thighs were a little raw, and the trousers chafed

slightly until they settled around her hips. She tugged on the
boots, wrapped the sash and then put on the bustier.

Arbor was watching from the edge of the bed. “You are

leaving your upper clothing for last?”

“Have you seen how tight this is? Once it is on, I can’t do

much bending.”

He smiled. “I do admire the fit.”
She chuckled and laced up the front before reaching to the

back and tightening the structural lacing. A quick bow and
tucked laces and she was ready for her tour.

“You seem to have practised that.”
Myra smiled and headed for the door. “I have worn one

or two in my life. It is something you get used to.”

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He didn’t put his cloak on, but his breastplate was on,

front and back.

Arbor offered her his hand. “Wearing this is also

something you get used to.”

Just the act of holding hands seemed to be more intimate

than having sex, or that was Myra’s impression. Sex had
been heat and instinct. Putting her hand in his was trust.

They left the bedroom and headed down the hall.
“Why were you chosen?” She could have kicked herself

for blurting it out.

Fortunately, he seemed to know what she meant. “We

volunteered and were selected out of those available to
travel immediately. Each of us represented one of the noble
houses of the Night clan, and if we had remained in our
positions, we would have been in line to inherit the control
of our own families or the Night clan itself.”

“Instead, you are stuck with me.”
Arbor lifted her hand to his lips before resuming its

position  between  them.  “I  consider  it  an  honour  and  a
privilege  to  be  your  consort.  It  will  be  tiring;  I  have  no
doubt.  No  one  from  the  Night  clan  has  ever  been  chosen
before.  The  Day  clan  kept  to  themselves  as  much  as  they
could.”

Myra remembered her grandparents. “You have no idea.

It goes into the blood. Day is pulled by Day, I can tell you
that much.”

He cocked his head as they made their way down the

stairs. “What do you mean?”

“My family tree looks more like a chain. They part for a

few generations and then smack together again. It is always
legal, but when viewed all at once, it is a little peculiar.”

He chuckled. “It is the way of the Kameraet. The

bloodlines want to remain strong, so every four generations,
they rejoin if there is an available possibility.”

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“That is exceedingly creepy, but I suppose that is what

happens in small towns back home.” She mulled it over in
her mind. “How large is the population?”

They made it to the main floor and headed back to the

throne room where Sek-Rah was twirling her staff like an
oversized baton.

Myra’s hands itched to try twirling the staff like her

ancestor was doing. Her urge to learn martial skills
surprised her.

“So, all Day clan members are completely passive?”
Arbor raised his eyebrows. “In what sense?”
“The physical-defence sense, because I can tell you,

anyone coming at me is going to get a swift kick to the
balls.”

Her consort’s burst of laughter made Sek-Rah turn

around.

Myra was suddenly engulfed in a hug.
The Avatar gripped her and pressed quick kisses to her

cheeks and forehead. “More strength than my dear Lamyria.
I can almost feel the little girls returning to this world. The
plants are budding and the insects are getting ready for the
opening.”

“What has to happen for the plants to open?” Myra was

wary.

Sek-Rah blinked. “Why, the consummation in the throne

room. Well, the throne to be precise. Didn’t your new
consort mention it?”

Myra blushed. “Arbor and I have not discussed it. Does it

have to be now?”

The Avatar raised her hands. “Oh, no, but you should do

it in the next four days to keep everything moving along and
so we can make the most of the growing season.”

Arbor stepped to Myra’s side and eased her away from

her ancestor. “Myra was wishing to see the grounds and

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then the city. I have agreed to escort her while she explores.”

Sek-Rah paused, “You will take care of her?”
“It is my duty and a pleasure to keep her safe.”
“Do so, or I will stake you out and have you eaten by

insects.” The bright smile belied the creepy threat. Sek-Rah
flared her cloak and walked out with the doors swinging
wide to let her exit.

Arbor blinked. “That is a side we have not seen in

centuries. Sek-Rah is actually in a good mood.”

Myra didn’t know what to say, so she followed her

ancestor out the door with Arbor at her side.

The doors were standing open, but the moment they

passed through the doorway, the doors closed behind them.

“Huh. I guess the tower is insisting on privacy.”
“You think it is a thinking being?” Arbor looked

surprised.

“I think it has a life of its own and my being here woke it

up. I can see the energy in it when I look at the walls. I can
feel it.”

“There were rumours that Sek-Rah put power into the

city, but since we could not enter, no one could test it.”

Myra reached out with her new senses and found the

direction she wanted to explore. There was no way to tell
him that the entire city was hers and it would act to protect
her. It was hard for her Terran senses to grapple with, but
the new part of her took it as her right to have protection.

She worked it in her mind until she could ask him. “The

Day clan, how did they stay safe?”

“The high families of the Night and Eclipse clans each

provided workers for the court. They tried to protect the
Days when the attack happened, but against the superior
numbers, there was nothing they could do.”

He put his arm around her waist, and he remained close

as they walked.

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“Was there anyone from your family involved?”
“Both defending and attacking.”
Myra hadn’t thought of it as a civil war before. “What set

it off?”

“Three generations of Day males taking the throne that

should have gone to their mates. When women sat on the
throne, all was peace.”

“And when the Days were dead and the females ceased to

be, the Night and Eclipse clans took to the skies in an effort
to find mates.”

“Correct. We began a course through the stars that

brought us riches, mates and other worlds. Fremiat is still
our home and all of our people will want to see you.”

They rounded a building, and Myra found what she was

looking for. “They can come and see me, but I am not going
to have sex in public.”

Arbor said innocently, “But it is tradition.”
She looked up at him in horror, and he started laughing.

She moved out of his grip and walked into the gardens,
leaving the mad chortling behind her.

Viola Grace

Chapter Seven

ek-Rah must have been manicuring the hedges. They
were high, straight and deep, glossy green.

Myra ran her hand along the greenery and felt the slight

prickle of thorns. The buds were there, and they nearly
quivered with urgency when she touched them.

She walked the length of the hedge, changed direction

and walked back up with her left hand trailing the greenery.

Arbor waited at the far end, and she approached him

slowly, pausing a few feet away from him to lean toward
one of the waiting buds. She kissed the tiny green nub and
sent a tiny curl of light into it with a smile.

The bud swelled and opened until a crimson flower

twisted out of the green concealment. The scent that came
out of the flower was glorious.

Myra’s eyes closed as she inhaled the intoxicating aroma

that was sweet, floral and sexy all at the same time.

“You have that effect on me as well, though hopefully not

as quickly.” Arbor’s voice was amused.

“Ha, ha.”
She caressed the silken petals, and when she had gathered

herself, she walked over to her consort.

“I need to learn to fight.”
“You can’t.”
“I need to. You don’t understand; if you don’t train me to

fight, I will have to learn on my own and that might be a
dangerous thing.”

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“I mean that your body will not let you. No Day has been

able to learn any martial skills. You have no coordination
and no capacity for violence.”

There was nothing for it. Myra pulled her hand back and

slapped him.

Arbor’s head snapped to the side, and he looked at her in

shock. “You should not have been able to do that.”

“I am not a pure Day clan member. I can hold the power,

but I am still two-thirds Terran. Terrans have a high survival
rating and that means we are capable of sex and violence in
equal measure. Ever since I was zapped onboard the ship, I
have had an energy in my veins. I need to run, I want to
climb and I want to fight.”

“We are alone in the city. Run.”
He wasn’t kidding. He waved his arm around and

gestured to the walls, the gardens and the spires of the city.

Grinning, Myra took a few steps before she could see her

path through the city up and over all obstacles. Once she
could see where she could go, she put on a burst of speed
and gave herself a tour of her new home that she had never
imagined.

Her hands gripped and pulled her over walls, she spun

on metal poles, her jumps took her from roof to roof and
excitement spilled over and through her. When she paused
at the top of one of the tower walls, she looked around at her
new domain.

The city was made of white and golden stone. The pattern

was a series of nested circles that formed a maze to slow folk
down when they entered. To Myra’s surprise, the path that
she had approached on was gone. The direct route to the
tower was now blocked.

Arbor swung onto the roof and landed next to her. “What

are you looking at?”

“The walkway is gone. It was there when I entered, and

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now, it is completely gone.”

He stood so close, she could feel the warmth radiating

from him. “It was shifting when we came through.”

“How did that happen?”
“You said it yourself, the city is alive. All of the people

who have breached the walls in the last several centuries
have simply woken up the next day in front of the gates.
They don’t know what happened, but they do not stay more
than one night.”

Myra wished that she could have some time alone to talk

with the city, but it didn’t seem likely that it would be
possible.

The wind pulled at her sash and fluttered it in front of

her. Her hair rippled and waved in the breeze.

“How goes your internal struggle?” Arbor wasn’t

touching her, but she felt the caress in the whisper.

“The exercise helps.” The sun was dipping and the sky

was reddening. Her personal glow was illuminating a few
inches on either side of her.

“Would you like to have a meal? You have engaged in

several unaccustomed exertions today.”

Myra glanced at his innocent expression. “I suppose that I

would.”

“Did you want to climb down?”
She laughed. “I thought I would just use the door that

appeared in the wall behind you. I am guessing that I have
run through all the extra energy I have had for the day.”

The jump to the platform containing the door was only a

leap of six feet, but Myra barely made it. She was exhausted.

Arbor put his arm around her and supported her as they

walked back into the tower. He continued to carry her
partially until the doors to her quarters were visible once
again.

Arbor settled her on a chair in her room, and he paused

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when he saw a dispensing unit.

“Myra, was that there before?”
She looked over with tired eyes. “Nope. It was a blank

wall when we left.”

“Well, this is convenient and unsettling.” He went and

checked the selections, bringing back a pitcher and glasses of
water before the machine chirped and opened to display a
tray of snacks.

The moment he removed the tray, the doors closed and

the machine began to prepare the next course.

Myra ate mechanically, and when she had finished

everything put in front of her, she stripped and crawled back
into bed.

The sheets had changed, and a white and gold coverlet

was on top. She burrowed into the bedding and breathed
deeply.

Arbor removed his clothing and joined her before she was

fully asleep. He wrapped himself around her and pulled her
close.

With his heartbeat and breathing acting as a metronome

for her own, she smiled slightly and let exhaustion claim her.

The light woke her up when the night was at its darkest.

She was no longer cuddled against Arbor; she was sprawled
on top of him.

Myra tried to pry herself away from him, but he reached

up and slid a hand up her back.

His eyes were open, and her light was reflected in them.

His voice was a low growl. “You appear rested.”

She took stock, and her knees were grazing the sheets to

either side of his hips. His erection was hard and thick
between her thighs, slick with the liquid invitation her body
was offering.

He stroked her hair back from her face and pulled her

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down for a kiss.

Arbor brushed his lips across hers and nuzzled her cheek.
Her light flared at the small touch. With a sudden surge,

she jumped off him and ran for the bathroom.

He was sitting, his dark hair rumpled and his expression

confused when she returned. “What was wrong?”

She blushed. “I had morning breath. I just went to brush

my teeth.”

His shoulders shook in amusement. “Oddly enough, that

never occurred to me.”

“I may have been through decontamination, but Terran

bacteria love the night.” She brushed her hair with her
fingers.

“Would you like to continue the very interesting moment

we were having?”

Myra bit her lip. “If it isn’t too much of an imposition, I

would like to get the scene in the throne room out of the
way. I hate having undone tasks.”

He was fighting a laugh. “I will take you any way I can

get you.”

He put his cloak on and picked her up, wrapping her in

the folds.

Blushing, she watched the pulse at his neck. “You don’t

have to carry me.”

“I don’t want you to get cold feet.”
She wasn’t sure if he was using a euphemism or a

description of what would happen if she walked the stone
floors, but she kept her mouth shut until he walked into the
throne room.

“Yup. The tower is alive. The city as well. This is

definitely a hint.”

The hint was a wide couch where the throne should have

been. The base now extended into a long, flat platform and
the dais had elongated for their exertions.

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Myra cleared her throat. “There is something upsetting

about a building knowing when you are in the mood.”

Arbor settled her on her throne-turned-roman-chaise, and

he flinched as the blaze of light came out of her.

Again, lust filled her, and the light was the indicator.

Myra arched as contact with the throne sent her into a
dizzying wave of need.

Arbor stood beside her until she reached for him,

kneeling to pull him to join her.

When he kissed her, she got an image of herself in his

thoughts, gripping the edges of the throne on her hands and
knees.

She wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked him

while her tongue duelled with his. He reached between her
thighs and stroked the slick curls before inserting two
fingers.

She shuddered as his thumb pressed her clit with each

thrust of his fingers. When she couldn’t keep still, she pulled
away from him and knelt in the position she saw in his
mind.

He groaned and moved behind her. He pressed kisses to

her back and buttocks, licking his way back up to her neck,
running his hands over her breasts and gently kneading the
mounds. When he pressed his cock to her, she was more
than ready. He pushed forward, she pushed back, and soon,
he was inside her as far as he could go.

Myra’s fingers gripped the edges of the couch as the slow

fucking drove her to the edge of release in minutes. Her
breath came in deep pants and her vision was spotted with
the flares and flickers of light that she was putting out. She
got brighter and brighter as he thrust deep, bucking against
him to pull him in deeper.

She trembled as the wild energy built under her skin. Low

moans answered every slide inside her, and when he

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stroked her clit, his fingers circled furiously until she
screamed.

He shouted and drove into her, her arms collapsed and he

flattened her to the couch. It didn’t matter. Light burst out of
them in a wave, the chair amplified it and the windows
shuddered as the power streamed outward.

Myra lay quietly under him, getting her breath back and

trying to clear her vision from the spots that were taunting
her.

She finally shifted and Arbor withdrew from her, lifting

her up, sitting against the back of the throne with her in his
lap.

For the first time, she saw the tower at work as the throne

resumed its chair form.

When she glanced up at Arbor, she chuckled. “Wow. The

Day clan marked you as well.”

“What?”
She touched the tattoos on his face that now glowed with

the same cheery sunlight as her own body. “I think that
mask is now going to be more than ornamental. If you want
to sneak up on anyone, you are going to need it.”

He sighed and leaned his head back. “There had to be a

payment for this, I suppose.”

“For what?”
“For being your consort. For gaining power and your

bed.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I wish the gates wouldn’t open.”
“Now that the spark has been sent back across Fremiat,

there is no reason to hide in here. It was only your privacy
that needed to be protected. Now, we do not need to be in
the throne room for any further intimacy. Well, not until
next year.”

Myra rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Good.

Wait...what?”

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He stroked her back and smiled as if he was truly

enjoying the feel of her. “You are the quickening of fertility
for this world, or the light spectrum that you produce is.
Once a year, you will have to start the growing season. From
here. With me.”

She made a face. “Let me just mark my calendar.”
He must have caught on to her disgruntled tone, because

he was laughing a lot for a man trained as an assassin.

Viola Grace

Chapter Eight

yra sat on the Day throne, and Arbor sat next to her on
a new structure, the Night throne.

She gave him a nod and closed her eyes as she let the

outer gate open wide.

Flowers were sending scents through the air, the gardens

were riots of colour and Fremiat was on its way to coming
alive again.

She thought it had happened rather quickly, but Arbor

reminded her that it had taken eight hundred years for a
Day clan member to return. That wasn’t quick at all.

She was wearing a graceful, dark dress, something that

had surprised Arbor. The Day clan were known for
embracing their light side at all times.

“You will have to get used to it. I am not fond of pastel

colours. I like the shadows and those that lurk in them.”

Arbor took her hand. “I rarely lurk.”
She winked as she felt the first of the Kameraet approach

them. “Here they come. Are you ready?”

“With you around, usually.” He winked.
She rolled her eyes, and the inner doors opened. The

Fremiat court was open for business, High Lady and High
Lord presiding.

Fremiat was once again open for business.

Over one hundred Kameraet came and went before the

first attempt on her life.

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The tiny pinprick would have gone unnoticed if the man

hadn’t been staring at her with disgust in his eyes. He held
her hand and the prick into her finger caught her attention.

She screamed, pulled back her free hand and clawed him

across the face. The courtiers in the room covered their eyes
as her attacker began to smoke from the marks she had
made in his face.

Arbor was at her side, and he swiftly cut off the head of

her attacker.

Myra turned her hand over and looked at the injection

site. A sickly green was in a small pool under her skin. She
focused on it and light burned away the damage.

Arbor was standing in front of her and the body was at

her feet.

She touched his arm. “I am fine. Let’s continue.”
He looked at the injector that was in the open hand of the

headless corpse. “It should have killed you.”

“It just irritated me. I guess that Terran physiology is

different from that of the Kameraet.” She smiled, and a bowl
of water came out of the arm of the throne. She scrubbed the
blood from her fingertips and sat back in her position.

Arbor was still vibrating with fury, but he wiped the

blood off his blade and returned to her side, standing in
front of the Night throne instead of sitting.

She twisted her lips and shrugged at his stubborn look.
She beckoned to the next in line with a challenge in her

eyes. He looked at the body on the ground and inclined his
head toward her, coming forward to kneel and kiss her
hand.

After two hours of the nobles, she asked her consort,

“Where are the women?”

“They are not Kameraet. They have no legal status under

our laws.”

Her shock could not have been more apparent. “Get.

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Them. In. Here. Now. Every woman who will come through
those gates is welcome.”

Arbor shook his head. “The men will not bring them.”
Myra got to her feet. “Fuck that. Then, I will go to them.”
Arbor was at her side as she walked through the city. The

straight line took her back to the gate and obscured the
pathway behind her.

He looked back and chuckled. “I wonder where the

courtiers ended up.”

She shrugged. “They are in a courtyard with no exits.”
“You can feel that?”
“I can see it. I am not just part of this city, it is part of me.”

Part of her was upset by it. She knew she was never leaving
this world. There were thousands, if not more, of worlds out
there with people, aliens and sights that she would never
see.

“Why do you want to talk to the women?”
“Because they are bearing the next generation. You can’t

build a society where only half the population has a voice.”

“You are going to invite more assassination attempts.”
She linked arms with him, careful of the still-exposed

blade. “Then, you are going to have to teach me to defend
myself.”

“No Kameraet woman has been trained in anything since

we began our history.”

“Well, good thing I am not pure Kameraet. I have heavy

Terran instincts, and they are telling me that this is a
dangerous place.”

He stopped just inside the open gateway and turned to

face her. “You are serious?”

“Of course. My body knows it can defend me, it just isn’t

sure how. You can show me.”

“No one can know you are learning.”
She chuckled and leaned in to kiss him carefully. “Oddly

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enough, I figured that out.”

He smiled against her lips. “For today, pretend I am your

consort and guard. If females start being born again, you
will have far more protection than enemies.”

She leaned back and frowned. “I have never had enemies

before. Well, not since I was seven. Why are they trying to
kill me?”

“Change is difficult, even change that will benefit our

people. Many were addicted to the predictable rise to power
that did not depend on a woman’s whim.”

She winced. “That is a little harsh. It wasn’t a whim. You

were the only one who didn’t have another woman on his
mind or the throne in front of me.”

He blinked. “Fair enough. Come with me and meet your

subjects.”

“Good.”
The women in the village outside the city stared at her in

surprise. She smiled and walked up to them. “Hello, my
name is Myra. Feel free to come to me if you have any points
of concern. I might not be able to help, but I might. I am
learning as I go.”

One woman with an infant on her hip stepped forward.

“What if our men will not let us come?”

Before Arbor could stop her, she said, “I suppose that

once a week, I will have to come to you.”

She heard the gusty sigh of her consort and grinned. He

was going to have to get used to it. Myra was dedicated to
duty, but her duty was now expanding to every member of
the Kameraet on Fremiat or in space. Her focus was on
building a new wave of living beings and that included the
mothers who would bring them into the world.

Talking to half a population wouldn’t build a solid

foundation. They would move forward together or she was
going to drag them into societal equilibrium. She hoped that

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she lived long enough to see a more balanced generation.

The baby in the woman’s arms waved his hands toward

Myra. She extended her hands and said, “May I?”

The woman looked at Arbor and nodded quickly. “If you

like.”

Myra took the little boy and cuddled him, reminding

herself of weekend after weekend babysitting while in high
school. He reached out and grabbed her hair, stuffing it into
his mouth.

“Who is a clever little boy?” She eased the hair out of his

mouth and pried it from his grip.

He giggled and grabbed again, butting his head against

her breast.

“Nothing there for you, junior.”
The mother looked flustered, her pale green skin shading

to emerald. “I am so sorry.”

“It is instinct. I am a huge fan of following instinct. He

will grow up to be a strapping young man one day. A little
off on his targeting but perhaps he can find a nice
assignment in a battle group that will keep him on the
straight and narrow.”

His mother laughed, the baby laughed, and then, he filled

his diaper so Myra quickly handed him back. That was a
part of babies she was glad she didn’t have to deal with.

Two women carried out a chair and offered Myra a seat.

She took the seat, and soon, all the children in the village
had crawled over her from one side to the next. The mothers
beamed, and Myra grinned and laughed as the boys
introduced themselves one by one. The little men bowed and
then ran to hide behind their mothers.

When she had met all the soon-to-be warriors, she smiled

brightly and asked, “Same time next week?”

The women nodded and Arbor seemed relieved. They

returned to the tower, and Myra settled in her throne once

Viola Grace

again. There was no trace of the body.

When the city released the nobles, some came to continue

to pay their respects. Others left as quickly as they could.
There were no additional attempts on her life, but she had
only been introduced to five percent of the population. Life
as a tourist attraction was going to get very busy.

She woke him in the middle of the night with slow

caresses on his thighs and her mouth on his cock. He had
defended her today, and he deserved a reward for being
such a loyal and attentive consort.

When she caressed his balls, she came upon something

that wasn’t listed in the information sheets about the
Kameraet. The small slit before his perineum was definitely
an opening. Sek-Rah’s explanation came to mind, and she
continued to suck slowly as her finger delved into the small
space.

He groaned, and she heard the sheets tear as he arched

under her, lifting her upward. She felt the spasms and
pulled away as he ejaculated. Myra watched the arc and
laughed as it glowed and then splattered across his chest.

She pulled her hand away from him. “You are a

hermaphrodite as well.”

He blinked and tried to focus. “That is rather sudden and

far more detailed than I can be right now.”

She crept up his body and pressed her breasts to his chest.

“You didn’t mention that Sek-Rah wasn’t the only one of her
kind.”

“She was dually functional. The Kameraet have always

had the potential to be either or, depending on the sway of
the Day clan. With a Day clan member at the helm, we had
balance. All of us are born with both organs. The female
opening is simply a narrow dead end that few of us bother
with.”

Viola Grace

Myra moved up him until her lips were pressed with his.

“You seemed to enjoy the contact.”

“I enjoy every touch you have given me, no matter where

it is. I have read that your species are basically gender
locked.”

“We are.”
“Does the obvious duality upset you? Any children we

have will have the mixed sex organs.”

Myra chuckled. “With the bloodline I have, I am

expecting a few hermaphrodites like Sek-Rah. Any child
with a future is fine with me.”

He rolled until she was under him, and he set about

worshipping her with his mouth. Myra hung on for the ride
until she screeched and gasped for mercy. He joined his
body with hers and confirmed, once again, that his
masculine bits worked as advertised.

“Let me know if I am too rough.” Arbor was concerned.
“Give it to me as hard as you can.” Myra flexed her hands

and quivered in anticipation.

The blades came at her, and she blocked them with her

batons. He sliced again and she fought him off, snapping
and ducking as he attacked.

Two months of daily practice had finally allowed her to

face him with live blades. She kept up until he stepped back
with a grin.

“Well done, lover.” Arbor laughed.
“Thank you. At least, now, I can back up the batons when

I wear them in the court. I have been getting some strange
looks.”

“No one knows what to do with a High Lady who wears

weaponry.”

She holstered the batons. “I think you have figured out

one or two things.”

Viola Grace

He sheathed his blades and stepped toward her. He

pulled her in tight and grinned. “I am a man who is devoted
to his studies and very adaptable.”

“The most glorious and wise consort that ever there was.”

She stroked his cheeks and neck.

“With the most glorious lady.”
He kissed her and lifted her, spinning her around. Their

private practice courtyard was inaccessible to all and an
excellent place to celebrate her triumph with a little outdoor
frolicking.

Lying with him under the sun, she thought of her

grandparents and the journey to Fremiat that they were
about to undertake. Gel shipping took a lot longer, but in six
months, they would be walking the world of their ancestors.
They were so giddy at the prospect that they had been
packed and ready to go before the call was finished.

Her family would be with her, and her new family would

be starting about then. One good harvest and she swore that
she would welcome the chance to get pregnant. The women
of  the  new  city  were  already  showing  signs  of  carrying
daughters. All the little boys were going to have a chance at
a mate  from their  own species, and the girls were going to
have  a  chance  at  a  life  with  voting  rights  and  a  voice  in
court.

The changes would have to take place for the next

generation, but the mothers were only too happy for that to
be the case.

As Myra trailed her fingers over Arbor’s chest, she smiled

at the thought of the inclusion that no one seemed to object
to. Until the daughter reached the age of twenty, her mother
could vote on her behalf. Any daughter was an instant ticket
to voting and a voice in court.

Baby steps would bring the Kameraets into balance, and

Viola Grace

Myra had no objection to using the existence of those babies
to get her way. It was callous but effective, and she had a
species to worry about now.

“Are you ready to hear petitions, love?” Arbor lifted her

fingers to his lips.

“No, but I will be at your side.”
“And I will be at yours, at your side, under you, over you

and my personal favourite, inside you.” He chuckled and sat
up, hauling her to her feet.

She put her leathers back on, put the batons on the sides

of her thighs, and she waited for Arbor to finish getting
dressed. When he was wearing his black and gold clothing
and everything was where it should be, they walked toward
the wall that opened just for them. It was time to get back to
the thrones and hold court. Day and Night joined in an effort
to bring their people home.

Author’s Note

In case you missed it on my other books, I have cut back to
three books per month due to mental health reasons (smoke
is coming out of my ears). The first two are on the first, and
the Terran Times Second Wave will be on the 15

. Thanks

for your patience.

Next month, Numb will lead us back to a world with a

fading Avatar in need of a new body and an immortal who
wants her body for his own reasons.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

viola@violagrace.com

About the Author

Viola  Grace  (aka  Zenina  Masters)  is  a  Canadian  sci-
fi/paranormal  romance  writer  with  ambitions  to  keep
writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories
because  the  thrill  of  discovery,  of  all  those  firsts,  is  what
keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls

you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is
all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to
those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the
cheap laugh.

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