Negative

Changed by an injury, Aster starts a new life as a bodyguard
and finds herself falling for war, death and sex.

Aster’s  assignment  as  a  bodyguard  suits  her  temperament.
She  likes  to  boss  folks  around  while  keeping  them  where
they  are  supposed  to  be.  A  fan  of  order,  she  enjoys  her
position away from Earth on a world where her services can
be of use.

Dressed up like a video game warrior for a costume party,

she finds that fighting is part of the local community
tradition and calling upon an ancient god is also traditional.
She just never expected him to answer.

Yodin is an immortal who has been looking for another of

his kind. Aster has only recently shed her previous life and
entered the endless lifespan that he currently enjoys, but he
intends to introduce her to the pleasure of an eternity with
the god of war, death and sex.

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Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and
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is appreciated.

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.

Negative

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0201-3

Cover art by Carmen Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the
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Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

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Chapter One

ster Marquis met the punch with one of her own, but
hers made contact. Her opponent was driven back with

the force, and she raised her eyebrows. She hadn’t realised
he was really trying to make contact.

“Again.” Recruiter Norz was on the sidelines and

watching her as she fought with his bodyguard.

Again, he struck and, again, she countered.
“Amazing. Each and every attack is met with precisely

the same pressure to counter it.” Norz walked toward her
and handed her a towel.

She passed it to his guard and took the second towel.
“I tried to explain, but it isn’t something I get to use on a

daily basis.”

“When did this start?”
“After the accident, during physiotherapy.”
He nodded. “Your physique is impressive for a woman of

your age.”

She grimaced. “It is a side effect. If someone puts weight

on me, I push it. Anything seen as an attack is matched with
equal force, and since my trainer kept adding more, my
muscles kept building out of self-defence.”

“So, you are a completely passive defence system?”
Aster shrugged. “You tell me. I know that I react before

anything happens to me now, but my strength is completely
normal for a woman of my body type most of the time.”

Norz frowned; his silver skin and dark eyes showed he

was obviously working on something. “I don’t know of a

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place for you, but with your other skills and with your
eidetic memory, I believe we can find you a position in the
Alliance or elsewhere.”

Aster smiled. “Do you think so? I don’t want to presume

if there is a space that someone else could occupy.”

Norz inclined his head. “Your position would be yours

and yours alone.”

Aster finished drying the sweat off her neck and cleavage

and smiled at her sparring partner. “Thank you for the
workout.”

He inclined his head to her and Norz. “It was my

pleasure.”

He took the towel from her, and he left the gym.
Norz inclined his head. “Change your clothing and I will

meet you for further discussions. As far as I am concerned,
the moment you sign the contract, you are a Terran
Volunteer.”

She smiled shyly and inclined her head. A spiral of

excitement unfurled in her. She had changed when her skull
was cracked and her brain rewired itself, and now, she
would have a chance to use what she had become. Her joy
threatened to spill over, but she kept her face as calm as she
could.

Outer calm gave her the starting point for everything that

came after, and she was getting the feeling she was going to
be doing a lot of learning.

Two months later, she was pronounced fit to act as a

hidden bodyguard. Her assignment would be as a
companion to a wealthy, young noblewoman, but it would
put her squarely in the trade courts of the Nyal Imperium.

She knelt on the observation deck with her gauzy grey

robes around her, the filter over her eyes dimmed the view,

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but she could clearly make out the rising of the Earth above
her.

Being swathed from head to toe in grey silk chiffon had

been  hard  to  get  used  to,  but  after  weeks  of  training,  she
finally  could  move  as  easily  in  her  disguise  as  out  of  it.
Etiquette  liaison  was  her  title,  but  it  was  moving  in  her
clothing  that  had  been  her  greatest  challenge.  The
knowledge  of  protocol  came  easily,  which  was  absolutely
bizarre.

Aster breathed deeply and spread her sleeves wide,

pressing her hands to the floor and staring up at the stars.

Change. She was in a constant state of change, and it was

hard to accept some days and a gift on others. A simple fall
at  work  had  nearly  killed  her,  caused  a  brain  bleed  that
should  have  ended  her  life.  Her  recovery  had  been
remarkable,  but  as  she  relearned  everything  she  had  ever
known, her mind did not stop. She had started to consume
books  and  all  information  she  could  get  her  hands  on.  Her
brain created new paths and new connections to make up for
those broken by her accident.

Her family was a distant memory. When she had been

injured, they had simply handed her over to the state in an
effort to save themselves a mountain of debt. When she
came out of her coma, she had no emotional attachment to
any of them. The faces were as familiar to her as images once
seen in a book or magazine.

She wished she could feel their loss, but there was

nothing where her family should be. Empty memories of
laughter flitted in her mind when she woke; the dreams
were of a time when emotions ruled her brain.

The meditation techniques that she had been taught had

increased her ability to see what was coming and had been
useful. They allowed her to learn and study at an increased
speed. She could identify everyone on Luna Base by species,

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name, title and occupation. She had done introductions for
two arriving shuttles of Terrans, and none of them had
known she was one of their own.

“Aster, are you ready?”
The voice belonged to Nadiel, her movement instructor.
Aster moved easily to her feet and turned to bow. “I am

ready, Master Nadiel.”

“Your ship is waiting. Your clothing is onboard. You are

ready for this, Aster.”

Aster bowed again. “Thank you.”
“I look forward to watching your career.” Nadiel smiled.
With her hands at her sides, Aster walked with head high

through Luna Base. She cruised to the shuttle and nodded to
the pilot. Her robes marked her as a hidden one. Her
appearance was designed to avoid attention, to blend in
with the walls and shadows.

She strapped herself in to the seat in her quarters, and the

shuttle took off, whisking her to her assignment.

The lady was late.
Aster stood in the hall, her pack at her feet, and she

waited to be collected like a lost puppy.

Lady Abrieth arrived in a cloud of perfume and a barely-

there gown. Six guards accompanied her, and the guards
looked far more worried than she was.

“Ah, my hidden one. Welcome to Rekfa. I think. I am

pretty sure that we are on Rekfa.” The lady waved it away.

Aster moved toward her and the guards shifted to block

her. “I am no threat to the lady. I am here to make your lives
easier.”

The guards advanced on her, and Aster sighed as one

went on the attack. She knocked him to the ground, and he
lay stunned. Aster moved toward the second with all the

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grace and speed that she had been taught, but when he
moved aside, she stopped.

Lady Abrieth blinked in surprise. “You are such a quiet

thing. What is your name?”

“Aster. I offer myself as your etiquette liaison, lady.”
“I accept. Sorry about Tobr; he is a stickler for protocol.

No guard can be accepted without being tested.”

Aster paused. “You are aware of the conditions of my

employment?”

Lady Abrieth made a face. “I am aware. Come, we will

deal with that at my apartments. It isn’t safe in the open.”

Aster walked next to the woman with the exorbitant price

on her head and a political job to do. The lady may act like
an airhead, but she was a negotiator of the highest order
who had the misfortune to get caught in a love triangle with
a Nyal royal family member and their Presku lover.

The situation would have been awkward enough, but

their boy losing his virginity to the good lady upset the
family of the Presku, and the Nyal family was outraged at
the loss of the alliance they had wanted to forge.

The result had been that honour could only be satisfied by

the death of Abrieth. It was not a great situation. The lady’s
family had gone looking for someone who could keep her
alive and let her do her job.

It seemed a situation tailor made for Aster’s peculiar skill

set and the timing had ended up being perfect.

Aster floated along next to the lady; with the guards

around them, they made their way into a private transport,
and then, they were being whisked through the city.

Aster carried her bag when they left the transport, and the

rest was a confusion of arrangements until she was given the
adjoining rooms to Lady Abrieth’s apartments.

Viola Grace

It was more space than she needed, but if Lady Abrieth

was in any danger, Aster had to come through quickly.
Proximity was important.

It was a strange sort of situation, a deadly sleepover.

When the guards finished rifling through her robes and took
up posts outside the doors, Abrieth smiled wistfully. “I
suppose we need to get the other thing over.”

Aster got her med kit and opened it, setting the unit to

extract through the lady’s skin.

A quick shot from Abrieth’s inner arm was all it took. The

blood rinsed in the unit and when it was ready, Aster
injected it into herself.

“How long will that last?”
“Five days. I will warn you when it wears off.”
It had been a matter of trial and error on the Luna Base.

Finally, they found that if she carried someone else’s
genetics inside her, she would defend them as she did her
own body.

Lady Abrieth was now part of her for the next five days.
Aster sighed and sat back, taking in the ramifications of

the situation she was in. Oh, goody.

Negative

Chapter Two

he first attempt came on the way to a negotiation for
supplies to fuel nineteen colonies for six months.

Aster was walking next to the lady when she felt shadows

move around her. The shadows were the hostile intent
aimed at Lady Abrieth, and Aster quickly pinpointed the
source.

A male was walking toward them, and instead of moving

to avoid their rather bulky gathering, he aimed directly for
their center. Lady Abrieth.

Aster waited until he was only a few paces away, and she

cut him off, blocking his attack and giving the guards time to
get their lady to safety.

He looked at his disappearing prey, and he snarled,

striking at Aster over and over until she forced him to his
knees and handed him over to local peacekeepers.

Her veils gave him a soft aspect, but he was a chalky grey

with the look of a man who killed for a living. Aster left him
with the law, and she followed her group into the offices
where the negotiations would be carried out.

After she passed through security, she rejoined her group

and resumed her place at the lady’s side. Lady Abrieth
winked at her with one violet eye, and there was a glow to
her lavender skin. “I think you may have been the best
investment that the Imperium has engaged in.”

“All they did was pay for me to be here.”

Viola Grace

“And your training, Aster. They footed the bill for that

and all the medical scans and experiments that were
performed on you. How did you know he was going to
attack?”

“He was coming toward us, looking right at us. Everyone

else here looks and then looks aside. It was an unusual
behaviour.”

“Are you injured?”
“No, but thank you for asking.”
They continued into the area of boardrooms and offices.

Aster kept to her lady’s side until they were shown into the
room where Lady Abrieth was going to do her magic with
the negotiations.

Aster remained behind Abrieth’s chair until the recess

was called, and she escorted her to the lav.

While Lady Abrieth was primping at the mirror, Aster

asked her, “Why do you wear such skimpy clothing?
Wouldn’t you be treated with more respect if you dressed
more conservatively?”

“Probably, but I would not get the amazing deals that I

am  currently  gaining  during  the  negotiations.  Have  you
noticed  that  the  men  stare?  Have  you  noticed  that  I  have
gotten  eight  months’  rations  for  the  price  of  four?  Offering
the  view  of  my  body  is  a  distraction  tactic,  just  as  your
concealment  is.  I  know  what  you  look  like  under  those
drapes,  and  all  that  they  do  is  provide  you  with  a
psychological advantage.”

Aster shrugged. “It is true. I had to take more training to

move in the robes than I did for anything else.”

The lady smiled at her in the mirror. “So, we both dress

for the job we have, not the job we want.”

“May I ask one question before we return to the hall?”
“Sure.” Abrieth grinned at her in the mirror.
“Why did you sleep with the Presku?”

Negative

Abrieth’s face softened and her smile was filled with

sweet memories. “Because I wanted him and he wanted me.
We were very good together.”

“Would you marry him?”
“Take him as a mate, you mean?” Abrieth tilted her head.

“If he got pregnant, I suppose I would.”

Aster was thankful that she had done her homework. The

Presku  had  a  secondary  head  in  their  male  organ  that
reached  out  and  took  in  tissue  from  their  partner.  It  used
that  tissue  to  generate  the  next  generation.  If  he  were
pregnant, they would be hearing about it in the next month
or so.

“Are you hoping that he is?” Aster couldn’t believe she

had asked it so boldly.

Abrieth smiled slyly. “Why would I want something like

that? A tall, witty, handsome man who worships the ground
I walk on and he gets to carry the child? Who would want
something like that?”

“You are right. Silly of me. Are you ready?”
“I am. Let’s get this over with; I have a party to attend this

evening.”

Aster inclined her head and walked with her charge out

of the ladies retiring room and back to the boardroom.

It was riveting to watch, but Aster was glad to be heading

back to the lady’s apartments. She felt flickers of aggression
nearby but no one made a move. When they returned to the
lady’s quarters, Aster and the other guards grabbed a meal
and refreshment while Abrieth got dressed for her party.

The guards were of Abrieth’s species. The Bo. Their

names were Tobr, Rin, Ehki, Limo, Gess and Sern.

Sern asked, “How did you see him coming this

morning?”

“He looked at no one but Abrieth, not even the buxom

woman to his right. The folk here glance and look away. It

Viola Grace

wasn’t right.” It was easier to say that than to say she felt
waves of hostility aimed at the lady.

It had been described to her as seconds of precognition or

telepathy.  She  could  feel  when  folk  had  immediate  intent
against  her.  That  was  the  reason  for  the  swap  of  genetic
material.  Lady  Abrieth  was  now  part  of  her  until  Aster’s
body did away with the injected traces.

Her body was primed to defend itself at all times. It had

been  a  little  hard  to  adjust  to,  but  she  had  come  to  accept
that  this  was  her  new  lot  in  life.  Her  mind  was  sharp,  her
body  was  ridiculously  toned  and  her  senses  extended  in  a
seeking aura around her body.

She had never wanted to be whatever it was she was

becoming, but now that the change was upon her she
accepted it. She just didn’t want to advertise what she
couldn’t quantify.

Aster tidied up and put her dishes away.
“Aster, can you come in and help me with this?”
Aster sighed, and the looks that the guards exchanged

told her that they used to be the ones on fashion assist.

The gauzy wrap that Abrieth was struggling into looked

more like a handkerchief than a top, but Aster followed her
directions and got it to hold.

“Don’t sneeze, lady. It could blow.”
“I will be fine. Do you have some nicer robes?”
Aster chuckled. “I do. I have some very pretty ones, but

that will not make me effective as your bodyguard.”

Abrieth sighed and turned from side to side, her body

gleaming through the thin fabric.

“Fine, at least put on fresh clothing for this evening. The

source of all the fuss is going to be there, and I want to make
a good impression on his family.”

Aster smirked, “I believe your still being alive will do

that.”

Negative

She followed orders and went to change her clothing. The

next set of complete robes was heavier and had a hood in
place with a veil drawn over her nose and mouth. The peak
of the hood came down between her eyes and attached to
the veil.

The clothing was a shade of grey tinged with the deep

purple of the local sunset.

When she returned to the lady’s side, Abrieth nodded.

“Much nicer. I hadn’t realised your eyes were so pretty.”

“They are just eyes, lady.” Her eyes had changed after the

fall.  They  were  now  shot  with  streaks  of  red  that  made  it
hard  for  other  humans  to  meet  her  gaze.  It  was  one  of  her
favourite  things  about  being  a  Terran  Volunteer,  the  alien
races were accepting at face value.

“But they are the windows to the soul, or so your people

say. It is a pretty phrase.” Abrieth nodded. “Well, the sun is
down, so it is time to go. Oh, do me a favour and step on
that plate over there.”

“Why?”
“Tomorrow is a costume ball and I need you to come as

escort. Everyone must have a costume, so all who attend
have to send in their measurements and the clothing will be
delivered in the afternoon. I plan to spend the morning at
the groomers. You are welcome to join me, sans robes.”

“I will consider it.”
Sighing, but with no reason to refuse, Aster stood on the

plate and light scanned her in a tube of light that rose and
fell for a few minutes. When it chirped, Abrieth used her
data pad to send the information and she smiled brilliantly.
“Thank you. I can never get these rigid men to unbend and
join me.”

Aster kept her sigh to herself. “I am not a toy to play

dress-up with.”

Viola Grace

The lady sobered and showed some of the keen

intelligence from the day’s negotiations. “No, you are a
grown woman with a woman’s appetites, as am I. If we can
satisfy them without danger or hazard, I believe we should.”

That took her aback, and Aster kept her mouth shut until

they arrived in the household of one of the local nobles, and
Abrieth was welcomed, as was Aster as the lady’s
companion.

The party was in full swing. Aster observed and kept her

senses open to any danger.

When Abrieth grabbed her arm, Aster followed her gaze,

and she took in the handsome man flanked by a scowling
woman of his own kind and another woman with red eyes
and a sensual pout.

The man stared at Abrieth, but his entourage steered him

to one side and kept him from mingling and getting closer to
the woman he was obviously fixated on.

“Why don’t you marry him?”
The lady smiled sadly when Aster asked the question. “I

have a title, but the funds I have are not mine, they are those
of the Alliance and the Imperium. I am an expert negotiator
for minor issues. I can come and go easily. It is no life for
him. He needs wealth and comfort.”

“Have you asked him if he would join with you?”
“I cannot. It would be dishonourable.”
Aster sighed and watched the man as he darted gazes

toward her purple companion. “What is his name?”

“Lerodan.”
Aster nodded. “I am going to get something to drink.

Security is tight, so just don’t go running into the street
without me.”

Abrieth nodded and drifted over to join a conversational

grouping with several older men and women who eyed her

Viola Grace

Chapter Three

t seemed so clichéd to strike up a conversation over the
punch bowl, but it seemed the only place that Lerodan’s

entourage would not follow him.

“Well, this party seems to match the direct definition of a

gathering.”

He quirked his lips. “It does, hidden one. I noted you

speaking with Lady Abrieth earlier. Do you know her?”

“We have met. She speaks very highly of one of your

species. She pines for what could have been if she had funds
or more than her station as negotiator.” Aster slipped the
cup under her veil and sipped the punch. She made a face
and tried to act casual. The stuff was horrible.

“Well, in four weeks, I gain my estates, but by then, I will

be mated to that woman over there.”

“Do you love her?”
“I do not, but she is the match my family made while I

was still young.”

Aster looked at his earnest features; the pale tan of his

skin and mahogany hair gave him the air of perpetual youth.
“It is a shame. I can see her heart ache for you, not to
mention other parts.”

Aster inclined her head and moved away, taking the

offensive glass of punch with her because she didn’t know
what to do with it.

Negative

She walked around the edge of the party, spoke with a

few people who were curious about her robes and drifted
back to her lady’s side.

“That was quite the walk.”
Aster inclined her head. “I was trying to outrun the effects

of the punch but was unsuccessful.”

“I am amazed that you are still upright. That stuff packs

enough of a hit to knock most men on their backsides after
one cup. The host prides himself on it.”

Aster looked at the men who had taken up wrestling in

the middle of the room and she nodded. “I can see why. It
does pack a punch, but not for me. It just tastes gross.”

“Would you care to join the wrestling? It is traditional.”
Aster sighed. “No, I am not dressed for it. Plus, wrestling

isn’t my thing. I don’t like to hit the floor.”

“You don’t have to. You start with standing and see

where it goes from there.”

“Fine, keep an eye on yourself.”
“Oh, I am going to watch this. It should be entertaining.”
Aster made her way to the fight area, and she waited until

the previous bout was called.

“Who will challenge Arez?”
The man she was about to face was a head taller than she

was and a deep mahogany with black hair. Even his eyes
were black. His expression was amused.

She stepped forward. “I will.”
He hooted with laughter. “Run home and do some

needlework. A little thing like you cannot wrestle.”

He reached out to touch her head, and she gripped his

wrist, twisted and knocked him to the floor.

The crowd gathered and bets started to ripple along.
Arez stood, and she could tell by his sway that he was not

steady on his feet. “So, little miss, may I have your name?”

“It would sound silly for you to be called Aster.”

Viola Grace

He grinned. “You want to fight?”
“Well, it has been a while since I had a man’s hands on

me, but you are welcome to try.”

It seemed that she couldn’t stop flirting. Something about

this man made her feel all coy and aggressive at the same
time.

“Do you want to shed some of that fabric?”
She shrugged. “No. You will have to work for it.”
His black eyes widened and narrowed in an instant. The

man acting as referee stepped forward, and he raised his
hand. “To the floor or out of the ring. Go!”

Arez lunged for her, and she responded, dancing lightly

away a moment before he would have made contact. The
crowd caught him and helped him straighten.

Aster turned and waited for him to attack again. This

time, he moved in slowly before reaching for her. She
grabbed his hands with hers and twisted his wrists while
kicking upward.

His head snapped back and he dropped to the ground.
The crowd was silent until he groaned and started to stir;

the cheer that rose up nearly deafened her. She inclined her
head and tried to leave.

The ref put out his hand. “I am sorry, miss. It is two bouts

or winner stays on. You will have to take on another comer.”

“Fine.”
The ref called out, “Who will take on this delicate little

lady?”

One drunk noble came out and leered at her. “I will.”
It took one pass and a short grapple for her to get the

noble to the ground. When she finished riding him to the
floor with her arm around his throat, she stood, dusted off
her robes and left the wrestling floor.

Her lady was beaming. “Thanks for that. Lerodan and I

had a chance to talk. I will explain later.”

Negative

Folk came around to congratulate her on her skills and

asked if she would do it again during the festival tomorrow
night.

She looked to her lady. “What?”
“The costume ball is part of the annual celebrations. A

retired bunch of gladiators founded this world. They still
engage in combat once a year to honour their god of war,
Yodin.” Abrieth shrugged.

“Yodin?”
“It is said that for the true warriors, he will inhabit them

and turn them into champions for that one night and the rest
of their lives. Combat is still quite the industry on Rekfa. The
fighters are quite fun to spend time with.” She waggled her
eyebrows.

She twisted her lips sceptically, “Um, do gods take over

often? I have heard of a few other species where it happens.”

One of the ladies was eager. “It isn’t the soul of the world.

Rekfa has its own Avatar. This is something different.”

Aster looked at her and asked, “You have seen it?”
“And experienced it.” The woman blushed brightly.

“Those men who are chosen by Yodin can last all night and
into the week beyond.”

Aster paused for a moment and then she clued in. “Oh.

Got it.”

The ladies blushed and shared exploits of previous

champions  with  her.  Arez  was  one  of  them.  It  was
fascinating,  informative  and  Aster  was  very  glad  she  was
wearing  her  veil,  because  her  appalled  expression  would
have stopped the gossip.

By the time she walked home with Abrieth, her brain was

spinning with tales of mythical men who could last all night
and who needed multiple partners just to sate their lusts.

“That was informative.”

Viola Grace

The lady laughed. “It was. I have been here for the parties

before and one or two of the chosen of Yodin have wandered
in. They are a lot of fun; I would have to agree with that.”

“So, I suppose that I will find out tomorrow.”
The lady linked her arm with hers. “Yes, you will.”

Having every bit of hair from her nose down removed via

plucking, sanding or waxing was as painful as it was rapid.
The bathing, scrubbing and hairstyling were only
interrupted when an assassin tried to drown Abrieth in the
tub.

The spa attendants called the peacekeepers while Aster

alternately lifted and submerged the attacker.

Abrieth declared it time for a massage, so she and Aster

headed for the treatment room together.

The rest of the day was uneventful until they returned

and looked at the boxes that had been delivered.

Aster hadn’t been given a present since her accident, so

she felt the thrill of excitement as she opened the box. “Oh,
dear. Well, they included a veil.”

Tobr was looking over her shoulder, and he snickered. “I

hope you can manage that.”

She gave him a dark look. “Lady, if you need help with

dressing, Tobr will assist you while I am busy.”

With a huff, she took her box of goodies and went to get

into her costume with her skin gleaming from the polishes
and creams of the day.

Before her accident, she would never have put on the

leather  bikini,  boots  and  weapons’  harness.  But,  when  she
covered her face with the veil, it gave her both exposure and
anonymity.  A  rush  of  power  went  through  her  as  she  held
the  curved  weapons  before  settling  them  into  their
scabbards.

Negative

She fluffed her hair a little before walking back into

Abrieth’s quarters, and the guards jumped to attention as
she passed them.

Abrieth was struggling with a heavy costume and Tobr

was all thumbs.

“Stand aside, junior. I can manage a corset.”
Tobr stared. “Uh.”
“I am as covered as I am going to be. Go help the others;

they are drowning in their own drool.”

Abrieth seemed nervous. “Thank you, and see, I told you

that a little skin was the way to go.”

“This wasn’t my choice; it was what came in the mail.”
Aster worked at the laces. “Do you think they were trying

to tell me something?”

“Probably, and me the same. I have never worn this many

clothes on a job. The Bo usually reserve this kind of thing for
a wedding.”

“Well, you look lovely.” It was true. The fairy-tale dress

and corset did look stunning next to her lavender skin.

“Thank you. You have saved my life twice in as many

days. I count you as a friend, Aster.”

Aster could feel she was trying to say something under

the words, but she missed them. “What is on the agenda
tonight?”

“First, we watch the sun set, then the Yodin fighters are

chosen, and from there, the battles will be enacted all over
Rekfa.” She smiled. “And we will be dancing and having
cocktails.”

Aster looked down. “I don’t know if I can dance in this.

The blades might get in the way.”

“You will do just fine, I am sure of it.” Abrieth winked

and hugged her.

Viola Grace

Chapter Four

hen the sun began to set, Aster felt her link to Abrieth
fade. Abrieth was gone, off world and out of her

grasp.

Son of a bitch.
The only reason for her being here had just flown away,

probably with Lerodan.

She heard cries from nearby. “Yodin, come to me!”
It echoed and other voices took up the call.
Aster was alone on Rekfa, and she had nothing and no

one. She whispered, “Yodin, come to me.”

The crowd she was with moved toward the outer

courtyard, and they all stared upward. In the night sky
above, a nebula lit them in eerie light and the drunken
revellers grew quiet.

A rush of energy ran through her.
You have only to ask.
She flexed her hands as the power ran through her limbs.
Come to the center. Others will meet you and the battle will

commence.

If her short career in the stars was about to come to an

end, she was glad that she had the chance to fight for herself.
Since the one person she had been attached to, her anchor
point for her sense of being, had abandoned her, she had
been shaken dramatically. She wanted to fight.

The path in her mind was bright, so she followed it

through the crowds and to a huge, open space with a dais at

Negative

one end. A figure sat in shadows, and she walked toward it
along with dozens of others.

There was a dreamy quality to what was going on. The

men lined up and knelt in front of the shadows, and the line
moved forward.

When Aster reached the front of the line, she looked into

the shadows and bowed shortly, keeping her head up and
watching the flickering shadows.

Amusing, little one. You will not give an inch. This should be

interesting.

She stood and stepped to one side, lining up on the left-

hand side of the open expanse with half the men, facing the
other half on the far side.

You are going to have a chance to prove yourself. Prepare to

fight.

Aster reached out with her senses and smiled. She pulled

the blades that had come with her costume and hoped that
they were more than ornamental.

A gong rang and a roar filled the arena, screams from a

hundred voices. Aster didn’t waste her breath. She needed
to earn her way to a com unit, and involving herself in this
fight would do it. She was sure of it.

The line broke and the two sides rushed at each other.

Aster moved slowly, gauging the fight pattern of the man
coming at her in a rush. She worked on instinct, slashing at
his legs and bringing him down.

It was a pattern that she would follow over and over until

her blades broke and she had to use her hands and feet.

Pass after pass sent men against men until six remained

and Aster was one of them.

Her opponent was the man from the night before. Arez.

He grinned and leered at her as they waited for the gong to
attack. She knew his fighting style and he knew hers, but he
was not drunk tonight, not yet.

Viola Grace

When they moved together, he didn’t reach for her; he

swung to disable her by striking at her head and legs.

She countered, moving around him and twisting to avoid

his flailing arms. He was trying to swat her like a fly, and it
was tiring him.

She ducked, kicked, punched, whirled and struck again.

Aster lost track of how long they fought, but she finally got
him to the ground and punched at him until he was
unconscious.

She flexed her hands as she stood, and to her shock, she

was the only one left standing.

“What happened?”
The shadows leaned forward and a deep, rumbling voice

said, “They did not wish to fight you, so I let them retreat
from the battle without dishonour. My little brother has
learned his lesson.”

She realised that she was still standing over Arez.

“Brother?”

The shadows chuckled. “Yes, Arez is a brother, of a sort.

Rekfa is good at giving asylum to a number of creatures
from around the stars. Now that you have defeated my
champions, it is time that you face me.”

She licked her lips. “What do I get if I win?”
He chuckled. “You can have what you wish. I act as

protector of Rekfa. In my place, you would have access to all
that I do. That includes the ability to call your Luna Base and
ask for help.”

Aster didn’t ask how he knew about that. He was the

voice in her head, after all. “What do you get if you win?”

She got the feeling of amusement out of the dark shape

that was stepping toward her.

“I get you.”
“I never agreed to that.”

Negative

“Those are the rules. You get all I have or I get all you

have and all you have is yourself.”

He stepped onto the sand with her, and she could see

why Arez was the little brother. The shadows were huge.

She waited and he waited. Arez woke and scrambled

back to safety.

When the shadows shifted toward her, she moved and

the dance was on. She fought him hand to hand, and each
time she shifted, he countered and she did the same.

They were equally matched, positive and negative, dark

and light. Her opponent suddenly shifted, and she ended on
her back with his hand to her throat.

She struggled but there was no way to gain leverage on

his wrist. She thrashed, she kicked but he held her down.

“Do you yield?”
She fought to breathe but she kept fighting.
“Do you yield?”
Aster looked up at the black flickering shadows that had

kicked her butt. She wheezed, “Yes.”

His hand released her, and he pulled her to her feet.

“Stand proud, Champion. Tonight, you will be heralded as a
winner of the trials; in the morning, you will come with me.”

“Why do I need to be in public?”
“To prove that the winner of the trials stands strong

without grave injury. Go and fight, win and return to me at
dawn.”

Aster cocked her head. “Where is Lady Abrieth?”
“She is still on the surface, with her mate. They are safe

and hidden.”

“Why did she disappear from my senses?”
He smiled. “Because she had to. You would not have left

her otherwise.”

That was true. “Wait, how did you know that?”

Viola Grace

“Her situation was the bait to get you here, now you are

here and you were exactly what I thought you were. I keep
an eye out for any information for another one similar to
myself.”

She looked at the roiling shadows. “I don’t see much

similarity.”

He chuckled. “I will see you at dawn, Aster Marquis of

Terra. Do not make me come for you.”

She had no interest in the parties, but somehow, it seemed

a better place to be with the nebula sparking wildly
overhead.

Aster left the arena, limping slightly, heading toward the

sounds of laughter and fighting. She looked up and felt the
light of the nebula against her skin and smiled; it was the
best part of Rekfa.

A crowd of revellers saw her and they bowed, staggered

and invited her in to join their fun. How they knew she had
been the last one standing was not something she would
learn that night.

Drink flowed, and she was invited to wrestle with the

nobles. She flipped and pinned one after the other. Each
triumph was greeted with a glass of strong liqueur, but she
wasn’t affected. She did the shot, got back in position and
took on the next challenger.

Quite a few of her challengers tried to cop a feel, so there

were a few dislocations involved in the celebratory
wrestling.

Laughter punctuated the night, and it wasn’t until the

laughter and conversation stilled that she realised the
passage of time.

“It is after dawn, isn’t it?”
One of the women near her nodded with her gaze focused

behind Aster’s head.

Negative

Aster tried to feel his approach, but there was nothing.

Negative space was central to the party filled with drunken
revellers.

“You are late, lady.”
“I do not have a watch, sir.”
He moved closer. Aster could tell because the folk near

her backed away.

“The sun is not a good method of telling time?”
“I am indoors.”
There was a sound like a sigh. “Will you come with me?”
“That was the arrangement.”
She didn’t hear anything, he swallowed her in shadows

and his arms wrapped around her. She could see nothing,
hear nothing.

The arms around her held her around her ribs and waist.

She remained in his grip for several minutes before the
shadows thinned and she was standing on a polished stone
floor, high in the hills, overlooking the city below.

“So, you flew us up here?”
“I did.”
“May I know your name?”
“Yodin.”
Her knees buckled. “What?”
“Did you think I was a myth, a legend?”
She nodded, keeping her gaze on the city below. “Yes. I

thought I was hallucinating your voice in my mind.”

“And the others who came to the arena?”
“Group hallucination triggered by the sparks in the

nebular light?”

His hands remained on her, warm and comfortingly solid

for a myth or a legend.

“Aster Marquis, will you hold to your agreement?”
She nodded. “I said I would, so I will.”
“Then you might want to face me.”

Viola Grace

“No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head. Her senses

told her nothing, and it was extremely unnerving.

He chuckled and turned her around. He was touching a

lot of exposed skin, but she had the feeling that smacking
him down might be impossible.

She was staring at a chest wearing a velvety black fabric,

silver embroidery across the neckline and in icons on his
chest. She kept her gaze forward.

He sighed. “Look at me.”
She set her lips and kept her eyes forward.
“Fine.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her

tight as they moved without moving into a closed chamber.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but he knelt, lifted

her veil and kissed her, swallowing her comments.

His skin was rich bronze, and she couldn’t make his eyes

out because her own were crossing. She settled for textures.
His cheek was smooth leather, his hair cold satin and his lips
were firm, warm and seemed to know what they were
doing.

He broke from her, and she opened her eyes to see him

smiling at her. “I have waited a very long time for a woman
like you.”

“Like what? With an obsession for sit-ups and low body

fat?”

He stroked her abs in acknowledgement of her comment.

“No, one who has died and lived again. There are very few
of us around, you know.”

He kissed her again, and she was left with more questions

building in her mind, and he was obviously not inclined to
answer her.

When he parted from her for an instant, she gasped,

“How long am I bound to you for the loss in the fight?”

He grinned, “For eternity.”

Negative

She didn’t think that was fair, but he kissed her and his

hands removed her leather clothing with light flicks of his
fingers. Her veil went fluttering to one side and the leather
pinned it down.

Aster gripped his shoulders, still not sure what was going

on aside from the welcome seduction.

Back home, everyone had considered her too delicate for

sex. She had worked to build her muscle mass, but that had
the effect of frightening off men who were intimidated by
her physique. She couldn’t win.

Yodin knew of her previous injuries and he didn’t care,

her physique wasn’t doing his libido any harm either; he
could see it all and he was still coming, so to speak.

When he suckled at one breast, she blanked her mind

completely. She was willing to give him one night for her
own benefit as well as his.

He switched to the other breast, and she gasped as she

continued her rationalisation. It was only polite after all; she
was a guest on his world.

She clutched at his shoulders, and she moaned as the heat

of his mouth engulfed her. She might not be able to sense
him, but she could definitely feel him.

His hands ran over her back, holding her against his

mouth as he moved from her left breast to right and back
again.

She was only wearing her boots. All the other leather was

in a small heap to her right.

He moved his hand down her back and slid it between

her buttocks, reaching forward until his middle finger
touched her clit. It had to be an awkward position, but as he
stroked her, she absorbed the heat from his hand and she felt
his fingers grow slick from her body’s invitation.

He moved his hand against her, and she rocked her hips.

Viola Grace

As suddenly as he had started, he stopped and rose to his

feet.  With  smooth  motions,  he  removed  his  belt,  the  tunic
and  his  boots  and  trousers.  If  she  had  been  self-conscious
about  her  musculature,  she  needn’t  have  worried.  He  had
her beat on every muscle group and quite a few that she was
sure Terrans didn’t have.

She removed her boots and curled her toes against the

stone floor.

Yodin came toward her, and his hot gold eyes burned into

her own. His smile was slow, and she was equal parts
thrilled and terrified.

She looked around, took in the bed, the wardrobe, the

window and the chairs and discarded all of them as exits or
defence mechanisms. How bad could it be? It was just sex,
right?

Negative

Chapter Five

eing pinned face down on the bed while he kissed and
licked his way down her spine was a little surprising.

She had wanted to get to the act itself, but he was in no

hurry. Aster clenched her fingers into the furs beneath her,
but she couldn’t gain enough leverage to flip over.

When he parted her thighs with his knee, she held out

hope that he would slide into her next, but instead, two
fingers teased her opening with a touch far too delicate for
such a large man.

She felt herself getting wet again; she squirmed against

him. He kissed each of her shoulders and slowly slid his
fingers into her.

Aster closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to the furs

under her, rocking her hips in time to the motion of his
hand.

When he removed his fingers, she hissed in frustration,

pushing upward and knocking Yodin back. He was on her
in an instant, pressing her back to the bed as his cock
prodded at her slick entrance.

She shuddered and stilled as she waited. He eased into

her, and she pushed back against him. He reached around
and stroked her clit, thrusting inward on each stroke.

Her cropped hair flew around her head as she rocked into

each inward slide. It wasn’t until she felt him press against
the back of her thighs that she felt him fully within.

Viola Grace

Yodin shuddered against her, and the hand not on her clit

stroked  down  her  back  to  cup  her  hip.  He  pulled  her  back
and  slammed  into  her,  the  pounding  pressure  was  a  hard,
fast  spiral  from  arousal  to  pleasure,  and  Aster  arched  in
silence; her jaw clenched in a silence scream as she tried to
grip him and hold him inside.

It had gone from achingly slow seduction to firestorm so

quickly, she held still and gasped for air while her body
twitched and shuddered under his continuing onslaught.

When he held himself inside her, his cock jerking and

hips twitching, she sighed and waited.

He collapsed on her, taking her down to the bedding and

wrapping her in the furs.

Yodin’s cock was still inside her, and to her surprise, he

had not deflated in any appreciable manner. He stroked
slowly within her, lapping waves of pleasure that teased her
with every motion.

His hands pulled her back against him, cupping her

breasts as his hips moved slowly and without any
impatience whatsoever.

She felt him kiss her neck, nibbling and licking at her as if

he enjoyed the taste of sweaty Terran.

His body curled around hers in an arch that kept his hips

aligned with hers while his mouth could reach her neck. She
wanted to apologize for being short, but the pleasure that
was moving through her in waves made her table
conversation for later.

She covered his hands on her breasts with her own,

flexing her fingers against his until he increased the pressure
of his grip. She moved her own hand between her thighs
and circled her clit rapidly until she felt the waves of
pleasure crash over her.

Negative

Sweaty, shaking and jerking with each motion inside her,

he still held her in his embrace and he was still moving
endlessly inside her.

Aster settled in for a very long morning.

* * * *

Yodin left his mate in an exhausted slumber. It was cruel of
him to use her so on their first day, but he needed to keep
her with him until evening when he was at his peak.

He left his quarters and sealed the door, a shower and a

robe were enough for him to greet his guests.

The young Bo woman was incensed. “Where is she?”
Yodin waved his hand and the guards released her. “She

is safe. She had an exhausting evening and a tiring morning.
She is resting.”

The Presku man at her side held his bride back.
“My mate is concerned, Lord Yodin. She was taken from

her companion and brought to me without any proper
arrangement. Do not get me wrong, we are grateful for the
linkage, but Abrieth is attached to her companion. She
wishes to confirm that she is well.”

Yodin couldn’t stop his satisfied smirk. “She is very well.

You two have concealment until the months of confirmation
are concluded. In exchange for that, I called your companion
to battle and I won. She is mine.”

Abrieth narrowed her eyes. “She knew that she was at

stake going into the fight?”

“She did. Her bet was for a com line to the Alliance and a

place to stay.”

“Is she going to get those things?”
“No. She lost.” He took a seat on the dais in his meeting

room.

Viola Grace

“Oh, I think I can still manage to make a call if I need to.”

Aster was standing in the doorway to the stairway that led
to his bedroom.

She was wearing nothing but his shirt from the evening

before and her hair was wet. There was a challenging gleam
in her eyes and a lot more aggression as well.

* * * *

Aster looked over at him, and he cocked his head with
amused resignation.

“How did you get out?”
She snorted and walked slowly into the room. “The door

opened when I kicked it. Abrieth. How good to see you. I
was worried.”

Abrieth came to her and hugged her carefully. “I am so

sorry that I disappeared.”

Aster smiled and returned the hug. “It is fine. Yodin

explained. I mean, he let me think you were gone, but as
soon as he was distracted, I could feel you nearby once
again.”

“Which is how you come to be here now.”
“No, I figured if he was sneaking out, there must be

something I needed to see.” She grinned. “So, you two are
hiding here until he comes of age to inherit?”

Lerodan nodded, “Or until I know for certain if I am

pregnant.”

Aster looked at him, and she focused on him. He was

starting some kind of life form in his lower abdomen. She
wasn’t sure if she should mention it.

Yodin waved his hand. “Go ahead and tell them. There is

no reason to wait.”

She looked to Abrieth. “Well, you are going to be a

parent. So is he. There is a second set of life signs in his

Negative

body. I don’t know if it is just cellular reproduction, but he is
growing something in there.”

Yodin chuckled. “Not gracefully said, but she is correct.

As Presku males before you, you are now in the family way,
Lerodan.”

Abrieth let Aster go so quickly that she staggered on her

recovering limbs. Her thighs ached but she kept herself
standing.

The happy couple clung to each other and cooed to the

seed of life sprouting inside Lerodan.

She looked to Yodin, and he beckoned her to approach.

She was a few steps away from him when a raven flew
through the window and transformed into Arez. “Yodin, be
alert, Rekfa is on the way. He is a little upset.”

Yodin sighed and sat upright, leaning forward and taking

Aster’s hand, pulling her to stand next to him.

“Stay here, Aster, the Avatar can be a little

unpredictable.”

Arez got Abrieth and Lerodan, shooing them out of the

chamber and hopefully to somewhere where they could be
private.

“What is going on, Yodin?” Aster took a step back.
A wave of power ran through the room as a being

appeared in front of them. “Yes, Yodin, what is going on?”

Yodin inclined his head formally. “Avatar, welcome to

my home.”

The lean and elegant young man tapped his staff on the

stone. “This is my home; this whole world is my home.”

Remembering her protocol lessons, Aster bowed.

“Avatar.”

The young man’s features softened. “Aster Marquis. You

have become tangled with a very peculiar being.”

Yodin smiled. “She suffers from the same peculiarity,

Rekfa.”

Viola Grace

That made the young man pause. “You...how could you

know?”

“It is in her file. I have been seeking one of my kind for

quite a while, as you know. The signs were in her blood
work, and she has already woken from a sleep—an injury—
that should have killed her, yet she is stronger, faster and
her mind is expanding at an alarming rate. These are signs of
my kind.”

The young man moved faster than she could track, and he

cupped her jaw, staring into her eyes. She felt the weight of a
tremendous power on her mind and hers fought back.

His black eyes widened and his lips quirked. “She is one

of yours, but she is not yours. No slaves will be held on my
surface.”

He kept his face aimed at her, and she could make out the

fine shimmering surface of his skin, the sharp nose and the
arched dark spans of eyebrows that matched his silky black
hair. When he parted his lips to speak, she saw the sharp
fangs of his teeth, and she ran his description through her
mind, seeking his species. It was very familiar.

Vimpyr. It came to her in a rush, but as one of that pale

and UV-sensitive species, he should not be able to stand in
the beam of daylight.

“How are you here?”
He smiled. “My host is Jurad; he could not survive here,

but he offered himself to me in exchange for his survival. He
was the last enslaved being on Rekfa. Yodin has no rights to
you. You are free to leave or resume your work.”

Aster felt Yodin’s hand tighten.
“Can you help me find another place to work? If Abrieth

is no longer under threat, I will need somewhere else to go,
something else to do.”

“Would you not return to your people?”

Negative

She shook her head. “There is nothing for me there. My

accident drew an end to myself and my family. They have
mourned me, and to them, I am dead and gone.”

Rekfa cocked his head. “Would you remain here and

become one of my people?”

She smiled. “Would I be tied to you?”
He chuckled. “No, I would offer you a chance to continue

your education, to learn what this second life has offered to
you. I sense a tremendous capacity for compassion within
you. You can become a positive influence on those around
you.”

Yodin snorted. “Are you calling me negative?”
Rekfa turned to glare at him. “You know what you are.

God of war, death and sex. That last is your only redeeming
feature, the one sprig of hope.”

Aster blinked. “God?”
Yodin shrugged. “Live long enough and you will be a

goddess. It is inevitable.”

Rekfa jerked her forward, and Yodin shouted. “You are

coming with me, daughter. There is much you need to
learn.”

Light and wind surrounded them, and the body of the

youth filled with the soul of the planet held her tight. The
howl of fury followed them and echoed in the air.

Viola Grace

Chapter Six

n hour later, she was dressed in a pale rust gown and
walking with the Avatar through his home.

“You must be wondering why I spirited you away.”
“It does seem a little odd considering that we have just

met.”

Rekfa sighed. “Yodin has a powerful pull on women. I

have seen them leave their husbands and families to be with
him. I want you to know that your choices are yours and
yours alone to make.”

She sighed and looked around at the temple-style

building. “They have not been mine to make for a year. I still
don’t know what is happening.”

“What is happening to you is what has already happened

to  our  dark  lord.  You  claim  an  accident,  but  I  can  tell  you
that you died, if only for an instant. The moment you died,
your  body  kicked  in  your  talent  and  your  talent  is
immortality.  Your  cells  replace  themselves  as  soon  as  they
are injured and your body is becoming the strongest, fastest
version of itself that it can be.”

Rekfa sighed. “Yodin was one of the first colonists; the

gladiators  broke  free  of  their  confinement  and  fled  here.  I
welcomed  them,  but  until  Jurad  offered  himself  to  me,  I
could  not  help  them  fight  off  their  enemies.  Yodin  and  I
stood  side  by  side  and  fought  off  those  who  had  captured
and imprisoned them. I recognized what he was then. I had
heard  of  his  kind,  but  you  are  extremely  rare.  One  in  a

Negative

billion, and that one has to die for their genes to activate
their immortality.”

“How long ago was this?”
“Nine hundred years. Arez joined him here three

hundred years ago. They are both vital for the safety of
Rekfa, but they are boisterous in the extreme.”

“I thought that folk called on Yodin as a spirit.”
“They do, and he takes his shadows and gives them

strength and stamina for a night. He rarely comes into the
towns and cities with the exception of the great night.”

“Last night.”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “So, the average citizen doesn’t know he is

real?”

“They know, they just don’t believe it. There are a few

that have begun a cult, but he ceases the worship before it
gets too far, usually after a woman has been offered to him.”

Aster pursed her lips. “I am sensing a theme.”
“Good. I want you to know what you are getting into if

you let him back into your bed.”

They walked through the gardens, and her sandals made

a slight hissing noise on the stones, Rekfa made no sound at
all.

“Why did you want us apart?”
“If you come to your power fully, I want you to shape it,

not Yodin. He shaped Arez in his own image, and while he
is an excellent warrior, he could have been so much more.”

Aster smiled and stepped toward a gathering of flowers,

only two of which were blooming. She touched the open
blooms and inhaled the fragrance. “These are lovely.”

“They are.”
“After you fought off the arena personnel, what

happened?”

Viola Grace

“There were women as well as men, and the gladiators

claimed them. I separated them and gave the women the
choice. No slaves on my surface. Jurad was insistent.”

“Very kind of you.”
“It wasn’t just kind, it was sensible. There was less than

one woman to every three men. They formed bonding
groups, and their population began to grow. Ships arrived
and traded for water and plants. Some of those who landed
remained, and we began to grow.”

Aster smiled and ran her hand along the shrubs as they

walked.

“We offered our world to those seeking solace and

relaxation.  We  became  a  resort  world.  That  lasted  for  four
hundred years until a jump site was opened in our system.
From  there,  we  became  a  trade  hub,  and  so  we  are  today.
Many  more  species  have  asked  for  and  been  granted
permission to remain here, but the initial population and my
true citizens are descended from those gladiators.”

“So, now I have the background of Rekfa, what about

Yodin? How did he come to be immortal?”

“He said that he was struck down on the arena station. He

died and was reborn as what he has become today.”

“Arez arrived on a visiting ship?”
“Yes, he had already died in a mining accident. He was in

the process of his second maturation, as you are now.” Rekfa
smiled. “Yours seems to be moving in a more positive
direction.”

She looked at him curiously, but he was staring at the

way they had come. Flowers bloomed and the plants had
grown a foot since she had passed them.

“That was unexpected.” She grimaced.
“Only by you; now come and I will show you to your

home where you will reside until you have grasped your
potential.”

Negative

“Won’t Yodin simply scoop me up?”
Rekfa smiled grimly. “He would not dare. This is my

home and no one enters without my permission.”

The house that he offered her was also temple-based, but

the open air and the bright colours of the interior were a
stark contrast to the dark stone and furs of Yodin’s home.

“What do I do now?” she asked him as much as she was

asking herself.

“You have a com terminal and my access to the great

archives; do what you wish and learn what you have
become. If you want to leave here, call me and I will deliver
you to any part of my globe at any time.”

She smiled tightly and took the tour of her new home

with him. When he left, she walked back into the garden and
stroked the flowers and trees, sure that they were somehow
linked to what she was becoming.

Four months passed before she was ready to leave the

house of Rekfa. She walked to his home and sat in the living
space, waiting for him to return.

A whirlwind arrived and she got to her feet. “Hello,

Avatar, do you remember you said you would take me
where I wish to go? I wish to see Abrieth and Lerodan at
Yodin’s home.”

Rekfa nodded and he grimaced. “They have left my

surface. When he was confirmed pregnant, they left and
claimed his property.”

She looked down at herself and nodded. “I see.”
“You do not. They have requested colonist status, and it

has been granted. They will return by the end of the week.”

She looked up again and grinned. “Good. I still want to

get out though.”

She paced and twisted her lips. “What is Yodin up to?”

Viola Grace

“He is supervising a fertility festival on the northern

coast.”

“Oh. I am guessing he wouldn’t want to be interrupted.”
“I think he would be delighted to see you there. He has

changed since you have been gone. I believe he is on his best
behaviour.” Rekfa winked.

She had gotten used to always speaking to the planet.

Jurad was the thinker. He enjoyed being the silent voice in
the planet’s head. Jurad came out at night, and he was a
lovely dancer, if a little stiff.

“Could you take me to him?”
“Of course. I think he will be impressed at the changes

you have made.”

She ran her hands nervously over her hips and she was

hopeful. “You think so?”

“Not just the physical ones. I am very glad that you no

longer equate muscle with strength. You look more
comfortable with your own body now.”

He wrapped her in his arms and touched her new curves.
Aster had to admit that she had missed her breasts. The

softness over the muscle had been a battle of will, but she
had won and she was proud of her triumph.

In a whirl of wind and light, they lifted up and flew

across the land, frightening Arez in his bird form and racing
him up the coastline.

The roaring of the wind in her ears tried to drown out

what she heard as they approached, but she could make out
the moans and groans of the party in progress.

When Rekfa landed, he made a face. “Apologies. You

should not be exposed to this.”

“Why? With few exceptions, most living beings arrive

through this kind of acrobatics. Sex is quite fun with the
right partner.”

Negative

She looked around at the couples in various poses. “I am

guessing that the local economy depends on cushions.”

Rekfa laughed. “Call me if you need a ride home.”
He disappeared in a whirl, and she looked for the empty

spot in the bodies. When she found him on the dais,
overlooking the activities, she walked carefully through the
writhing bodies toward him.

A few enterprising men and women stroked their hands

up her calves as she passed, but she exhaled gently, and
when her breath touched them, they dropped back in
blissful delight.

That trick was one of her favourites, and it worked on all

manner of wild animals.

Yodin was pouting. There was no other description for

him watching the bodies twisting and humping in all sorts
of permutations, with his chin resting on the fist of the arm
propped on the arm of the chair.

His dark features were positively saturnine as he stared

into the main cluster of participants.

“Your face is going to stick if you keep frowning like

that.”

He lifted his head and looked for her. “Aster?”
Smiling, she removed the hiding field that Rekfa had

shown her how to generate. It only worked on Yodin, but
that was enough.

“Who else is going to tell you the truth? Everyone else

here has a busy mouth.”

She finished clearing the party on the floor, and she

smiled brightly at him. With a bit of nerve, she extended her
hand to his. “Good afternoon, Yodin.”

He took her hand and tugged her toward him, pulling her

until she stood in front of him.

Viola Grace

Smiling softly, she leaned in and kissed him. His hands

caressed her back and breasts, paused and resumed his slow
stroking.

He had to relearn her. She had worked hard to put the

curves she had had before her accident back in place. She
still had muscle under them, but she now looked more like a
woman than a warrior.

“Are you back with me?”
She smiled at him. “I am here for a visit.”
To his surprise, she sat in his lap. “What are they

celebrating?”

“It is the end of the harvest time; they wish to start

pregnancies now if they can. There is another orgy in the
spring to bring on the fertility of the fields.”

She laughed and watched two men grappling together. “I

think pleasure is more the goal, rather than pregnancy.”

He held her tight and buried his face against her neck. “It

is possible. I missed you.”

She stroked his jaw and smiled. “I missed you as well. I

assume that you had plenty of volunteers to keep you busy.”

“I have had no woman since you.”
His words were stark and hung in the air between them.
She smiled and tried to distract him. “Disappointed that I

didn’t keep my warrior shape?”

“The muscle is still here. You are no less the warrior for

now looking more like a woman. You are happier this way?”

“I am, though it takes much effort. My new physiology

doesn’t like it.”

“It is your subconscious that doesn’t like it. You are

equating softness with weakness.”

She was amused to be holding such a polite conversation

surrounded by so much sex.

Aster waved at the gathering. “You do this often?”

Negative

He smiled and his hand shifted to stroke her thigh.

“Twice a year I supervise the festivities.”

She kissed his cheek. “I will let you get to it.”
Shadows bound her in place and held her against him.

Aster smiled at the expected response and bound him in
green vines, pulling him back against his chair.

His distraction let her slip free, and she picked her way

through the couples and groupings once again. The musk
was getting a little thick.

The amber-coloured gauze dress that she wore floated

around her as she moved with deliberate speed through
those celebrating the harvest.

It was reflex to travel in a zigzag pattern, and when a

flash of shadow missed her by inches, she ducked behind a
wall and caught her breath. Baiting him into following her
had not been part of the plan; she had simply done it on
impulse. It was an impulse she was currently regretting.

She lifted her head and found the scent of a garden. She

focused and put on a burst of speed, sprinting for the green
space and her leafy army.

She heard the scream above her, and Aster promised

herself that Arez was going to be missing a few feathers the
first opportunity she got.

She heard footfalls behind her and kept moving. She had

goaded him into action, and now, the god of war, death and
sex was on her heels. This was not something she had ever
considered while she was finishing physio.

Viola Grace

Chapter Seven

he shadows snapped at her heels, and when her feet
touched the cool grass of the public garden, she felt

herself growing stronger.

A shadow wrapped around her ankle and tripped her.
As she fell, she turned and a nearby bush fired a volley of

razor-sharp leaves at Yodin’s face.

She heard him gasp, and there was an evil smirk on her

face as she scrambled to her feet and ran further into her
domain.

When arms came around her and bore her to the ground,

she grunted in surprise.

“You have picked up a few tricks over the last few

months.” Yodin’s words were rough as he pressed her into
the turf.

“Well, I do love to learn.” She struggled, but he had her

firmly wedged to the ground.

“So, you tease me and then run away?” His breath was

hot on her neck, and he grazed his teeth over her neck and
shoulders.

“We were having a calm conversation, and I left you to

your work.” She kept her voice reasonable.

“That is not what we were having.” He rolled her over,

pinning her arms above her head with one arm.

Her skirt was up above her knees, and his hips weighed

her down. She winced at the slices that the leaves had made
in his face, causing blood to drip onto her gown.

Negative

“Isn’t it?” Playing dumb was getting embarrassing, but

she couldn’t just give in or admit she had sought him out for
sex.

He kissed her, sliding his hand up her inner thigh. She

lifted her hips when his fingers brushed her sex, and she
blushed at the wet heat that he found.

Yodin leaned back and he gave her a knowing look.

“Conversation?”

“Yes. Are you going to continue talking or should I take

my conversation elsewhere?” she arched her eyebrows at
him.

His golden eyes took on a sleepy cast, “I think I can

manage to keep the topic entertaining.”

He slid two fingers into her and rubbed her clit with his

thumb. Aster trembled and fought his grip on her, wanting
to take a more active role in their coupling.

He kissed her and used his fingers to coax her to the edge

of release, and then, he pulled back.

Her eyes snapped open, and she watched his satisfied

expression turn to amusement.

“Two can tease, Aster.”
He cloaked himself in shadow and disappeared in a swirl

of darkness.

Aster was breathing heavily and knew that he wanted to

be chased, but she was not in the mood to do it. Smiling, she
got up, moved closer to trees and vines, and removed her
dress, lying back on the sunlit greenery.

At her command, the vines snaked forward and wrapped

around her wrists, pulling them up and back toward a tree.
She heard a gasp in the shadows, but she kept going.

Tendrils with delicate flowers trailed over her breasts,

dusting her nipples with pollen and sending shivers through
her skin.

Viola Grace

When vines gripped her knees and pulled her thighs

wide, trailing up toward her core, she heard rustling in the
darkness behind her and a naked and eager Yodin took her
up on her invitation.

He knelt between her thighs and lifted her legs to drape

over his. With focus, he flexed his cock downward and slid it
into her; his eyes closed as her wet heat wrapped around
him.

Aster arched upward, asking the vines to lift her higher.

She was supported as he pulled her against him and thrust
from the kneeling position. She unravelled her bindings that
held her against the tree and dismissed the flowers teasing
her breasts.

Her entire focus was on Yodin, and he stroked his hand

down between her breasts and up again before slipping the
arm behind her and lifting her onto his lap.

Eye to eye, they rose and fell together; she kissed him and

licked the wounds the leaves had caused, healing him with
her tongue. His skin was already closing, but she finished
the job.

Aster smiled as his skin brightened to silver for a moment

before healing without a mark. She had been proud of
learning that trick.

He sought her mouth again, and she focused on their skin

rubbing and the exchange of breath. Sweat coursed between
them, and the feel of him inside her took all of her attention.

Yodin kept his hands around her, stroking her back and

caressing her thighs as she rose and fell on him, lifting high
and slamming hard, grinding her hips against his.

The change in her breathing warned her of the rush of

release, and she dug her nails into his shoulders as the
waves swelled inside her and powered out in bright ripples
of energy.

Negative

She heard his gasp of surprise, and she held on while her

body gripped his. His bellow followed her soft sounds, and
as he held her tight, shadows reached out and snapped
through the air holding her as his arms did.

Her heartbeat gradually slowed and he relaxed his grip.
“What did Rekfa turn you into?”
His words of wonder made her smile.
“He didn’t do anything. He brought me to a garden and

let me relax. The beauty that I saw around me shaped what I
can do. There was so much, so much that I hadn’t even
imagined, and when I let it flow out of me, the result was
growth.”

She smiled and leaned back in his arms. “I wish I could

figure out a faster form of transport, but it seems to be the
skill that I lack.”

“Good. You moved fast enough today.” He chuckled and

pulled her to him, burying his face in her neck and
shoulders, inhaling deeply.

She felt the shudder that ran through him.
“I have missed you. We had one night together and I have

missed you.”

The puzzled tone in his voice made her smile as she

threaded her fingers through his hair. “The feeling is
mutual. I thought about you most days and every night.”

He chuckled and kissed the side of her neck, working his

way up until she sighed and surrendered.

He eased her to her back in the shade of the tree and

rocked his hips into hers. When she came, flowers bloomed
and the tree creaked; when he joined her, shadows cooled
her skin.

He lay on his side, curled around her and tracing patterns

on her skin. “I suppose I should return to the festival.”

Viola Grace

She grinned. “I suppose you should. I am going to find

that fountain and clean up a little before I call Rekfa for a
ride home.”

He paused. “I will take you.”
“I know you will take me, but my home is not on your

mountaintop.”

He stroked her jawline. “Why not?”
“I need green space. I need light. Your shadows are fine

for a while, but they don’t let the light in.”

He sighed and tightened his fingers on her waist. “I don’t

want to spend another night without you.”

“Then, ask Rekfa if you can come and enter his territory.

The house he has provided me with is very pleasant in the
middle of a huge garden.”

“The Rekfa valley. He put you in the middle of the Rekfa

valley.” Yodin snarled.

“It is his world, literally. If you want something from him,

don’t demand it. Ask him.”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t know Jurad before he

became the Avatar.”

She laughed and threaded her fingers with his. “Then, ask

nicely, and if you have to, ask him to bring me in for the
consult. I like to think we have become friends over the last
few months.”

“Just friends?”
“I crawled into your lap in a public orgy. Yes. Just friends.

Anything else and I would never have gone near you.”

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“You have something to do, and I don’t really want to

know what it is. I suspect it is jerking off in public, but I can’t
be sure.” She giggled.

He rolled her to her back and narrowed his eyes. “That is

either a very good guess or someone told you.”

Negative

She grinned and yelped when he pinched her butt. “It

was the logical conclusion to a daytime orgy. You had better
get back there before they are all chafed to blisters.”

He got to his feet, and she rolled to her belly in the grass,

watching him go.

He turned just as he left the garden, and his clothing was

picked up by shadows and held away from him.
Apparently, whatever he was about to do could be done
while nude.

Aster groaned and stretched. She hadn’t been joking; she

really did need that fountain. Being sticky was her least
favourite feeling.

She got to her feet and sought out the fountain, smiling at

the merry sound of the water. Without hesitation, she
walked into the icy cascade and bathed.

When she finished, she turned and jumped, “Arez. I

thought you were watching the couples cavorting.”

He shrugged and held out her dress. “It got boring after a

while. I see you and Yodin have managed to reconnect. The
new curves look good on you.”

“Um, thank you.”
She slipped the dress back on and fastened the closures at

each side of ribs and waist.

“You shouldn’t leave him again.”
“I am not leaving him; he knows precisely where to find

me.” She smiled.

“I can’t let you leave. You will stay here until he returns.”

Arez went from polite to pugnacious in a moment.

“I will not.”
His insistence irritated her.
She called Rekfa with the silent summons he had taught

her.

She took steps toward the gate of the garden, and Arez

moved to block her.

Viola Grace

She laughed and continued to move toward him. He

raised his hand, and she stopped him with ease. He moved
again, and she blocked him again.

It was so simple now that she was in tune with what she

had become. When he kicked out, she moved aside and their
battle continued on.

* * * *

Rekfa looked to Yodin as they watched the battle on the
green. Aster was toying with Arez; there was no other word
for it.

“You know they are fighting over you, don’t you?” Rekfa

sighed.

Yodin looked uncomfortable. “I have never had that

relationship with Arez.”

“Not that, you moron. He wishes for her to remain with

you so that you won’t spend your nights pining away for
her.”

Yodin looked uncomfortable. “I would not call it pining.”
“I have felt you at my gates, trying to push through to

touch her.”

“I was just testing your security to make sure she was

safe.”

“Idiot. You could just ask. I would have let you in.”
Rekfa could see Yodin’s frustration.
“Tell me what you need, Yodin.”
“She wants light. She wants space. She needs to grow

things, apparently.” He sounded resigned.

Rekfa chuckled. “She does. I could feel it when she

arrived. So much life came with her. I could not let you warp
her to the darkness and waste all of that potential. Now, we
will have a goddess of birth, growth and battle to go with
the god of war, death and sex. I think it is a good match.”

Negative

“You? You think it is a good match?”
Rekfa inclined his head. “Of course. You may have sought

her out, but I did the research and got Abrieth to ask for a
bodyguard. I signed the authorization to have an untested
powerful talent on my world, and I agreed to let her stay if
she put down roots. Yes, you are welcome.”

Yodin blinked. “Thank you.”
Rekfa looked at the fight and the fun Aster was having

with the increasingly frustrated Arez. “One of us should
break that up.”

Yodin crossed his arms. “I am not getting in there. She

looks like she wants to keep hitting things.”

Rekfa cleared his throat. “It is beyond my dignity to break

up a brawl.”

Yodin chuckled. “You don’t want to get in there either.”
“I will hide behind dignity. Go get her.”
Yodin whistled sharply. “Aster, wrap it up.”
A moment later, Arez was on the ground, bound with

vines and Aster was dusting her hands and smiling.

Rekfa muttered as she approached. “She is all yours.”
Yodin muttered back, “That sounds suspiciously like a

curse.”

Viola Grace

Chapter Eight

ster put her arms around Yodin’s neck, and he took off
with his shadows covering her from sight.

She didn’t ask where they were going; she just hung on in

case her words distracted him to a dangerous level.

When the shadows receded, they were standing in front

of her home.

Yodin smiled, “I asked Rekfa if I could visit, and he said

yes. I am guessing that it is temporary until I manage to find
another suitable lair to make our home.”

“Our home?”
“When I have found a particularly attractive spot, I will

ask Rekfa for permission to build on it and we can move in.”
He stroked her cheek. “If you are willing.”

“I will think about it.” Aster smiled. “You will have to do

some convincing.”

“I shall. Now, tell me about your people and the event

that brought you to this point.”

She blinked at the change in tactic from seduction to

conversation. “Um, do you want to do this here or out on the
back porch?”

“Would you make some tea?”
The sun was setting and she nodded. “Sure. Please,

welcome to my home.”

She got together a tray with tea and snacks and led the

way to the conversational patio that overlooked the
expanded gardens.

Negative

“Before I tell you my short story, what about you? Yodin,

how did you come to be here in your current long-lived
state?”

She poured and arched her brow at him, flipping her

bangs out of her eyes. Her hair was longer now, and it was a
relief. After her head had been shaved, she had missed her
long locks.

“I was born to Azon and Wyoran colonists on Westican. I

was  nearly  an  adult  when  the  scouts  for  the  arena  arrived.
My parents refused to let me enter of my own free will and
the  scouts  left.  They  returned  that  night,  butchered  my
family  and  hauled  me  away  from  all  I  had  known.  I  was
trained,  beaten  and  forced  to  fight.  I  survived  for  seven
years, going from star system to star system, fighting for my
life.”

He paused and sipped at his tea. “And then one day, I

died. I was killed in five-on-one combat, and my body was
dragged to medical for harvesting. I came to with a scream
and the medics began to run endless tests.”

She shuddered at what some of those tests could have

been.

“They made the mistake of halting their research in order

to wait for additional butchers to arrive. I woke my shadows
and  moved  through  the  station,  setting  fighters  free  and
ripping the station apart. Once the survivors were together,
we  took a shuttle and  dropped to the surface  of Rekfa. We
flailed  around  and  tried  to  survive,  but  it  wasn’t  until  the
dying  Jurad  offered  himself  to  something  we  couldn’t  see
that things changed and we could speak with Rekfa.”

Yodin nibbled at a cake. “He taught us what we could

and could not eat, helped us craft shelter and worked with
us to create a settlement. Others came and we blended with
them. The world went from lush but empty, to alive and
thriving. I continued to develop both skills and appetites

Viola Grace

that would have stunned my family, and I never aged. I
remained as I am now. Nine hundred years and counting
and not a single change.”

Aster remembered to drink her tea. “Right.”
“Now, your tale.”
She shrugged. “No drama compared to that. I worked at a

store, I was on a loading dock, a co-worker struck me with a
forklift and I fell eleven feet to the pavement, landing on my
head. My skull cracked, my brain bled and my body shut
down. To the doctors’ amazement, it started up again. I was
in a coma for a while and my family signed me over to the
state, but when I woke, I kept my intelligence and ability to
speak.”

Aster dragged in a deep breath. “I was wiped clean. My

mind  could  recognize  faces,  but  there  was  no  emotional
attachment. My body didn’t know how to work, so it had to
be  retrained.  I  started  over  with  an  adult  body  and  no
memories  of  how  I  had  gotten  there.  The  term  is  a  blank
slate,  and  it  described  me  perfectly.  Every  memory  was
simply an empty image in my mind. Even my family meant
nothing,  so  it  was  logical  to  leave  and  start  over.  My
presence was painful for them.”

“They gave you to the state.”
She grunted. “Medical treatment near my home was not

free. My prolonged coma would have put them into
crippling debt from which they would not recover. It was
correct for them to do what they did.”

He blinked. “You forgive them?”
She gave him a bland look. “I don’t remember them. They

are simply people I once met.”

He leaned back. “That does explain it. You seem to be one

who wants to build memories and a life. To simply give up
your previous one did have me confused.”

Negative

“It was not given up by choice but by circumstance. When

my recovery caught the news’ attention, the Volunteer
Program was right behind them. They measured everything,
and I mean everything, before agreeing to let me leave, and
after that, it was months of training at Luna Base before they
swathed me up in the hidden-one clothing and sent me out
here. The rest I think you know.”

“Bits of it. Abrieth was apparently pressured into asking

for a bodyguard and Rekfa lined it up. When I added my
two cents, the fix was already in.”

“So, my appearance on Rekfa was certain.”
“As certain as we could make it. I was not aware of

Rekfa’s manipulation of the system until he just told me.
Apparently, he does not want me preying on his poor
colonists anymore.”

She smiled. “I think it might be concern for your welfare.

Jurad will not last much longer, and though you have issues,
his is the face you are used to seeing every time you deal
with Rekfa.”

Yodin blinked. “What do you mean?”
She realised she may have stumbled into exposing

something he was not consciously aware of. “Avatars have a
limited life. If their species are not properly compatible, the
mind of the world will erode them. Even if it is a good
match, five hundred years is usually the maximum time that
someone can host the mind of a world. There are exceptions,
but I do not believe that Jurad can remain much longer.
Rekfa will need to seek out another host.”

He set his cup down with deliberate control. “Are you

volunteering for that?”

“No. Our kind do not make good Avatars. We constantly

put out energy instead of containing it.” She sighed in
resignation. She had fucked this up royally.

Viola Grace

He nodded, got to his feet and inclined his head. “Please

excuse me.”

He wrapped himself in shadows and streaked upward

through the sky.

Aster sighed and brought out the spare teacup. “Rekfa,

you can come out now.”

He crept around the corner and took the seat that Yodin

had just vacated. “How long did you know I was there?”

“Since I finished making the tea. I thought you might

want me to tell him something, and since I don’t have any
secrets, I told him yours.”

“Thank you.” He took the teacup from her. “I have been

unable to tell him the truth for the last two hundred years.”

“Jurad has been gone that long?”
“He held on as long as he could, but his mind joined his

ancestors on one bright night two centuries ago. I had been
speaking exclusively for three hundred years prior to that, so
no one noticed the change.”

She sighed, “Yodin will be very upset when he finds out

how long his friend has been gone.”

“Jurad picked a fight with him when he felt himself

weakening, for that very purpose.”

Aster rubbed her temples. “That was both kind and cruel.

He never had a chance to say goodbye.”

“Jurad left him a message, but I would have to tell Yodin

in order for him to view it. I just didn’t want to hurt him like
that.” Rekfa sighed.

“You think he wouldn’t notice when you took a new

Avatar?”

Rekfa shrugged. “I thought he would have to speak with

the stronger host and I could hide.”

“You have been friends with him nearly the same amount

of time as Jurad was. You owe him a direct conversation. I
am not going to let you hide behind me.” Aster made a face.

Negative

“You are right. I do not like it, but I will have to tell him.”

Rekfa set the cup down and he took off in a blaze of light
and wind.

After holding the tea set and cookies in place against the

rapid movement of air, Aster sat back and finished her tea. It
seemed that all the men in her life were going to fly away
this evening. With a sigh, she got to her feet and took a walk
in the gardens, smiling at the night illumination of the
phosphorescent plants that lit her path.

Her smile faded when she felt and heard the bellow of

pain. It echoed in her mind as power rippled through her.
She wanted to go to Yodin, but propulsion was the one thing
she hadn’t yet managed and Rekfa was with him as he
learned of the loss of Jurad.

With nothing else to do, she went to work in the garden

with a blade tucked in her belt, shaping a flower out of light
and night. Jurad’s rose was lovely, and it had a scent
reminiscent of the berries that Rekfa had mentioned his
Avatar had enjoyed.

It wasn’t a hybrid rose, but a wild rose with black petals

and a glowing center. She wondered how it would look in
the daylight, but she loved the look of it at night. Time
would have to pass to see if it could survive and thrive, but
she liked the current design.

She took a few cuttings and walked back toward her

home.

The tea set was gone, and she looked at her kitchen,

noting that everything had been rinsed and put away. Rekfa
wasn’t there. There was no humming of power in the air.

In her bedroom, a bundle of shadows was on the bed.

Aster put the flowers in water and removed her gown,
edging into the shadows and putting her arm around the
mass.

Viola Grace

Yodin put his arms around her and pressed his head to

her shoulder. He didn’t say anything and neither did she.
She held him through the night and into the following day.

They clung together, and when he finally lifted his head

and breathed deeply and calmly, she smiled softly. “I
sympathise with your grief.”

“We need to become used to it. We will outlive all of our

friends. Rekfa is a constant, but his body needs to change
every five hundred years, or so he just told me.” Yodin
smiled sadly. “I never even guessed that Jurad had left.”

“You were not supposed to. He wanted you to remain as

you were, and he took steps to ensure it.” She stroked his
shoulder.

“You knew that Jurad was no longer there.” He wasn’t

accusing but musing.

“No, I just knew that there was only one person I had

ever spoken to in that body. I didn’t know who it was, not
until he told me last night. That is when I was sure, not
before.”

“Do not worry. I am not upset with you. I am upset that I

did not notice that the last person I knew before I changed
had moved off this world.” He dragged in a deep breath.

She didn’t say anything, nothing needed to be said. She

held him and his breathing eased.

He kissed her shoulder and looked around. “What is that

scent?”

She blinked and turned, inhaling the sweet scent of

berries and flowers. “I made a rose for Jurad. I didn’t know
if I could do it, but if it lives, it glows at night with dark
petals.”

“If it lives?”
“I made flower bushes out in the gardens. My

experiments over the last few months have not all been

Negative

successful. Sometimes, the plants do not like the changes
and they die.”

He smiled. “It looks very pretty.”
She turned in his arms and smiled in surprise. “They do

look very pretty. I am cautiously optimistic, but it will take a
week to find out if they will live. It will take an entire year to
know if they can survive a winter.”

“A whole year?” His voice was amused.
“Perhaps longer. I don’t know if I created a root or seed

reproduction. I will have to watch it and see what happens.”

“Will you bring them to the new gardens I am creating?”
She smiled. “I will.”
“Good. Last night, Rekfa handed over a suitable piece of

land for both our needs and offered to provide you with a
personal transport.”

She perked up. “I get to drive something?”
“I believe that ride is more appropriate than drive, but we

will have to get to the site before it can properly be
explained.”

Aster smiled and nestled against him. “A mystery.”
He kissed her neck. “An enticement.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that. I have always wanted to be

enticed.” She chuckled.

He rolled her to her back and raised one eyebrow. “Have

you? I seem to have been doing something wrong.”

“Oh, the attraction is there, but being lured into

something has eluded you in your dealings with me.”

He sighed. “It seems that I have been remiss in my

attentions.”

Aster smiled. “It is fine; you have all the time in the world

to make it up to me.”

Yodin moved over her, nudging his way between her

thighs. “Can I start now? I would not wish to miss an
opportunity.”

Viola Grace

“Far be it from me to block the god of war from an

opportunity.”

“I did not choose my titles.”
She sighed as he pressed against her and the flared head

of his cock started to work slick acceptance from her.
“Perhaps lust would be a better appellation than sex.”

He slid into her in increments so small, she was nearly

gnashing her teeth by the time he was fully inside her.

His chest flexed as he held himself still. “I don’t know; I

think I am pretty good at sex.”

She ran her hands up his sides and stroked his abs and

the planes of his chest.  “Yes, but I am going to be the only
one  enjoying  your  skills  in  that  arena  from  here  on  out.  It
isn’t  fair  to  taunt  women  with  something  I  would  not
appreciate walking in on.”

He grinned, his teeth white and looking remarkably

sharp.

To her astonishment, his cock began to writhe inside her,

moving without him shifting an inch.

She swallowed and her muscles jerked when he stroked

that sensitive spot inside her. She jerked, twitched and tried
to twist, but Yodin held her in place while his cock churned
and corkscrewed inside her.

Arousal climbed quickly, and she stared into Yodin’s eyes

as her body tensed, twisted and finally convulsed around
him. Aster held onto his shoulders and caught her breath.

“Well, okay, maybe god of sex was warranted.”
He grinned and kissed her wildly, shifting his hips and

actively thrusting. He worked hard to reach his own climax,
and when it struck, he bit down on her shoulder as he
groaned.

She felt the piercing of his teeth and shuddered at the

peculiar blend of pleasure and pain. Azon and Wyorans

Negative

both used biting with their mates, and he was the product of
a blended society. Fortunately, Aster healed fast.

When he released her, licked her wounds and dropped

next to her, she chuckled. “Interesting, but I am still not sure
you deserve the title.”

He leaned up on one elbow. “Is that a challenge?”
“Not for today, but I feel it necessary to entice you into

feats of creativity.” She winked. “Come on. A quick shower
and we can go to that site so you can show me what will
make me take up housekeeping with you.”

He kept his hand over her eyes as he walked her to the

edge of wherever they were standing. The scream in front of
her got her attention.

Yodin pulled his hand away, and she blinked at the

sunlight dazzling her. The scream sounded again, and the
huge purple bird in front of her ruffled his feathers and gave
her a challenging look.

“This isn’t Arez in a larger shape?”
He laughed. “No. The Wayvar are what he was thinking

about using for an Avatar before Rekfa realised that we
couldn’t talk to it. He picked Jurad instead, but these are the
indigenous creatures of Rekfa.”

“And it is here because...”
“This is your conveyance to get around Rekfa. He can

take you where you need to go, remain as your protection
and keep you company when I am not at home.”

“What does he eat?”
“He hunts for himself, and Rekfa will cover anything that

he eats.”

She walked toward the bird, and the huge and menacing

head pointed at her. It tilted its head and eyed her as she
continued to approach.

Viola Grace

It inhaled as she stood under the vicious hook of its beak.

She waited until the large head rested against her shoulder,
and then, she reached up to stroke the heavy feathers.

“I really hope that Rekfa told you what I needed.” She

whispered it against his head.

He chortled and fluffed his wings, squatting for her.
“I am guessing that you were told.” She smiled and

climbed onto him, settling herself and digging her hands
into the crest of feathers on its neck. She didn’t pull but it
gave her a solid grip.

The bird chirped in warning, and it ran forward, past

Yodin, flapping until they lifted off.

The race turned to soaring pressure as he flapped to gain

altitude, but once they were in the sky, he glided, banked,
turned and twisted in the air. Near the ground, she could see
Yodin standing with shadows flared around him, ready to
move to catch her should her bird change its mind.

She shifted her weight and the bird turned. When she had

grasped how to communicate what she wanted, she was
ready to try and land.

When the dust cloud of their landing cleared, she slid off

the bird and it let out sharp barks of sound. The hills nearby
came alive, and a flock of the huge animals circled and
landed in the open meadow.

Yodin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around

her. “There, now you have plenty of options when it comes
to getting around of Rekfa. They will all carry you, and they
freak Arez out, so he will not follow you when you travel.”

“Why do they freak him out?”
He chuckled. “He tends to fly too close and that irritates

them. They snap at him.”

“Oh. I like them more and more.”
“Now, shall we return to your gardens and you can show

me Jurad’s roses by daylight?”

Negative

Aster looked around at the wide valley with its lush

grasses and the structure that was slowly growing out of the
stone of the hillside. “We can return to the gardens, but as
soon as you and Rekfa can manage it, I would like to return
home.”

His smile was answer enough as he launched them

skyward and back toward the city, the home of the Avatar
and her temporary home. The valley felt right in every way
and having life around her made her happy.

Joy started to swell in her for the first time in over a year,

and she embraced it and the man who had helped coax it to
the surface. They had an eternity together, and she was
going to make him do it again and again and again.
Gardening wasn’t her only hobby.

Author’s Note

The brain injury that Aster suffered is an actual thing that
happened to a family member who didn’t quite bounce back
like Aster did but is still up and conversing with folks on a
daily basis.

The title didn’t quite match the cover, so I simply applied

the phrase where I could and got on with things from there.

I believe that Numb is in the roster and up next, but I

might switch it around with Noble. It depends on which one
sings its story to me so that I can write it down.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

http://www.violagrace.com

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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