Page 7 of His Brazen Bride

“Yes, provided whoever abducted her didn’t kill off the rest of them.”

That thought doesn’t sit well with me. “How did you discover her name?”

“She had these with her in a small satchel tied to her wrist.” Chom walks over to retrieve a shimmering blue bag, then dumps the contents onto a tray near me. He picks up a small card with an image of Gwen’s face on it and some writing.

“Identification?” I ask, as he hands it to me. It’s a strange, shiny, yet flexible material.

“Yes,” Ferg says, walking over. “We were able to run it through our systems to extrapolate the language. It’s calledEnglish.”

“English,” I say, turning the odd-sounding word around on my tongue. “What does this card say?”

“Besides identification, it appears to be some sort of vehicle operating permit for a place called California.”

“The image is unflattering,” I add.

“Very,” Ferg agrees.

“I’ve not heard of this California place. Have you briefed Zadren?”

Ferg nods. “He can’t find any record of it. And without coordinates…”

“I understand.” I pick up one of the other items, a cylindrical tube with a shiny cap that I slide off carefully. Inside is a colorful clay-like clump of creamy material. I rub it on my finger experimentally and the color stains the tip.

“Face paint of some type, we think,” Ferg offers. I wipe my finger off on the bloodied cloth I had on my injured nose.

“And this device?” I grab a rectangular object, one side a colorful shell, the other a cracked screen. I tilt it and an image of Gwen and two other females at some sandy place comes into view. They’re all mid-laughter and wearing garments covering their breasts and groins.Barely. My body responds instantly to her bare skin. Seeing Gwen smiling and happy does something strange in my chest, too.

The image fades.

Ferg taps the screen in my hand and some type of keypad filled with symbols appears. “I think there’s more to this device, but we need a code to get in. We could have our generators crack it, but we could also just ask Gwen when she wakes.” He smiles.

“That’s better. Anything else on her?”

“Just the garments she was wearing.” Ferg brings over an armful of clothing. “There was one longer blue swath of clothing and two smaller garments similar to those she was wearing in the image on the device.”

I touch the fabric of the larger piece. It’s silky and soft, and even soiled and torn, I could imagine it flattering Gwen’s figure. I lift what are most likely undergarments, though perhaps on her planet they wear them outside when it’s warm, such as in the image? This material is sheerer and again my body responds, thinking about her in these.

Chom clears his throat, and I let the garments drop from my fingers into Ferg’s hands.

“Notify me the moment she wakes,” I say, suddenly worried for her and her species.

Not to mention for me.

* * *

“We need to find out more. Then we can help her,” my sister says as we head toward the healing room. Chom just informed me Gwen is awake.

“We have neither time nor resources right now to devote to any kind of investigation, Xi.” I’m not without feeling for those in need. But my duties to my people come first. Ydris is my top priority. And right now, with the death of my father mere moons ago, the Outside Forces are waiting to attack, believing us to be at a moment of weakness.

“Ryz, I’m getting…feelings,” she says.

That stops me in my tracks.

My sister is said to have special abilities. Our people believe she’s an oracle.

I don’t.

Yes, she may have a heightened sense of intuition, but an ability to tell the future? Ridiculous.

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