Page 10 of Kiss of Steel

The Refuge rep held up a finger. “One more thing you should be aware of. Refuge requires your marriage to last the full provisional year, or your sanctuary will be revoked. We have a long waiting list of people seeking entry. We wish to avoid people marrying for the sole purpose of cutting the line and gaining priority status.” He smiled. “I’m sure neither of you did that.”

“No, of course not,” she lied for the second time.

“No,” Jason Steel said.

“Excellent! Let’s get started, then.” Juju’s expression turned solemn for the occasion. “A marriage is a binding partnership between two consenting parties…”

Honoria’s brain disconnected from her body. She seemed to be listening and watching the ceremony from afar, like she was having an out-of-body experience. The entire venture seemed surreal. This was not how she imagined her wedding day or her life would go.

Juju prattled on about mutual dependence, love, and respect, none of which were possible in this marriage, and then she got to the point. “Do you, Honoria Foster, wish to enter into a legal union with Jason Steel as your husband for the term of one year to be extended indefinitely should you both concur?”

“Yes,” she lied for the third time in fifteen minutes.

“Do you, Jason Steel, wish to enter into a legal union with Honoria as your wife for the term of one year to be extended indefinitely should you both concur?”

“Yes.”

“Then, by the power vested in me by Cosmic Mates and Planet Refuge, I pronounce you husband and wife in accordance with the aforementioned provisions.” Juju broke into a smile, revealing some serious fangs.

An awkward moment followed as both Juju and the rep seemed to expect them to kiss.Not happening.No way could she kiss this frosty, intimidating man. Fortunately, he showed no inclination toward wanting to kiss her either. For the first time, she found reassurance in his lack of responsiveness.

“Do we need to sign something?” she asked.Let’s get this shitshow on the road.

“Right here.” Juju passed her an MCD.

She sealed her fate with a signature and passed the device to her scary new husband.

He signed.

“Come this way,” the rep beckoned. He took his job as timekeeper seriously. “The conveyance is waiting. Honoria, your trunk has already been transferred to the vehicle.”

“Thank you.”

As they turned to follow him, a shower of granules hit them on the back of their heads.

Jason Steel whipped around to glower at Juju. “What the hell is that?” It was the greatest number of words he’d uttered thus far.

“Rice. It’s traditional on Earth.” She held up a bowl of white grains. “It symbolizes good luck, prosperity, and fruitfulness.”

He stomped out of the office, and Honoria pressed her lips together to stifle a hysterical giggle.

Chapter Five

Honoria eyed the conveyance with consternation. She’d been expecting something more along the lines of an airbus or a hovercar, not a jury-rigged wagon. A transparency fit over a frame enclosing the bed, but it didn’t form a tight seal, and right away she could tell it would be drafty. To her relief, a motorized cab was hitched to the wagon—given the primitive construction, she would not have been surprised to discover a team of horses pulling it. A driver sat in the cab, drumming his fingers on the dash. Like Juju, he had three eyes and a plum complexion. Were they related or just of the same alien race?

She scanned the bed, identifying her trunk buried among crates, sacks of some mystery product, and a couple of cages filled with green-and-white feathered fowl. “Birds?” She glanced at the rep.

“Eggers. Those are the only indigenous birds with edible eggs, so we call them eggers. They’re going to the ranch, along with the rest of the supplies. If you had missed this conveyance, it would have been another week before we’d be able to take you out there.”

“How far away is the ranch?” Steel asked.

An unprompted utterance! He’s become a regular chatterbox.

“About eighty kilometers. About two hours’ travel time.”

“Two hours to cover a mere eighty kilometers? I could walk faster!” he snapped.

“Refuge is a relatively new colony, so we have few roads yet. Much of the travel will be over rough terrain—which is why it’s imperative to arrive before nightfall. We have no lunar satellites, and after starset, it’s almost pitch-black.” He rushed through the explanation as the driver glared at them.

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