Page 30 of Return of the Nine

“So, you saw all the signs that Tonos was attaching to you, and you didn’t say anything? You are either brave or stupid, Tier.” Ziggy was sitting on the couch with her feet up and her gown pooling under her.

Tiera lifted a glass of wine to her friend and smiled. “I am thinking a bit of both. I should have told you, but the odds were so remote as to be ridiculous, right?”

Ziggy grinned, “You know, he wasn’t even supposed to be the one to meet you at the shuttle.”

“He wasn’t?”

“Nope. One of the Forest Folk was assigned, but he pulled duty on the bridge at the last minute due to a staffing shortage. Tonos is a battlefield medic, so he has most of his time off as long as he does drills and exercises.”

Tiera absently licked her lower lip. “That explains why he is in such good shape.”

Ziggy laughed. “No, that is all due to his being one of the People of the Air. He has to be fit to fly. If the others want to be insulting, they call them flitters.”

“They are the Fairies of our folklore, aren’t they?”

Ziggy nodded and held out her glass for more wine. “They are indeed, as are the Giants, Dryads, Dwarves, were-creatures, Mermen, the Balance and, of course, the Darkness.”

“Balance? Darkness? I haven’t heard anything about them in the news vids and certainly didn’t see any at dinner.” Tiera watched as Ziggy got rapidly tipsy.

“They are around, but they keep to themselves. They don’t bother with the other races, but I have heard they are pretty impressive in battle.”

A knock on the door brought their girl talk to a halt. With a grin, Tiera greeted Rothaway and gestured for him to take his bride back to their rooms. “She is an easy drunk. Never could hold her liquor.”

He scooped Ziggy up carefully and smiled at Tiera. “Thank you for coming to the ship. She was a little adrift when she first arrived. You have given her the anchor that she needed.”

Tiera grinned, “You are that anchor now, I am merely a buoy that helps her find her location. Once she sails past me into clear water, she won’t need me anymore.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“It is a nautical reference, just get Ziggy to explain it when she wakes up. She knows everything.”

He inclined his head and smiled ruefully as Ziggy started to snore delicately.

Tiera covered her mouth as a belly laugh started, and she saw him out. Ziggy would call her in the morning, and the sight of that huge man looking down at her friend made Tiera smile the whole way through her evening routine right until she tucked herself into bed.

The knock woke her from a restless dream that featured fluttering wings and a kiss that tasted like berries.

She flipped back the covers and padded to the door in her t-shirt. She opened it and smiled, but her smile froze on her face. “Tonos, what are you doing here?”

He inclined his head. “I thought to continue your tour of the ship. No contact, I promise.”

She looked down and blushed furiously. “I will get dressed. Give me a moment.”

She beat a retreat to the bedroom and quickly dug through her clothing to find something with long sleeves and a pair of casual pants. She scooped up her underwear and headed for the lav.

The blast of energy and light cleaned her from the sleep and oils of the night, and her hair went into a braid quickly.

Why she was so eager to see him again after the debacle of last night was beyond her, but she slithered into her trousers and pulled on the loose shirt with a deliberate air of concealment.

Whether he had seen her body outlined or not, today he was seeing her buttoned down and unapproachable. It had worked for her for years, and she was willing to test it on a warrior of the Nine.

He blinked in surprise when she came out of the bedroom. “You look... comfortable.”

She smiled. “Now that your link has been undone, I thought concealment and avoiding contact was the best option.”

He nodded. “It can’t hurt. Now, would you like breakfast here or near the observatory?”

She grinned. “The observatory, please.” Her mind screamed at her that this was a stupid idea. She was nowhere near her comfort zone when it came to being in a new area, and yet, her hormones jumped up and down at the thought of being near him.

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