Page 42 of Return of the Nine

He chuckled. “You cannot be inappropriate. You were the only candidate considered for the position. You are the only appropriate selection.”

A smile crept over her face, her grin taking over. “Then, let’s get walking. It will take close to an hour to walk to the settlement.”

“I have a better idea.” He took a small item off his belt and pressed it.

She heard a whirring sound, and the feeling in the air changed.

“I have a transport.”

He took her hand, and together, they watched a small platform ringed with a guardrail land in her front yard.

“Is that safe?” Daphne eyed it with nervousness.

“It is. I would not risk you.” His voice was deep and sincere.

The weird intensity she had noted tinged his tone again. Again, she pushed it back, and instead, got a grip on the railing of the platform.

Apolan used his remote and directed the platform to take them up and away. They skimmed across fields at a height of ten feet or less. When they moved over the forested areas, they caressed the treetops.

In ten minutes, they were landing on the roof of city hall. Daphne breathed deeply and exhaled quietly in an effort to control her racing heart. The settlement’s mayor greeted them, and he was definitely surprised to see her standing next to the new ambassador for the Nine.

“Ms. Hallow, what are you doing here?” Mayor Tetra smiled brightly, but his mouth was tight.

“Ms. Hallow has been retained as my assistant.” Apolan was polite but firm.

“As Ambassador Leoraki has said, I have been retained as his assistant to be his liaison to the settlers.” Daphne tried to behave in a reserved fashion, but the look of disdain on Mayor Tetra’s face was unmistakable.

“We will find you a more suitable assistant, Ambassador.” Mayor Tetra extended his hand to Ambassador Leoraki.

Daphne raised her hand to forestall him, but Apolan walked past the hand to the stairwell. She told the mayor, “The Nine do not shake hands. They can have biochemical reactions that are not predictable.”

She followed Apolan, and he waited until she caught up with him before starting down to the next level. Her hard-soled shoes skittered on the stone steps, causing her to clutch at the railing.

“Are you all right?” Apolan gripped her arm.

“I am fine. There is a lift on the next floor. I forgothow slippery these steps were.” She smiled and moved more carefully.

They exited the stairs at the next door, and he continued to hold her arm all the way to the lift.

“We are on the third floor.”

She struck the third-floor button, and this time, he clung to her for support. When the doors opened, they passed a security team of personnel of the Nine. They snapped to attention as Apolan passed, and one tried to bar her from entering the offices.

“She is my assistant, Drakil. She has full authorization to come and go as she pleases. You can call her Ms. Hallow.”

The Wilder that had his gloved and fully covered arm extended retracted it with a smile. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Hallow.”

“Pleased to meet you, Drakil.” She shut down her scent, or at least his perception of it, as quickly as she could.

His smile went from beyond friendly to confused in an instant. The other three guards did the same.

Apolan smiled and held out his hand. She took it, and he tugged her into the offices that he had been allocated.

“Oh, my.” The offices were decorated in what seemed to be Nine fashion. Rich colours, white marble floors and lovely vases full of alien flora made the room a definite representation of a foreign world.

“My office is back here, your desk and com unit are there.” He took her on a tour of the floor. There was a kitchen with rations suitable to the differing species of the Nine, three sets of lavs, an entertainment area, a dining room, boardroom and sitting room.

After the tour and meeting the rest of the guards who prevented them from being inundated with folks who were not invited, she was seated at her desk.

---