Page 44 of Healer
“Good.” She poked my side with a finger. “I was getting worried you enjoyed looking at those six tits on display 24/7.”
“Siereita is lovely for her kind,” I admitted and added when I felt Agnes stiffen. “But I’m much more enchanted by your lovely breasts, so full and soft and tasty.”
“Good answer,” Agnes murmured as the sweet, musky perfume of her arousal scented the air.
I started to suggest we go back to the room so I could demonstrate just how much I enjoyed her breasts... and everything else on her luscious body when a glimmer from a few booths away caught my eye.
Unlike most of the technology booths, this one didn’t solely offer spare parts and tools. It sported refurbished technology, including what appeared to be an older model Medi-unit. The merchant eyed us curiously as we approached, and I kept Agnes pulled against my side, clinging tightly to her hand.
The merchant appeared to be an older male of the Svicka species, a tall, stout creature whose wrinkled brown skin made me think of melting wax.
“See anything you like?” Hands twice as broad as mine with eight fingers waved over his inventory.
“The Medi-unit,” I said, picking up the piece. My unit—the one that lay destroyed in the jungle—was fashioned from an amorphous, non-crystalline metal alloy that molded and responded to the heat and pressure of my fingers. This unit appeared much older. The outer shell featured thick metal, with one side displaying a dashboard of buttons and dials. It felt solid, though, and nothing rattled when I shook it.
“Will it work?” Anges raised upon tiptoes to whisper in my ear.
“It’s in one piece, which I more than I can say for mine,” I told her, casting a discerning gaze at the merchant.
“Of course, it will work,” the Svicka snorted, as though perceiving any insinuation otherwise as an insult.
I found the power button in the upper right corner and pressed it, but the unit stayed silent. Agnes’ aggravated huff nearly made me smile, but I pushed it away, striving to seem disdainful during negotiations.
“It doesn’t even power up,” I snorted, making to toss the unit back on the pile of machinery.
“Ahh,” the Svicka laughed, taking the piece from my hand and flipping open a small panel on the back. “That’s because it needs a Gilese crystal for power.”
“And, of course, you don’t sell those?” I frowned at him. Gilese crystals were rare on backwater planets such as this and exorbitantly expensive.
“Too costly to stock,” The Svicka snorted, rippling his wrinkles. “There’s a shop on the south side that sells them.” He lifted a thick arm, gesturing to the right before adding, “If you got the credits.”
“You can make it work.” Anges murmured for my ears alone. It was not a question, but a statement of profound belief in my abilities. Her unwavering faith humbled and inspired me, filling me with determination to prove her right.
“How much,” I asked, preparing myself to haggle over the price.
The merchant pursed his thick gray lips, which covered half of his face.
“Seven credits.”
My intent to argue died a sudden death. Seven credits was an inordinately fair price. I nodded, keeping the unit in my grasp, which in any market served as a contract of sale. Instinctively, my hand reached for the worn leather pouch attached to my belt, causing me to momentarily release Agnes’ hand and take a small step forward to conclude the transaction.
“Here.” I dropped seven metal chips into his hand.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” the Svicka snorted as the credits disappeared under a fold of brown skin.
I reached back for Anges’ hand, finding only air. Warning prickled along my skin as I spun...
Agnes was gone.
Everything around me skidded to a halt as I heightened my awareness. The air loomed thick with an ominous energy. I drew in a deep breath, trying to catch Agnes’ spicy floral scent. Nothing but the aromas of the market filled my nose. My heart raced as I frantically searched nearby for Agnes’ blue cloak….
Nothing.
Seconds, it had only taken seconds to pay the merchant, and in that time….
A combusting mix of worry and fury ignited within me like wildfire. My gaze flickered back to the Svicka, his wide eyes glaring at me. In one swift motion, I grabbed a thick fold of skin at his throat, feeling the coarse texture beneath my fingers. The creature’s hands lifted in a feeble attempt to defend himself and flailed about helplessly. I jerked him forward, pulling his body across the table and scattering his inventory to the dirt.
“The female with me. What happened to her?” Every muscle in my body tensed, driven by the primal rage that threatened to consume me.
