Ariel snuggled into bed, her white cotton sheets clean and fresh. Cait leaned over and kissing her forehead said, "I love you sweetie. Sleep tight and I'll see you in the morning."
"I love you too mommy," responded Ariel with an impish smile born in the warmth of the moment, worry and concern absent in the cocoon of her room.
Cait smiled back, stood up to leave and hesitated. She had not allowed Ariel to sleep in her bed for more than a year, yet the thought hung in her mind and she mused, Was this desire for Ariel or me? "Honey, how would you like to sleep with mommy in the big bed tonight?"
"That's okay mommy, I'm a big girl now."
Cait looked down at Ariel, her cheeks uplifted with pride. "Yes you are darlin'." Cait smiled, kissed Ariel again and let herself out, closing the door softly.
Ariel rolled over and in a real quiet voice whispered, "Okay, she's gone. Would you read me a story?"
Her pillow began to glow and the gentle voice of her father responded, "Well, that depends. Have you been a good girl?"
"Oh daddy, I've been really, really good."
"Okay, then, what would you like to hear tonight?"
"I want to hear the one about the little girl who grew up to be a superhero. Tell me about her rocket shoes daddy, that's my favorite part."
"That's my favorite too. Here goes. Once upon a time there was a little girl with primrose hair and sapphire eyes who found a pair of rocket shoes. These were not any ordinary rocket shoes, but very special ones."
Ariel jumped in. "What did they look like?"
"They sparkled ruby red and had wings on the back and when the little girl put them on, they glowed and sparkled with the brilliance of Rubion and Triste. "
And so the pillow glowed and talked and Ariel smiled that smile that children do when they know they have the best dad in the whole world. And somewhere, many parsecs away, there was a dad that was smiling too, that smile that dads have when they know they have the best daughter in the whole universe.
When the story was over Ariel whispered with sleepy lids, "I love you daddy."
And the pillow whispered back, "I love you too. Sweet dreams my dear angel."
John tried again. Still no luck. "Tom, you ever seen a solar storm like this?"
"Can't say that I have John."
"Okay, well, would you notify me as soon as we have an open channel?"
"Will do."
John sat back in his chair, holding an ancient solar chart. A gorgeous work of art depicting Rubion and Triste in opposition. If only that was the case now. Solar storms in a dual sun system were common, but one of this magnitude was not. Until it cleared they were for all intents and purposes stuck in radio silence.
Cait watched the reports. Stay inside. Protect yourself if you must go out, all the usual stuff. That is, if you didn't have a husband on the other side of the sector and cut off from all communication. How much longer this storm would persist no one could say. Could be a day, could be a week.
"Mommy?" asked Ariel.
"Yes darling?"
"Is dad going to call us tonight?"
Cait tried to smile. It had been more than a week since John had called. She couldn't recall him ever going so long, and now, with this storm, who knew how much longer it would be. Before, she could always check with the base, and her contacts there would assure her he was okay. She knew they would lie if the case was otherwise, but still it provided some measure of comfort. This time, however, they knew no more than she did, which was nothing. Nothing was hard. And there was nothing to do but wait and hope and pray.
"Honey, dad is on a very important mission and is working very, very hard. And you know what?" said Cait as she reached out to tickle her precocious one.
"What?" Ariel squirmed, tucking her elbows in and giggling, her long reddish golden hair shinning on the waves of gentle curves.
"I have it on very good authority that your dad loves you very, very much and he left me in charge of giving out his hugs to you. Let me see if I have one for you." Cait reached out and took her daughter in her arms, pulling her tight to her chest. Little arms returned the embrace with the enthusiasm of unfiltered belief.
"Mommy, I miss dad." said Ariel, changing her tone as children do.
Rog: (slams his back and hold out glass for another) Are you frailing kidding me? Only thing tighter than her cooter right now is her mouth.
Von: (laughs) Are you saying—
Rog: I be saying I could jackhammer the former but the latter ain’t no Hynerian gonna pry open. (Rog slams back the second) Pour me another. But, I gotta tell you this Von, when the beotch is in heat, there ain’t nothing finer. The girl got skills. You frailing know what I’m saying.
Von: (smiling) Yeah, Think I do.
Rog: (too buzzed to know whether Von was mocking him) Did I ever tell you about that gift I got her on Neraj?
Von: Don’t think so.
Rog: She calls it the tool. (Rog laughs) A little somtin somtin for when I’m not around. Ten to one she’s workin’ it right now. Yeah baby, work it darlin'.
Von: Not bitter I see.
Rog: Cold hearted beotch. Frail no, I'm not bitter.
Von: (nods head)
Rog: Do you think we drink too much? I mean, seems every time we get together that’s all we do.
Von: Nope.
Rog: Me neither. (Rog holds out glass and Von pours)
There was talk, a walk and a kiss. To say more would poke a finger in their bliss, to say nothing would be a disservice to persist. One stood above and one below, and as surely as rock tumbles from high to low, one set of lips fell into the valley bow (of the other’s soft reprieve). Such is the nature of a kiss.
Touching of flesh, a kiss perhaps can be, but as a grape squeezed not the vintage sieged. Warmth passed between two souls in the stillness of time, making memory between the ticks of chime. Essence slipped membranes seen not by eye nor mind to gleam but to intelligence gifted not schemed; and fingers moved as if on strings to a symphony heard in angels’ wings.
Eyes turned inward fain as hearts beat like drums on the plain. The firm ambassador of words not needed, greeted with touches light and heated. As if a summer day where care not heeded, the two danced and darted as feathers on the breeze or children round the trees. Giggles felt but not heard and trembles joined the plaintive bird. Arms contracted to devour, fearful of clock and time in hour.
From dry to wet and firm to soft were sighs witnessed as eyes were naught. Hair tingled in the touch and noses snuggled, as if enough. The curve of one fell into other and where one began the other shuttered. Breathing raced as two for medal, crossing over hands together, as brothers as one do on the day. And so a moment held back time and seemed forever in space divine till upon the magic came a finger.
After the events of the night before, and much soul searching, Kyra gathered the crew in the conference room. Her speech was brief. She thanked everyone for coming and said:
“As soon as Mairi is back, we’re leaving. Rog, start working on our exit strategy. Von, please lend your assistance. And Trev, ask John to supply provisions to the extent they can.”
Before anyone could ask what that meant, she was gone.
Goldie hummed into Kyra’s pristine quarters with Yul in tow. She looked a little uptight, just a little odd, as she usually did whenever she visited Kyra. The room was always so clean, everything always in its place and her taste, although a bit sterile for Yul, was, as she would say, museum impeccable. All of it, a world alien, and for Yul, a world just this side of stuffy. Breathing, she would say, became a conscious affair, as if the air was somehow thicker, although if truth be known, the room simply represented everything she was not.
Kyra stood to greet the pair. “Thanks so much for coming over. Can I get you anything? Something to drink? Goldie, make some fresh snizzle.”
Yul smiled to herself. Seeing Kyra uncomfortable, even nervous was a rare event. To say she did not derive some pleasure from the awkwardness would have been less than true; to say it greased her machination, well, there was nothing false in that. “No problem. What’s up? Oh, Goldie, I’ll take two drachms of snoot in mine. Wait, make it three. I think I deserve three. What do you think Kyra?”
“Three it is. Goldie, I’ll take mine the usual way.”
“Yes Ms Kyra.”
Yul tilted her head and tucked her chin, twirled her hair and put on the saddest face she could. “Join me Kyra.” Before she could say no, Yul added. “Just one drachm, for old time’s sake, for me, a toast to new beginnings.”
Kyra hesitated and Yul widened her eyes like a puppy wanting to be petted. “Okay, Goldie, one drachm. No more.” Yul smiled.
“Yul I do need your help but that can wait.” Kyra reached out, placing her perfectly manicured fingers on Yul’s shoulders. “How are you?”
Yul choked back the urge to say frail you. No need, she thought, in making her job any harder. “Under the circumstances, I’d say I’m doing just fine. Thanks for asking.”
Kyra looked for some sign, some indication but Yul was unreadable. She might as well been Mona Lisa. “Grab a seat. Do you realize we’ve been on Bravo just over a year now?”
“Hadn’t really thought about it. Has it really been that long?”
“Yeah, it has. Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Yeah, suppose it does.”
“So, how is Rog?”
“Don’t really know. Haven’t seen him around much.”
“I see.”
“I hear you are having dinner with John tonight.”
Yeah. How’d you hear that?”
“Em told me. Just a couple minutes ago. Bumped into her on the way over here.”
“Em?” Kyra laughed. “Seems whatever I tell Goldie goes straight to Pinky.”
“I suppose.”
“Yul, not to change the subject, but I didn’t exactly invite you over here to make small talk. I’m concerned about you.”
“Really?” winked Yul. “If you had I’d be concerned, the small talk that is. Kyra, look, I appreciate your concern. But I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Well, let me check. Yep. I’m fine. Just,” Yul caught herself, “just fine. Thanks for asking.”
“If you weren’t fine, who would you tell?”
“Well, I do have a little gift from Rog that helps me from time to time. Listens real well if you know what I mean.”
“I’m serious Yul” said Kyra, shaking her head, unable to suppress a smile. “You’re not talking to Rog. You and Em aren’t exactly two peas in a pod at moment. Trev, well, can’t see you ever confiding in him. Von’s not your speed. Mairi’s not here. So if things were not good, who would you tell?”
“Are you trying to make me feel better?
“I’m trying to get you to open up.”
“Then tell Goldie to hurry up with that snizzle, snapped Yul.”
“Yul, maybe it’s none of my business, but right now, the way it looks to me, I’m about all you’ve frailing got. Now, either you’re going to put that tough hide of yours aside and let me in, or you’re going to suffer alone, and I do mean alone because you’ve about pissed off everyone on this ship.”
Yul stood up, whether to smack Kyra or leave she wasn’t sure, but the thought of doing both crossed her mind. “Look, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m doing fine, I really am. And I promise you, if I’m not, you’ll be the first to know. Goldie? Where are you?”
“On my way Ms Yul.”
Kyra didn’t believe a word Yul had just uttered. For the first time she let her guard down and Kyra saw two things. She was lying through her teeth and she wasn’t about to open up tonight. “Thanks Yul, that’s all I ask. Now, about tonight, this dinner, I’ve got about an hour to get ready. Do you think you can help me?”
“Hey, that’s what I’m here for. Let’s get started.” Goldie appeared, tray extended with two onyx cups. “Grasping her cup with nimble fingers, Yul lifted it toward Kyra. “A toast. To new beginnings. To tonight.”
“Yes, to new beginning.” Cups lifted and the toast christened with open eyes. “Now, Goldie, could you bring the dresses I was looking at before Yul got here?”
“Yes, Ms Kyra, right away.”
“Yul, I’ve narrowed it down to three options.” Kyra walked over to where Goldie hovered and placed the first dress in front of her. It was a fabulous golden silk evening gown, pleated across the breasts and down the slides. Kyra’s jet black hair looked queen-like against the refulgent gold. “What do you think?”
“Oh my. Looks fab darling, but I’m not sure those pleats really do you justice. Accentuate the positive, not cover it up is what I say. What else you got?”
Kyra took the next selection, a dark blue sequined number from Goldie and modeled it. The blue sequins sparkled like so many stars in the sky and matched Kyra’s eyes perfectly. “How ‘bout this one,” smiled Kyra, hoping Yul would like this one since it was her first choice.
“Sweetie, I can’t imagine you’d look bad in anything but you didn’t call me over here to blow smoke.” Kyra frowned. “If this was a business meeting, I’d say go far it. Formal dinner where you want to make an impression, leave this one at home. Looks a little too cold, a little too professional.”
“Okay. Goldie, hand me that third option.” As soon as Yul saw the red ruby metalique gown she knew that was the one. Hellocks, it was the one she would have chosen.
“Try it on,” said Yul. Kyra did. Each narrow breast plate accented Kyra’s firm amplitude in a way that simply couldn’t be ignored. The crimson plates curved like half moons, holding her breasts in place without hiding the valley of her creamy seduction. Hell, Yul thought, I’d like to run my hands over those delicate swells of joy, to see them grow blue, to feel them respond to touch and breath as waves rising on a warm sea. And the interlocking ruby chain links that formed the skirt had such a glimmering sultriness, such an allure as to make one look twice as to what was gown and what was leg. It moved with the glittering alacrity of a shoal of pelagic fish. “It’s perfect Kyra. This is the one, no frailing doubt in my mind.”
Yul didn’t have to dissimulate. In fact, she was stunned. She had never seen Kyra look so sexy—ever. How John was going to react, well, if he had a pair, the boys would be bouncing like ping pong balls in a lottery. “Come grab a seat over here Kyra. I want you to see what I see in the mirror. By the way, do you have a shawl or jacket to go with this dress?”
“I do. Goldie, would you do the honor?”
“I’ll take that Goldie,” interjected Yul. “Now sit down Kyra.”
Kyra sat on the stool in front of her mirror and Yul stood behind her. Taking the shawl from Goldie, Yul turned. Concealed in the lower sleeve of her jacket was one vial. Quickly, she placed a couple drops on the neck of the shawl and a couple more drops on her fingers. Turning to face Kyra, she placed the shawl around her neck, making sure the drops rubbed against the back of her neck. As if to display how beautiful Kyra was, Yul let her vial covered fingers trace along Kyra’s neck and along her jaw, tracing with a flourish back to Kyra’s lobes and pinching them as it to say, we need something here.
“Oh, I’ve got the perfect earrings to go with this dress said Kyra, too absorbed in how she looked to notice that anything was out of the ordinary. The vial, as Yul knew, would work fast. Since she had it on her fingers, she would know, almost to the second when it would start to affect Kyra, which by her calculation was only minutes, if that, away.
“Let’s see them Kyra. Oh my, do you mind if I do the honors?”
“Please do Yul.”
Yul secured first the right earring, and then the left. Her own head started to feel light and that familiar tingle between her legs told her the vial was working, very well actually as her fingers lingered a little longer on Kyra’s neck than necessary.
“You look magnificent my dear. Just absolutely stunning, as sexy as I’ve ever seen you.” Yul wasn’t lying now. Kyra did look stunning, with or without the vial, Yul couldn’t take her eyes off just how beautiful she looked.
“You really think so?”
“Abso-frailing-lutely!” exclaimed Yul. “If the boy is wearing any socks, he won’t be for long after seeing you in this dress.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I had in mind for tonight,” said Kyra, less certain if she meant the words she just heard slipping from her lips. Such an odd sensation she thought but before she could follow it Yul interjected.
“Maybe so but haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Word is, our boy John has eyes for you.” Yul slowed her diction on the “for you,” letting the words hang in the air as if they needed space to be fully absorbed and understood.
“He’s a happily married man Yul, don’t be silly. This is how rumors start.” Kyra felt as if someone else was speaking for her. Her mouth was moving, and it sounded like her voice and that was her image in the mirror, but there was a warmness in the words Yul had spoken that she just wanted to swim in.
Yul leaned over, her hands on the back of Kyra shoulders as she placed her lips right next to Kyra’s right ear. Her warm breath washed over her lobe as she whispered. “I have it on pretty good authority the boy is not all he pretends to be. Oh, I have no doubt he loves Cait, but Cait ain’t here on this vessel, and it’s been awhile, if you know what I mean.”
Normally, Kyra would have put an end to this kind of talk. That she didn’t told Yul the vial was working. “He wants you Kyra.” Yul let her tongue lightly touch Kyra’s ear. Withdrawing her tongue, she bit her lip, trying to stay focused. “And rumor has it, he doesn’t disappoint.”
“What are you talking about?” Kyra’s tone seemed more curious than scolding.
“I’ve been having dreams Kyra. Dreams about John. Very vivid dreams. A little too vivid, if you know what I mean.”
“Are you telling me—“
“Remember the quilling?”
“Yeah.”
“And the exam John performed on Emy and myself afterward?”
“Yes, what of it?”
“John confided in me later that the exam was a very through one. In fact, he said my exam was much more detailed and inclusive than Emy’s.”
“And?”
“I was unconscious during those exams. But you know, the mind records everything, whether you are conscious or not and I’ve got to tell you Kyra, those dreams didn’t come out of thin air.”
Kyra’s face became flush, matching the hue of her dress. Yul continued as she rubbed Kyra’s shoulders making sure every last drachm of vial found its way to her skin. “The pleasure. I can’t begin to tell you what that man is capable of. I thought Rog was good, but next to John, Rog is pure school boy in the back of his dad’s hopper fumbling his way with stone fingers.”
Kyra sat as if hypnotized. She felt a stirring of lust she had not felt since she had been on Bravo. The feelings for Kieran were love. These feelings, this energy, was of an entirely different order. Her whole body felt on fire and Yul’s words were just so much dry kindling thrown on the blaze. Yul continued to weave, in not less than detail intimate, not sure how much for her benefit and how much to forward her wickedness. And Kyra let her. The smell of desire, the moistness of need, filled the air.
“Ms Kyra,” said Goldie, “John’s staff say they are expecting you. What should I tell them?”
“Oh Goldie. Uhm, tell them I’m on my way.” Kyra stood up, straightened her dress before looking over herself in the mirror one last time. “You know I’m not that kind of hynerian,” she said to Yul.
“I know you aren’t.” winked Yul. “Go have fun and you can tell me all about it tomorrow afternoon.”
Kyra cocked her head and raised her brow trying her best to hold back a giggle. “Got to run Yul.”
