Devine Destinies

Effin Nywyn looked up as the sonic boom shook the air. He had been hoping for a quiet time on the planetoid for hunting and meditation. It was just his luck to have company.

He looked up to see the ship wobble badly and head deep into the forest. "Hells."

His oath as a physician kicked in and he hopped on his short-range skimmer. The smoke cloud was mercifully short, meaning that either the ship was out of fuel to burn or it had immolated anyone onboard. Either way, his work would be short. The speed of the crash was bound to have killed the inhabitant, but he had to satisfy his own urge to make sure there were no survivors.

The heavy warmth of the forest engulfed him as he followed the trail of the beacon in the ship. That it was working was good if the odds were twisted and there was indeed a survivor. Someone else would come to claim the body. He needn't worry about burial.

The column of metal had shredded on contact with the ground, peeling open like ripe fruit. He landed his skimmer outside of the debris zone and walked in.

He could feel something in the wreckage, something alive. Sighing, he opened his mind and connected to the living being with a jump of surprise. She was alive and whole, but trapped in some way.

Moving faster than he ever had in his life, Effin crossed through the debris and entered the shadowed expanse of the interior. The flare of a bright mind called to him from a dark corner. When he saw why she was trapped, he laughed in relief. "A gel bed. Just wait, lady. I will have you out of there in a few moments."

She didn't respond, but dark blue eyes stared out of a face framed by rich brown hair. The breathing mask on her face framed full lips and a tilted little nose. She was cute and he recognized her species.

It would have been hard not to recognize a Terran when he saw one. His cousin, Altius, had married one a few years earlier and Thea was a lovely addition to the family.

Her eyes seemed a little dazed, but with the shock of the crash, he would be surprised if she had survived unscathed.

His fingers moved over the switches and toggles, rerouting and overriding the commands until the gel dissolved and its contents were free if moving somewhat sluggishly.

"Come on, Beauty. Time to get away from the wreckage." Lifting her was easy. Her body indicated she would be quite tall, but there was nothing to her. No real muscle mass and barely any curves.

* * * *

A touch on her mind stiffened her spine until she saw the owner of the thoughts that she linked to. A Wyoran. No wonder her mind attached to his so easily. His was trained for this type of thing.

He was dressed like a wild man--leather leggings, black boots, no shirt to cover his auburn skin and his red-black hair fell heavily to his waist in a silky cloud. His eyes were dark amber, slitted and smiling into the tube where she lay. His mouth wide with a grin and his nose flat and vaguely feline with a jaw that made her want to stroke it.

That one instinct froze her in her tracks. She was on an assignment to a new world, not flying around to get her rocks off.

He seemed to know his way around a gel bed though and soon had the goo dissolving back to whence it came. He lifted her in arms that supported her easily and carried her out of the wreck. One thing stuck in her mind as he murmured to her in the skimmer as he piloted them away from the crash. He called her Beauty.

Effin Nywyn looked up as the sonic boom shook the air. He had been hoping for a quiet time on the planetoid for hunting and meditation. It was just his luck to have company.

He looked up to see the ship wobble badly and head deep into the forest. "Hells."

His oath as a physician kicked in and he hopped on his short-range skimmer. The smoke cloud was mercifully short, meaning that either the ship was out of fuel to burn or it had immolated anyone onboard. Either way, his work would be short. The speed of the crash was bound to have killed the inhabitant, but he had to satisfy his own urge to make sure there were no survivors.

The heavy warmth of the forest engulfed him as he followed the trail of the beacon in the ship. That it was working was good if the odds were twisted and there was indeed a survivor. Someone else would come to claim the body. He needn't worry about burial.

The column of metal had shredded on contact with the ground, peeling open like ripe fruit. He landed his skimmer outside of the debris zone and walked in.

He could feel something in the wreckage, something alive. Sighing, he opened his mind and connected to the living being with a jump of surprise. She was alive and whole, but trapped in some way.

Moving faster than he ever had in his life, Effin crossed through the debris and entered the shadowed expanse of the interior. The flare of a bright mind called to him from a dark corner. When he saw why she was trapped, he laughed in relief. "A gel bed. Just wait, lady. I will have you out of there in a few moments."

She didn't respond, but dark blue eyes stared out of a face framed by rich brown hair. The breathing mask on her face framed full lips and a tilted little nose. She was cute and he recognized her species.

It would have been hard not to recognize a Terran when he saw one. His cousin, Altius, had married one a few years earlier and Thea was a lovely addition to the family.

Her eyes seemed a little dazed, but with the shock of the crash, he would be surprised if she had survived unscathed.

His fingers moved over the switches and toggles, rerouting and overriding the commands until the gel dissolved and its contents were free if moving somewhat sluggishly.

"Come on, Beauty. Time to get away from the wreckage." Lifting her was easy. Her body indicated she would be quite tall, but there was nothing to her. No real muscle mass and barely any curves.

* * * *

A touch on her mind stiffened her spine until she saw the owner of the thoughts that she linked to. A Wyoran. No wonder her mind attached to his so easily. His was trained for this type of thing.

He was dressed like a wild man--leather leggings, black boots, no shirt to cover his auburn skin and his red-black hair fell heavily to his waist in a silky cloud. His eyes were dark amber, slitted and smiling into the tube where she lay. His mouth wide with a grin and his nose flat and vaguely feline with a jaw that made her want to stroke it.

That one instinct froze her in her tracks. She was on an assignment to a new world, not flying around to get her rocks off.

He seemed to know his way around a gel bed though and soon had the goo dissolving back to whence it came. He lifted her in arms that supported her easily and carried her out of the wreck. One thing stuck in her mind as he murmured to her in the skimmer as he piloted them away from the crash. He called her Beauty.

Effin Nywyn looked up as the sonic boom shook the air. He had been hoping for a quiet time on the planetoid for hunting and meditation. It was just his luck to have company.

He looked up to see the ship wobble badly and head deep into the forest. "Hells."

His oath as a physician kicked in and he hopped on his short-range skimmer. The smoke cloud was mercifully short, meaning that either the ship was out of fuel to burn or it had immolated anyone onboard. Either way, his work would be short. The speed of the crash was bound to have killed the inhabitant, but he had to satisfy his own urge to make sure there were no survivors.

The heavy warmth of the forest engulfed him as he followed the trail of the beacon in the ship. That it was working was good if the odds were twisted and there was indeed a survivor. Someone else would come to claim the body. He needn't worry about burial.

The column of metal had shredded on contact with the ground, peeling open like ripe fruit. He landed his skimmer outside of the debris zone and walked in.

He could feel something in the wreckage, something alive. Sighing, he opened his mind and connected to the living being with a jump of surprise. She was alive and whole, but trapped in some way.

Moving faster than he ever had in his life, Effin crossed through the debris and entered the shadowed expanse of the interior. The flare of a bright mind called to him from a dark corner. When he saw why she was trapped, he laughed in relief. "A gel bed. Just wait, lady. I will have you out of there in a few moments."

She didn't respond, but dark blue eyes stared out of a face framed by rich brown hair. The breathing mask on her face framed full lips and a tilted little nose. She was cute and he recognized her species.

It would have been hard not to recognize a Terran when he saw one. His cousin, Altius, had married one a few years earlier and Thea was a lovely addition to the family.

Her eyes seemed a little dazed, but with the shock of the crash, he would be surprised if she had survived unscathed.

His fingers moved over the switches and toggles, rerouting and overriding the commands until the gel dissolved and its contents were free if moving somewhat sluggishly.

"Come on, Beauty. Time to get away from the wreckage." Lifting her was easy. Her body indicated she would be quite tall, but there was nothing to her. No real muscle mass and barely any curves.

* * * *

A touch on her mind stiffened her spine until she saw the owner of the thoughts that she linked to. A Wyoran. No wonder her mind attached to his so easily. His was trained for this type of thing.

He was dressed like a wild man--leather leggings, black boots, no shirt to cover his auburn skin and his red-black hair fell heavily to his waist in a silky cloud. His eyes were dark amber, slitted and smiling into the tube where she lay. His mouth wide with a grin and his nose flat and vaguely feline with a jaw that made her want to stroke it.

That one instinct froze her in her tracks. She was on an assignment to a new world, not flying around to get her rocks off.

He seemed to know his way around a gel bed though and soon had the goo dissolving back to whence it came. He lifted her in arms that supported her easily and carried her out of the wreck. One thing stuck in her mind as he murmured to her in the skimmer as he piloted them away from the crash. He called her Beauty.

Vran watched the various emotions flicker over Mona's face. He was sure she had no idea how much her expression gave her away. Most people didn't. Took a lot of practice to hide how one felt.

Something small and dark swooped past her and she flinched. Nala rose and gazed with interest into the darkness.

"You'll never catch a bat," Mona chided. "Not with their radar. Besides, what would you do with one if you did catch it?"

Nala slanted her the scornful glance of the born hunter.

"The thrill for all predators is in the pursuit and catch," Vran commented. "Ask any human--we're all predators."

"Men more than women," Mona said.

"Genes. Hunters and gatherers. Genes go way back. To the time of dragons."

"You mean you think that somehow our ancestors inherited a genetic memory of dinosaurs, so invented the dragon to account for it?"

"Not at all. Dragons aren't mythic dinosaurs. Nor modified ones either." He deftly inserted a charcoal-crisp hot dog into a bun. "Care for the results of today's hunt?"

Between bites, she asked, "Why do we keep talking about dragons?"

"Why are your cousins coming?"

She slanted him an impatient look. "She invited them. I'm hoping one of them can solve my great-aunt's secret. I have no idea what the solution is."

"Dragon heart is dragon stone," he said.

She stared at him. "That's the first line of the secret verse. Did Great-aunt Enid teach it to you, too?"

"You asked why we kept circling back to dragons--that's why."

"Do you mean you learned the verse from Enid? You talk around questions rather than answering them."

"I came here to protect you," he added. "If you don't like the word protection, think of me as an observer who's on your side." He slipped a roasted hot dog into a bun for himself and gestured toward an ice chest of soft drinks. "Help yourself."

Mona opened a can of orange and sat on Nala's log.

"The flicker of the flames turns you into a mystery woman," he murmured. "Your eyes hold secrets no man can fathom."

"I doubt mystery women ask for seconds on hot dogs."

He was reaching to hand her one when Nala dived into her lap, huddling against her as a soft whoosh of wings came from overhead.

"That was no bat," Mona exclaimed.

"Owl," Vran said. "A big one by the looks of him." He handed her the hot dog, scooped Nala from her lap and loped toward the cottage with the cat.

He returned without Nala, saying, "I won't let her out after dark again. Of all people, I should have remembered the night predators."

When they'd eaten all the marshmallows either could handle, he sat next to Mona on the log and asked her to sing Puff, The Magic Dragon with him.

He watched as Mona stared into the fire as they sang, seemingly half-transported into that magic kingdom by the sea. They fell silent for a time, and he found the swish of the waves on the sand lulling his apprehension.

 "Mudway-aushka," she said softly. "The Chippewa word for the sound the waves make. Do you know Longfellow's poem about the shining big sea water?'"

"As a boy I was brought up on Welsh poetry such as Peacock's." He threw his head back and intoned:

"The mountain sheep are sweeter,

But the valley sheep are fatter;

We therefore deemed it meeter

To carry off the latter."

"Obviously a raider's tale."

He didn't deny it. "Welsh tales are full of battles won and battles lost, until the time came when there were no more wins--all were losses--and so we became a reluctant part of Great Britain."

"While we here in the colonies revolted and broke away."

"You had the advantage of distance." He pivoted on the log to look at the dark lake. "And vast spaces. There's still wilderness to be found here. I love America."

Mona turned so that she, too, faced the lake. Far out over the water, a string of lights twinkled.

"A ship passing," he said.

"No, actually it's a boat. Great Lakes tradition has it only boats sail these inland seas. And I was told in town it's rare to see the big boats anymore since the mines all closed."

He glanced at the sky. The rising moon, lopsided, touched the dark water with silver and leached the color from Mona's eyes as he looked at her. "The moon is waning. In ten days we'll have moondark."

She continued to gaze into his eyes. He knew he should glance away. "They say whoever looks into a dragon's eyes becomes his slave," he warned.

"Then I'm lucky you're not a dragon."

"Are you?" He heard his voice change into a croon. Damn, he had to stop this.

He saw her attempt to speak, to look away, saw her fail. Did she want more? He sure as hell did.

Vran couldn't help himself. If only he hadn't sat next to her on this damn log, he could have kept his cool. But this close to her, his head filled with her seductive scent, he was rapidly losing his reason. He felt far more than the simple allure of an attractive woman, this was an all-out sensual raid.

Vran watched the various emotions flicker over Mona's face. He was sure she had no idea how much her expression gave her away. Most people didn't. Took a lot of practice to hide how one felt.

Something small and dark swooped past her and she flinched. Nala rose and gazed with interest into the darkness.

"You'll never catch a bat," Mona chided. "Not with their radar. Besides, what would you do with one if you did catch it?"

Nala slanted her the scornful glance of the born hunter.

"The thrill for all predators is in the pursuit and catch," Vran commented. "Ask any human--we're all predators."

"Men more than women," Mona said.

"Genes. Hunters and gatherers. Genes go way back. To the time of dragons."

"You mean you think that somehow our ancestors inherited a genetic memory of dinosaurs, so invented the dragon to account for it?"

"Not at all. Dragons aren't mythic dinosaurs. Nor modified ones either." He deftly inserted a charcoal-crisp hot dog into a bun. "Care for the results of today's hunt?"

Between bites, she asked, "Why do we keep talking about dragons?"

"Why are your cousins coming?"

She slanted him an impatient look. "She invited them. I'm hoping one of them can solve my great-aunt's secret. I have no idea what the solution is."

"Dragon heart is dragon stone," he said.

She stared at him. "That's the first line of the secret verse. Did Great-aunt Enid teach it to you, too?"

"You asked why we kept circling back to dragons--that's why."

"Do you mean you learned the verse from Enid? You talk around questions rather than answering them."

"I came here to protect you," he added. "If you don't like the word protection, think of me as an observer who's on your side." He slipped a roasted hot dog into a bun for himself and gestured toward an ice chest of soft drinks. "Help yourself."

Mona opened a can of orange and sat on Nala's log.

"The flicker of the flames turns you into a mystery woman," he murmured. "Your eyes hold secrets no man can fathom."

"I doubt mystery women ask for seconds on hot dogs."

He was reaching to hand her one when Nala dived into her lap, huddling against her as a soft whoosh of wings came from overhead.

"That was no bat," Mona exclaimed.

"Owl," Vran said. "A big one by the looks of him." He handed her the hot dog, scooped Nala from her lap and loped toward the cottage with the cat.

He returned without Nala, saying, "I won't let her out after dark again. Of all people, I should have remembered the night predators."

When they'd eaten all the marshmallows either could handle, he sat next to Mona on the log and asked her to sing Puff, The Magic Dragon with him.

He watched as Mona stared into the fire as they sang, seemingly half-transported into that magic kingdom by the sea. They fell silent for a time, and he found the swish of the waves on the sand lulling his apprehension.

 "Mudway-aushka," she said softly. "The Chippewa word for the sound the waves make. Do you know Longfellow's poem about the shining big sea water?'"

"As a boy I was brought up on Welsh poetry such as Peacock's." He threw his head back and intoned:

"The mountain sheep are sweeter,

But the valley sheep are fatter;

We therefore deemed it meeter

To carry off the latter."

"Obviously a raider's tale."

He didn't deny it. "Welsh tales are full of battles won and battles lost, until the time came when there were no more wins--all were losses--and so we became a reluctant part of Great Britain."

"While we here in the colonies revolted and broke away."

"You had the advantage of distance." He pivoted on the log to look at the dark lake. "And vast spaces. There's still wilderness to be found here. I love America."

Mona turned so that she, too, faced the lake. Far out over the water, a string of lights twinkled.

"A ship passing," he said.

"No, actually it's a boat. Great Lakes tradition has it only boats sail these inland seas. And I was told in town it's rare to see the big boats anymore since the mines all closed."

He glanced at the sky. The rising moon, lopsided, touched the dark water with silver and leached the color from Mona's eyes as he looked at her. "The moon is waning. In ten days we'll have moondark."

She continued to gaze into his eyes. He knew he should glance away. "They say whoever looks into a dragon's eyes becomes his slave," he warned.

"Then I'm lucky you're not a dragon."

"Are you?" He heard his voice change into a croon. Damn, he had to stop this.

He saw her attempt to speak, to look away, saw her fail. Did she want more? He sure as hell did.

Vran couldn't help himself. If only he hadn't sat next to her on this damn log, he could have kept his cool. But this close to her, his head filled with her seductive scent, he was rapidly losing his reason. He felt far more than the simple allure of an attractive woman, this was an all-out sensual raid.

Vran watched the various emotions flicker over Mona's face. He was sure she had no idea how much her expression gave her away. Most people didn't. Took a lot of practice to hide how one felt.

Something small and dark swooped past her and she flinched. Nala rose and gazed with interest into the darkness.

"You'll never catch a bat," Mona chided. "Not with their radar. Besides, what would you do with one if you did catch it?"

Nala slanted her the scornful glance of the born hunter.

"The thrill for all predators is in the pursuit and catch," Vran commented. "Ask any human--we're all predators."

"Men more than women," Mona said.

"Genes. Hunters and gatherers. Genes go way back. To the time of dragons."

"You mean you think that somehow our ancestors inherited a genetic memory of dinosaurs, so invented the dragon to account for it?"

"Not at all. Dragons aren't mythic dinosaurs. Nor modified ones either." He deftly inserted a charcoal-crisp hot dog into a bun. "Care for the results of today's hunt?"

Between bites, she asked, "Why do we keep talking about dragons?"

"Why are your cousins coming?"

She slanted him an impatient look. "She invited them. I'm hoping one of them can solve my great-aunt's secret. I have no idea what the solution is."

"Dragon heart is dragon stone," he said.

She stared at him. "That's the first line of the secret verse. Did Great-aunt Enid teach it to you, too?"

"You asked why we kept circling back to dragons--that's why."

"Do you mean you learned the verse from Enid? You talk around questions rather than answering them."

"I came here to protect you," he added. "If you don't like the word protection, think of me as an observer who's on your side." He slipped a roasted hot dog into a bun for himself and gestured toward an ice chest of soft drinks. "Help yourself."

Mona opened a can of orange and sat on Nala's log.

"The flicker of the flames turns you into a mystery woman," he murmured. "Your eyes hold secrets no man can fathom."

"I doubt mystery women ask for seconds on hot dogs."

He was reaching to hand her one when Nala dived into her lap, huddling against her as a soft whoosh of wings came from overhead.

"That was no bat," Mona exclaimed.

"Owl," Vran said. "A big one by the looks of him." He handed her the hot dog, scooped Nala from her lap and loped toward the cottage with the cat.

He returned without Nala, saying, "I won't let her out after dark again. Of all people, I should have remembered the night predators."

When they'd eaten all the marshmallows either could handle, he sat next to Mona on the log and asked her to sing Puff, The Magic Dragon with him.

He watched as Mona stared into the fire as they sang, seemingly half-transported into that magic kingdom by the sea. They fell silent for a time, and he found the swish of the waves on the sand lulling his apprehension.

 "Mudway-aushka," she said softly. "The Chippewa word for the sound the waves make. Do you know Longfellow's poem about the shining big sea water?'"

"As a boy I was brought up on Welsh poetry such as Peacock's." He threw his head back and intoned:

"The mountain sheep are sweeter,

But the valley sheep are fatter;

We therefore deemed it meeter

To carry off the latter."

"Obviously a raider's tale."

He didn't deny it. "Welsh tales are full of battles won and battles lost, until the time came when there were no more wins--all were losses--and so we became a reluctant part of Great Britain."

"While we here in the colonies revolted and broke away."

"You had the advantage of distance." He pivoted on the log to look at the dark lake. "And vast spaces. There's still wilderness to be found here. I love America."

Mona turned so that she, too, faced the lake. Far out over the water, a string of lights twinkled.

"A ship passing," he said.

"No, actually it's a boat. Great Lakes tradition has it only boats sail these inland seas. And I was told in town it's rare to see the big boats anymore since the mines all closed."

He glanced at the sky. The rising moon, lopsided, touched the dark water with silver and leached the color from Mona's eyes as he looked at her. "The moon is waning. In ten days we'll have moondark."

She continued to gaze into his eyes. He knew he should glance away. "They say whoever looks into a dragon's eyes becomes his slave," he warned.

"Then I'm lucky you're not a dragon."

"Are you?" He heard his voice change into a croon. Damn, he had to stop this.

He saw her attempt to speak, to look away, saw her fail. Did she want more? He sure as hell did.

Vran couldn't help himself. If only he hadn't sat next to her on this damn log, he could have kept his cool. But this close to her, his head filled with her seductive scent, he was rapidly losing his reason. He felt far more than the simple allure of an attractive woman, this was an all-out sensual raid.

Dao's body was stiff, sitting against the leather seat in the private plane. He rested his elbow against the window and propped his chin up with his arm. The plane taxied down the runway and lifted into the air. He never liked flying, but when the plane lifted off from Pearson International Airport, Dao didn't get that strange, queasy feeling he normally got. At that moment, he just felt numb and cold. He couldn't feel anything else. That scared him because he wanted to feel something, anything at all.

When the plane levelled off and the seatbelt sign pinged off, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes and he looked around. Kianna--he had been a horrible host to her. It was strange for she had been so quiet in the grand chaos of his mind that he had forgotten she was there. He was literally kidnapping her from her home, taking her across the world and he hadn't even explained to her what was happening. To make matters worse, he had just sat there like a zombie while she was probably bored or hurting and confused.

The ride over in the limo she had tried to get him to eat, but Dao wasn't really hungry. She had then given him a protein shake from the limo's fridge right after threatening to hook him up to an IV if he didn't eat something. Feeling horrible, he had taken it and drank a couple of swallows before handing it back. The smile she had given him then caused him to take the can back and drain it. Just to see her smile. She had just shifted in her seat and that had caught his attention.

If he had any doubts about hiring her before, they were gone when he saw the way she spoke to his flight attendants. She had stepped up to the plate and ordered that he have something light for lunch since she wasn't sure when the last time was that he had eaten. Kelly, the stewardess agreed. As he sat there watching her read, a smile graced his eyes and he inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," he spoke.

Her head snapped up from the book she was reading.

"I should tell you what is happening and where we're going."

"That would be nice." She nodded and closed the book. "I did not want to add more stress to what you were going through."

"How do you know it is stressful?"

"You all but kidnapped me." She smirked.

Dao nodded. "I deserved that."

"But seriously." Kianna smiled. "I can see it in your eyes."

"The phone call I got earlier was from my parents. Well my mother at least. She never calls me. I always call her because it's really expensive for her to call me and I don't want her spending too much money because of a phone call. In order for her to call, she has to travel on the Li River and I don't like her doing that alone. She told me that my father had an accident and they don't think he has much time."

"I'm sorry--"

"Thank you. So we're heading to Yangshuo. I know it's a little bit out of your life, but I would really appreciate you with me so that I can still do a little business while I'm there." He arched his brow for the look she was giving him was starting to scare him. Moving close to her, he knelt before her. She was shaking slightly, but her gaze didn't leave his face. Dao was scared. "Kianna!" He took her hands. Her fingertips were freezing. Lifting her fingers to his lips, he blew against them before burying her smaller hands inside his. "Kianna? Speak to me."

"Yangshuo…"

He was stunned because the way she said it was the exact same way a person from Yangshuo would pronounce it. The emphasis was on the right letters and he wondered how she knew to do that. She couldn't have gotten it by him saying the word once. "Yes."

"Your parents live in Yangshuo--Xingping?"

"Yes, to be exact."

"Your parents live in Xingping."

"Kianna, you said that already. What's wrong? I can let you go back to Toronto once we get to Hong Kong if you'd like."

"No." She shook her head and looked down into his eyes. "I saved for years to go to China. Then there was a family emergency and I gave the money to help. I never thought I'd be able to save up enough to go because it's so expensive to travel."

"Well now you are going." He smiled. "I'm sorry that it's under such dire circumstances, but you will get a chance to see some things while there."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But we are going to China to make sure your parents are well--not for me to go on vacation."

Dao watched her. There was a strength in her voice and eyes that caused his heart to throb sweetly within his chest. He was still holding her hands. When she bowed her head and looked at where he held her, he let her go and moved back to his seat. But his gaze never left her, even after she went back to her book. Tilting his head, he glanced at the cover and blushed before turning to look out the window. She was reading one of those romance novels that his mother would read when he was younger. Even today, he would get them specially translated into Cantonese and shipped to her. They would make her sound so happy.

At that moment, Dao wondered what kind of men Kianna dated. Did she like them to touch her tenderly or roughly? Was she a romantic person? Turning his head, he looked at her and for that moment, his depression was gone. His gaze caressed her face--with the full lips, sad brown eyes, proud nose. While his gaze travelled down her neck, over full breasts and lower, his mind came to one conclusion--any man she dated was lucky.

He said nothing. Dao took his pleasure from watching her read. From time to time, she would gasp and flip the page quickly. Other times, she would smile or giggle softly.

"Our flight is fourteen hours, roughly," he spoke.

She looked up.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, but would you like to talk? My brain is going too fast and I need to hear someone's voice."

She smiled and closed her book. She stuck it beside her in the seat and crossed her legs.

Dao bit back a moan. Nothing she did was overtly sexual, but just that alone--their simplicity turned him on more than he even thought was possibly.

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know. Tell me a little about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm an only child now, both parents are gone. My brother was killed in a car accident when I was seventeen."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, really," she replied. "It happened over ten years ago."

"What do you like to do?"

"Nothing lately. I haven't had the urge to do much of anything. But before, I loved the theatre, reading, trying to learn different languages--geeky things like that." She chuckled. "I told you there wasn't much."

Dao nodded. "Thanks for the warning." A smile was on his lips. "This may be none of my business and if it is, please tell me and I will respect your answer. Are you seeing anyone?" He watched as she looked away from him and reached for her book again. He assumed she didn't want to talk about it so he nodded and looked back out the window. He had crossed the line, but for some reason he wanted her to look at him and answer to the negative. The thought of her being with another man angered him. He chuckled to himself before getting up and turning to leave the main area.

"Mr. Zhi?"

"It's Dao--please."

"Dao--no I'm not seeing anyone."

The relieved smile that swam over him shocked Dao. It was a good thing he wasn't looking at her when she spoke for she would have seen it.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to leave you to your book," Dao replied. Wiping the smile from his face, he turned around to look at her. "I thought that was what you wanted. Did I think wrong?"

"Yes," her voice was soft and she stood. She walked toward him.

Dao could not move away. He thought maybe she wanted to walk around him, but his feet wouldn't move. Still, he stood in her path, but she didn't try to get around him. Instead, she braced a palm against his chest, pushed up onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips gently against his. He growled and reached for her hair. He tangled his fingers in it, then pulled her lips roughly against his. When her lips spread for his tongue, he readily drank from her heat, sliding his tongue against hers and growling his satisfaction. He bit against her lower lip and pulled before sucking the pain away. He took her lips again, this time he conquered her, tasting, kneading, moulding their mouths together. When she finally pulled back, Dao was out of his mind with arousal, but let his hands fall away from her. "What--what was that for?" he questioned, pulling her lips back to his again. She tasted so good, his mouth watered. He was drunk with her scent.

* * * *

Kianna Sanderson had just done something completely out of her league. Kissing someone by just taking what she wanted was never something she would normally do, especially with her boss. But Dao's lips were calling to her and she couldn't resist. Inhaling deeply, she pulled way from him and stumbled into her seat again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her body was still pulsating sweetly from the kiss. It was a short kiss, but it was the most wonderful kiss she'd ever experienced. It was so wrong, but it had caused her heart to hammer in her chest. All she had to do was behave herself and not maul her boss because she thought he was so sexy. Burying her face in her hands, Kianna inhaled deeply.

"Kianna?"

His voice was soft, husky. She didn't look at him. How could she look him in the eyes after what she had just done? She felt his hands on her, trying to pull her hands away, but she fought him back. He was stronger, however, and her hands fell away.

"What are you sorry about, Kianna?" his voice showed genuine concern. "We're two consenting adults. We shared a kiss--one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why are you sorry?"

Kianna couldn't speak. The words that she wanted to put forth died in her throat. He had said he enjoyed her kiss and she knew then he was toying with her. He had to have been. How could he--Dao Zhi--have wanted a kiss from her? She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Talk to me."

"It didn't happen," Kianna spoke strongly. "It never happened."

"Kianna I don't--"

"There's nothing for you to understand!" Kianna interrupted too harshly. "It never happened."

Dao's body was stiff, sitting against the leather seat in the private plane. He rested his elbow against the window and propped his chin up with his arm. The plane taxied down the runway and lifted into the air. He never liked flying, but when the plane lifted off from Pearson International Airport, Dao didn't get that strange, queasy feeling he normally got. At that moment, he just felt numb and cold. He couldn't feel anything else. That scared him because he wanted to feel something, anything at all.

When the plane levelled off and the seatbelt sign pinged off, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes and he looked around. Kianna--he had been a horrible host to her. It was strange for she had been so quiet in the grand chaos of his mind that he had forgotten she was there. He was literally kidnapping her from her home, taking her across the world and he hadn't even explained to her what was happening. To make matters worse, he had just sat there like a zombie while she was probably bored or hurting and confused.

The ride over in the limo she had tried to get him to eat, but Dao wasn't really hungry. She had then given him a protein shake from the limo's fridge right after threatening to hook him up to an IV if he didn't eat something. Feeling horrible, he had taken it and drank a couple of swallows before handing it back. The smile she had given him then caused him to take the can back and drain it. Just to see her smile. She had just shifted in her seat and that had caught his attention.

If he had any doubts about hiring her before, they were gone when he saw the way she spoke to his flight attendants. She had stepped up to the plate and ordered that he have something light for lunch since she wasn't sure when the last time was that he had eaten. Kelly, the stewardess agreed. As he sat there watching her read, a smile graced his eyes and he inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," he spoke.

Her head snapped up from the book she was reading.

"I should tell you what is happening and where we're going."

"That would be nice." She nodded and closed the book. "I did not want to add more stress to what you were going through."

"How do you know it is stressful?"

"You all but kidnapped me." She smirked.

Dao nodded. "I deserved that."

"But seriously." Kianna smiled. "I can see it in your eyes."

"The phone call I got earlier was from my parents. Well my mother at least. She never calls me. I always call her because it's really expensive for her to call me and I don't want her spending too much money because of a phone call. In order for her to call, she has to travel on the Li River and I don't like her doing that alone. She told me that my father had an accident and they don't think he has much time."

"I'm sorry--"

"Thank you. So we're heading to Yangshuo. I know it's a little bit out of your life, but I would really appreciate you with me so that I can still do a little business while I'm there." He arched his brow for the look she was giving him was starting to scare him. Moving close to her, he knelt before her. She was shaking slightly, but her gaze didn't leave his face. Dao was scared. "Kianna!" He took her hands. Her fingertips were freezing. Lifting her fingers to his lips, he blew against them before burying her smaller hands inside his. "Kianna? Speak to me."

"Yangshuo…"

He was stunned because the way she said it was the exact same way a person from Yangshuo would pronounce it. The emphasis was on the right letters and he wondered how she knew to do that. She couldn't have gotten it by him saying the word once. "Yes."

"Your parents live in Yangshuo--Xingping?"

"Yes, to be exact."

"Your parents live in Xingping."

"Kianna, you said that already. What's wrong? I can let you go back to Toronto once we get to Hong Kong if you'd like."

"No." She shook her head and looked down into his eyes. "I saved for years to go to China. Then there was a family emergency and I gave the money to help. I never thought I'd be able to save up enough to go because it's so expensive to travel."

"Well now you are going." He smiled. "I'm sorry that it's under such dire circumstances, but you will get a chance to see some things while there."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But we are going to China to make sure your parents are well--not for me to go on vacation."

Dao watched her. There was a strength in her voice and eyes that caused his heart to throb sweetly within his chest. He was still holding her hands. When she bowed her head and looked at where he held her, he let her go and moved back to his seat. But his gaze never left her, even after she went back to her book. Tilting his head, he glanced at the cover and blushed before turning to look out the window. She was reading one of those romance novels that his mother would read when he was younger. Even today, he would get them specially translated into Cantonese and shipped to her. They would make her sound so happy.

At that moment, Dao wondered what kind of men Kianna dated. Did she like them to touch her tenderly or roughly? Was she a romantic person? Turning his head, he looked at her and for that moment, his depression was gone. His gaze caressed her face--with the full lips, sad brown eyes, proud nose. While his gaze travelled down her neck, over full breasts and lower, his mind came to one conclusion--any man she dated was lucky.

He said nothing. Dao took his pleasure from watching her read. From time to time, she would gasp and flip the page quickly. Other times, she would smile or giggle softly.

"Our flight is fourteen hours, roughly," he spoke.

She looked up.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, but would you like to talk? My brain is going too fast and I need to hear someone's voice."

She smiled and closed her book. She stuck it beside her in the seat and crossed her legs.

Dao bit back a moan. Nothing she did was overtly sexual, but just that alone--their simplicity turned him on more than he even thought was possibly.

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know. Tell me a little about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm an only child now, both parents are gone. My brother was killed in a car accident when I was seventeen."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, really," she replied. "It happened over ten years ago."

"What do you like to do?"

"Nothing lately. I haven't had the urge to do much of anything. But before, I loved the theatre, reading, trying to learn different languages--geeky things like that." She chuckled. "I told you there wasn't much."

Dao nodded. "Thanks for the warning." A smile was on his lips. "This may be none of my business and if it is, please tell me and I will respect your answer. Are you seeing anyone?" He watched as she looked away from him and reached for her book again. He assumed she didn't want to talk about it so he nodded and looked back out the window. He had crossed the line, but for some reason he wanted her to look at him and answer to the negative. The thought of her being with another man angered him. He chuckled to himself before getting up and turning to leave the main area.

"Mr. Zhi?"

"It's Dao--please."

"Dao--no I'm not seeing anyone."

The relieved smile that swam over him shocked Dao. It was a good thing he wasn't looking at her when she spoke for she would have seen it.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to leave you to your book," Dao replied. Wiping the smile from his face, he turned around to look at her. "I thought that was what you wanted. Did I think wrong?"

"Yes," her voice was soft and she stood. She walked toward him.

Dao could not move away. He thought maybe she wanted to walk around him, but his feet wouldn't move. Still, he stood in her path, but she didn't try to get around him. Instead, she braced a palm against his chest, pushed up onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips gently against his. He growled and reached for her hair. He tangled his fingers in it, then pulled her lips roughly against his. When her lips spread for his tongue, he readily drank from her heat, sliding his tongue against hers and growling his satisfaction. He bit against her lower lip and pulled before sucking the pain away. He took her lips again, this time he conquered her, tasting, kneading, moulding their mouths together. When she finally pulled back, Dao was out of his mind with arousal, but let his hands fall away from her. "What--what was that for?" he questioned, pulling her lips back to his again. She tasted so good, his mouth watered. He was drunk with her scent.

* * * *

Kianna Sanderson had just done something completely out of her league. Kissing someone by just taking what she wanted was never something she would normally do, especially with her boss. But Dao's lips were calling to her and she couldn't resist. Inhaling deeply, she pulled way from him and stumbled into her seat again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her body was still pulsating sweetly from the kiss. It was a short kiss, but it was the most wonderful kiss she'd ever experienced. It was so wrong, but it had caused her heart to hammer in her chest. All she had to do was behave herself and not maul her boss because she thought he was so sexy. Burying her face in her hands, Kianna inhaled deeply.

"Kianna?"

His voice was soft, husky. She didn't look at him. How could she look him in the eyes after what she had just done? She felt his hands on her, trying to pull her hands away, but she fought him back. He was stronger, however, and her hands fell away.

"What are you sorry about, Kianna?" his voice showed genuine concern. "We're two consenting adults. We shared a kiss--one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why are you sorry?"

Kianna couldn't speak. The words that she wanted to put forth died in her throat. He had said he enjoyed her kiss and she knew then he was toying with her. He had to have been. How could he--Dao Zhi--have wanted a kiss from her? She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Talk to me."

"It didn't happen," Kianna spoke strongly. "It never happened."

"Kianna I don't--"

"There's nothing for you to understand!" Kianna interrupted too harshly. "It never happened."

Dao's body was stiff, sitting against the leather seat in the private plane. He rested his elbow against the window and propped his chin up with his arm. The plane taxied down the runway and lifted into the air. He never liked flying, but when the plane lifted off from Pearson International Airport, Dao didn't get that strange, queasy feeling he normally got. At that moment, he just felt numb and cold. He couldn't feel anything else. That scared him because he wanted to feel something, anything at all.

When the plane levelled off and the seatbelt sign pinged off, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes and he looked around. Kianna--he had been a horrible host to her. It was strange for she had been so quiet in the grand chaos of his mind that he had forgotten she was there. He was literally kidnapping her from her home, taking her across the world and he hadn't even explained to her what was happening. To make matters worse, he had just sat there like a zombie while she was probably bored or hurting and confused.

The ride over in the limo she had tried to get him to eat, but Dao wasn't really hungry. She had then given him a protein shake from the limo's fridge right after threatening to hook him up to an IV if he didn't eat something. Feeling horrible, he had taken it and drank a couple of swallows before handing it back. The smile she had given him then caused him to take the can back and drain it. Just to see her smile. She had just shifted in her seat and that had caught his attention.

If he had any doubts about hiring her before, they were gone when he saw the way she spoke to his flight attendants. She had stepped up to the plate and ordered that he have something light for lunch since she wasn't sure when the last time was that he had eaten. Kelly, the stewardess agreed. As he sat there watching her read, a smile graced his eyes and he inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," he spoke.

Her head snapped up from the book she was reading.

"I should tell you what is happening and where we're going."

"That would be nice." She nodded and closed the book. "I did not want to add more stress to what you were going through."

"How do you know it is stressful?"

"You all but kidnapped me." She smirked.

Dao nodded. "I deserved that."

"But seriously." Kianna smiled. "I can see it in your eyes."

"The phone call I got earlier was from my parents. Well my mother at least. She never calls me. I always call her because it's really expensive for her to call me and I don't want her spending too much money because of a phone call. In order for her to call, she has to travel on the Li River and I don't like her doing that alone. She told me that my father had an accident and they don't think he has much time."

"I'm sorry--"

"Thank you. So we're heading to Yangshuo. I know it's a little bit out of your life, but I would really appreciate you with me so that I can still do a little business while I'm there." He arched his brow for the look she was giving him was starting to scare him. Moving close to her, he knelt before her. She was shaking slightly, but her gaze didn't leave his face. Dao was scared. "Kianna!" He took her hands. Her fingertips were freezing. Lifting her fingers to his lips, he blew against them before burying her smaller hands inside his. "Kianna? Speak to me."

"Yangshuo…"

He was stunned because the way she said it was the exact same way a person from Yangshuo would pronounce it. The emphasis was on the right letters and he wondered how she knew to do that. She couldn't have gotten it by him saying the word once. "Yes."

"Your parents live in Yangshuo--Xingping?"

"Yes, to be exact."

"Your parents live in Xingping."

"Kianna, you said that already. What's wrong? I can let you go back to Toronto once we get to Hong Kong if you'd like."

"No." She shook her head and looked down into his eyes. "I saved for years to go to China. Then there was a family emergency and I gave the money to help. I never thought I'd be able to save up enough to go because it's so expensive to travel."

"Well now you are going." He smiled. "I'm sorry that it's under such dire circumstances, but you will get a chance to see some things while there."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But we are going to China to make sure your parents are well--not for me to go on vacation."

Dao watched her. There was a strength in her voice and eyes that caused his heart to throb sweetly within his chest. He was still holding her hands. When she bowed her head and looked at where he held her, he let her go and moved back to his seat. But his gaze never left her, even after she went back to her book. Tilting his head, he glanced at the cover and blushed before turning to look out the window. She was reading one of those romance novels that his mother would read when he was younger. Even today, he would get them specially translated into Cantonese and shipped to her. They would make her sound so happy.

At that moment, Dao wondered what kind of men Kianna dated. Did she like them to touch her tenderly or roughly? Was she a romantic person? Turning his head, he looked at her and for that moment, his depression was gone. His gaze caressed her face--with the full lips, sad brown eyes, proud nose. While his gaze travelled down her neck, over full breasts and lower, his mind came to one conclusion--any man she dated was lucky.

He said nothing. Dao took his pleasure from watching her read. From time to time, she would gasp and flip the page quickly. Other times, she would smile or giggle softly.

"Our flight is fourteen hours, roughly," he spoke.

She looked up.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, but would you like to talk? My brain is going too fast and I need to hear someone's voice."

She smiled and closed her book. She stuck it beside her in the seat and crossed her legs.

Dao bit back a moan. Nothing she did was overtly sexual, but just that alone--their simplicity turned him on more than he even thought was possibly.

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know. Tell me a little about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm an only child now, both parents are gone. My brother was killed in a car accident when I was seventeen."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, really," she replied. "It happened over ten years ago."

"What do you like to do?"

"Nothing lately. I haven't had the urge to do much of anything. But before, I loved the theatre, reading, trying to learn different languages--geeky things like that." She chuckled. "I told you there wasn't much."

Dao nodded. "Thanks for the warning." A smile was on his lips. "This may be none of my business and if it is, please tell me and I will respect your answer. Are you seeing anyone?" He watched as she looked away from him and reached for her book again. He assumed she didn't want to talk about it so he nodded and looked back out the window. He had crossed the line, but for some reason he wanted her to look at him and answer to the negative. The thought of her being with another man angered him. He chuckled to himself before getting up and turning to leave the main area.

"Mr. Zhi?"

"It's Dao--please."

"Dao--no I'm not seeing anyone."

The relieved smile that swam over him shocked Dao. It was a good thing he wasn't looking at her when she spoke for she would have seen it.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to leave you to your book," Dao replied. Wiping the smile from his face, he turned around to look at her. "I thought that was what you wanted. Did I think wrong?"

"Yes," her voice was soft and she stood. She walked toward him.

Dao could not move away. He thought maybe she wanted to walk around him, but his feet wouldn't move. Still, he stood in her path, but she didn't try to get around him. Instead, she braced a palm against his chest, pushed up onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips gently against his. He growled and reached for her hair. He tangled his fingers in it, then pulled her lips roughly against his. When her lips spread for his tongue, he readily drank from her heat, sliding his tongue against hers and growling his satisfaction. He bit against her lower lip and pulled before sucking the pain away. He took her lips again, this time he conquered her, tasting, kneading, moulding their mouths together. When she finally pulled back, Dao was out of his mind with arousal, but let his hands fall away from her. "What--what was that for?" he questioned, pulling her lips back to his again. She tasted so good, his mouth watered. He was drunk with her scent.

* * * *

Kianna Sanderson had just done something completely out of her league. Kissing someone by just taking what she wanted was never something she would normally do, especially with her boss. But Dao's lips were calling to her and she couldn't resist. Inhaling deeply, she pulled way from him and stumbled into her seat again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her body was still pulsating sweetly from the kiss. It was a short kiss, but it was the most wonderful kiss she'd ever experienced. It was so wrong, but it had caused her heart to hammer in her chest. All she had to do was behave herself and not maul her boss because she thought he was so sexy. Burying her face in her hands, Kianna inhaled deeply.

"Kianna?"

His voice was soft, husky. She didn't look at him. How could she look him in the eyes after what she had just done? She felt his hands on her, trying to pull her hands away, but she fought him back. He was stronger, however, and her hands fell away.

"What are you sorry about, Kianna?" his voice showed genuine concern. "We're two consenting adults. We shared a kiss--one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why are you sorry?"

Kianna couldn't speak. The words that she wanted to put forth died in her throat. He had said he enjoyed her kiss and she knew then he was toying with her. He had to have been. How could he--Dao Zhi--have wanted a kiss from her? She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Talk to me."

"It didn't happen," Kianna spoke strongly. "It never happened."

"Kianna I don't--"

"There's nothing for you to understand!" Kianna interrupted too harshly. "It never happened."

At home, she changed clothes, loving the feel of jeans and a t-shirt, ran through a few chores and was thinking about trying to sleep when her phone went off.

"Sama? What is it?"

"They just came in. You have about half an hour."

"On my way."

With no time to waste, she sprinted down the path and made a beeline for the commissary. The family was indeed there having a meal and with no decorum at all, Roxy skidded to the side of their table.

"Greetings, I am Roxanne Nelson, Inventory Master of this station and I realize it is rude, but I need to ask a question."

Taken aback, the father spoke, "I am Retingar, this is my mate, Ashla, and our daughter, Minara. What is the question that you would ask?"

She nodded her head to each as the introduction was given. "What is the significance of the song in the night?"

The three Drai blinked at her and the male raised his wings slightly in surprise. "Where did you hear of the song?"

"It doesn't matter. What is it?"

Minara grimaced. "The song of an ancient Drai calling to his mate. That is why we are here. There is a dragon sleeping on this world and he is about to wake. When he wakes, he will start the song and I will go to him."

"So, if you hear the song, he is calling you?" She was having trouble dodging the crux of her problem.

"That is the history. I have not heard it yet and we have been here for some weeks." Minara shrugged.

"Thank you for the answer. I am sorry to have disrupted your meal." She started to turn and leave, but then had to ask, "What if he is waking, but he is calling someone else?"

Minara blinked, so her father filled in, "Then we will simply leave. There is none who should stand between a dragon and his true mate. It would be an insult that might cost a life."

"Ah. Well. Good luck then."

She was almost to the door when Ashla called out, "How long has it been going on then?" Her tone was amused. She had heard what Roxy had not been saying.

Roxy turned her head and said over her shoulder. "A month."

"Then I would go in search of him soon, or he will come to you. If that is the situation, then the entire base may be in jeopardy. The shifters were said to be patient only to a limit before they take their mate hunt into their own hands." She was chuckling.

Roxy hazarded a quick look at the table where they sat. Retingar was shocked, Ashla amused and Minara relieved. She gave them a quick nod and left the commissary.

She sprinted to her house and closed her eyes the instant that she lay down. She was fully clothed. If she needed to follow his song to find him and shut him up, she would do it.

She desperately needed a good night's sleep.

At home, she changed clothes, loving the feel of jeans and a t-shirt, ran through a few chores and was thinking about trying to sleep when her phone went off.

"Sama? What is it?"

"They just came in. You have about half an hour."

"On my way."

With no time to waste, she sprinted down the path and made a beeline for the commissary. The family was indeed there having a meal and with no decorum at all, Roxy skidded to the side of their table.

"Greetings, I am Roxanne Nelson, Inventory Master of this station and I realize it is rude, but I need to ask a question."

Taken aback, the father spoke, "I am Retingar, this is my mate, Ashla, and our daughter, Minara. What is the question that you would ask?"

She nodded her head to each as the introduction was given. "What is the significance of the song in the night?"

The three Drai blinked at her and the male raised his wings slightly in surprise. "Where did you hear of the song?"

"It doesn't matter. What is it?"

Minara grimaced. "The song of an ancient Drai calling to his mate. That is why we are here. There is a dragon sleeping on this world and he is about to wake. When he wakes, he will start the song and I will go to him."

"So, if you hear the song, he is calling you?" She was having trouble dodging the crux of her problem.

"That is the history. I have not heard it yet and we have been here for some weeks." Minara shrugged.

"Thank you for the answer. I am sorry to have disrupted your meal." She started to turn and leave, but then had to ask, "What if he is waking, but he is calling someone else?"

Minara blinked, so her father filled in, "Then we will simply leave. There is none who should stand between a dragon and his true mate. It would be an insult that might cost a life."

"Ah. Well. Good luck then."

She was almost to the door when Ashla called out, "How long has it been going on then?" Her tone was amused. She had heard what Roxy had not been saying.

Roxy turned her head and said over her shoulder. "A month."

"Then I would go in search of him soon, or he will come to you. If that is the situation, then the entire base may be in jeopardy. The shifters were said to be patient only to a limit before they take their mate hunt into their own hands." She was chuckling.

Roxy hazarded a quick look at the table where they sat. Retingar was shocked, Ashla amused and Minara relieved. She gave them a quick nod and left the commissary.

She sprinted to her house and closed her eyes the instant that she lay down. She was fully clothed. If she needed to follow his song to find him and shut him up, she would do it.

She desperately needed a good night's sleep.

At home, she changed clothes, loving the feel of jeans and a t-shirt, ran through a few chores and was thinking about trying to sleep when her phone went off.

"Sama? What is it?"

"They just came in. You have about half an hour."

"On my way."

With no time to waste, she sprinted down the path and made a beeline for the commissary. The family was indeed there having a meal and with no decorum at all, Roxy skidded to the side of their table.

"Greetings, I am Roxanne Nelson, Inventory Master of this station and I realize it is rude, but I need to ask a question."

Taken aback, the father spoke, "I am Retingar, this is my mate, Ashla, and our daughter, Minara. What is the question that you would ask?"

She nodded her head to each as the introduction was given. "What is the significance of the song in the night?"

The three Drai blinked at her and the male raised his wings slightly in surprise. "Where did you hear of the song?"

"It doesn't matter. What is it?"

Minara grimaced. "The song of an ancient Drai calling to his mate. That is why we are here. There is a dragon sleeping on this world and he is about to wake. When he wakes, he will start the song and I will go to him."

"So, if you hear the song, he is calling you?" She was having trouble dodging the crux of her problem.

"That is the history. I have not heard it yet and we have been here for some weeks." Minara shrugged.

"Thank you for the answer. I am sorry to have disrupted your meal." She started to turn and leave, but then had to ask, "What if he is waking, but he is calling someone else?"

Minara blinked, so her father filled in, "Then we will simply leave. There is none who should stand between a dragon and his true mate. It would be an insult that might cost a life."

"Ah. Well. Good luck then."

She was almost to the door when Ashla called out, "How long has it been going on then?" Her tone was amused. She had heard what Roxy had not been saying.

Roxy turned her head and said over her shoulder. "A month."

"Then I would go in search of him soon, or he will come to you. If that is the situation, then the entire base may be in jeopardy. The shifters were said to be patient only to a limit before they take their mate hunt into their own hands." She was chuckling.

Roxy hazarded a quick look at the table where they sat. Retingar was shocked, Ashla amused and Minara relieved. She gave them a quick nod and left the commissary.

She sprinted to her house and closed her eyes the instant that she lay down. She was fully clothed. If she needed to follow his song to find him and shut him up, she would do it.

She desperately needed a good night's sleep.

"I'm afraid we'll have to brave a small crowd on the way out. News of your…return has been hard to keep quiet."

"I should imagine." I smile congenially at him and allow myself to be led from the room. The crowd doesn't surprise me, though small is an understatement. I've sensed them building outside all along. I brace myself, grateful for the doctor's arm, and we emerge onto a long walkway. The floor drops away on both sides, and the spaces are filled with craning faces. I'm torn between scanning the assembly for some shred of recognition and shying from any contact with the eager expressions. In the end, I dart sparing glances at random people. Nothing stirs any memory.

Halfway across the space I give up and choose to focus on the long strips of blue-tinted lights that line the walls. I think that nothing seems familiar here because this isn't where I belong. Perhaps, I think, this is a prison after all.

I hate to consider the doctor as a participant in my capture, perhaps even directly responsible for removing my memory, but the possibility can't be ignored. It is, given the unbelievable alternative that is their story, quite likely closer to the truth. Yet I allow myself to be led toward another curving doorway. I have few options, few options for now.

I concentrate, instead, on how playfully the blue light interacts with the metal of my dress. The fabric flashes and shoots refracted fire as I move in it. I let myself be mesmerized by the effect. The door is near, and Doctor Williams slows as we approach it. My irritation surges again. Another foreign hallway beyond this one? Another unfamiliar room? Suddenly, I have no wish to continue peaceably. I have no interest in allowing myself to be led to any destination they've selected. I scan sideways from the door, searching for a pathway of my own choosing, wherever it may lead.

I'm struck dumb by a familiar face. He stands back from the others, aside from them, but near the door. Where I'm most likely to see him, I decide. He leans against the gray wall and looks at the ceiling. The strong muscle of his jaw tenses. Lines etch across his rugged face. My chest lurches at the sight of him. I search for a name to assign to the single familiar person in this crowded hall. The set shoulders and staggered legs ring through my mind looking for something to cling to.

Exact memories, like the name I want to put to him, shy from my grip. The feeling sweeps through me of something just on the tip of my tongue, too elusive to pin down. I'm frantic to snare it, but it dances out of reach. I realize that I've stopped walking.

His red hair crowns a complexion nowhere near pale. He shifts his gaze downward slowly, with great intention, and meets my gaze. The intensity in his eyes belies his casual pose. He knows me.

In an instant, I'm lifted from the room, my mind trapped in darkness without a body to attach to. I drift without direction or purpose in a sea of warmth. Softly, the singing whispers, return, return to me. The persistent voice hovers near desperate, saturated with emotion. The words pull me down.

I come back to myself. The doctor tugs gently at my arm. Concern scrawls across his face. I see the question there. "I'm fine," I say, stepping in line with him once more. "Get me out of here, okay?" And we pass through the second doorway together.

"I'm afraid we'll have to brave a small crowd on the way out. News of your…return has been hard to keep quiet."

"I should imagine." I smile congenially at him and allow myself to be led from the room. The crowd doesn't surprise me, though small is an understatement. I've sensed them building outside all along. I brace myself, grateful for the doctor's arm, and we emerge onto a long walkway. The floor drops away on both sides, and the spaces are filled with craning faces. I'm torn between scanning the assembly for some shred of recognition and shying from any contact with the eager expressions. In the end, I dart sparing glances at random people. Nothing stirs any memory.

Halfway across the space I give up and choose to focus on the long strips of blue-tinted lights that line the walls. I think that nothing seems familiar here because this isn't where I belong. Perhaps, I think, this is a prison after all.

I hate to consider the doctor as a participant in my capture, perhaps even directly responsible for removing my memory, but the possibility can't be ignored. It is, given the unbelievable alternative that is their story, quite likely closer to the truth. Yet I allow myself to be led toward another curving doorway. I have few options, few options for now.

I concentrate, instead, on how playfully the blue light interacts with the metal of my dress. The fabric flashes and shoots refracted fire as I move in it. I let myself be mesmerized by the effect. The door is near, and Doctor Williams slows as we approach it. My irritation surges again. Another foreign hallway beyond this one? Another unfamiliar room? Suddenly, I have no wish to continue peaceably. I have no interest in allowing myself to be led to any destination they've selected. I scan sideways from the door, searching for a pathway of my own choosing, wherever it may lead.

I'm struck dumb by a familiar face. He stands back from the others, aside from them, but near the door. Where I'm most likely to see him, I decide. He leans against the gray wall and looks at the ceiling. The strong muscle of his jaw tenses. Lines etch across his rugged face. My chest lurches at the sight of him. I search for a name to assign to the single familiar person in this crowded hall. The set shoulders and staggered legs ring through my mind looking for something to cling to.

Exact memories, like the name I want to put to him, shy from my grip. The feeling sweeps through me of something just on the tip of my tongue, too elusive to pin down. I'm frantic to snare it, but it dances out of reach. I realize that I've stopped walking.

His red hair crowns a complexion nowhere near pale. He shifts his gaze downward slowly, with great intention, and meets my gaze. The intensity in his eyes belies his casual pose. He knows me.

In an instant, I'm lifted from the room, my mind trapped in darkness without a body to attach to. I drift without direction or purpose in a sea of warmth. Softly, the singing whispers, return, return to me. The persistent voice hovers near desperate, saturated with emotion. The words pull me down.

I come back to myself. The doctor tugs gently at my arm. Concern scrawls across his face. I see the question there. "I'm fine," I say, stepping in line with him once more. "Get me out of here, okay?" And we pass through the second doorway together.

"I'm afraid we'll have to brave a small crowd on the way out. News of your…return has been hard to keep quiet."

"I should imagine." I smile congenially at him and allow myself to be led from the room. The crowd doesn't surprise me, though small is an understatement. I've sensed them building outside all along. I brace myself, grateful for the doctor's arm, and we emerge onto a long walkway. The floor drops away on both sides, and the spaces are filled with craning faces. I'm torn between scanning the assembly for some shred of recognition and shying from any contact with the eager expressions. In the end, I dart sparing glances at random people. Nothing stirs any memory.

Halfway across the space I give up and choose to focus on the long strips of blue-tinted lights that line the walls. I think that nothing seems familiar here because this isn't where I belong. Perhaps, I think, this is a prison after all.

I hate to consider the doctor as a participant in my capture, perhaps even directly responsible for removing my memory, but the possibility can't be ignored. It is, given the unbelievable alternative that is their story, quite likely closer to the truth. Yet I allow myself to be led toward another curving doorway. I have few options, few options for now.

I concentrate, instead, on how playfully the blue light interacts with the metal of my dress. The fabric flashes and shoots refracted fire as I move in it. I let myself be mesmerized by the effect. The door is near, and Doctor Williams slows as we approach it. My irritation surges again. Another foreign hallway beyond this one? Another unfamiliar room? Suddenly, I have no wish to continue peaceably. I have no interest in allowing myself to be led to any destination they've selected. I scan sideways from the door, searching for a pathway of my own choosing, wherever it may lead.

I'm struck dumb by a familiar face. He stands back from the others, aside from them, but near the door. Where I'm most likely to see him, I decide. He leans against the gray wall and looks at the ceiling. The strong muscle of his jaw tenses. Lines etch across his rugged face. My chest lurches at the sight of him. I search for a name to assign to the single familiar person in this crowded hall. The set shoulders and staggered legs ring through my mind looking for something to cling to.

Exact memories, like the name I want to put to him, shy from my grip. The feeling sweeps through me of something just on the tip of my tongue, too elusive to pin down. I'm frantic to snare it, but it dances out of reach. I realize that I've stopped walking.

His red hair crowns a complexion nowhere near pale. He shifts his gaze downward slowly, with great intention, and meets my gaze. The intensity in his eyes belies his casual pose. He knows me.

In an instant, I'm lifted from the room, my mind trapped in darkness without a body to attach to. I drift without direction or purpose in a sea of warmth. Softly, the singing whispers, return, return to me. The persistent voice hovers near desperate, saturated with emotion. The words pull me down.

I come back to myself. The doctor tugs gently at my arm. Concern scrawls across his face. I see the question there. "I'm fine," I say, stepping in line with him once more. "Get me out of here, okay?" And we pass through the second doorway together.

"What was that? What happened? What did you do?" The normally taciturn Movik was frantic. When the sphere uncoupled itself, he had started to wring his hands and when it shattered into blazing particles that they could see from their vantage point above the breaking asteroid, he freaked.

"I did nothing. Whatever or whoever was inside that sphere is now out in the cold blackness of space."

"What do you mean who? What do you know?"

"The planet consciousness inside me felt the proximity of a star. That star is now humming happily as the creature from the sphere tears apart those rocks." It was hard to see, but here and there a form appeared, shattered a rock between its hands and then dodged away to strike another one. At the rate it was going, the great asteroid would be head-sized balls when it struck Morganti's atmosphere, easily destroyed by entry.

"An Avatar? Oh, nononononono." He was clutching at his head now, rocking back and forth, moaning as he watched the fragments of the sphere come apart wherever they touched the debris. "Where did the asteroid come from?"

Kale had to ask the base for that question. "This is Kale-Gant to Sector Guard Base Morganti."

Mala's tired tone came through the communications unit. "Go ahead, Avatar."

"Has an origin for the rock been determined?"

There was silence for a few moments while she brought up the information. "It has been travelling for just over four hundred years. Remnant of the Emhara system. Their white dwarf went black, the nearest planet to the star exploded, but everyone was evacuated. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. The bulk of the asteroid has been destroyed. Did you get the shield up and running?"

"Only just. When you get back, you are going to have to work on increasing food yields. I am afraid I had to replace quite a bit of energy and the commissary is pissed."

"Whatever you need, Fixer. Make me a list."

"Will do. See you when you get home. Sector Base Morganti, out."

Kale turned to Movik. "Whoever made the shell, made it from the same alloy that the occupant is so cheerfully tearing apart. The Emhara system ring a bell?"

If it was possible for Movik to turn any greener, he would have. As it was, he sat on the floor, rocking himself into a pattern saying, "Nonononononononono," as a constant chant.

With the momentum of the oncoming disaster modified by the lack of forward movement, Kale guided the shuttle closer. He wanted a closer look at the occupant. When she came out, he focussed the scans on her and took in the pale skin, midnight hair and humanoid body. It wasn't until she turned to wave at the camera that he saw the appalling truth.

"What was that? What happened? What did you do?" The normally taciturn Movik was frantic. When the sphere uncoupled itself, he had started to wring his hands and when it shattered into blazing particles that they could see from their vantage point above the breaking asteroid, he freaked.

"I did nothing. Whatever or whoever was inside that sphere is now out in the cold blackness of space."

"What do you mean who? What do you know?"

"The planet consciousness inside me felt the proximity of a star. That star is now humming happily as the creature from the sphere tears apart those rocks." It was hard to see, but here and there a form appeared, shattered a rock between its hands and then dodged away to strike another one. At the rate it was going, the great asteroid would be head-sized balls when it struck Morganti's atmosphere, easily destroyed by entry.

"An Avatar? Oh, nononononono." He was clutching at his head now, rocking back and forth, moaning as he watched the fragments of the sphere come apart wherever they touched the debris. "Where did the asteroid come from?"

Kale had to ask the base for that question. "This is Kale-Gant to Sector Guard Base Morganti."

Mala's tired tone came through the communications unit. "Go ahead, Avatar."

"Has an origin for the rock been determined?"

There was silence for a few moments while she brought up the information. "It has been travelling for just over four hundred years. Remnant of the Emhara system. Their white dwarf went black, the nearest planet to the star exploded, but everyone was evacuated. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. The bulk of the asteroid has been destroyed. Did you get the shield up and running?"

"Only just. When you get back, you are going to have to work on increasing food yields. I am afraid I had to replace quite a bit of energy and the commissary is pissed."

"Whatever you need, Fixer. Make me a list."

"Will do. See you when you get home. Sector Base Morganti, out."

Kale turned to Movik. "Whoever made the shell, made it from the same alloy that the occupant is so cheerfully tearing apart. The Emhara system ring a bell?"

If it was possible for Movik to turn any greener, he would have. As it was, he sat on the floor, rocking himself into a pattern saying, "Nonononononononono," as a constant chant.

With the momentum of the oncoming disaster modified by the lack of forward movement, Kale guided the shuttle closer. He wanted a closer look at the occupant. When she came out, he focussed the scans on her and took in the pale skin, midnight hair and humanoid body. It wasn't until she turned to wave at the camera that he saw the appalling truth.