Jelaza Kazone
Surebleak
Daiellen Sector
“Well, that was fun,” Miri said, turning around so Val Con could unfasten her gown. “Not sure which was more surprisin’—Memit proposing herself to Yulie, or him taking her up on it.”
“You don’t approve of the match?”
“Not mine to approve, is it? Fierce damn’ woman, but I’m guessin’ he knows that.”
“I married a fierce woman, and it came out well for me. There.”
Val Con stepped back, and the dress slipped off her shoulders to puddle on the floor. Miri carefully stepped free, sliding her arms into the robe he held for her, and turned to face him.
“See, being thrown off your homeworld, and having to pretty much start over on a freezing backworld fulla bad social mistakes is your idea of ‘came out well.’ That bar’s so low, you can’t see it for the snow.”
“Only think how much worse it might have been, if I had not had you to support me.”
“Smartass. Let’s get that coat offa you.”
“The other surprise on the evening being TerraTrade’s decision,” Miri said some little while later, as she curled into the corner of the couch, glass of wine in hand. “Shan’s gonna be crushed when he finds out his recommendation to upgrade the port’s rating was turned down by TerraTrade.”
“He will perhaps be consoled when he reads further and learns that his request was denied only so the rating could be increased beyond what he had recommended.”
He turned sideways on the couch, so that he faced her. Her eyes were languid, and her face a little drawn, but she did not seem in imminent danger of collapse.
“Sector Port, all services.” Miri sipped from her glass. “We up to that?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Faint of heart, Miri?”
“Just askin’ a reasonable question. One of us is gotta be reasonable, and it sure ain’t gonna be you.”
“My character revealed,” he said mournfully.
“I won’t tell anybody. So—are we up to Sector Port? If we gotta start calling people in, now’s not too soon.”
“The portmaster is of course the lead authority on the port,” Val Con murmured. “She has resources, and she also has the ear of a master trader, and the goodwill of TerraTrade. The net is perhaps not as wide as it must eventually be, but Portmaster Liu values her relationship with Boss Conrad and the council, so I do not believe she will hold shy of asking for what she needs, as it becomes apparent.”
“So, nothing to do with the Road Boss or Clan Korval,” Miri said. “Good to know.”
She leaned forward to put her barely touched glass on the table before leaning back with a sigh. He felt her weariness through the lifemate bond. She was not yet entirely recovered from her dance with death. Nor, in truth, was he.
“Are you well, cha’trez?” he murmured.
She lifted a shoulder.
“Tired, is all.”
She raised a slim hand to cover a sudden yawn, and leaned her head against the back of the couch.
“Quite a party,” she murmured. “I tell you what, Boss—I wanna be Lady yo’Lanna when I grow up.”
“A worthy goal.”
He put his glass next to hers, and rose, holding his hands down to her.
“I am likewise exhausted by the crush,” he said. “May I ask your support to the bed?”
“We’ll support each other,” she said.
She no longer required his assistance to rise, but he could feel a slight tremor in her fingers as she put her hands in his.
“Val Con,” she said, once she was on her feet.
He looked into her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Yes,” she repeated. “I’m recovering, right?”
“Right,” he agreed.
A smile wavered, and she stretched up, her hands on his shoulders, and her lips against his ear. Her breath woke a shiver as she whispered.
“Race you to sleep.”