know? Because every moment here, I have seen what this place truly is, and you do not deserve it. I will be patrolling from a distance, Sox. I don’t want to be near them.”
Cor stalked off and walked into the building once again. Her anger at the hypocrisy of the Vahsh after seven centuries was still burning inside her. Fury was a hard thing to shake when she could see the scene behind her eyes.
Dahla had been a quiet girl, huge doe brown eyes and a shy smile. The Vahsh had been unable to ignore her purity and defiled it in a laughing, braying pack.
Cor walked down the hall, a peculiar light catching her attention. The light grew brighter as she walked, and the air warmed around her, the scent of cinnamon drawing her in.
The hall widened into an open room with a vaulted ceiling. The light was embedded in the floor, and it took her a dozen steps to walk to the collection of lights that was calling to her.
She knelt beside the stones and brushed her fingers over the greenish gleam. A pop and a click preceded a mechanical shift beneath the floor. The glow began to rise, the stones connected into a ball, and they rose up until she was facing a staff with a swirling ball of power on top. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and removed the staff from its base.
Energy surged through her, and a voice came into her thoughts. He waits for you.
What?
He waits for you, bring the staff to the garden, and you will know what to do.
Cor carried the staff easily down the hall and into the garden. It was the tree that had yielded fruit that called to her.
Voices called out to her, but they couldn’t press through the roaring in her ears. She could hear nothing but the soothing murmur of power that was now a constant in her mind.
Cor stood just outside the branch radius of the tree, and she lowered the staff, pointing the smooth power crystals at the trunk, willing the energy to leave the stone and enter the wood.
The tree shivered dramatically, and while the girls were making shocked and frightened sounds, she continued to give the power of the sceptre to the tree.
There was a shift in the shape of the tree as it twisted under the onslaught of power. It took on a bipedal form, and when it completed its transition, it was definitely male, well built and completely naked.
Knowing who she was looking at, Cor went down on one knee, her staff pointing to the sky once again. “Welcome, Avatar.”
His voice was deep and quiet. “You are not a sacrifice.”
She looked up, trying not to let her gaze drag itself up his abs. “I am a guard for the sacrifice.”
He was made of green and deep bronzy brown. His hair was as dark as pine needles, his eyes bright lime green. Everything else was in shades of rich browns.
“It seems that Lero’s plan has brought me what I wanted, though not in the manner I had foreseen. Your name, child?”
“Cora Lietta Rhodes of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra. Most call me Cor.”
“Relak, Avatar of Lero, and very glad to meet you. Please, rise.” He held out his hand, and he lifted her to her feet.
She saw images of him laughing, his green hair flowing back in the sun. Images of his attention solely fixed on her with his eyes intent. More images rippled in of her hands on his skin and not only the skin on his chest.
Cor got to her feet and stood with the staff comfortably in her grip.
Relak looked her over, up and down for an uncomfortable amount of time. “What in the name of nineteen stars are you wearing?”
She closed her eyes for a moment then walked toward the fire. The costume had felt like a bit of a prank, and she now had proof.
Chapter Three
“Sox, grab your bag and change. These costumes are for the entertainment of our clients.” Cor ignored the man behind her and grabbed her small pack. The bodysuit that she flicked out was opaque, dark burgundy and considerably warmer than the costume she had on now.
The sacrifices were staring at the man in horror but Cor
Cor stalked off and walked into the building once again. Her anger at the hypocrisy of the Vahsh after seven centuries was still burning inside her. Fury was a hard thing to shake when she could see the scene behind her eyes.
Dahla had been a quiet girl, huge doe brown eyes and a shy smile. The Vahsh had been unable to ignore her purity and defiled it in a laughing, braying pack.
Cor walked down the hall, a peculiar light catching her attention. The light grew brighter as she walked, and the air warmed around her, the scent of cinnamon drawing her in.
The hall widened into an open room with a vaulted ceiling. The light was embedded in the floor, and it took her a dozen steps to walk to the collection of lights that was calling to her.
She knelt beside the stones and brushed her fingers over the greenish gleam. A pop and a click preceded a mechanical shift beneath the floor. The glow began to rise, the stones connected into a ball, and they rose up until she was facing a staff with a swirling ball of power on top. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and removed the staff from its base.
Energy surged through her, and a voice came into her thoughts. He waits for you.
What?
He waits for you, bring the staff to the garden, and you will know what to do.
Cor carried the staff easily down the hall and into the garden. It was the tree that had yielded fruit that called to her.
Voices called out to her, but they couldn’t press through the roaring in her ears. She could hear nothing but the soothing murmur of power that was now a constant in her mind.
Cor stood just outside the branch radius of the tree, and she lowered the staff, pointing the smooth power crystals at the trunk, willing the energy to leave the stone and enter the wood.
The tree shivered dramatically, and while the girls were making shocked and frightened sounds, she continued to give the power of the sceptre to the tree.
There was a shift in the shape of the tree as it twisted under the onslaught of power. It took on a bipedal form, and when it completed its transition, it was definitely male, well built and completely naked.
Knowing who she was looking at, Cor went down on one knee, her staff pointing to the sky once again. “Welcome, Avatar.”
His voice was deep and quiet. “You are not a sacrifice.”
She looked up, trying not to let her gaze drag itself up his abs. “I am a guard for the sacrifice.”
He was made of green and deep bronzy brown. His hair was as dark as pine needles, his eyes bright lime green. Everything else was in shades of rich browns.
“It seems that Lero’s plan has brought me what I wanted, though not in the manner I had foreseen. Your name, child?”
“Cora Lietta Rhodes of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra. Most call me Cor.”
“Relak, Avatar of Lero, and very glad to meet you. Please, rise.” He held out his hand, and he lifted her to her feet.
She saw images of him laughing, his green hair flowing back in the sun. Images of his attention solely fixed on her with his eyes intent. More images rippled in of her hands on his skin and not only the skin on his chest.
Cor got to her feet and stood with the staff comfortably in her grip.
Relak looked her over, up and down for an uncomfortable amount of time. “What in the name of nineteen stars are you wearing?”
She closed her eyes for a moment then walked toward the fire. The costume had felt like a bit of a prank, and she now had proof.
Chapter Three
“Sox, grab your bag and change. These costumes are for the entertainment of our clients.” Cor ignored the man behind her and grabbed her small pack. The bodysuit that she flicked out was opaque, dark burgundy and considerably warmer than the costume she had on now.
The sacrifices were staring at the man in horror but Cor