Halt Read Free Page A

headed back to the palace. Getting a snack on the go was better than most of the offerings that she could consume on this world so far from home.
    She went back to her office, filed a report about the day’s activity and headed for the gym. It was time for some nice, honest sweat that didn’t involve a fantasy of a man in a mask with brilliantly blue eyes.
     
    She was a third of her way through her workout when a ripple of intrigue ran through the other users of the facility. Tazzy paused and looked to see what the fuss was and saw Silver signing autographs and shaking hands.
    Yuula paused in her own workout. “What is he doing here?”
    “I have no idea. Don’t the Guardians have their own gym?” Tazzy tried not to stare at the female members of the royal guard who were fawning over Silver.
    “I imagine that they do, but it is probably not full of attractive and sweaty women.” Yuula chortled.
    She had a point. Every female of compatible specie was lusting after the masked Guardian.
    Tazzy returned to her workout, pulling and pushing weights that she would not have been able to lift back home. Enhancements were a wonderful thing in her line of work.
    She was on her backbench pressing twice her body weight when Yuula shifted to one side and Silver took the spot.
    “You look well, Rikkat.” He looked funny at the peculiar angle, but his expression was also sweet.
    She grunted. “It has been a while. They said you did not make it. I am glad to see that they were wrong.”
    “As was I. The measures they had to take were extensive. There was no going back.” He muttered his last sentence.
    “So I gathered last night. Family rivalry between you and Sollas?”
    Silver shrugged. “We have often been attracted to the same women. Last night was no different.”
    She let out a blast of air and sat up. Tazzy grabbed a towel and wiped sweat from her skin. “So nice to know that some things don’t change.”
    “You are angry with me.” He nodded.
    “You think? I thought you were dead for days, and then, you are alive but would not speak to me. I think I am entitled to anger.”
    Silver looked around. “This is hardly the place for this conversation.”
    Tazzy twisted her lips. “You picked it. I was just engaged in my customary nocturnal activities and you showed up.”
    “Oh? I thought your activities involved going to the Companion clubs.” He crossed his arms.
    “Special assignment to retrieve Prince Sollas. He likes to be paid for his services, and he didn’t know my face.” She got to her feet and headed for the locker room.
    She heard him follow her and did her best to ignore him. She grabbed her long robe from her locker and headed for the showers.
    “You mean you were on assignment?”
    “Of course I was, idiot Guardian. Sollas was expected for dinner at the palace and was showing no indication that he would attend on his own. I was asked to get him as I am right in his preferred specs.”
    “So, you haven’t taken to trolling for strange men on strange planets?”
    Fully dressed in her workout gear, she stepped under the shower and let it soak her down. With careful movements, she stripped off her gear and stowed it in a bag along with the towel. It was amazing how it was second nature to have all her workout clothing incinerated. Her sweat had enough strength to induce a fugue state, but without her to control it, it could be dangerous.
    She finished scrubbing and looked at Silver through her lashes.
    He was staring at her left side with a sick horror. “What happened?”
    It was a little surreal to be having this conversation in a shower.
    “It’s classified.” She shrugged and finished shampooing her hair. The green, purple and black locks were her crowning glory. Once clean, she stepped onto the drying pad, and then, she slipped on her robe.
    With her bag at her side, she headed back to her locker, Silver following in her wake.
    “I don’t understand what happened to you, Rikkat.”
    She