Angels and Ministers of Grace Read online

Anya stopped abruptly and turned to them with sudden determination. "You know what, you girls go ahead. I'm going back for a little chat with the commander."

  "Okay, have fun."

  Ignoring Jar's bland amusement, Anya marched back the way she'd come, a fire in her blood. Damn it, she was tired of being treated like a subhuman species by him, and it was way past time, by god, that she found out why!

  Chapter 16

  Jason was miserable. He didn't have much of an appetite, and he'd been sleeping worse than usual since he'd held Anya in his arms, a memory he shied away from as much as possible. Not that he didn't dream about holding her when he did sleep—and touching her, tasting her, telling her things he had no business telling her. He longed to see her, but then he'd imagine the stiff, polite smile she'd have on her face and maybe even pity in her eyes when she became aware of how far he'd fallen. It made him sick with humiliation that she would be able to see into him so easily and furious that she would do it in the first place. Yet he hurt every time he remembered watching her dance with death at the edge of the abyss.

  He hadn't seen her for nearly three days, but he was well aware of what was happening. Frank couldn't stop talking about her, and the captain seemed to delight in giving him every little tidbit of information. He'd taken to avoiding the both of them whenever possible just so he could stop hearing about her. Their words were a sweet, avid torment that only made him more miserable. But then the captain had cornered him in his office.

  Wary at first, he'd begun to relax when it seemed as though she was just there on business. Her topic was the intricacies of station politics, a boring but safe subject. Then Anya had walked in, and he'd realized that Marta had not only known she was coming, but had held him there for her like an animal for sacrifice. He was only able to contain his fury by keeping his mouth shut. And he was only able to keep from touching Anya by looking at her as little as possible. That she could affect him so deeply when he was so furious didn't make him any calmer.

  It was a bitter relief when they left, and Jason concentrated on stilling the turmoil in his guts, not bothering to move. He was still leaning against the desk when Anya burst back into the room, looking like a vengeful angel and breaking his control to bits.

  "What the hell is wrong with you, Salvatore?" She marched over until she stood right in front of him, hands on hips and eyes flashing like sapphire stars. "I don't know why you think you can get away with being so damned rude and—"

  "Leave me the hell alone, woman!" he snarled, but even as he spoke it was too late, his body moving of its own volition. Straightening, he clasped her face in his hands and took her mouth with his own.

  Coherent thought disappeared as need roared through him and sensation filled his world. The reality of her made his dreams seem bland in comparison, and he soaked her in like a man parched, his misery transforming to elation at the feel of her between his hands and under his lips. Her skin was softer than he could have ever imagined, and her lips were even more so. They parted under his, and he slid his hands into her silky hair with an almost inaudible groan of desire as he deepened the kiss, the sweet taste of her driving him wild.

  "Hey, Jace—whoa! Uh…"

  The sound of Frank's startled voice was a cruel jolt of reality, and Jason pulled away from her, spinning around the edge of the desk and keeping his back to them both. He was afraid to see Anya's reaction, and Frank sure as hell didn't need to see how much she affected him.

  "S-sorry…" Frank's embarrassed voice took on a note of concern. "Anya, are you okay?"

  There was no answer, and Jason heard the quick, soft fall of her footsteps as she left. Unable to look at his friend, Jason threw himself into the chair behind his desk and slumped down, closing his eyes and trying to still the bone-deep shaking in his body. There was silence for a long moment, but he knew Coop hadn't left yet.

  "Jace…are you okay?"

  "Not really," he muttered between his teeth, wishing without much hope that Frank would just drop it.

  "She didn't look so good when she left either."

  Probably horrified and sickened by his attack. Guilt mixed with self-disgust and unabated desire in his gut, turning emotional torment into real nausea.

  When he didn't answer, Frank continued, "I'm sorry to bust in like that, but… What happened, Jace?"

  Jason slowly sat up and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands. There was no way he was going to answer that question. Not a chance in hell. "I can't keep my hands off her." Damn it! He tensed and waited for the recriminations he was sure would come.

  "Uh huh." There was a pause. "Jace, that's not what put that look on her face. What else you got?"

  Jason dropped his hands and stared up at Frank in confused exasperation. The man was standing there expectantly, a smile lurking around his mouth as if waiting for the punch line to a joke. "She came in here yelling, and I grabbed her and kissed her! She didn't exactly give me permission. If she looked upset or angry or whatever, that's why."

  "No, it's not. See, the look I'm talking about is the one she got on her face right after the other look."

  "What other look?"

  "The one she had on her face right after you stopped kissing her."

  Eying Frank suspiciously, Jason ground his teeth together and refused to ask. They stared at each other for a long moment before Frank started chuckling.

  "Not gonna ask, are you? I'm not gonna tell you either. Captain's right; some thing's you just gotta figure out on your own." Still chuckling and shaking his head, Coop headed for the door.

  "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

  But Frank didn't say another word, disappearing out the door while snickering his bald fool head off. Staring at the closed door with a scowl, Jason wondered when that idiot and the captain had become so chummy. Marta was bad enough by herself—if she had an accomplice, Jason was in serious trouble.

  Anya walked down the corridor slowly, trying her best not to look as shattered as she felt. Recovering from the best damned kiss she'd ever had in her life wasn't easy. To make matters worse, he hadn't meant it. "Leave me the hell alone," he'd said, and then kissed her, melting her into a puddle at his feet before turning away like it'd meant nothing—like she'd meant nothing. And all the time, the only emotion she'd been able to feel from him was anger. He'd kissed her angry. He'd turned her into a misty-eyed idiot with his strong hands and hot mouth all because he was mad at her for no apparent reason.

  It was enough to drive a person insane. No wonder she was wandering down the corridor like a mindless fool. It didn't help when she reached the junction to see her friends waiting for her. They were the last people she wanted to witness her humiliation, but Jar made it obvious that it was written all over her face.

  "What the hell happened?"

  They crowded around her in concern and she tried not to sound as forlorn as she felt when she answered, "He kissed me."

  "He—" The three of them glanced at each other before Jar looked back at her, face altering into a wry expression. "Isn't that a good thing?"

  "He did it in anger."

  "Oh really." She could see the disbelief in Jar's smile. "Yeah, that's the first thing I wanna do when I'm mad at somebody is kiss 'em."

  Ces snickered behind a hand, but shut up when Anya shot her a glare. "I'm telling you, the only thing I felt from him was anger! He kissed me angry, damn him."

  "All right, whatever you say," Jar murmured, but Anya could tell by the smirk on her face that she wasn't done.

  They crowded into a tube, silent for less than a minute. "You know," Jar started in a thoughtful tone, and Anya gave a heavy, expectant sigh. "I'm pretty good at pissing people off. Just let me know if you want some pointers." She slanted an evil look at Anya out of the corner of her eye. "In case you want a repeat performance."

  "That's not funny," Anya muttered, frowning at Ces who was laughing like a loon. "Can we drop this? We've got a lot to do today, and I thi
nk we should start with the Seasons."

  "You sure you're up to it?"

  "Yes." Anything to get my mind off Jason, she thought, but didn't say aloud. "The Belkan said he was ready for us this afternoon, right?"

  "Well, he made a noise that sounded like that, yeah. But if we're going to do the Seasons, than maybe we should put off the tryout for Whitey's. You shouldn't overdo it, you know."

  "I'll be fine. We need to get situated as soon as possible, especially if you girls are moving to new quarters. They cost money, you know."

  "We can put that off until you're feeling—"

  "Oh please! I love you three like sisters, but I'll be just as happy to get you out of my hair as you are to go. The doc gave me a clean bill of health, and besides, I'm anxious to get started. It's been awhile since we did something as normal as perform."

  The other three agreed in emphatic voices and gave her no more grief about it that morning. The manager of the Seasons was flabbergasted by both their appearance and their offer to sing in his restaurant. Ordinarily he would refuse such an offer outright, he said, but her name carried a significant amount of weight and business had been dropping off of late. He sent them away, promising to give them his answer after he'd discussed it with the owner.

  "He seemed…agreeable," Anya commented in a dubious tone as they left.

  "Didn't even ask to hear us sing, though."

  Anya glanced over to see the same doubt in Jarden's eyes that she felt in herself. Were they in or not? "Well, I guess we just wait and see."

  She left the three of them in their quarters packing and wound her way through the station to the captain's office. It was disconcerting to find the place empty. Standing uncertainly in the middle of the office, Anya wondered if she should go looking for her. She didn't think they'd let her in the Command Center, so the first place she'd look was Jason's office. Her stomach tightened in anticipation at that thought, but before she could act on it, the door slid open.

  "Ah, there you are." Marta beamed at her as she swept into the room. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting long."

  "No, I just got here."

  "Good. Pull up a seat." The captain stepped behind her desk, but didn't sit down. With hands flat on the surface, she leaned towards Anya and spoke in a confidential tone. "I'm told it's grilled chicken salad or nothing for lunch. Would you rather go somewhere else?"

  "Oh no! That sounds fine." Anya gave a helpless smile at the captain's exaggerated grimace before hauling a chair to the front of the desk.

  "Well, you're a brave woman; I'll give you that," Marta murmured with a droll wink as she sat behind her desk and keyed a screen. "Two for lunch, my office, please."

  "Yes, Captain. Be right there."

  "Thank you."

  She shut off the screen and linked her hands together, studying Anya with shrewd dark eyes. "I'll hazard a guess that you haven't been following doctor's orders today."

  "Now, Marta, don't you start in, too. I feel just fine, and I promise, the very moment I get tired I'll rest."

  "Hmm." She quirked a dubious brow at Anya, but didn't argue. "So what have you been doing besides resting?"

  Anya told her about their meeting with the Seasons manager and shared her misgivings with the captain. "He didn't welcome us with open arms. I suppose we did throw him off balance, but I was hoping for a better reception than that."

  "I'll put in a good word for you. See if I can't nudge him in the right direction."

  "Oh no, please don't! I wasn't asking for your help—"

  "Anya, not only are you a very sweet person, but you're an asset to this station. With your voice and name we could draw hundreds more people here. That can only be good for business as well as public relations. What kind of captain would I be if I didn't do all that I could to keep you here?" The cynical glint in Marta's eyes faded somewhat as she smiled. "Besides, I confess I love hearing you sing."

  "Thank you," Anya murmured humbly, but she watched the captain with wary eyes as an officer entered with their lunch. She didn't doubt that the woman across from her meant well, but she also remembered her friends' advice about the captain. She did nothing without a reason and not necessarily for the obvious ones.

  They had a few moments of idle chat as they settled themselves into the meal, which was much better than the captain had implied. Anya said so and got a teasing smile from Marta. "I'll be sure to tell the chef that—she loves to hear how magnificent she is."

  There was a minute or two of comfortable silence as they ate, but Anya's mind couldn't stay focused on the meal for long. There were too many uncertainties in her life to allow for much idle time. "So you said you spoke to the Hive Queen?"

  The captain flashed her a sharp look, but glanced back down at her salad so quickly that Anya thought she'd imagined it. "Yes, I have. She is agreeable to you staying in sector seven as long as you do not approach the Hive without invitation."

  "Of course, I wouldn't! Well, that's good news."

  But Anya's relief was short-lived as the captain put down her fork with deliberate care and steepled her fingers, watching Anya over them with shrewd eyes. "It is good news, but not unexpected. What is unexpected is that the Queen has invited you. More precisely, she has demanded that you present yourself to her early this afternoon."

  "B-but—" Anya stared at Marta in a mild state of shock and not a little anxiety. "Frank said she doesn't see anyone but you!"

  "That was true, until today."

  "But why? Why would she want to see me?"

  "She is aware of what you are. I believe she's curious."

  Anya was willing to bet that it was much more than that, but Marta could've bluffed a hundred tables with the poker face she was wearing just then. "Frank also said that she's dangerous, that she may react violently to a change in my chemical makeup."

  The captain made a rude noise and rolled her eyes. "Frank Cooper should learn to keep his mouth shut, especially when it's a subject he knows nothing about! I will box his ears for certain this time, spreading rumors like that. No one has been in the Hive to see her but me. And I'm here to tell you that as long as you follow protocol there is nothing to fear."

  "Protocol?"

  "Yes, fairly simple polite behavior. In other words, don't walk up and kick the Queen in her egg sack, don't try to steal one of her larvae, don't try to burn down the Hive, and so on." Marta's tone was dry as sand, and Anya relaxed a bit.

  "But what if I say the wrong thing? What if I put my foot in the wrong place? Will she try to hurt me?"

  "I've explained that you've never met a Hive Queen before and have never been in a Hive. She's agreed to cut you some slack, and as long as you don't try to hurt her or her offspring, you're as safe as a babe in its crib."

  Anya wished she felt more reassured. "I don't want to offend her, though."

  "It's hard to say what would do that. She doesn't get offended over the same things that humans do. My advice is to keep your gestures to a minimum and stay where they put you and you'll do just fine."

  "All right. Should I—how should I address her? Does she have a name or should I just say Your Majesty?"

  "I usually call her My Queen. It seems to amuse her. She doesn't have a name as far as I know. They use pheromones to tell each Queen and her offspring apart from other Hives."

  "Yes, Frank mentioned that. Will you be coming with me?"

  "I'm sorry, Anya. I asked if I could accompany you, and the Queen refused. She wants to see you alone."

  Unnerved, Anya sat back and stared at her half-eaten salad. This afternoon she was going to go where only one other human had gone before and she was going to have to do it alone. Her heart was already beating frantically at the thought. "I have to know why." Raising her eyes to meet Marta's dark gaze, she set her jaw. "I don't believe she'd do this just out of curiosity. Does she consider me a threat? Did you tell her that I could kill with my talent?"

  "No, I didn't tell her that." Marta watched her with assessing e
yes for a moment before giving her a gentle smile. "I'd like to show you something. Are you finished?"

  Anya glanced down at the salad and nodded. There was no way she was going to be able to put even one more bite in her mouth. Her stomach was now in a disagreeable knot.

  Marta rose to her feet. "Come on, then. I can't give you a full tour of the station, but there's at least one part I'd like to introduce you to personally. It's my favorite section of the station."

  They strolled out of the office and down the corridor while Marta described where they were going. "It's called the Arboretum; though, that's a dry and inadequate word for it. I'd rather call it the gardens—that's more accurate anyway. When they first built this station, they needed a hydroponics area. This moon was already pitted and caverned, which made stabilizing the station difficult, but finding an area to grow plants easy. Some poor, homesick soul decided that just growing plants wasn't enough, and there were enough creative minds here that what they constructed was nothing short of amazing. There is an actual mini-sun at the apex of the cavern and holos create the illusion of the day and night sky as it would be seen from earth. There aren't just earth plants there, though. Trees and growing things from all over human space were imported to fill the Arboretum. It's the most exotic and breathtaking sight! This way—"

  Anya had gone straight, but Marta motioned her into a left turn. She was hopelessly lost, having paid more attention to Marta's description than to where they were going.

  "The restaurant you applied to actually overlooks the Arboretum—that's where they got the name Seasons. There are many deciduous and flowering trees, and the caretakers can control the environment enough to simulate the changing seasons. We add more to it each year and are considering enlarging the cavern. We get enough positive feedback from all the species onboard to make that a good possibility. It's very popular. Here we are."

  They'd stopped before very plain looking double doors with a small label to one side that read Arboretum. When they slid open, Anya could see a short tunnel with bright greenery beyond. She walked with Marta into the tunnel, feeling a sudden anticipatory thrill at the moist air that kissed her skin. Only planetary air had ever felt that way, and she eagerly stepped towards the light. The edges of the tunnel had a vine growing all around it with fragrant flowers that reminded Anya of roses. It distracted her enough so that when she finally stepped out onto the wood-chip path, she was taken completely by surprise at the panorama around her.