“That’s funny, because I slept great,” Amina said. He must’ve heard the sarcasm because he sounded a rumble of amusement. “It’s going to be tough for a little while, but we’ll figuresomething out. Remember, Helmen and everyone is out there, ready to help us when we give them the signal.”
“What signal?” he asked.
“The one they’ll figure out when I do,” she said, making him rumble with amusement again. She wiggled in his arms, and he set her down. Before letting her go, he rubbed his face in her hair, reapplying his oil.
She pulled in a deep breath, comforted by the scent as much as he was.
“I wish we had time to enjoy ourselves,” he said.
“Same,” she said. “But maybe tonight.”
“Definitely tonight,” agreed.
After using the sonic setting on the cleansing unit so it only took moments to be clean and dry, Amina tied her hair up in her usual bun to keep it out of her way. Leaving it down didn’t seem necessary if she was an “it” to Lorse and not a beloved pet like she might be perceived if other Talins were around. He wouldn’t notice or care about the shaved sides. Myrum had explained that a Talin might see it as a sign of sickness, but not Lorse.
After dressing, she tucked her arms in her sleeves and gave Myrum a smile. “Okay, I’m ready."
He hesitated. “What if I’m not?”
She stepped close and cupped his cheek, rubbing her fingers over his scent glands. Oil coated her hand.
“There’s an Old Earth saying,fake it till you make it,”she said.“I’m here to help you fake it.”
“I’m not sure that translated correctly,” Myrum said with a purr. “But I’ll work hard on pretending for you.”
“That’s it exactly,” she said. Drawing her hand back, she rubbed the oil over her lips and then went up on her toes. Myrum leaned over, and their lips met. The kiss was more about comfort than anything else. By the time she pulled back, Myrum seemed calm again.
“I’m ready,” he murmured.
“Good,” she said. “I might disappear for a little bit, but don’t get worried.”
He sounded a concerned rumble. “Will Gis be with you?”
“Probably not, but don’t worry. I can take care of myself,” she reminded him.
The dining room was as elaborately set as the dinner before.
“I know Talins only eat one meal a day, not two like us,” Lorse said. “But I thought you could sit and enjoy some tea while I eat first meal.”
“Of course,” Myrum agreed.
“Human, fetch Myrum’s favorite tea and take it to the kitchen,” Gis ordered.
Amina gave him a little dip of her head then looked around. One of the Ossisos moved to the open doorway, and Amina followed her. As they walked, she spoke quietly.
“My name is Sar, and you’re Amina,” she said. “Gis told us your name, and the staff here will use it. We won’t call youitorthing, you’re a soul even if you have a collar around your neck.”
Amina felt touched that Gis had obviously advocated for her to be considered one of them. She was surprised that the staff was receptive, though. They were ready to offer her the same help they gave to each other while serving under someone who didn’t care whether they ever ate or slept.
“I’m honored to know your name,” Amina said. “Thank you for your kindness.”
Sar stopped suddenly and turned to face her. “This shouldn’t be considered kindness; it should be common practice. Gis said you are content with being a pet. Despite his assurances, we talked about it. We’re prepared to help you.”
“Uh, you are?” she asked, shocked by this twist.
“Yes, we have a plan!” Sar said, talking quickly with excitement. “A Veli supply ship is due in a few cycles. They’re the only ones who sell the really exotic items Lorse likes to buy. They’d be willing to transport you, and they don’t ask questions. Just before they leave, we’d get you onboard then cover your absence for as long as possible. Hisha is having issues with one of her brewers, and she said it would be easy to cause a minor emergency with it. That would help distract everyone until the ship was too far to call back.”
It was a good plan. One she or Helmen might’ve thought of themselves.
