Stardancer (Tellaran Series) (24 page)

The arms around her tightened briefly and Kinara snuggled closer. She made a soft sound of contentment, running her hand over warm skin. 

Her eyes flew open. “Get off me!”

“I am not on you,” Aidar said. “You are on me.”

She scowled. She was indeed on him, her leg thrown over his. 

“It was cold last night,” she grumbled, starting to disentangle from him. 

He didn’t even try to keep her against him. His hold slackened instantly and she slipped away easily.

“Hmm,” he murmured rubbing his eyes. “I slept overlong. I must dress and go.”

Kinara gritted her teeth. “Well, as little as I like to inconvenience you, Banne is paying a call today and I need you here.” 

He paused then sighed. “I will go after her call.”  

He got out of bed and stretched then padded off to the bathing chamber.

Damn him.

She followed him. He was already in the pool, dunking his head under the water. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I have to bathe too and I can’t wait all morning.”

He barely glanced at her. Kinara got into the water and half-turned from him as she bathed. It was impossible to ignore him. She washed, holding herself stiffly in case he got any ideas. 

She glanced at him but he ignored her completely. Had he shared a bath with Senya? Kinara could feel her jaw clenching. What exactly had happened in Senya’s bath that he noticed her no more now than if she were a bench? 

She washed and rinsed her hair then stretched her arms back for a moment, letting the water drive her breasts higher. Then she reached for the soap, sliding the lather over her breasts.

She looked at him beneath her lashes to find him cleaning his fingernails. She turned and stood on one of the steps to lather her back, letting the soap bubbles slide over her buttocks. She reached for a sponge and glanced at him.

He was frowning as he examined his thumbnail. She dipped beneath the water and rinsed. She paused on the step, the water to her knee. 

He didn’t even look up.

She grabbed a towel to dry off then pulled her robe on. “Just how long do you intend to stay there? I can hear the women coming in, and I have to get ready.”

“I need nothing from you,” he said, turning away.

Her eyes narrowed. 

“Laric!” she barked as she came into the bedroom.

The maid jumped and dropped the gown she was holding.

“Get me a gown fit for greeting the clan leaders of the Az’leb and the Sah. Make sure whatever you choose has a bright color and bring me the zahah jewels.” She tossed a glance at Metha. “Go down and tell the kitchen to have the tea and sweets ready. A lot of sweets and make sure there is plenty of that bakauri candy I got yesterday then go to the garden and see to it that everything’s ready.”

The women froze, their eyes going to the bathing chamber door as Aidar strolled out, wrapped in a robe, rubbing at his hair with a towel. 

“Don’t stand around like yentath at gathering time!” Kinara snapped. “Those clan leaders’ll be here soon, so
move
it!
”

The women scattered. She stood stiffly as the women dressed her.  Laric was clucking over her wet hair; there would hardly be time to get it dry and arranged. The more elaborate the hairstyle, the more important the guest, and Kinara warned her not to overdo it. She didn’t want these clan leaders thinking that they were too important to the Az’anti.

Laric was twisting her hair into a suitable style when Kyndan came in.  In the past days the women had become used to his inviting himself into Kinara’s rooms. 

“Where’s Bebti?” Kinara asked. She hadn’t seen the boy since yesterday. He was usually already in her room by this time of the morning, holding a plate of pastries for her to choose from, offering to fan her and generally getting in the way.

Kyndan shrugged. “Probably begging Nyat for a sword lesson or strutting around inspecting the guards. I should teach him darshball, the kid has enough energy to make up a whole team.” He looked her over and raised an eyebrow. “What are you all dressed up for? Having an audience with the Empress?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said impatiently. “If I were going to see the Empress I’d be wearing all black.”

“Right, sorry,” he said, taking a piece of fruit and biting into it. “I guess I’m not up on Az-kye fashions. What are you up to today, Kinna?  Kowtowing to another Az-kye High Lady?”

“The Az-kye don’t have High Ladies. They have clan
Ti’antahs
and yes, two are visiting me today.”

“Sounds like fun.” Kyndan sat on a nearby couch. “I don’t even know why you bother with this nonsense.”

Kinara checked her hair in the mirror that Laric held up. “It’s not fun, it’s work. And the only reason you aren’t scrubbing floors somewhere is because I’m a clan leader.”

“Oh, now I suppose you’re going to tell me you really like being a —” Kyndan jumped to his feet. “What’s
he
doing here?!” 

Dressed now, Aidar returned her brother’s glare with an Az-kye warrior’s impassivity.

She was keenly aware of the women looking between them. 

“He’s lord of the Az’anti,” Kinara mumbled. “This is his house.”

“You’re not letting him stay here?”

As if she had a starblasted
choice!
“Where he stays is none of your business.”

“None of my
business?
He destroyed our ships, he imprisoned our people, and he sold me into slavery!” Kyndan raged. “And you think it’s none of my business that my sister is playing his whore?”

Kinara was on her feet and a handbreadth from him in an instant.

“Don’t ever speak to me that way again!
Never
, do you understand? Or I’ll have you outside picking berries from sunrise to midnight.”

Kyndan’s lip curled. “I never thought I’d see the day when you’d be like them. Nothing more than another filthy
Az-kye
.”

“These people depend on me, Kyndan! I’m their clan leader; do you know what that means? It means I’m responsible for them. I have to take care of their needs.”

“What you mean is you have to take care of his needs!” Kyndan shouted with a wave at Aidar.

“He could have killed you or me or any of our people but he didn’t.
And
he figured out how to get you away from Unata. I couldn’t have done it! If he hadn’t thought quickly you would still be Unata’s slave.”

“Instead of
yours
? Maybe you want me to pick some berries now?”

“No, what I want is you out of my sight! Now, get out!”

“You order, I obey,” Kyndan spat. 

He slammed the heavy door behind him.

Kinara was shaking. The women’s eyes were lowered, acting as if they hadn’t seen their lady shouted at by a slave. As if they hadn’t seen that slave walk away without punishment. 

Aidar’s face was turned toward the open balcony doors, his gaze kept pointedly on the city outside.

“Come on, let’s finish up,” she muttered to the women. “Those clan leaders will be here soon.”

The maids put the final touches on her clothing, smoothed her hair, and applied her lip color.

Kinara took a quick glance in the mirror and nodded to Laric to hand over her jaha feather fan.

The door banged open just as Kinara turned and Bebti burst into the room.

“Lady! Have you need of me? I slept overlo-
oof!
” The boy broke off as Aidar caught him by the scuff of the neck.

“Hey,” Kinara cried. “Let him go!”

Aidar stared at her as Bebti struggled against his hold, the child howling blistering curses. “Let him —?”

“Go!”  Kinara glared. “Now!”

The instant Aidar slackened his grip the boy launched himself toward her and threw his arms around her waist.

Kinara put her arm around him, cradling his head with her hand.

“It’s all right,” she soothed as the child turned his head to stare at Aidar. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“Who is this boy?” Aidar demanded.

Kinara shifted her iridescent fan to her other hand to keep it from being crushed. “This is Bebti.”

Aidar glanced at Laric, who lifted her eyebrows and gave him a long-suffering look, then at Bebti and back at her. “
Cy’atta
, whose child is this?”

“Well,” Kinara began then cleared her throat. “I guess you could say he’s mine.”

Aidar blinked. “Your—?  I do not—Where did he
come
from?”

“I was sitting outside the Temple of Lashima and I found . . . Well, actually
he
found
me
. And then I sort of, uh, adopted him and brought him home.”

Aidar’s face was naked with astonishment. “You did
what?
”

“I adopted him.” She shifted her weight. “Kind of. I mean not officially or anything but his parents are— Bebti,” she said with a glance down at the boy. “This is your lord, Aidar of the Az’anti.”

Aidar was staring at the boy as if he were a dava-stink bug that had crawled into the house.

For his part Bebti was looking up wide-eyed at Aidar as if the warrior god Ren’thar had just appeared in the flesh in front of him.

“When—?” Aidar began, his voice strangled. “When did you do such, my mate?”

Kinara’s eyes narrowed. “While you were
away
.”

“I am to be one of your warriors, my lord!” Bebti cried. “My lady promised so!”

Aidar recoiled. “You promised to make this
street
child—”

“I think he will make a fine warrior someday,” Kinara interrupted, stroking the child’s hair.

Aidar swiped his hand over his eyes. 

Kinara met him glare for glare.

Finally Aidar blew his breath out and threw a glower at Bebti. “Let go your lady
this instant
and go you to the boys’ quarters!”

“Oh, no way!” Kinara protested, holding the child fast. “He’s stays with me!”

Aidar’s nostrils flared. “No, he shall
not
!”

Kinara hardened her jaw. “I think you’re forgetting who is
Ti’antah
here.”

“How many summers are you?” Aidar snapped at the child.

“E-eight, my lord.”

Aidar raised his eyes triumphantly as if this explained everything.

“Yeah, so? He’s a kid,” Kinara countered.

“He is eight summers,” Aidar gritted out. “Too old to be clinging to a woman’s skirts, even were you his mother!”

“I was eight when I lost my mother,” Kinara snapped. “Believe me, it’s too young to lose one.”

“You would have this . . .
urchin
elevated far above his birth and made a warrior?” Aidar demanded, pointing at Bebti. “So be it! He is eight summers. He must go to the boys’ quarters. He will live there while he trains.” His nostrils flared, looking at Bebti. “
If
any can be convinced to teach him.”

Kinara held the boy still. “Bebti, what do you want to do?”

Aidar looked at her in furious disbelief. From the corner of her eye she could see the women’s shocked reactions and Kinara instantly knew she’d blundered.

I’m clan leader and right now a clan leader would
—

“Uh, I mean,” Kinara put in quickly. “Do you want to go to the boys’ quarters
now
or
after
you’ve had your breakfast?”

Aidar’s shoulders lost some of their stiffness and she could almost feel the tension in the room fall.

“Now, please, my lady!” Bebti cried. “I’m not hungry!”

“That’s a first,” Kinara joked. She blinked away sudden tears as the child squirmed away but she didn’t try to hold him.

Bebti gave Aidar a quick bow and ran from the room in such a hurry to start training he didn’t even glance back.