Hul stood, looking formidable with his legs apart and his arms folded across his chest, glaring at her.
“No one meant to harm you. Hul’s choice of foods is not to everyone’s tastes.” Ric smiled kindly. She found herself smiling back. Hul, in a seeming huff, turned and stomped out of the quarters, the door silently sliding shut behind him.
“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to upset him,” she said as an afterthought.
“You didn’t, little Kat. He’ll recover. Feeling better now?”
She nodded. Ric reached out, fingering the fabric of her sundress. “This suits you—very beautiful. Is this kind of clothing common on your planet?”
“Um, in the warmer parts, yes.” She felt herself blushing at his compliment, suddenly feeling rather shy, even after everything they had shared.
“Our planet is warm. Not from the sun, but the great lakes of fire which burn night and day. I will see if I can have similar clothing made for you, and what should we do with your mane of hair?”
Kat’s hands flew to her hair, mortified. Her hair must be an absolute mass of tangles.
“Um, I have a hair brush in my bag, if you still have my bag?”
Ric got off the bed and walked to the same invisible storage area, waving his hand over a lower part of the wall, revealing her burgundy suitcase. He brought it over to her.
A pang of loss washed over her, as she studied the only thing she had left from her home. She swallowed back the lump of emotion and unzipped the case, rummaging through her clothes to pull out a bristled brush before re-zipping it again. Ric removed it, putting it back into the storage unit.
She started working at the knots, smoothing out her hair while Ric watched in obvious fascination.
“Your women don’t have long hair?”
“Not like this. Out of tradition, hair is short, better to battle with. Even our women keep it short, so there is no need to tend it other than washing.”
“On Earth, hair can be a woman’s crowning glory, or so I’ve heard. We like to do all sorts of things with it, wear it many different ways.”
“It is beautiful, so soft. It is a melding of different shades of color. It is quite mesmerizing, but then again, so are you.”
Again she couldn’t help the rise of a blush through her cheeks. Ric chuckled and reached for the hand and removed the brush from her grip.
She was a little confused at his action until he turned her slightly on the bed, taking over the task of brushing her long hair.
She sighed at how wonderful it felt.
“Hul told me you have to fight for the women on Demos. Is that true?”
“What else has he been telling you?” He glided the brush through her hair in long, soothing strokes.
“Not much, other than bossing me around.”
“Do not worry your lovely head about Hul. We may be quads, but are as individual as you can get in some aspects. Hul is more, um…” He hesitated.
She guessed he was contemplating if he should tell her or not.
“Serious, dominant?” she offered.
She heard the smile in Ric’s voice. “You’re very astute. I must remember that.”
Her felt her lips twitch up in a grin.
“And you’re the family caretaker; Gol likes to be in charge, and Div is an outrageous flirt. No, it’s not hard to see your personality traits. You even walk and talk slightly different. So are you going to answer my first question?”
Again he seemed to hesitate, as if thinking it over before finally answering.
“It is true, Demos females have high standards. When a female is ready to become a sheraz, she will often choose one to three sets of quads she deems worthy. Then it is up to them to prove in combat and in the bed chamber just how worthy to protect and care for her needs they are.”
Another wave of homesickness and sadness swept through her, as she felt the difference in their cultures.
“I see, but that will not be a choice for me. I am after all still just property.” Kat struggled to hold back the tears.
The strokes on her hair stopped. Ric’s strong warm arms surrounded her, lifting her and pulling her onto his lap. She sighed as he cradled her head against his chest, offering the comfort she badly needed.
“Gol may very well tear me to pieces for telling you this, but you are an intelligent creature and deserve to know.”
She tensed in his arms, wondering what Gol didn’t want her to know.
“We have plans to set you free when we reach Demos in a few days' time.”
Her stomach tightened in sudden panic. They were going to leave her? “But I thought females had to be protected, what will I do—”
Ric placed his large middle finger over her lips, cutting her off.