Vanished:Brides of the Kindred 21 Read online

  The second thing that stopped her urge for self-exploration was the fear that Shad and their host might hear her. She tended to get loud if she wasn’t careful and she had the idea that the sex-milk aphrodisiac she had ingested would make it really hard for her to be careful and quiet. She didn’t need to start moaning and gasping and advertising her problem—what she needed was to get someplace even more private—and preferably soundproof—so she could take care of herself and try to figure out what to do next.

  But where was she going to find someplace like that?

  Then Master Yll-no’s words came back to her…“Do you wish to take a bath, my dear? You might want to wait until you get back to the space yacht I am forging for you. The bathing facilities will be truly sumptuous, I promise.”

  That’s what I need—to get back to the new ship he’s making for us, Harper told herself. I’m sure I can find a way to help myself and get some relief there. After all, how long can this possibly last?

  Then she remembered something else—what Pie-lo had said about hoping she enjoyed her “insatiable cravings.” Was this what he’d been talking about? How long did the effects of the sex-milk last? And was there any antidote?

  I wonder if they’ll have access to the Interweb on the new ship? Harper wondered. She knew Shad did—it was kind of like the Internet but for the entire known galaxy. Surely she could find some information on her plight and how to deal with it there.

  The idea reinforced the feeling that she had to get away from here. Had to get someplace where she could figure this mess out on her own.

  And she had to do it quick before her breasts got any bigger or started leaking.

  “Right,” Harper muttered to herself. She pulled up her gown and pulled down the t-shirt. She’d had it knotted at her side before but now she unknotted it and let it hang loose, which made it considerably roomier. Satisfied at last that her problem was hidden, Harper fluffed her hair and left the bathroom. But she knew her new, larger breasts wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

  She had to get out of here fast.

  * * * * *

  Shad thought Harper seemed distracted and withdrawn when she came back from the fresher unit. But he supposed she was simply trying to digest all the strange things that had happened to them that day. It had been incredibly rough on her, he knew. From the moment he’d grabbed her on the beach it seemed they hadn’t had a moment’s peace or rest. He hoped they would be able to take it easy and catch their breath once they got aboard the fabulous space yacht Master Yll-no was forging for them.

  Of course, they had to get to it first.

  So when the Master forger finally finished speaking Harper’s new life into being, he had a request.

  “Master Yll-no,” he said. “I would ask you for one more thing—a V-copter of our own to take us back to the spaceport. It is a long, weary journey and I would be pleased to get there sooner rather than later.”

  The Master forger’s golden eyes gleamed.

  “As to that, I can do better than a V-copter. I can transport the two of you directly to the ship I have forged for you simply by moving your doppelgangers there.” He gestured to the miniscule Harper and Shad figures which were still standing on the balcony of the palace on the model of their new home world.

  Harper frowned. “But since you, uh, spoke all this into being, will we meet ourselves there? I mean, will there suddenly be two of us?”

  “Naturally not, my dear—that is dimensionally impossible. I would have to merge these doppelgangers into you eventually anyway—transporting you as I do so will simply save time.”

  “So…that won’t change us at all?” Harper still seemed hesitant. She had her arms crossed over her chest in a strangely protective way that made Shad frown—was something wrong with her?

  “You will be the exact same people you have always been,” the Master Forger promised. “Would you like me to instantly transport you?”

  “Yes,” Shad answered for them both. “I think that would be the best and fastest way to go.”

  “Then hold perfectly still, the two of you. And may fortune favor you,” he added, looking at Shad.

  “Thank you. For all of your help. For honoring the debt you owed my fathers,” Shad said, nodding.

  “Thank you for offering me a challenge. These forgeries are the most complete I could make them—I pray for your sake they will fool She Who Alters.”

  “I pray so too,” Shad said fervently. He was well aware of the risk they were taking. If Master Yll-no’s forgeries didn’t fool the Goddess, they would be dead and without enough power in the looper to start again. Still, what else could they do?

  Trust, whispered a voice in his brain—the words of the Mother of All Life.

  I am trying, he told her. Then he felt a strange sensation—a feeling of weightlessness though his feet remained on the ground.

  Looking up, he saw that Master Yll-no had lifted his tiny doppelganger, tweezing his black leather vest delicately between thumb and finger, and was moving him slowly over to the model of the golden ship.

  “Now when I set him down, you will instantly merge and be where he is—right outside the ship,” the Master forger said. “Ready yourself.”

  “I am re—” Shad stared to say but before the words could finish leaving his mouth, there was a swirl of color, a moment of solid blackness, and then he found himself back on the landing platform at the space port, staring up at the immense golden side of a space yacht only the wealthiest could afford.

  On the landing spoke beside it, as though in contrast, sat his own battered craft. It looked to Shad like a sad little stray dog next to a showy peacock. However, it did have one advantage over the beautiful yacht—it was real. The space yacht would dissolve into dust after a year and a day but Shad’s little ship would still be there.

  But for now it was real enough. He lifted his hand and touched the golden side, which thrummed with power. The ship was as real as the clothing he now wore—black leather trousers and boots and a black leather vest to go with them. He was dressed as his tiny doppelganger had been.

  Shad shook his head in wonder. What a pity the forger’s solid illusions couldn’t last forever! If there was anything lasting about them, he could have asked Master Yll-no to change Harper and unmake the part of her that was ten’sora. But eventually she would have reverted back to normal and then they would have been right back where they’d started. Besides, he wasn’t sure if the Master forger would have been willing to work such a drastic change on a living subject. It didn’t seem likely.

  Speaking of that, where was Harper?

  Shad looked around anxiously, wondering why it was taking so long for her to be transported. Just as he was really beginning to worry and curse himself for allowing the Master to send him first, she finally popped into existence right beside him.

  “Oh,” she gasped, and looked around, apparently dazed. She was wearing a new outfit too but Shad couldn’t see it very well—it was obscured by the cloak of thorns which was hissing and spitting at the furry humlock, which she clutched to her chest.

  “Are you all right?” Shad asked her, frowning sternly. “I was beginning to get worried.

  “Sorry.” She gave him an uncertain look and once again he wondered if something was wrong with her. “I, uh, liked the humlock so much Master Yll-no gave it to me. But that meant he had to make a little one to give to the little Harper before he could transport me and well…that took some time. Plus, these two don’t like each other at all.” She nodded down at the angry cloak of thorns and the quivering, whimpering humlock which seemed to be struggling to get away from the threat of the menacing cloak.

  “So I see,” he said dryly. Leave it to Harper to pick up two pets which hated each other. In every path they’d been on together, she was always too soft-hearted when it came to animals. “Here,” he added, reaching for the frightened humlock, “Let me help.”

  “No!” Harper pulled away, keeping the furry creature tight
to her chest. “I mean…he’ll be okay once we get settled in the ship.”

  Shad frowned. “I’m sure he will but don’t you want to separate the two of them and get a little peace? I can carry it, er, him for you for a while—I don’t mind.”

  “No.” She actually took two steps back from him, her eyes wide. “Thank you anyway but I…I want him near me.”

  Shad narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. What was going on here? Why was she so intent on hanging onto the frightened humlock. Also…his nose wrinkled…she smelled different. There was a warm, sexual female musk emanating from her that he hadn’t smelled on her before.

  Something was wrong. His sensitive Kindred nose told him so, as much as her strange behavior did. Harper was hiding something—but what?

  “Empress Kyreella! The Empress has returned!” a voice suddenly called out.

  A servant in black and silver livery came rushing up and then a gilded gangplank began to descend from the side of the huge ship.

  “Your Majesty!” the servant exclaimed, falling to his knees at Harper’s feet. “Forgive me that I did not see you before! I was sent to watch for your return but I must have missed your appearance. Please, forgive your unworthy servant!”

  “Um, that’s okay. I forgive you,” Harper mumbled. She looked taken aback at the slavish devotion shown by her new “servant.”

  “Remember,” Shad murmured to her. “It’s not real—none of this is real, Harper. Don’t let it rattle you.”

  “Okay, thanks.” She shot him a grateful look but the next moment a phalanx of servants—guards followed by lady’s maids—came rushing down the gangplank to throw themselves at her feet as well.

  “Oh Empress, you look so tired. Do please come with us,” one of the maids begged. She was dressed, as all the others were, in black and silver.

  “Yes, do come. We will draw you a warm and soothing bath to ease the weariness of travel,” another maid exclaimed.

  “Well…sure, I guess.” Harper shot Shad a bemused look. “It might be fake but I guess we might as well enjoy it, right?”

  “I suppose.” But there was still something about her that worried him, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. As the lady’s maids and guards escorted their “Empress” up the gangplank and into the vast golden space yacht, Shad vowed to himself to get Harper alone and find out exactly what it was.

  Chapter Ten

  “I could get used to this,” Harper murmured as she allowed the maids who were waiting on her to lead her into an ultra luxurious bedroom suite aboard her new golden space yacht.

  The room had a vaulted ceiling with a crystal chandelier hanging from it—or maybe the crystals were diamonds, Harper thought. That was certainly possible considering how opulent this ship was.

  Directly under the chandelier was a vast round bed spread with a luxurious crimson quilt which seemed to be made of some kind of velvet. The floor was exotic black hardwood which was warm to her feet when she slipped off her shoes and the walls were decorated in glittering mosaics which appeared to be made of real gems.

  It was definitely the fanciest room Harper had ever been to in her whole life and even knowing it was fake didn’t diminish her pleasure. In fact it was almost gorgeous enough to make her forget about the growing problem with her breasts…

  Almost.

  Harper watched as the army of maids dithered here and there, turning down the bed, opening the closet to show her the many new dresses and outfits which had just arrived, pouring her a cup of hot tea and laying out a plate of biscuits, fluffing the pillows…until she felt she couldn’t stand it anymore. The pressure between her thighs was growing—the need for sexual release couldn’t be put off much longer. And this huge bedroom was certainly much more private than the bathroom at Master Yll-no’s house—or it would be if she could get rid of the maids.

  “Excuse me,” she said and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, everyone.”

  At once the maids stopped what they were doing and stared at her. They all looked very much alike, Harper thought uneasily, with dark brown hair and eyes and pinkish-tan skin tones. They weren’t exactly identical but they certainly all looked like they might be sisters—especially since they were all wearing the black and silver uniforms which seemed to be de rigueur aboard her new yacht.

  Since having all of them staring at her so intently made her nervous, she went on quickly.

  “Thank you for all your hard work,” she said, trying to smile. “But I’m very tired right now and I’d like to be alone.”

  “Of course, Empress!” they all said at the exact same time and with the exact same inflection.

  Harper shivered as the maids filed out, each one bowing to her deferentially as they left the room. It was creepy, really—like having an army of clones under her control. Which she supposed in a way, she did.

  At last the heavy wooden door was shut behind the last of them and she had the huge, luxurious room all to herself. Under other circumstances, Harper might have thrown herself on the vast round bed and sprawled out in contentment or gone to look at the gorgeous new dresses in the closet. But right now she was much too anxious about her growing problem to properly enjoy the luxury that surrounded her.

  Putting the mewling humlock in the center of the bed and draping the hissing cloak of thorns over the back of a scrolled, gold-leaf chair, she went into the immense bathroom which was part of her suite.

  There was more luxury in here—the walls and floor were covered in deep indigo tiles shot through with veins of gold and silver, a glassed-in shower stall that looked big enough to host an entire harem of girls took up one whole wall—even the toilet appeared to be made of solid gold.

  In the center of the room, a deep bathtub that looked more like a hot tub, sat on a raised marble dais. It was square and one of the maids had already thoughtfully filled it. Scented steam rose from the delicate pink bubbled surface and thick, fluffy white towels were stacked artfully on the broad ledge around the tub along with a green bottle and an impossibly tall and fragile looking champagne flute.

  Wow… As worried as she was, Harper took a moment to dip her fingers in the warm water and sniff the bubbles—which smelled lightly floral and expensive. She loved bubble baths and despite the new clothes that Master Yll-no had somehow conjured onto her when he transported her to the ship, she still felt grimy and tired from her crazy journey through Juno today.

  She wanted nothing more than to slip into the tub and take a sip of whatever was in the mysterious green bottle. But she had other business first.

  She turned to the mirror—which was another one of those misty, five-way viewer things like she’d seen in Master Yll-no’s bathroom—and took off her new clothes which were straining against her chest.

  What she saw horrified her—her breasts were bigger than ever and they were actually leaking now—the pale purple nectar making trails down the undersides of her swollen curves.

  “Oh no!” Harper moaned aloud, looking at herself. “What am I going to do?”

  Maybe she ought to call one of the maid-clones and ask her to bring a breast pump? But would the maid know what she meant? And would such a device even be aboard the fake yacht? It wasn’t exactly a standard luxury item that you’d expect to find at a high-end resort or hotel.

  Just then, a knock sounded at her door, making Harper jump.

  “Who is it?” she called in a quavering voice. “I’m, uh, kind of busy right now.”

  “Harper—I need to talk to you.”

  Her heart sank—it was Shad! She had to put him off—had to get rid of him!

  She tried to make her voice stronger.

  “Can it wait? I’m really kind of tired.”

  “No, it can’t wait.” His deep voice was a fierce growl. “I want to know what’s wrong with you.”

  “What’s wrong with me?” Harper tried to laugh but it came out as more of a strangled croak. “What do you mean? I’m fine. Just…fine.” Her voice died off on the last wor
d as she caught another look at her leaking breasts in the mist-mirror.

  “The hell you are,” Shad growled from the other side of the door. “There’s something going on with you—I can smell it.”

  “You can what?” Harper tried to sound incredulous but then she remembered Shad telling her that he’d tracked her in the Thieves' Market by scent alone. So maybe the idea of him “smelling” something wrong with her wasn’t so far off the mark. “I’m fine,” she said again, but her voice sounded uncertain, even in her own ears. “Please Shad I just…need some alone time,” she pleaded.

  “I’ll leave you alone once I’m certain you’re all right. If you’re not decent, get covered up, Harper. I’m coming in.”

  The door handle began to turn and Harper realized in panic that she hadn’t bothered to lock it when she’d come into the bathroom. She couldn’t let the big Kindred see her like she was now—completely naked with engorged breasts that were dripping the strange pale purple nectar! She just couldn’t!

  She ran to the bathtub and reached for one of the towels but they were white—the minute the purple nectar began to seep through it would be ridiculously obvious. It was too late to put her clothes back on and there was nothing else to cover up with…

  Harper’s eye fell on the pink bubbles in the tub. Or was there?

  Quick as lightning, she climbed the marble steps to the raised dais and stepped into the deep, square tub. The water was almost too hot and she hissed as she lowered herself quickly down into its scented depths.

  She got in just in time. Just as she turned around with the pink bubbles up to her chin, Shad came in the door. He was wearing the black leather bodyguard outfit his doppelganger had had on, she noticed. The tight leather trousers clung to his muscular thighs and outlined his thick shaft and the black vest left most of his broad chest and shoulders bare.