Chapter Four

Cam stared after Kievan’s departing figure as the door closed behind him. Her legs suddenly gave out and she collapsed down on the lounge chair. From one nightmare straight into another. Admittedly the surroundings and the food were significantly better here than on the ship, but at least on the ship she knew what her position was. Here her chains were not visible but they were just as strong. Even worse, her body responded to Kievan with an intensity she had never felt before, betraying her every attempt to remain angry or even aloof. And he had seemed to respond just as strongly.

Despite the circumstances, she had almost believed that there might be a connection between them. When his eyes warmed, when he teased instead of mocked, when he kissed her with such passionate intensity, she thought he was responding to her as a unique individual. Instead, she was just one of a string of women, a string of slaves. Slow tears trickled down her face and she buried her head in her hands and gave way to sorrow.

The sound of a door opening eventually penetrated and she raised her head to see a small alien in a hooded cloak standing patiently in front of her. His skin was green and scaled, and his features were reptilian but not unpleasant. When she looked up, he bowed his head respectfully.

“I am J’Ssett. Lord Kievan has requested that I sshow you to your room while he is working.” Even with the slight hiss in his speech, she had no difficulty understanding him.

“Very well,” she agreed listlessly, but made no effort to rise. She wondered exactly what type of work Kievan was doing. Based on the luxurious surroundings, it obviously paid well. “Where does he work?”

J’Ssett tilted his head. “Here on the sstation of course. Because it belongs to him, there are many demands on his time.”

“Really?” She vaguely remembered him saying that he owned Sigrast but she couldn’t imagine that a space station required that much effort to run although it was obviously a reasonable size. “Who makes all those demands?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Merchants, obviously—they are constantly applying for permits or arguing about how much they owe—but he also deals with ssuppliers, monitors visitors, and handles perssonnel issues. He has a competent staff but he oversees everything perssonally.”

“There are that many people here?” She stared at him in surprise.

Without responding, J’Ssett moved to the wall panel Kievan had used earlier to order breakfast. He pressed a button and the long sweep of white curtains parted to reveal a wall of glass. She cast a curious glance toward the glass and then clutched the back of the chaise in shock. Beyond the curved window was an enormous open space, ringed with similar windows. Unable to resist, she stood up and moved to the windows. Her stomach dropped as she looked down—way down—into the vast atrium. The space must have been twenty stories high and at each level, windows and glass-fronted balconies circled the central space. A curved glass dome arced across the entire bottom. If she tilted her head back, she could see a glass roof and beyond that, an infinity of stars. Her conception of a space station needed some serious adjusting.

“It’s so big,” she whispered. “And this all belongs to him?”

“Yess. Through sstrength and cunning, he has conquered it all.” J’Ssett returned to her side, gazing silently out into the space. As they watched, the stars beyond the glass roof began to fade from view as lights in the roof came on. Gradually the atrium filled with light until she could almost believe that a sun shone down into the huge space. There was something magical and curiously comforting about the light and she felt herself relax a fraction.

“Why do people come here?” The idea that such a huge operation was just floating around in space stunned her.

He shrugged again. “Variouss reasons. The repair shops and refueling sstations drive a certain amount of traffic. And, of course, the fight pit, the brothels, and the gambling dens draw others. Then there are the merchants, the restaurants, the lodgings. At any given time, there are thousands of people here—ssome permanent, ssome transient—but all expecting a certain amount of…order. Order that Lord Kievan Rus provides.” A small smile curved his mouth and it was unexpectedly appealing. “Of coursse, order is relative.”

Cam stared out into the atrium, still trying to process the immense space as his words registered. “What do you mean fight pit? Brothels? Gambling dens?”

J’Ssett looked at her a little uneasily. “They are ssome of our most profitable businesses.” He hesitated. “If you have any additional questions, you should ask our master.”

“Our master?” He was already turning away but he stopped at her words. “Are you a slave, also?”

“Not exactly. But I am bound to his house and I am his to command.”

That sounded like slavery to Cam but he obviously did not want to discuss it further. Accepting his reticence, she followed him meekly to the door.

The small alien led the way silently along an open corridor flanked with a number of rooms. Given the size of the station, she was not surprised at the size of the rooms. As with the bedroom, white was the predominant color, frequently accented with gold, and the same sense of beautiful, impersonal luxury filled the space.

Stopping in front of two elaborately carved double doors, J’Ssett opened them to reveal a large room with another curved window wall. Predictably, the space was mainly white but a large pool occupied the center of the room and the rest was filled with low divans and floor cushions. Several flowering plants in decorative urns broke up the expanse of white and filled with the air with a soft perfume. A number of closed doors led off each side of the room.

“This is beautiful,” she exclaimed, and J’Ssett nodded approvingly.

“Lord Kievan spares no expense for his…favorites.”

Well, she supposed that was one way of putting it. “How many ‘favorites’ does he have?”

“Five before you arrived.”

“Great. One for every night of the week,” she muttered.

“Actually, he tends to prefer a female in the morning.”

Apparently oblivious to her outraged gasp, he led the way through the room. Cam clenched her fists and followed him. He opened the last door closest to the window and gestured her inside. “This is your room.”

The bedroom was nowhere near as huge as Kievan’s but it was still big, with enough space for a large bed and a comfortable seating area by a window which looked out into the central atrium. Open doors on the far wall led into a bathroom and a walk-in closet filled with clothes.

“Does this room belong to someone else?”

“No.” J’Ssett looked puzzled.

“But the clothes…”

His brow cleared. “Those are for you. You may order others if you wish.”

Cam shook her head, reeling from the concept that a complete wardrobe had been provided for her in less than a day.

J’Ssett showed her the panel that controlled the lights, curtains, temperature, and an intercom type function where she could request food or other services. He instructed her on the use of the entertainment unit and then turned to leave.

“Wait,” she called a little desperately. “What do I do now?”

“Whatever you want.” He was looking puzzled again. “You can ssummon technicians for your hair or your body, if you wish. You can meet with the clothier and order clothes. The entertainment unit is well ssupplied with vids, although the cultural references may be obscure.”

“That’s it? Watch television or pamper myself?”

“Of course. I told you that Lord Kievan was very generous,” he said proudly.

Cam stared at him, trying to figure out how to explain to the small man that his suggestions horrified her rather than pleased her. There had never been a time in her life when she wasn’t constantly busy. She was the only child of a single mother who hadn’t managed to graduate from high school before Cam was born. Her mother had had a series of low-paying jobs and Cam had started helping out at home when she was a child. As soon as she reached her teens she got a part-time job. She had worked her way through college. After she graduated, she split her time between her job, caring for her mother, and working on the tiny house they had finally been able to afford.

Perhaps she should have been relieved that she didn’t have to work, but the last thing she wanted to do now was to spend the day with nothing to occupy her or take her mind off her situation. She tried desperately to think of alternatives.

“What about books? Reading material?”

“There is a reader,” he agreed. “However, the translator bug doesn’t cover written language.”

“Is there a learning program? Some way to teach myself?”

“You wish to spend your time sstudying?” J’Ssett looked surprised but approving.

Cam nodded eagerly. If she had access to books, maybe she could also find out more about this society—and possibly even a way to escape that didn’t involve being thrown out naked and defenseless.

“Very well.” He removed a tablet sized screen from the entertainment unit and showed her how to access the menu and start the lessons. In addition to the screen, a device fastened around her forehead and curved into one ear. Before he handed the screen to her, he paused and added an additional choice. “The red menu is for the language used by the Imperial House—it is probably the most universal.” He gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment. “The blue menu is for Sardoran. Sardoran is Lord Kievan’s native language. It might be helpful.”

Helpful? The expression Know your enemy popped into Cam’s mind but given his loyalty to Kievan, it seemed unlikely that that was what he meant. Before she could ask for clarification, he bowed politely and left the room.

Once he left, Cam explored the room. She was delighted to find a small bathing pool of her own in the bathroom. The closet was filled with beautiful clothes. Unfortunately, most of them were too short, too sheer, or too ornate. They were an unpleasant reminder of what she had become. Since underwear wasn’t among the offerings, she finally settled on a green silk halter and a matching sarong that reached the floor—although it had a tendency to fall open along one leg. At least she was basically covered.

Moving back into the bedroom, she curled up in the chair closest to the window and started the language program. The head device facilitated the lessons in some fashion and she spent several hours making rapid process before her brain started to shut down. Still tired from her experiences, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The faint sound of splashing eventually disturbed her slumber and she awoke to the realization that the sounds were coming from the large central room. By the stiffness in her limbs, she had slept for several hours. Her stomach growled and she realized that she was hungry. She might as well meet her fellow slaves and see if there was any food available.

Somewhat cautiously, she opened her door and paused in the doorway. There were three women in the room. The purple female she had seen earlier was in the pool with another purple female leaning against the edge next to her. Their exquisite features were very similar and Cam wondered if they were related. Reclining on a chaise next to the window was a third female. Even lying down she was obviously tall, and even more obviously beautiful. Her skin was a true white, gleaming like the marble walls, and instead of hair, she had a crest of golden feathers that flowed over her scalp and trailed down her back. Her body was slim and perfectly shaped—which was very apparent since she was also perfectly naked. As Cam moved further into the room, the woman curled her lip disdainfully, rose with remarkable grace, and disappeared through one of the side doors.

“Don’t mind her,” said a soft voice from the pool. The woman sitting on the side of the pool smiled shyly. At least she was wearing a short gown, even if it was basically transparent. “She’s annoyed because she was scheduled for tonight and our master sent word that you were to entertain him instead.”

“It’s fine with me if she takes my place,” Cam muttered.

Both of the other women’s mouths dropped open before the same woman replied. “We must all accommodate the master’s wishes.”

Despite the temptation to debate that fact, Cam let it drop. “I’m Cam.”

“I’m Sonda. And this is my cousin Leeda.”

The woman in the pool smiled shyly and dropped her head. Cam hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry about this morning.”

Leeda’s eyes flew to hers before she smiled again. “The master makes the decisions.” She hesitated. “Did he keep you all night?”

Cam shrugged. “I suppose so. I woke up there this morning.”

Leeda looked at her cousin but didn’t ask any additional questions.

Joining Sonda on the pool edge, Cam trailed her hand through the warm water and decided to ignore the fact that Leeda was naked. Apparently nudity wasn’t much of a taboo, or at least not among the women. She wasn’t sure if she should pursue the subject, but she was genuinely curious. “Did you, uhh, want to be there?”

“I was scheduled to be there,” Leeda responded.

“I know you said that. I meant do you...enjoy being with him?”

Leeda lowered her head and her cheeks flushed a deeper lavender. “He is a very skillful lover.”

Sonda giggled and nodded in agreement.

A completely unexpected pang of jealousy shot through Cam. What was that about? Sure, he was tall, sexy, and kissed her so hard her bones melted. He was also arrogant, demanding, unfeeling, and he had her kidnapped as a slave. If she didn’t want to have sex with him—although she wasn’t as convinced of that as she would have liked—why did it matter who else he was having sex with? Pushing the thought aside, she probed further.

“But do you want to be slaves?”

An identical expression of sorrow crossed each woman’s delicate face, their hair drooping in unison, and Cam felt like she had kicked a pair of puppies.

Sonda sighed. “Of course not. We were traveling with a relative. He sold us to pay off his gambling debts.”

“He could do that?” Cam was shocked and horrified.

The cousins exchanged a look before Sonda continued. “It’s against Imperial law but we are not a powerful House. The holder of the debt was satisfied and our relative left Sigrast.”

Cam couldn’t let it drop. “And Kievan accepted you as payment for the debt?”

“No. He purchased us from the gambling house.” Leeda shuddered and her hair swirled around her face. “We were about to be sold to a brothel. This is a much better alternative.”

Cam sighed. It looked like Kievan hadn’t been exaggerating about the potential dangers of the station.

“He could have set you free,” she couldn’t help pointing out.

Another look was exchanged. “But we owe him. We must pay our debt.”

“And how long will that take?”

“It is for him to decide,” Sonda returned softly. She shrugged. “There are worse ways to spend our time. As Leeda said, he is a skillful lover. And we are well-treated and well-fed.”

Cam’s stomach immediately rumbled at the reminder of food. Both women giggled and Sonda pulled over a small table topped with a tray of fruit and small cubes. Delighted to discover that the cubes tasted like a kind of salty cheese, Cam nibbled thoughtfully as she considered the situation. Both women seemed to have adapted to their enslavement with a fair amount of grace—a grace she was pretty sure she did not have. She wanted to continue the conversation but she didn’t want to disturb them again. Instead she sighed and changed the subject. “Where are you from?”

“We’re from the Gliese system but we have spent much of our time traveling on trading missions. What about you?”

“I’m from a planet called Earth. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of it?”

They shook their heads in an eerily identical movement and she sighed.

“Perhaps you only trade with your local systems?” Sonda suggested.

“Trade? You mean with other worlds?” She frowned at them. “Oh, we don’t trade at all. We’ve only made it as far as our moon. I always thought that aliens were a myth.”

Now they both looked shocked.

“You’re from a pre-spaceflight world?” Leeda asked. “Those are off limits by Imperial edict.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s forbidden to travel to them.”

Her stomach dropped as the words penetrated. “Does that mean I can’t get home?”

“No reputable pilot would take you there. And a disreputable one…” Sonda shuddered. “You would not be likely to actually end up there.”

Cam closed her eyes in silent despair, but felt more sorrow than surprise. Since the moment she had woken up on the spaceship, part of her had known she was never going home again. Even if by some miracle she could escape, the thought of ending up with someone like her original captors made her understand why the other two women didn’t seem as unhappy as she would have expected about their fate. With a sigh, she changed the subject again. “Who else lives here?”

“The one who just left is Xanthe. She thinks she’s better than the rest of us because Kievan takes her with him most frequently when he has events to attend,” Leeda said.

“Probably because she matches his décor,” Cam muttered, and both women giggled again, their hair dancing.

“Then there’s Talasi. She mainly keeps to herself.” Sonda’s face grew troubled. “She likes pain—a lot.”

“Which is good because our master can satisfy those urges with her,” Leeda added.

Cam felt sick. “He likes to inflict pain?”

The women glanced at each other. “He likes to play hard,” Sonda finally responded. “But he’s never hurt us.” Another glance. “That is, not unless he was punishing us.”

“He had to punish you?” Cam couldn’t imagine these two gentle women ever requiring punishment.

“We had to learn his ways. And we learned very quickly.” Leeda actually sounded like she was defending him and Cam stared at her in disbelief. A flush covered the other woman’s cheeks and then her head dropped. “It is not the Gliesh way but some of it was…exciting,” she whispered.

This was definitely too much information. Cam couldn’t fathom pain being in any way exciting and she hastily returned to the original question. “And there is one more woman?”

Sonda popped a berry into her mouth and handed another one to Leeda. “Jalen was here but she left just before you came out of your room.”

“Left? You mean to go to Kievan?” The flare of jealousy returned and Cam pushed it to the back of her mind.

“No.” Sonda reached for another berry. “She was removed.”

“Removed? To go where?” Cam frowned at the two women.

“We don’t know.” Leeda didn’t seem concerned. “She was beautiful but even more spiteful than Xanthe. Perhaps our master was tired of her.”

A chill crept up Cam’s spine. Still coming to terms with the idea of being a slave, she hadn’t even considered the fact that since Kievan had arranged for her to be brought here, he could just as easily arrange for her to be removed. He seemed determined to keep her now, but how long would that last? And when it was over, she already knew that she would not be returning to Earth. Tears started to gather in her eyes but before they could fall, both women reached forward and took a hand.

“Everything will be all right,” Sonda whispered.

Leeda nodded. “It has to be.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as well as Cam so Cam nodded and squeezed their hands.

“It will be all right,” she echoed.