Watcher's Web

Watcher's Web Chapter 26

Jessica rested her head on Iztho’s shoulder. Languid steam rose off the surface of the bath. Its sulphuric scent mingled with the perfume in his wet hair.

Her heart still thudded with the afterglow of lovemaking. Lazy, relaxed, luxurious. Getting better all the time. That’s how it was meant to be: a relaxation, not a fight.

He trailed a finger over her back; her skin broke out in delicious goosebumps.

"What do you say? Shall we do this for the rest of our lives?"

Jessica met his light blue gaze. She couldn’t help a twinge of unease stirring inside her. Since coming to share her room yesterday morning, he had spoken of little else—gaining Union citizenship, joining his business, travelling the universe— "I do want to learn."

Not really an answer at all, but yes was not an answer either. The assumptions he made based on the fact that they slept together frightened her.

"You will learn. Whatever you want."

"And I want to be something, not just …" She understood Miran was a very patriarchal society. Iztho had said, You can be Miran’s second ever female Trader.

Although that left too many questions yet unanswered. Like what those soldiers had wanted from Daya. Us Traders belong to a very different society, Iztho had said. He said, he said, but what should she believe?

"You can be anything you like, my Lady. I can even see you on the council."

"I want to see my parents."

"As often as you like. I’ll make sure of that."

He had made this promise many times over, too. She tried to imagine him walking up to her parents’ house. No way. With his fur cloak and uniform, he didn’t fit. Even in his hippie outfit, her parents would be horrified. He was much too old for her. Now that would be very different with Daya—

Damn Daya. Why did she think about him?

Because I worry.

Because, after she had lost contact with him, she had heard nothing more. Because he knew why they had a bond with the Pengali, and now he chose not to talk to her.

Because something had happened to him?

She turned her face to Iztho’s; their lips met in a kiss tasting of sulphuric water. For now, she was spared from having to answer his inevitable question.

There was a loud knock on the bedroom door.

Iztho broke the kiss. In one movement, he rose and clambered over the side of the bath.

Jessica stiffened. "What is it?"

He grabbed a towel, wiped himself and wrestled his arms into a tunic. "There might be news from the Exchange." False papers or such, whatever he was arranging. Papers to get out of here, as his wife.

He wrapped a cloth sarong-like around his waist. The material was tight and left little to the imagination as to what he had been doing. Had she not felt so uneasy, it would have been funny.

Instead she felt uneasy. She still didn’t understand what was happening with the local authorities, if there was even such a thing. Daya hadn't made any fuss about satisfying regulations. He'd acted as if leaving was easy.

There was another knock.

"Yes, I’m coming." Hair dripping over the back of his tunic and on the floor, he hurried out of the bathroom. There was the sound of the door rolling open, and a male voice—a question asked, not in a friendly way.