Page 6 of Chosen By the Dragon Alien

Fivra furrowed her brow. “What does that mean? I am bound to a time frame of service?”

Ria emitted a gentle whirring noise. “Your future depends on how you choose to navigate your time in Erovik. Cyprian is not unkind. He strives to make thecourtiascontent and happy. He has never forced a client on anyone who works here.”

As she mulled over Ria’s words, Fivra’s heart clenched with uncertainty. The allure of the tastes and scents around her filled her with a hope that these luxuries—food, comfort, possibly even friendship—could be part of her new normal. But the heavy memories of her past—of Turi, of Sevas and the others—and the overwhelming fear of being trapped in a brothel clouded every glimmer of potential.

“Can I choose not to stay?” Fivra finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Choose a life outside of…your brothel?”

Ria’s sensors pulsed. “That is a discussion to have with Cyprian.”

Fivra straightened, her resolve hardening. She’d been abducted from the settlement, taken away from a life that offered little but pain and duty. Here she was in an all-new world. It would be foolish to dismiss the chance to redefine herself. “Then I’ll make a plan,” she said firmly, determination stirring within her. “Perhaps there are other things I can do here. I won’t return to a life of hunger and hobbles.”

“That is an interesting mindset, Fivra,” Ria responded, unfurling the soft robe with narrow metal fingers and presenting it to her. “Please put this on. Your body temperature is low. The warmth will feel comforting and allow you to rest more easily.”

Fivra accepted the luxurious fabric with tentative fingers. The material felt impossibly soft against her skin as she slipped it on and covered the awful see-through shift she’d been forced to wear at the auction. It flowed beautifully around her, a hint of silkiness that she wasn’t used to. Nothing here was anything she was used to.

“Sleep, Fivra,” Ria said in her soothing mechanical voice. “It is not yet the down cycle, but you have been through too much to worry about that.”

“Down cycle?”

“We have no day and night on Hevatica Station, unlike those living on planets that rotate near a bright star, so time is measured in cycles. Down cycle is a period of less activity—rest, for those who need it. Even I need to recharge and get repairs. Up cycle is more activity, when beings like you are awake and functioning. It’s manufactured, but it works and in time, you’ll get used to it.”

“I already miss natural light,” Fivra said bleakly. “We have a nearby star called Purrik. It provides light on my home planet.” Not only was she far from the solid ground she’d known her whole life, but the only light she’d know from now on was produced by machines.

“This is a large station set in deep space,” Ria explained. “There is no light provided by a star, but I would not call any light unnatural if it illuminates our world.”

Fivra turned to her metal maid, whose optical node blinked at her. “You’re right.” She smiled. A sliver of the darkness that had settled into her mind lightened, just a little. “Thank you for that.”

Ria retracted her thin metal arms into the oval of her body. “I am here to assist you, Fivra. That includes your physical and mental well-being. Now, get to bed before I request permission to sedate you.”

“You wouldn’t,” Fivra said. She smiled a little.

Ria emitted a weird monotone laugh. “No, but off you go, now. The next cycle will be better than this one, for you. I promise you that.”

Fivra crossed to the bed but said nothing. There was no promise in the world that could guarantee the coming days—or rather,cycles—would be better. Her entire life now centered on the choices and mood of a single male. Cyprian, a Zaruxian, held her existence in his very large hands. She could only hope he didn’t crush her in them.

FOUR

Cyprian

Cyprian stood alone in his office with walls lined in opulent fabrics. The faint hum of the station thrummed beneath his feet. The window revealed the station at the beginning of the down cycle. Fewer lights shone from the many structures, making the darkness of space more black than usual. He rubbed the nape of his neck, pacing. Fivra’s origins haunted him. It was a puzzle missing crucial pieces, and he’d never had a fondness for puzzles or missing pieces. He couldn’t shake the thought of her gaunt frame and the prison markings on her neck. What had she endured? And, crucially,why?What had this gentle female done to put her in an Axis prison?

“Glivar,” he called, his voice reverberating with impatience. The heavy door slid open, revealing his assistant’s hulking figure as he lumbered in, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

“Yes, boss?” Glivar’s voice rumbled.

“Get me the full details of Fivra’s profile. I want to know everything there is to know about her before we proceed.” Cyprian settled in behind his large desk, fingers tapping rhythmsagainst the polished surface. “I need her history—the complete file. You may need to use the characters on her neck to find her designation—591-A.”

Glivar frowned, a flicker of confusion passing over his features. “Boss, you know as well as I do the Axis maintains tight control over the information regarding penal colonies. If she’s been in one of their facilities, we’d be locked out of those files.”

“Locked or not, she’s here now,” Cyprian growled, agitation sparking in his chest. “This isn’t just a financial investment anymore. She knows another Zaruxian—a male who oversaw the colony. I want to know who he is and why a female like Fivra was in a prison.”

“I hope you’re not…influenced by her delicate appearance. There are many reasons a female could be a prisoner, and she could be very good at feigning innocence.”

He looked flatly at Glivar. “Doyouthink she’s a hardened criminal, Glivar?”

His assistant sighed. “No, but females don’t come to Erovik unless they have a past. And they really don’t end up at Falmic-5 unless they crossed someone wrong. Very wrong.”

That was true, usually. No,always, in Cyprian’s experience. But Fivra said she was a farmer, and the calluses on her hands backed up that claim.

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