Page 13 of Shadows of Stardust

Still hidden by shadows, I skirt around the side of the building to get closer to Roslyn and put myself in earshot for whatever’s going to happen next.

Contestants start moving, pairs start forming, and no less than a half-dozen suitors make straight for her.

I watch her eyes widen, watch as she takes a half-step backward before seeming to remember herself. She pastes a smile on her lips and squares her shoulders against the onslaught.

A Vas-Greshiran reaches her first.

Stepping from where he’d been standing just beside Roslyn and the Volbherran, he puts himself bodily in front of the competition and offers her one of the two glasses of whatever sparkling beverage he’s holding.

“Nice to meet you…” he says with what I assume is supposed to be a charming smile, allowing her the opening to supply her name.

“Roslyn.”

“Roslyn,” he repeats, smile widening as she accepts the drink. “Come for a walk with me?”

I’m close enough now to see the tightening of Roslyn’s expression, the falter of her smile before she nods. Looking inordinately pleased with himself, the Vas-Greshiran offers her his arm. She accepts it, apparently content with the suitor who won the race for her attention.

The little human could do worse.

Vas-Greshirans are an honorable people. Many of them are fearsome warriors, known throughout the Seventh Sector for their military strength.

This male has the look of a soldier to him. Tall, broad-shouldered, golden tan skin covered in the silver-line tattoos common to Vas-Greshirans. Wearing clothing simpler than many of his fellow contestants, and with black hair neatly cropped, he’s one of the few in the group who might almost pass for a male with a solid head on his shoulders.

Almost.

He is here, after all, so he can’t be of entirely sound mind.

The two of them leave the pavilion, the contestant pool around them thinning as pairs disappear into the evening, tailed by hovercams.

The Vas-Greshiran gently withdraws his arm to place a hand in the middle of Roslyn’s back as they reach the stairs, and her body tenses again. Slight, and apparently not enough for the male to notice as he guides her down to the sand.

But I notice, and take note.

Roslyn radiates tension, even with her polite smile, and it’s a wonder he can’t sense it.

More pages, filling. More red tally marks stacked up in my mental file. Strange behavior for someone who’s supposedly here to mingle with and date males just like this one.

Or perhaps she’s still disoriented in a new environment, filled with nerves, and the rest is entirely my imagination.

They take a meandering path away from the beach and into the section of jungle cordoned off by production. Extending a few hundred meters into the surrounding landscape, it takes them up a gently sloping foothill toward a small, scenic waterfall and natural pool. A trio of hovercams tail them as they go, capturing every saccharine moment.

I move through the shadows beside the path, following closely enough to keep them in sight, but far enough to lose their conversation in the night air. All I catch are half-sentences and the tenor of their voices, perfectly pleasant as they get to know each other on their walk.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, that same sane voice rears its irritating head.

There’s no reason for me to be doing this, it whispers. I should turn back, leave them to their evening. Stop looking for dangers and plots that don’t exist.

A cluster of dried leaves rustles underfoot, and Roslyn immediately reacts to the sound. Posture snapping straight, eyes widening as she swings around to find the source of the disturbance.

Fates damn it.

Observant, this little human, despite her unremarkable physical attributes and defenses.

Or, perhaps the keen stare she fixes on the jungle just slightly off-angle to where I’m standing is a part of this species’ defenses. A wariness and suspicion that likely serves them well with no natural weaponry to fend off attack.

The Vas-Greshiran shoots her a questioning look, and she gives her head a slight shake as she hurries to catch up with him, though the tension doesn’t leave her body.

Her eyes dart around her surroundings, her mouth sets into a sharp frown, but she accepts the arm the Vas-Greshiran offers her and lets him lead her on down the path.

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