Page 34 of Warrior's Reign
She stared at him a split second, unable to read anything under the neutral expression. But still. . .
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They didn’t travel together,of course. Vykhan waited until she left, then followed. He observed her circuitous route, a haphazard weave about the city before she arrived at her assigned destination.
It gave him time to process his sudden tension when she’d stepped out of her quarters in her chosen attire.
He had not reacted well. But fortunately, the totality of that reaction was internal and disturbed no one but him.
Like most of his people, she abandoned cosmetic enhancements on duty, and those with longer hair tended to mimic his braided hairstyle. But for this assignment, her dark curls rioted down her back. Color shimmered over eyes, cheeks, and lips, adding a feral, fae quality to the human beauty of her golden-brown skin and lush lips.
Normally, he forcibly ignored her beauty; it was a distraction. But tonight she wore a corset, a deep wine-red bordering on black, leaving her shoulders and an expanse of chest and back bare, displaying the inviting curve of full breasts. Fingerless black gloves covered her arms. Her leggings were painted on, leaving no feminine curve to imagination. Heeled boots completed the ensemble.
Vykhan re-centered himself. Her assignment required her to attract notice; the easiest way to do so was to display herself as a walking seduction.
Reign approached the club entrance. This establishment sat in a part of the city the secondBdahnworked hard to rule. Vykhan suspected the Heir had given his younger brother the duty to finally silence his complaints over not having enough responsibility. Second Son had surprised everyone, however, and not made a complete disaster of the management. There would always be a certain level of crime in this sector; keeping it in check was the goal.
And one did not want to discourage all crime, for where else would the wrongdoers go to conduct business? They would scurry off to holes Vykhan, not even Tai’ri, had access to. Or worse, to Anthhori.
The door droid scanned her appearance and credentials before deciding to admit entrance. Because she was present as herself, it took several minutes. Understandably. Imperial guard of Reign’s rank would not be denied entrance, but certain discreet alerts would filter to select members of the crowd.
The point of this evening was for her identity to be known.
She entered, and Vykhan slipped into the single file line, Evvek’s cloaking tech already activated.
“Excuse me,” a voice said abruptly, when Vykhan was next to go through security.
Vykhan shifted and glanced at the male who’d bumped into his back. Did he require an excuse for his attire?
Medium height, dressed in the height of the current generation’s fashion. Which meant shiny, embellished fabrics highly influenced by Earth fashions from the Indopean continent. Last generation the Eshai had been in favor, and Vykhan had been forced to endure citizens walking the streets topless, in faux skins dyed to mimic scale patterns.
“What do you want an excuse for?” Vykhan asked, cognizant of his role, his voice an easy tenor.
The male blinked at him. “I have priority admission. You have to step aside.”
Vykhan widened his eyes. “Sure. You must be someone very important.”
The male ran a hand through his artistically tousled, salon gold hair. The color clashed horribly with Yadeshi skin tones. “I am an Imperial member of staff. We frequent this bar. I haven’t seen you here before.”
Vykhan grinned, hunching his shoulders a little as he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “I’m new. Enjoy your evening.”
The male shrugged and walked towards the bot, Vykhan lifting his hand to scratch his face. Evvek would receive an image of the male and run him through the employee database.
Vykhan was next. He kept the silly grin on his face, appearing to be a young male of indiscriminate employment and attractive but nondescript appearance, a stellar credential rating, and no known associates with law enforcement. He was granted admittance and entered, smile fading. He chose a seat not far from Reign where he could watch her and the establishment, and appeared to busy himself with a datapad and a drink.
Music drifted through the air, providing enough auditory cover for conversation without being overwhelming. Tai’ri had mentioned the establishments his bonded and former ward enjoyed frequenting, and Vykhan could not fathom the appeal of such places. During the rare occasion he took leave from his duties, he preferred to spend his time cultivating his own personal pursuits. Advanced training, meditation, his family’s gardens. He would spend some time with his parents and perhaps travel. But encase himself in a crowded, poorly lit and noisy environ with individuals of less than high quality character?
Reign, on the other hand, seemed comfortable. Even with the attention she was attracting.
Vykhan realized the pain in his jaw was tension, even a thread of resentful anger. Lesser males were allowed to vie for her simply because of circumstance. He must maintain distance, not only for her, but for his own Silence.
He picked up the untouched drink and downed it. It was expected of his persona, of course. He denied himself a second.
It left him with nothing to do but observe and process his own growing anger at the necessity of using Reign as bait on this assignment. She was competent, and in no real danger of death—especially not with him present—and there was no need to feel this creeping tension. If anyone touched Reign tonight, though. . .he would have to work to maintain neutrality. He could admit that much to himself, since lying was beneath him.
Vykhan checked the manufacturer of his datapad and made a mental note. It was poor quality. He should not have been able to crack it so easily.
Another drink appeared he did not recall ordering.
