Page 18 of Warrior's Reign
She didn’t like it at all, but guard duty on any number of spoiled socialites, vid-celebs and petty criminal’s daughters had prepared her. Bodies were never compliant. They wanted to move about freely and live their lives—making that safe was always blithely dumped onto the shoulders of the person being paid.
Reign was the person being paid, and through Reign, her team. Though, for a flash second, she was rethinking her career choices. It hadn’t been a day, and Ibu was already trying to handle her. It was to be expected, though she was going to have to have a chat with theBdakhunsoon. Therealwayswas a chat.
The bartender brought their drinks without them even ordering. Reign snatched Ibukay’s and inhaled. The olfactory scanner lining the inside of her nostrils parsed scents while she took a sip, rolling the liquid under her tongue so the scanner there could do its job. That duo had cost her something she should have been ashamed to give up as a female. . .but the scientist who’d developed the tech and owned the patent had been hot. It was an exchange that ended in mutual satisfaction after six weeks.
Ibu waited patiently, saying nothing, which meant she wouldn’t be quite as bad as some of her past bodies. Perfect. She slid the glass back to theBdakhun, then sipped her own drink.
“Does Vykhan know you have taste and olfactory enhancements?” Ibukay asked.
Reign smiled.
“I didn’t think so. I know how expensive that tech is—I know the developer. How did you get your hands on a set?”
“Feminine wiles.”
Ibu cringed. “Please tell me no. Did you know Jordak Athsor is a fourth cousin?”
“. . .I did not.”
“He’s a rake.” Ibu squinted at her. “Reign. You didn’t.”
“No regrets.”
The princess laughed. “Definitelydon’t tell Vykhan. That exchange probably skirted several commerce laws.”
“Speaking of commerce laws.” Reign turned in her seat so she could watch the room. “Most of my work was in Olovohk province, but I’ve kept an ear out over the years. You’ve pissed some people off.”
Her friend grimaced. “Do we have to talk business?”
“Yes. And it’s friendship, too. What are you thinking, Ibu? You weren’t trying to save the world in university.”
She blew out a breath. “When you’re my age, you’ll understand. I wouldn’t have understood it at thirty either.”
“I’m a little older than thirty.”
Ibukay waved a hand. “You’re still a baby. Focused on the matters that concern you. That’s not a criticism. My thirties were a hard decade. I realized if I was going to be happy I needed to serve something bigger than myself.”
“Why human trafficking? The one platform guaranteed to piss off any number of criminals and politicians with money. Why not. . .native wheat species conservation? Crops matter too.”
The princess gave her a sour look. “If you must know, it was because of you.”
Reign choked. “Don’t put that shit onme, female.”
“Remember spring break on the coast? We got drunk in that tiki hut and those two hot hybrid Aeddannar hit on us.”
“I recall all right.”
Ibu played with the dangling crystals on her ear. “Tai’ri beat them almost to death and Vykhan was forced to intervene to prevent a court martial for excessive force. They investigated. They were traffickers.” Her expression darkened. “I have never seen Vykhan so angry—and he was angry withme.He felt I should have known better, that I almost caused you to suffer a fate worse than death.”
Reign stared at Ibukay. “Why would he even care?”
“He has a strong sense of duty to innocents. He is a devout follower of Haeemah.”
“I’m not an innocent. Not now, or then.”
Ibukay shrugged. “In any case, that was the seed. It took another year after we left university for me to realize that was the evil in the universe I wanted to right.” She glanced at Reign. “If the companion of an imperialBdakhuncan almost be taken, how many average citizens are being victimized?” Her face hardened. “And I refuse to allow my planet to be a hub for that kind of foulness.”
Reign sighed. “I can’t believe you kept all of that from me.”
