Page 95 of Warrior's Captive
In the end,she wound up compromising. Because much of the work could be done on her home console, Vivian wound up staying home with the baby until later in the afternoon each day. Shira dropped Ori off, and the women traveled together to the shop to spend a half day there. Behind the scenes Vivian knew Tai'ri was watching, waiting. Sending Zhiannur messages designed to coax him out into the open instead of sending his goons.
“Shira’s late,” Yolu said. He lounged on the futon style couch she'd had brought up from the basement media room to her home studio.
“Like you’re ever punctual,” Daobah replied with a delicate sneer. The young woman had finally gotten a break in her studies and Vivian had pounced, roping her into becoming a part-time mother’s helper for Shira and Vivian as they worked.
Vivian looked up from her datapad, then glanced back down at the time and frowned. “Hmm. Maybe a rough morning.”
Her muscles ached fromhermorning. Each day Banujani pressed her a little more, a little more. Each day Vivian was able to slip into muscle memory a little longer while staying aware of her present. She hadn’t been able to hold it as long as that first day, two minutes max, but she was improving. Painfully.
They would be opening in a week or two and were currently marketing as well as finalizing the setup of the studio and supply shop. To make their income goals, they needed a certain quota of new students enrolled by the end of the first month they were open. The classes were currently forty percent occupied, and each day brought a trickle of new interest. The marketing could easily be done from the home office.
Shira usually arrived at Vivian's house the same time every morning, give or take fifteen minutes. Shira didn’t have a bondmate, or a House, or a Banujani who could pop in and change the baby while Vivian showered if Tai’ri had already left that morning.
Thirty minutes late was tardier than usual, but not unreasonable. “I’ll comm her.” She rubbed Mayleen’s little back in circles as she attempted to contact Shira.
Yolu waited, meeting Vivian’s worried gaze when Shira didn’t answer. He tapped his comm. “Banujani? Shira’s late. Did her guard check in?”
Thirty seconds passed. “No response,” Banujani’s voice said.
Vivian stood, datapad and marketing forgotten.
* * *
“Absolutely not,” Banujani said, arms crossed. She leveled a flat, unpleasant stare at Vivian, who’d demanded to come with them to Shira’s flat.
“What are you expecting to find?” Vivian asked.
“Her guard’s comm is offline. The longer I argue with you, the longer it takes to get to him and Shira.”
Vivian, a few weeks ago, would have winced and backed off. She met Banujani’s gaze steadily. “I’m Shira’s only friend here. Our babies are going to grow up together. I’m going with you. You’ll have to physically restrain me to keep me here, and I know that’s against Haeemah’s Precepts.”
“How would you know?”
“I’ve been reading.”
Banujani grimaced.
Vivian kissed the top of Mayleen’s head and slipped her out of the wrap, handing her to Daobah. She hated the thought of being away from her baby for even a few hours, but if Shira and baby Ori were in danger, Vivian would do everything possible to help them. Fear surged for a brief moment, but she allowed it to wash through her, and replaced it with the Silence of resolve.
Breathe.
Focus.
“Let’s go,” Vivian said.
* * *
“No signs of a struggle,” Banujani said, voice grim. “Whoever took her was professional. They would have wanted to make the extraction seamless.”
Vivian stared down at the empty crib. She’d already been in the kitchenette where a half-prepared meal sat as if abruptly abandoned. Ori’s diaper bag rested on the couch, half unzipped and stuffed to the brim with supplies. Shira wouldn’t have left it behind.
Silence was hard. She wanted to yell, to burst out in tears, to find a dark corner and curl up and hope the enemy didn’t come for her as well. But she’d survived so far, and she was stronger, and devolving into a gibbering wreck would not help Shira and Ori.
Steeling herself, she left Ori’s room and entered Shira’s. A co-sleeping bassinet sat on the full-sized bed. They’d picked them out together a week before giving birth. Shira had gone into labor only three days after Vivian.
She swallowed, looking around, and noticed a slip of real paper in the bassinet. Vivian frowned. They had several sheaves of real paper in inventory, but Shira wouldn’t use it for personal purposes. Vivian approached, then froze when she recognized the Yadeshi characters on the paper.
Someone had spelled the Yadeshi phonetic translation of her name.
