Exit Strategy (Tales Of The Citadel #58)(4)

“Right. Okay. So, medical. Let’s get going.” Yna left the office and headed for the lift. She didn’t care if Ahlgos was behind her; she was getting this over with.



Remuyan rank insignia were on the face. You could literally tell what family a person came from by looking them in the face. It did explain Ahlgos’s obsession with eye contact.

“Well, we have the rank authorization, and you are going to outrank the Guardsman over there, just in case you needed to know.” The medic smiled and lined the edge of her jaw up with the machine.

“I figured that out already. Is this going to show up on my skin?”

“Oh yeah. We are using silver pigments that are complimentary to your biology. Are you ready?”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Ready. Go ahead.”

The numbing cream hit her skin, and she closed her eyes. The hum and vibration took over, and she remained quiet until the machine backed away.

The medic checked the work and nodded. “You look wonderful. It is truly striking.”

“Mirror please.”

She held the mirror, held her breath and lifted the reflective surface up so she could see it. Her breath came out on a blast. “Well, that isn’t as bad as it could have been. What are the chin markings for?”

Ahlgos came forward, “They mark your status as a teacher and your status as a ranking member of the Citadel. The marks on your forehead speak to your origin and power.”

The face in the mirror looked hostile and barbaric, but that could have been the reflexive scowl that she had when Ahlgos came into the reflection.

She got used to her image and then put the mirror away. “Okay. Good. Ready to go?”

He stared at her for a moment before he nodded. “The shuttle is waiting.”

She got to her feet and nodded. “Then let’s go.”

They walked out of medical with long strides, and it was only when they were in the shuttle and he was directing them away from the surface of Balen that he turned to her. “For this to work, you are going to have to pretend that you like me.”

Yna nodded. “When we are on our way down, I will be a devoted fiancée.”

“Thank you. I will brief you on my family while we travel.”

“Fine.” She watched the coordinates that he set into the nav computer and did a calculation. They were going to be flying for a day and a half. Wonderful.

They passed Station 13 and headed for the jump point. She ran a light finger over her new markings. The skin that wore the metallic implants was slick and felt slightly warmer than the rest of her face.

“The couple getting married are my brother Huknos and his fiancée Nialloa. She is a member of the royal family of Atathan, and their children will hold titles. They met when she was on vacation, and he was one of her hired guards.”

“That is sweet.”

He chuckled. “They have courted for four years. It has taken my brother this long to convince them to let her get married.”

“How will we explain our meeting and engagement?”

His skin darkened. “Ah. That. Huknos knows about you.”

“What? How?”

“He was on my Peacekeeper team when I was on assignment at the auction house.” Ahlgos twisted his lips. “He was with me when you were sent to the other bidder.”

“Ah. I didn’t know you were with anyone.”

“Yes, there was a team working to gain some of the other Resicorans from the house.”

That was news to her. “There were others?”

“Of course. Five others were sold before you were. You were the only one we missed.”

She nodded. “Right. Let’s put that aside until your sister is engaged.”

He sighed in relief. “Right. Well, he knows the situation, but for the others, we can simply have met after I became a Guardsman.”

“So, tell me about your sister. Likiada, right?”

“Correct.”

“What is she like? Why did she rush into intimacy?”

“Ah, that. I was engaged, so she was expecting an engagement of her own the moment that my contracts were signed. I didn’t sign, so her engagement was halted.”

“So, this situation is your fault. How much younger is she?”

“Two hours.”

“You are twins?”

“We have a younger brother. He was born the day after we were.”

“Wow. Triplets. Are multiple births common?”

He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. We were all given separate educations, so the relationship between siblings isn’t very apparent. We all go to different schools depending on our aptitudes.”

“So, you don’t know if others are part of multiple births?”

Ahlgos tapped his cheek. “The history of our family starts here. No one needs to ask.”

“You mean they mark children?”

“Of course. You are marked with a microdot of your family history then your schooling and each achievement after that.”

“What does my face say?”

“You were born to a good alien family and separated because of your talent. You rose beyond the separation and became a master of your talent and a teacher to others.”

“That is a definite summing up of a lifetime.”