Zetith. Then Grekkor put a bounty on any offworld survivors. Nedwut bounty hunters killed most of them—which I’m sure is what happened to your family. Before the asteroid hit, Amelyana stole one of her husband’s starships and picked up about a hundred Zetithian kids, including me. We flew around in space for the next twenty-five years until another Zetithian, Trag Vladatonsk, finally killed Grekkor. With him dead, Amelyana inherited his wealth and set up the trust fund.”
“I have to admit, I didn’t believe you when you first told me that,” Kim said. “It all sounds so… crazy .”
Onca shrugged. “You don’t have to take my word for it. There’s plenty of evidence to prove it’s true.” He glanced up as Ganyn returned with their food. She set the plates on the table and then pinched him on the cheek before swaggering back to the kitchen.
“That’s gonna leave a mark,” Roncas said.
“Probably.” Onca rubbed his cheek for a second or two, then picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it. “Not too bad. Watch out for those yellow star-shaped things, though. They’ll put a pucker in your mouth like you wouldn’t believe.”
He was quiet after that, leaving Kim to wonder if he was simply hungry or if telling that story made him sad. It certainly made her feel that way. All those people killed because Amelyana fell in love with one man—or maybe it was two. Onca didn’t say whether she had ever found another lover. Considering that part about Zetithian men being addicting, she probably had. But how could anyone become addicted to another person? It didn’t make sense.
Although Kim had done her best to avoid looking at him earlier, now that he seemed preoccupied, she found it difficult to keep her eyes off him. Watching him made her feel strange, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Maybe he really is addicting.
Kim tried one of the purple fruits. It tasted good but had a mealy texture. She liked the red, crunchy ones better.
“These berries are sweet, but kinda”—Jatki stopped in mid-sentence, her face turning even more yellow than it was before—“slimy.”
Onca pointed to a sign in the corner. “Restroom is that way.”
Chapter 6
Onca could almost feel Kim’s eyes on him. The chance to further her education seemed to have pleased her, but something in her gaze was a bit…unnerving. He had eaten half a crafnet before he realized what the problem was. Zetithian girls had always made him feel like he was lacking in some way, and a few of his clients at the Palace had done the same thing.
As Zetithians went, Onca was about average—not as handsome as Tarq or as big and muscular as Jerden. He’d never admitted it to anyone, but since none of the girls on the refugee ship would give him the time of day, he’d been a virgin when he started working at the brothel—a fact that his flirty, womanizing attitude had concealed reasonably well. His first client—a Terran woman in her fifties—had given him confidence, along with a few suggestions. Still, as blown away as she’d been by the joy juice, he doubted she’d noticed how nervous he was.
His performance had improved with practice, and he was now as skilled as any lover and more experienced than most. After Audrey’s death, he’d done his best to pick up the slack rather than canceling Jerden’s appointments. Onca had assumed that, as far as their clients were concerned, a Zetithian was a Zetithian and none of them would care one way or the other. Most didn’t complain—at least, not afterward—but a few had been rather vocal about their disappointment when they got him instead of Jerden.
And now Roncas had called him a hooker in front of both of the girls. That it was essentially true didn’t matter; it was still a less than glowing assessment of his character. He could’ve done without the hugs and kisses from Ganyn too. Sure, she was a nice enough woman and had a good opinion of him, but the fact that she was a lizard
“I have to admit, I didn’t believe you when you first told me that,” Kim said. “It all sounds so… crazy .”
Onca shrugged. “You don’t have to take my word for it. There’s plenty of evidence to prove it’s true.” He glanced up as Ganyn returned with their food. She set the plates on the table and then pinched him on the cheek before swaggering back to the kitchen.
“That’s gonna leave a mark,” Roncas said.
“Probably.” Onca rubbed his cheek for a second or two, then picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it. “Not too bad. Watch out for those yellow star-shaped things, though. They’ll put a pucker in your mouth like you wouldn’t believe.”
He was quiet after that, leaving Kim to wonder if he was simply hungry or if telling that story made him sad. It certainly made her feel that way. All those people killed because Amelyana fell in love with one man—or maybe it was two. Onca didn’t say whether she had ever found another lover. Considering that part about Zetithian men being addicting, she probably had. But how could anyone become addicted to another person? It didn’t make sense.
Although Kim had done her best to avoid looking at him earlier, now that he seemed preoccupied, she found it difficult to keep her eyes off him. Watching him made her feel strange, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Maybe he really is addicting.
Kim tried one of the purple fruits. It tasted good but had a mealy texture. She liked the red, crunchy ones better.
“These berries are sweet, but kinda”—Jatki stopped in mid-sentence, her face turning even more yellow than it was before—“slimy.”
Onca pointed to a sign in the corner. “Restroom is that way.”
Chapter 6
Onca could almost feel Kim’s eyes on him. The chance to further her education seemed to have pleased her, but something in her gaze was a bit…unnerving. He had eaten half a crafnet before he realized what the problem was. Zetithian girls had always made him feel like he was lacking in some way, and a few of his clients at the Palace had done the same thing.
As Zetithians went, Onca was about average—not as handsome as Tarq or as big and muscular as Jerden. He’d never admitted it to anyone, but since none of the girls on the refugee ship would give him the time of day, he’d been a virgin when he started working at the brothel—a fact that his flirty, womanizing attitude had concealed reasonably well. His first client—a Terran woman in her fifties—had given him confidence, along with a few suggestions. Still, as blown away as she’d been by the joy juice, he doubted she’d noticed how nervous he was.
His performance had improved with practice, and he was now as skilled as any lover and more experienced than most. After Audrey’s death, he’d done his best to pick up the slack rather than canceling Jerden’s appointments. Onca had assumed that, as far as their clients were concerned, a Zetithian was a Zetithian and none of them would care one way or the other. Most didn’t complain—at least, not afterward—but a few had been rather vocal about their disappointment when they got him instead of Jerden.
And now Roncas had called him a hooker in front of both of the girls. That it was essentially true didn’t matter; it was still a less than glowing assessment of his character. He could’ve done without the hugs and kisses from Ganyn too. Sure, she was a nice enough woman and had a good opinion of him, but the fact that she was a lizard
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