Page 23 of Ancient Rising
He reduced altitude and pulled up as he changed position for a landing.
“You have learned all that in the few days since you woke?”
“You were in repairs for about a month.I caught up to the worlds around me just as I have done every time I have rested.”He smiled.“It is easy when you have set an entire star system to keep track of the worlds around us.”
She nodded.“Yeah, I guess that would make sense.”
“Information from thousands of worlds has played through the room where I rested.”He chuckled and walked into the shadow of the pyramid halls.
“Why are you still holding onto me?”
“Because I will set you down when it suits me, and I have plans for where I will settle you.I have been keeping you in my arms but out of the building so that we had some time between signing the contract and pouncing on you.”
“So, you were killing time?”
“I was using the flight to get used to the feel of you.”
She looked up and heard the light clashing of the metal on her headdress.“Ah.That makes sense.”
“Does it?Good.It was frustrating as hell.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
He glanced down at her as he walked to the stairs and began the climb upward.The team must have packed it in for the day because she didn’t remember seeing them.
“So, we are going to ratify the contract?”
He chuckled.“We are going to start.Once our relationship has begun, we can take our time, and you can begin ordering your people from the catalogue.”
She shook her head.“That sounds so wrong.”
“Well, I have already ordered the first batch of five hundred that you have selected.”
Harwin looked at him.“You did?”
“Of course.This place was always designed for them.I missed your people, and this is the world I had set aside for them.I will take in any of them who are willing to settle here.”
“That’s nice.I think I should see if Kris could fit on the list.”
“Oh, yes.Your partner with the merchant.”
“Yes.I checked, but she isn’t on the available listings.That means she’s somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of communication, or her communication is being restricted.”
Harwin froze.“What?”
“It is less sinister than you think.You were out of contact for weeks.Anyone looking for you would have come up with silence.”
She blinked.“Right.I am going to look for her every day.”
“You are within your rights to do so.”
Harwin sighed.“You don’t understand the bond we have.”
“That bond might still exist, but it is the past.Your bond to me takes precedence.”
“The one we are about to begin.”
He chuckled and walked into a set of rooms with doors high enough to double Harwin’s height.“Correct.I seem to recall that privacy was helpful for humans.”