Page 39 of Ancient Rising

Ra chuckled and stroked her back.“That is a good thing.”

“Was her skin always that gold?”

Harwin snorted.“No.It wasn’t.I don’t think anyone on Aten is the same colour I used to be, but my species had quite a variant.It just wasn’t soft metallic gold.”

Ra stroked her back again.“Like sun on a winter’s day.”

Harwin looked up at Ra.“Perhaps we should let Lord Den settle and go to find Addy, Vanek, and Lucinda?”

Lord Den smiled.“I will find my way around.”

“Give the other ladies a wide berth.Two of them are venomous, and I am not going to tell you which two.”Harwin smiled as Ra led her away.

It turned out that he really enjoyed the fit of her formal finery, and it was amazing what he could do with gentle hands and an eager mouth.Shockingly, her crown stayed on.

Chapter Eight

The dinner was loadedonto the table by the bots.Addy was seated at Harwin’s left hand while Den was seated at Ra’s right.Lucinda and Vanek were gone.There had been hugs, crying, and promises to keep in touch.Just like that, one of them was gone.

Harwin lifted her head.“After the blending was complete, Aten would have killed her in weeks, if not days.She will be able to survive and thrive on Woliun.”

The ladies nodded.Addy said, “She was relieved to leave and over the moon to get into that chill suit.”

Harwin smiled.“It was nice to hug her without seeing pain.”

Addy smiled.“That was nice.She has been sensitive since the lab.”

Ra asked, “Ladies, I have not asked you, but were you able to study while you were at the lab?”

Molly nodded.“They wanted to test our cognition.Most of us had some kind of brain injury, so it was proof that the corrections were working.We were given the same history that others could have downloaded, but we read it.That included learning languages.”

Reva laughed and said, “Language classes were hilarious.”

The ladies laughed.

Tales of arguments and fistfights that broke out between the ladies when talking about food options around the known universe were funny.