Chained Read online

  “I…uh…” She shook her head, completely unable to think of anything to say.

  Kor was suddenly on his feet again and standing beside her. “If you’ll give us the number of my lady’s room, I would like to escort her there now. I must see to her needs.” He nodded at the attendants meaningfully and they nodded back in unison.

  “Of course, slave,” said one. He handed Kor an envelope. “Here are the keys. You and your lady are installed in our Green Suite. You will find it on the second level.”

  “And may I recommend that you try the spa’s facilities before the Grand Banquet tonight?” said the other. “The Dreaming Wood is especially fine this time of year and our Remembrance Pool is beyond compare.”

  “Of course.” Kor nodded. He bent and picked Maggie up again, as though it was no big deal for him to carry her everywhere. She was beginning to feel like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind and it was tempting to just let herself go with the flow. But there was something niggling at the back of her mind—something she was supposed to do…

  Right—of course! I’m supposed to call Ferna and Ratner and let them know I’m here and they need to come get me.

  Maggie couldn’t believe she’d almost forgotten it. It had been so exciting and interesting and different checking into what amounted to a five star alien spa and having her own personal “slave” to wait on her hand and foot, that she had nearly forgotten it wasn’t real. But as pleasant as it all was, she had to get back to reality.

  “Um, excuse me,” she called to the desk attendants, who were still a rosy pink. “I almost forgot but I need to make a call back to the surface of the planet. Do you have a, uh, communication device I can use?”

  To her surprise, both of the desk attendants began shaking and emitting high, squeaky, bird-like chirps and their skin turned bright orange. After one horrified moment of being sure they were both having seizures, she realized they were laughing at her.

  “Your pardon, my lady!” one of them squeaked. “But your humor is most pleasing.”

  “My…humor?” Maggie looked at them doubtfully. Had she somehow made a joke? “All I want is to make a call. Just one call.”

  The attendants began chortling and squeaking with glee all over again. “My lady is hilarious!” declared one.

  “But…I don’t understand why that’s funny,” Maggie insisted.

  At last one of the desk attendants stopped laughing.

  “Why, because as you know, all contact with the outside world is strictly forbidden here at the Lo’thian spa,” he said, wiping his eyes. “It is the first and principal precept our spa was founded upon—complete relaxation means freedom from outside cares. No one is allowed any contact with anyone outside the spa under any circumstances.”

  “But…but…” Maggie looked at Kor, suddenly furious. “You said that as soon as we got here—”

  “Come, my lady. Let us go to your room,” he murmured smoothly. As he was holding her in his arms, there was nothing Maggie could do when he simply walked off, taking her deeper into the Lo’thian spa from which there was apparently no escape and no way to contact the outside world.

  Chapter Eight

  Kor had been pretty sure she would be upset when she learned about his little deception but he had no idea how angry she could really get until he set her down outside the round green door that led to their suite.

  “You!” She slapped at his bare chest and though her little hand didn’t hurt a bit, Kor was still worried by the angry look on her face.

  “Mistress,” he cautioned. “Be careful what you say. There are listening ears everywhere.”

  “You promised me,” she hissed, keeping her voice low but furious. “You promised I would be able to call as soon as I got here. And now I find out that outside calls are freaking prohibited and I’m stuck here with you with no way to call my ride and—”

  “Is it really so bad, being ‘stuck’ here with me?” Kor asked roughly. “Does it bother you that much?”

  “I…you…” His question seemed to have taken the wind out of her sails. “You shouldn’t have lied to me,” she said at last. “It makes me wonder if anything else you told me was the truth.”

  “I haven’t lied to you about my past life or my motivations,” Kor said. “I could have made up all kinds of things but I told you what I am and why I did what I did.” He spread his hands. “I’m not hiding anything here, blondie.”

  “How can I be sure?” Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, which made her considerable cleavage strain against the low-cut top of her green gown. It was hard for Kor not to stare but he tried manfully to keep his eyes on her face. “What about the prosti and porno district being between us and the chasm back on Yonnie Six. Was that true?”

  “Absolutely,” Kor assured her. “I only lied about you being able to call as soon as you got here because…” He cleared his throat. “Because, well… I wanted to be sure you were safe.” He took one of her soft little hands in his. “Is that so bad…my lady?”

  “Don’t call me that.” Maggie pulled her hand away.

  “Sorry, blondie.”

  “That either! My name is Maggie. And I don’t care what your motivation is. A lie is still a lie.”

  Kor rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. “It wasn’t strictly a lie. There is a way to make outside calls here. You just have to know who to talk to…and who to bribe.”

  Maggie shook her head. “Well why didn’t you say so?”

  He shrugged. “You didn’t give me a chance.”

  “Well, I…I guess I’m sorry.” Maggie appeared somewhat deflated. She frowned at him. “But how do you know so much about this place, anyway? Does the, uh, Blood Circuit stop here too?”

  Kor laughed. “Hardly. The Lo’thian spa is supposed to be a place of peace and relaxation—pretty much the exact opposite of what the Circuit offers. No, I had a wealthy patroness who used to pay my stud fee—”

  Maggie frowned. “Oh great. Another lover?”

  “I would almost think you were jealous,” Kor said mildly. “No, if you’d let me finish I was going to say I had a wealthy, elderly patroness who used to pay my stud fee just to sit and talk to me. I think I reminded her of her son or grandson who died. She was a regular attendee at the spa and she liked to talk about protocol and gossip. You know—whose slave had embarrassed them at the Grand Banquet, who had their ass lifted or their breasts enhanced…” He paused significantly. “And who was evicted for bribing the night steward to make a call back home.”

  “Oh.” Maggie frowned. “So you’re saying if we can just find the night steward, we can make a call?”

  “Sure. If your bribe is tempting enough,” Kor clarified.

  “Well…” She appeared partly mollified. “That’s good, I guess, but it’s still a hell of a lot more complicated than you made it sound when you were convincing me to come here with you.”

  “As I said, I just wanted to make sure you were safe.” Kor leaned down so he could look into her eyes. What color were they? Damn her oculars—he intended to find out very soon. “You saved me, Maggie," he said softly. "I was dying and you saved me. How could I let you walk into danger without stopping you?”

  “I…don’t know.” Maggie looked away from him, biting her lip. “Look, we should get into the room and stop talking out here in the hallway. Like you said, anyone could be listening.”

  “True.” Kor produced the envelope the desk attendant had given him and opened it. Inside were two golden latticework rings. One was much smaller and studded all over with rubies, the other was large and had a single dark emerald in the center. Kor handed this one to Maggie and kept the smaller, ruby inlaid ring for himself. Then he held out his palm. “Give me your hand.”

  “What? Why?” she asked, even as she complied.

  “It activates the room keys. I have to place the ring on your finger and you have to place mine. Otherwise they won’t work.”

  “I don’t understand—these are the keys?” she a