Free Bride of Midnight by Viola Grace

 
     
Bride of Midnight
     
     
    Sobi paused at the top of the ridge and lifted her canteen to her lips. The unlikely unity of four suns lit up the bright skies of Ikar and that made scouting thirsty work. There was never a night sky to be found.
    She stared out at the heat waves across the sand and looked for movement. She settled her canteen back on her hip and lifted her crossbow. Her lenses measured distance and the moment she saw the stirring of dust, she fired.
    Sobi reloaded and checked her monitor. A slow grin spread across her face when the steady beep began and the dot began to move with the cloud. “Gotcha.”
    She laughed and settled on her cycle, kicking the engine into motion on the downhill slope. With a satisfied grin, she returned to the dark dome of the city. The hunters would have easy targets for their hunts later in the day. If they chose to monitor the traffic patterns of the creatures she had tagged, they could do that too. She didn’t care; it was time for a shower and some sleep.
    Passing from the blazing light to the relief off the darkness was always a surprise. She flicked up the shaded lenses on her goggles and her eyes adjusted to the dimness within Shadow City.
    Sobi drove through the streets and pulled up outside the tagger station. With a jaunty grin, she swaggered inside and handed over her crossbow and her remaining charges. “Here you go. I tagged nine groups of desert animals.”
    She unbuckled her tracking unit. “Here, the tags were all solid sets, so they should still be transmitting.”
    Goran was a Prothean, like Sobi. He sighed and shook his head. “We are going to miss you when the call comes.”
    Sobi blushed and her stomach went cold at the same time. “It hasn’t happened yet. I am just in the candidate pool.”
    Goran’s assistant chipped in from the back of the station. “The commander from the new city arrived today, so you know that he has to be hunting for a wife.”
    Goran wrinkled his nose and shrugged in acknowledgement. “That is the rumour. You might be called upon.”
    Sobi felt a headache coming on. “This time I came here first to drop off my weapons.. I am guessing that that was a mistake.”
    Goran chuckled, checked the tracking signals and transferred her payment to her account. “Thanks for the hard signals. Most have been dropping.”
    “The other taggers just don’t want it enough. All right, I need to get a shower and head to dinner. I am starving.”
    “Job well done. You earned a few days off before you head out again.” Goran winked an invitation.
    “Let me know what my energy level is like tomorrow.”
    It wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes.
    She hoped he was satisfied with the answer as she slipped out of the tagger base. Back on her bike, she took the short trip to her home and parked the cycle in its pod. Once she had taken care of her treasure, she took the lift up to her apartment and loosened the straps of her coveralls on the way. She was about to unzip her suit as the doors opened to her quarters, but there was a stranger standing in the middle of her living room.
    “May I help you?”
    The man turned, and he was obviously not Prothean. He looked her over from head to toe and didn’t say a word.
    “Anvin emissaries don’t often break into my quarters. What are you doing here?”
    “You are Sobi Nurala?”
    “I am. Tagger extraordinary.” She smiled.
    “Your presence is requested at the main hall this evening to meet the Midnight. You are his best match.”
    She winced as her earlier conversation reared up to mock her. “Ah. When?”
    “They wished me to bring you now so they could dress you properly, but I am guessing that you could take a solar blast and change to a fresh suit.”
    She grinned. “I decline. Let’s just go and get this over with.”
    He blinked rapidly, his midnight skin and silver eyes showing his surprise. “Very well. My skimmer is waiting.”
    Sobi nearly argued to bring her cycle but realised