Free Student of Kyme by Storm Constantine

Malakess
wants to see me again.’
    Huriel’s
eyebrows shot up. ‘Why? What did you do? He didn’t mention anything
when he called round earlier.’
    He’d been
here? I tried to swallow the toast in my mouth and had to drink
some tea to accomplish the task. ‘It’s your fault,’ I
said.
    ‘ Mine? How? What on earth happened?’
    ‘ I threw myself at your mentor and he declined the offer. I
was drunk, of course.’
    ‘ Oh…’ Huriel pulled a face. ‘Oh well, no harm done. I’m glad
to hear your libido has woken up.’
    ‘ No harm done?’ I asked exasperatedly. ‘Really, Huriel. He
must think me such a fool. He turned me down!’
    ‘ He is aware of your history,’ Huriel said. ‘He wouldn’t take
advantage. He probably thinks you should… get back into yourself,
as it were, with somehar nearer your own age.’
    ‘ Do you think that? Before, you implied I should take aruna
with Malakess, that it would do me good.’
    ‘ I don’t think it would be a bad thing,’ Huriel said, ‘but I’m
not Malakess. I don’t know his reasons for declining your offer,
but I’m sure he refused you because he thought it was best for
you.’ He smiled. ‘Only weeks ago you were protesting how much it
offended you he might desire you.’
    ‘ I’m aware of the irony,’ I said. ‘I don’t know if I can face
him today.’
    ‘ Of course you can. This invitation is clearly extended to
show you all is well.’
    ‘ I suppose so.’
    Huriel
put his head to one side. ‘Do you feel for Malakess, Gesaril? This
isn’t an Ysobi replacement thing, is it?’
    ‘ I don’t feel for him, no… not like that. It was physical,
that’s all.’
    ‘ Well, it has been a long time since you last took aruna. You
must remedy that as soon as possible.’
    ‘ Is that an offer?’
    Huriel
laughed. ‘It seems you are in heat! It wasn’t an offer, no. I’m not
the har you want, and you know it. Get dressed. We’re going out in
an hour.’
    I dressed
myself in another of the expensive costumes Huriel had bought for
me and pinned up my hair, allowing a few tendrils to dangle over my
face. All the while I got ready, I kept myself in check. I could
remember the excitement I’d felt getting ready to go to places
where I’d known Ysobi would be. I couldn’t fall into the same trap
here. I mustn’t look upon Malakess as a huge challenge just because
he’d spurned me. It would be so easy to do that, and it would end
badly. Huriel was right. I must find somehar else, maybe even a
Gelaming. But then, it might all go wrong, because of what I’m
like. I’m not good with aruna. I realise now that I enjoy the chase
and making hara want me, but then it’s all too much and I’m scared
of pain and bad memories, and I resent the hara for wanting me.
It’s been such a relief not to feel any of that since I’ve been in
Kyme. Damn harish needs! All because of a glance across a room.
Ridiculous.
    We took
lunch in the hotel in town where the Gelaming were staying. It was,
in fact, an elegant establishment and surely as good as anything in
Immanion. Chrysm and his companions were dressed casually and
looked much better for it, in my opinion. Malakess was already
there with them when Huriel and I arrived. He greeted me as if
nothing had happened the night before, and behaved towards me in a
manner that suggested he was an unofficial hura to me. It did no
good. All I could think about was touching his body, and even the
acts of eating and drinking were charged with a sensual
current.
    ‘ So when are you going to invite me to dinner with the
Nagini?’ Chrysm asked.
    Malakess
laughed. ‘You presume I can do that? They go their own way. It’s up
to them.’
    ‘ Oh, come on,’ Chrysm chided. ‘They like you. You could be our
advocate and impress upon the Nagini we are not the evil they fear.
I’ll make no secret of the fact it would be extremely good for me
if I could go home with the Nagini under my belt. They should join
the confederation of