Free Jailed by Viola Grace Page A

visitors were housed. She used the com to contact the archivist dispatch, but they needed to work on an assignment for her. It would take a while now that she had a record, even if the charges had been dropped.
    Her life had been turned upside down because she walked through a puddle on a world where the dominant life form resembled walking, talking goldfish.
    Kori checked her account balances and rubbed her forehead. She had enough money to get herself to another world, but she had to find out where she could get work. Days like this, she wished she had never left Earth.
    Home had been boring, but it never made her wonder if she was one bad decision away from being homeless, helpless and a target for slavers. There was nothing like the feeling of being hunted for your genes.
    Kori sighed and tried to keep herself occupied for a few days. Waiting for a new assignment was never easy, and she had never been in this situation before.
     
    * * * *
     
    Kori sat up and stared at her door when it chimed. She opened it, and the grinning visage of Nikada was beaming at her.
    “I got off.” Nikada hugged her.
    “I can see that. My case was dismissed.”
    “They told me. This is my brother, Norod. Norod, this is Kori.” Nikada hauled her out and into the hall, shoving her toward the much larger male Wyencar.
    Hands caught her arms and held her an inch from him. “It seems that you have made a friend in my sister, Kori.”
    “Apparently.” She smiled and looked up and up until she could see the flat feline features in the leopard-printed skin.
    Norod’s eyes were amber in the dark, natural outlines that were part of his skin.
    Her heart thudded in her chest and her skin tingled where he was gripping her arms.
    He seemed to realise that he was holding onto her without reason. He slowly released her and she stepped back.
    Nikada was at her side in a moment. “So, where are you off to next, Kori?”
    Kori looked at the more familiar face and smiled. “I don’t know. I have to wait for an assignment and not a lot of planets will have me after the Shiloss issue.”
    “What Nikada means to say is that you are invited to be our guest. Can you forward your com line to Wyencar Prime?” Norod raised one brow.
    Kori was pinned. She had nowhere to go and too much time to kill. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, yes I can.”
    Both of the felines grinned at her, showing way too much teeth for comfort, but they were her only way off this station. She was getting a ride.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    Hot was the only way that Kori could describe Wyencar. It was no wonder that the population went around minimally clothed.
    Nikada took her to a clothier, and within an hour, Kori walked out with a Masuo suit that wrapped her from heel to neck and had a pattern similar to that of the leopard-style Wyencar.
    Her blue hair was another gift from Nikada. Kori had always wanted it and here, it helped her blend in with the vast array of students and visiting aliens.
    “So, do you want to go dancing?” Nikada grinned, happy to be home. She was wearing a hip wrap and nothing else.
    “I am not sure. What is involved and will anyone be clothed?”
    “Some will, some won’t but it will be fun regardless.”
    Kori sighed. “I really have to check in with the possibility of my placement.”
    “You can do that tomorrow. Come on. You need to have some fun.”
    Kori wrinkled her nose. “Fine. Not all night, though.”
    Nikada linked arms with her and hauled her down the sidewalk toward the entertainment district. “Of course not.”
     
    Wyencar partied hard.
    Kori carefully extricated herself from the dance pit and eased to the drink dispenser. The cheerful man poured her a blend of citrus and ice.
    Kori slipped over to the seats and perched safely out of the range of the stroking hands and rubbing bodies. Dancing on Wyencar Prime was a grope fest on other worlds. She had had more strangers caressing her to the beat of the music, some