Free Catalyst by Viola Grace Page B

controls. She leaned on her flash for directions and with a few movements they were up and flying back toward the capitol.
    “Well done, Agent Lassiter.” Obnalik clapped her on the shoulder and the ship dipped. He quickly withdrew his hand.
    Nothven looked at her. She could see the tilt of his head and the crystal grey of his eyes in the periphery of her vision. “Indeed, Agent Lassiter. Well done.”
    His gaze was on her too long, and she cursed when she realized that her suit was still gaping open, showing a lot of pale skin.
    “I will fix my suit when we land. This Cheevan system is taking all of my concentration.” The ship wobbled again to prove her point.
    She held tight and brought the shuttle to a skidding halt in the gardens next to the embassy. Mae shuddered and rested her head on the controls as she powered the ship down. “Well, that was fun.”
    They got out of their seats and opened the hatch, stepping out into the light of six Enforcer gunners, Dinray news reporters and the embassy staff.
    The cool air reminded Mae that her suit was open and she looked down to help her seal it, stumbling over the joint of the ship to the gangplank.
    Nothven caught her and held her tightly. “Be careful, Agent Lassiter. One might think you enjoy my embrace.”
    She stared up at him, eyes wide and lips parted. When a murmur came from the observers, he helped her straighten and blocked the view of the news crews while she closed her suit.
    “This is going to come back and bite me in the ass. I just know it.” She muttered it as she tried to straighten her hair before Nothven exposed her to the crowd.
    “I promise that it won’t as long as I am nearby. Now, come on, time to file our report and make sure that no one paid the ransoms.” He turned and preceded her down the plank, leaving her to walk on her own.
    Recorders were pointed at her as her image was taken for sending around Dinray and to all of their associate planets. Rescuing an ambassador from the Cheevan kidnappers was big news. Mae just wanted to get their blood off her hands and out from under her nails.
    The Enforcers fell in around them and escorted their trio into the embassy. The moment they were behind closed doors, the ribbing began.
    “Well, Agent Lassiter, who knew that you had a thing for Oefric. I have some shifter in me if you are interested in having some shifter in you.” Enforcer Kenfi started with that salvo, and Mae winced as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
    “What are you inferring, Kenfi?” Nothven’s voice came to them across the marble foyer.
    Kenfi jerked away from Mae as if scalded. “Nothing, Commander. I was just congratulating Agent Lassiter on your escape.”
    The other Enforcers backed a few steps away, and Mae felt that she was finally able to breathe again.
    She looked at Enforcer Harring, and he nodded. Mae left the interviews and the gathering to find her actual assignment. Representative Ranith was on the second floor with one of his daughters.
    She knocked and when a voice told her to enter, she did. “Hello again, Ambassador Ranith.” She bowed formally.
    He smiled, his feline eyes showing his amusement. “So, you survived. Excellent. Can you freshen up and then take Alsa for her walk? She has been very fidgety since you left.”
    “Of course, Ambassador.” She bowed again and headed for her quarters.
    A quick shower and a fixing of her hair into its customary braids later, and she was in a new enforcer-style uniform and walking in the garden with the small heir to the first Terran Champion. It was quite the honour.
    “Where did you go, Mae?”
    “Some bad men took me away, but I came back as fast as I could.”
    “Because I needed a walk?”
    Mae smiled down at the miniature Azon female. She was adorable and the ideal result of a Terran crossbreeding with an Alliance species. “Something like that.”
    “Did you have to fight the men?”
    “I did.”
    “My mommy is a fighter.”
    “I know that, Alsa.