Free Viola Grace - - Return of the Nine 03 - Hiding by Viola Grace Page A

faster, but holding the veil of perception around her became a strain by the end of the night.
    She watched some of the bolder women of the bride’s side haul warriors of the Nine to the dance floor, but she didn’t have time to watch.
    Daphne’s break time came and went, with the dismissed servers working in the kitchen to clean dishes and prepare the next courses. Her feet throbbed, her back and arms ached and her head pounded.
    A hand clasped her shoulder when she was on her way to retrieve another round of plates. “You have done well, Daphne Hallow. You are dismissed for the evening.”
    The woman of the Wilding smiled gently at her, but pointed teeth still showed.
    Daphne looked around and saw that the remaining servers were almost done cleaning up, the flowers were wilted and only a few guests remained. “Thank you. But I did not get your name.”
    “Arvina Hekoway. My cousin is wed to another of your people, but she is restricted to the warship. I came to make sure that what happened by accident did not happen again.” The woman made a gesture, and Daphne walked with her out of the warm hall and into the evening air.
    A forest bordered the gardens surrounding the hall, and it was a nice, quiet night with the new star of the ship of the Nine burning above.
    “It was a very nice reception.” Daphne was unsure what the woman wanted to speak to her about.
    “It was. Tell me, do you know of any other Gaians who have exhibited extraordinary abilities?” Arvina walked slowly down a garden path.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Don’t be shy. Six of the men you waited on were interested, but their senses suddenly ceased to remark on you. Why was that?”
    Daphne swallowed. “Um, perhaps there were women more suited to them?”
    Arvina laughed. “Perhaps. The Gaian women do seem interested in the men of the Nine. Are you one of them?”
    Daphne blinked, “I hadn’t given it much thought. They are all of standard attractiveness, I suppose. I didn’t have much time to shop around this evening.”
    The woman coughed another laugh. “Valid point. But if you are something unusual, would you consider the suit of one of the Nine?”
    Feeling put on the spot, Daphne paused, her mind on the woods and how long it would take her mind to put her beyond Arvina’s sight. “I suppose I would, however, I am nothing unusual here on Gaia. I am nothing at all.”
    She blinded Arvina to the sight and scent of her and ran for the woods.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    The woods enveloped her as they always did. Daphne called herself seventeen types of fool. Arvina knew who she was, probably knew where she lived. There would be no hiding from her, which was a pity. Hiding was all Daphne knew.
    The leaves of the trees caressed her as she passed. The moment that she thought she could draw breath and relax, she stopped and leaned against a helpful trunk. Arvina had not followed, that much was certain.
    In the darkness, dressed in black, she slumped to the ground and let the aches of her body unclench a little at a time. Her feet had a pulse, her arms were in agony and her back was screaming. It had been a heck of an evening.
    The branches near her moved, and she froze. It was not uncommon to have predators this close to town, but they usually stayed away from the hall on nights where a party was going on.
    The branches shifted again, whispering lightly to each other. With her body protesting, she got to her feet. “Who is there?”
    “Arvina thought that her presence would not be welcome.” The trees were speaking Gaian, so Daphne knew she had gone insane at long last.
    She staggered down the path and stopped abruptly when she struck a tree that wasn’t supposed to be there. To her shock, the tree was wearing the formal clothing of the Nine.
    Hands cupped her elbows and held her upright. “Easy, miss.”
    Her impression of a tree was not far off, his body was hard, tall and the same shade as the trees next to him.
    “Who are you?”
    He