there anything you would like me to tell your brother?” For the first time since Shan had seen her, Cyla looked honestly remorseful. Her lips pulled down into a frown, and her pale face pinked.
“Tell him that it’s my fault. Tell him that I’m sorry, and I’m glad that Ben got his contract and not George. Tell him….” She took a deep breath. “Tell him I should have listened to him.”
“I’ll tell him that,” Shan promised as he pushed himself to his feet. Cyla was still unabashedly Cyla, so he didn’t think she was carrying any deep wounds, and from the fact that her questions had focused on Temar’s contract, he didn’t think she knew about any abuse Temar might have suffered before his slavery. This had clearly been a false trail. Whatever was wrong, he would only get the answers from Temar.
“If you need to talk, consider going to the church, or ask for me. I’d be happy to come back down,” Shan offered.
Cyla gave him a distrustful look. “You’d cross seven thousand rods of deep desert to talk to me again?” She didn’t even hide the disbelief.
“I would,” Shan promised her.
Instead of looking grateful, she rolled her eyes. “You sure didn’t go out of your way for us before. But if you have any spare time, spend it tracking George Young’s water use,” she suggested. Clearly Cyla still had all of her ego and confidence intact. She was a beautiful woman. She had the same blue eyes, the same high cheekbones and long fingers as her brother. On him, the features were ethereal. He had a beauty that made people look twice. On Cyla, the same beauty was sharp and almost uncomfortable to look at for too long, as though her personality was leeching out through her skin.
“I think George Young’s water use is a subject you had best avoid,” Shan advised her before he turned to leave. Ista Songwind was watching him as he passed, but then perhaps Shan had offended her. Cyla’s work certainly depended on timing, and Shan had not called ahead to ask when he could see her. No, he’d allowed his suspicions to guide his actions, and he’d shown up at Worker Songwind’s door with no warning. Cyla was not the only one who needed to work on being a better neighbor.
“Is your valley gate disabled?” Shan asked.
“What?” Songwind looked at him with far more alarm than the question warranted.
Shan tried to give her his most charming smile. He’d been told that he could be quite a charmer when he put his mind to it. “The control panel circuit… I noticed you’re having to do repairs on it. If your valley gates are down, Landing really would be happy to send some skilled workers over. You have quite a large task ahead of you with so many computer chips to clean.”
“We don’t need help,” Songwind said in a voice far sharper than friendliness would allow. Shan decided she was simply in an unpleasant mood, either that or she was an unpleasant person. For Cyla’s sake, Shan hoped that the first was true. Then again, it wasn’t like Cyla was some helpless child who needed a soft hand. She’d give back as good as she got—slave or not.
Ignoring his growing dislike for Songwind, Shan smiled. “If you change your mind, I’m on the council, and I know we would be happy to help. After all, the day may come when we need to ask for help in return.” When her weathered face remained just as hard, Shan decided that a change in topics was in order. “I hope the calm holds until I get home. The winds made the trip slightly more exciting than I would prefer.” He stopped near his sand cycle, but Songwind looked at him, her expression hidden behind a dark, wrinkled face.
He nodded respectfully. “Thank you for letting me pass on Temar’s message.”
“Next time, call before interrupting my work,” Songwind said without a bit of grace.
“I will,” Shan promised. Throwing a leg over the sand cycle, he gave the woman one last smile that she didn’t return. His engine whined to
“Tell him that it’s my fault. Tell him that I’m sorry, and I’m glad that Ben got his contract and not George. Tell him….” She took a deep breath. “Tell him I should have listened to him.”
“I’ll tell him that,” Shan promised as he pushed himself to his feet. Cyla was still unabashedly Cyla, so he didn’t think she was carrying any deep wounds, and from the fact that her questions had focused on Temar’s contract, he didn’t think she knew about any abuse Temar might have suffered before his slavery. This had clearly been a false trail. Whatever was wrong, he would only get the answers from Temar.
“If you need to talk, consider going to the church, or ask for me. I’d be happy to come back down,” Shan offered.
Cyla gave him a distrustful look. “You’d cross seven thousand rods of deep desert to talk to me again?” She didn’t even hide the disbelief.
“I would,” Shan promised her.
Instead of looking grateful, she rolled her eyes. “You sure didn’t go out of your way for us before. But if you have any spare time, spend it tracking George Young’s water use,” she suggested. Clearly Cyla still had all of her ego and confidence intact. She was a beautiful woman. She had the same blue eyes, the same high cheekbones and long fingers as her brother. On him, the features were ethereal. He had a beauty that made people look twice. On Cyla, the same beauty was sharp and almost uncomfortable to look at for too long, as though her personality was leeching out through her skin.
“I think George Young’s water use is a subject you had best avoid,” Shan advised her before he turned to leave. Ista Songwind was watching him as he passed, but then perhaps Shan had offended her. Cyla’s work certainly depended on timing, and Shan had not called ahead to ask when he could see her. No, he’d allowed his suspicions to guide his actions, and he’d shown up at Worker Songwind’s door with no warning. Cyla was not the only one who needed to work on being a better neighbor.
“Is your valley gate disabled?” Shan asked.
“What?” Songwind looked at him with far more alarm than the question warranted.
Shan tried to give her his most charming smile. He’d been told that he could be quite a charmer when he put his mind to it. “The control panel circuit… I noticed you’re having to do repairs on it. If your valley gates are down, Landing really would be happy to send some skilled workers over. You have quite a large task ahead of you with so many computer chips to clean.”
“We don’t need help,” Songwind said in a voice far sharper than friendliness would allow. Shan decided she was simply in an unpleasant mood, either that or she was an unpleasant person. For Cyla’s sake, Shan hoped that the first was true. Then again, it wasn’t like Cyla was some helpless child who needed a soft hand. She’d give back as good as she got—slave or not.
Ignoring his growing dislike for Songwind, Shan smiled. “If you change your mind, I’m on the council, and I know we would be happy to help. After all, the day may come when we need to ask for help in return.” When her weathered face remained just as hard, Shan decided that a change in topics was in order. “I hope the calm holds until I get home. The winds made the trip slightly more exciting than I would prefer.” He stopped near his sand cycle, but Songwind looked at him, her expression hidden behind a dark, wrinkled face.
He nodded respectfully. “Thank you for letting me pass on Temar’s message.”
“Next time, call before interrupting my work,” Songwind said without a bit of grace.
“I will,” Shan promised. Throwing a leg over the sand cycle, he gave the woman one last smile that she didn’t return. His engine whined to
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