Shattered Stars by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page A

to her bracelet.
That seemed to trigger something in her.
    “These quarters
are very large for just you.” The accusation was obvious, but she
backed it up by saying, “We are all crammed into bunk rooms with
eight people per room.”
    Hannah sighed
as her relaxation went out the window. “These aren’t my quarters. I
don’t have quarters. These are Lord Mero’s quarters.”
    Lisa paused.
“Then, what are you doing here?”
    “I am his
intimate bondservant. You know that last test that they give
us?”
    Lisa made a
sound of agreement. “Yes.”
    “Well, I scored
high as did three other humans, and we were taken away and sent to
a prepping facility. After you were put up at the bond auction, it
was our turn.”
    “How many years
do you have to do?”
    Hannah sighed.
“As far as I can tell, life.”
    Lisa paused.
“What?”
    “There is no
way I can pay off the bond.”
    “What about
your time off?”
    “He has to be
asleep or out on business. If he is awake, I am on duty.”
    “Oh. Wow. Why
are you bruised?”
    Hannah cleared
her throat. “It is part of the job.”
    The brusque
massage changed to something a little more soothing.
    When Lisa had
loosened all of Hannah’s muscles, she returned with a cream that
she rubbed into the sore spots where Hannah had hit the mat.
    “This cream is
amazing. When they told me to apply it to your bruising, I wasn’t
sure, but it is definitely working.”
    “What is it
doing?”
    “Reducing the
swelling and colouring. It breaks up the blood pooling in the skin
and flushes it away.”
    The rest of the
treatment was completed in five minutes, and then, Lisa pulled
away. “You are done. Would you care to remain there or would you
like help to go to the shower?”
    “I can manage
it. This is light discomfort.” She sat up and wrapped the drying
cloth around her. “Thank you, Lisa.”
    “Have a good
day, miss.”
    Hannah headed
in for a shower to remove the oil from her skin, and when she
emerged, all traces of Lisa were gone.
    A new dress was
laid at the edge of the bed.
    Hannah slipped
the dress on over her head, and then, she went in search of a
reading screen so she could enjoy herself.
    She settled on
the couch and smoothed the skirt so that she could tuck her feet in
and get comfy.
    By the time
Mero came through the door, she was learning about the education
centre and how it operated. There was no true wrongdoing, but they
were scavengers. They listened to industrial societies, and when
they went silent, they swooped in and assessed the world, taking
off members of the population and educating them to be
servants.
    She paused at
the point in the file where it described the pains taken to remove
all indigenous bacteria from the skin as well as alter the biology
of the students.
    She glanced up
as a shadow fell across her screen.
    “Hello,
Mero.”
    “Hello, Hannah.
Come with me; it is time for lunch.”
    She set the
screen down and got to her feet, stepping in beside him. They
returned to the dining hall, and when they were sitting across from
each other, she came to a realization that she hadn’t made before.
He didn’t eat.
    She picked at
her food, and she felt her brow furrow.
    “What is your
question, Hannah?”
    She looked at
him, and his hands were folded neatly with his chin resting on
them. His elbows were braced against the table.
    “You don’t
eat.”
    He smiled. “I
can. I usually don’t.”
    “Because you
get your sustenance elsewhere.”
    He shrugged his
agreement.
    “So, why are we
here?”
    Mero looked
around at the crew that filled the hall. “Social interaction. You
require it.”
    She smirked. “I
am really fine without it for the most part. If I can just get a
stack of rations, I could remain in your quarters and you wouldn’t
have to take time out of your day.”
    “I do not
mind.” He smiled slightly.
    “So, why did we
go to dinner last night?”
    “So that you
could meet others of similar social standing to you and