Page 19
Guards stood outside a door, and that is where Devran took her. The doors slid aside, and the crew smiled and inclined their heads.
When the door closed behind them, she said, “Why are they all so happy with me?”
“Because of the strength of your mind and the passive energy of your body. I am drawing from you, not from them.”
Aya blinked. “Oh. That is... I don’t feel anything.”
“I am consuming most of the screaming panic that you woke with.”
“Oh. That would do it.” She looked around at the desk and the smaller desk settled next to it. She swallowed. “New desk?”
“Yes. It was installed while we were in the observation lounge.”
“When my clothing was moved.”
“Correct. We need to create a more defensive attack in your mind. That can wait a few days.”
She smiled slightly. “My niece had one of those.”
“What?”
“She developed a mental shield that felt like a slammed door.”
He chuckled. “That is interesting. Perhaps it is a family trait.”
“No, my shield is all wispy.”
“That was the training. It protected you from your clients.”
She walked around and examined where everything was. More clothing had made its way into the wardrobe. “Who is picking these?”
He smiled as he sat at his desk. “They are from worlds I visit regularly. They are all for a woman of the highest caste, no matter the world or number of limbs.”
Aya chuckled. “That explains some of the holes in odd places.”
He smiled, and his long fingers began to touch the projected keyboard. “Tentacles are prevalent on a lot of worlds.”
“So you interact with these worlds?”
“More or less.”
“That is very vague.”
He didn’t look up, just kept working. “It is vague. Thank you.”
She sighed. “What is your relationship with those worlds?”
He paused and ran a hand over his hair. “They worship me.”
“What?”
“They worship me as the god of time.”
“Oh. Well, that’s something.”
He made an amused sound. “It came with the shifting mists around me.”
She chuckled. “So, Devran, god of time?”
