Askance Read Online Free PDF Page B

to once you are a full Avatar.”
    “I don’t think that I will choose to inflict my will upon these people. They seem to have lives of their own as well as a fully developed society. I do not feel that interference is appropriate.”
    She smiled to give her words less bite, but the fatigues of the day suddenly overwhelmed her. “Please excuse me, ladies, but I need to get some rest. I get the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a very big day.”
    Her two companions smiled and laughed in unison.
    Silari nodded and left the two women to their own devices. She had a wire corset to work her way free of.
    Her feet pattered lightly on the wooden flooring as she returned to her rooms. She started working to free herself from the bodice the moment that the door slid shut behind her.
    The metal was beautiful, but it was taking all of her body heat. The light snacks that had been served during the party were not enough to satisfy her caloric requirement. When she had worked her way free of the cuffs on her arms and legs, she sighed at the release of tension. Her normal, bulky bodysuit slid over her skin like a long-lost friend.
    Once she was comfortable again, she slipped across her room and listened at the door. Ydella and Linorial must have retired for the evening, because the hall was silent.
    With slow and deliberate moves, Silari slipped free of her room and walked the halls in search of the kitchen. Her feet made no noise on the wood and she didn’t see any of the servants who normally manned the building.
    Silari sniffed and used the faint odours of the lovely food from earlier in the evening that eventually came to her nostrils. And the dog has caught the scent.
    She chortled silently and pursued the smell that teased and taunted her. The moment that she found the kitchen, she held her breath and stifled the howl of triumph.
    Chillers stood side by side along the walls and a heater was waiting, just for her. She found a plate and quickly opened the chillers, piling a selection of snacks on her platter.
    Her silent giggles continued as she warmed the tidbits just enough to take the chill out. She parked her butt on the counter and swung her feet like a child, enjoying the feeling of raiding a fridge after midnight.
    It was almost to be expected that someone caught her in the act.
    The light came on, but instead of coming from the fixtures, Maksuan was leaning in the doorway with a grin, his eyes and body lit from within. “Hungry?”
    She held up her half-destroyed plate with a grin. “Not so much anymore. Care to join me?”
    He wandered over to her, his skin still glowing in the darkness. “How did you find your way around in the dark?”
    “I have fairly good night vision and excellent hearing. It isn’t enough to qualify as a talent, but it is more than enough to become an agent of the Alliance.” She grinned and ate something with a sweet purple paste on it.
    He chuckled and went to the chiller himself, plate in hand.
    To Silari’s amusement, he went and obtained his own selection, heavy on the sweets.
    He parked on the counter next to her and she saw his feet swinging slightly.
    “How much of that glow is you and how much is Niiko?”
    “About half and half. He was very proud of the way you reacted and spoke to those assembled this evening. I am fairly sure that he was thinking you were going to bolt.”
    “I notice that you are back in your normal clothing again.”
    “As are you. We made our point and now, it is time for comfort, although I believe that the Yeruan styles would suit you very well.”
    She chuckled and munched the last of her collection. “We will put it in for negotiation. I like my bodysuits. They cover everything.”
    With the glow coming from his eyes, his smile looked devilish. “I have noticed that. When you were wearing the other clothing, I was surprised at how well muscled you are.”
    Her blush should have had her glowing pink. “I had to be fit to capture those I was sent to