Carnelians Read Online Free PDF Page A

robots were perfectly effective and he didn’t have to pay them. He seemed to think having humans added class to his establishments.
    The drunk peered up at her. “You going to dance for me?”
    “You don’t want to see me dance,” Aliana told him. “It’d give you a stomach ache.” She led him over to the magrail stop on the street that ran in front of the bar. “You go on home and sleep it off, eh?”
    “Sleep-what?” His voice slurred.
    “Here you are.” She eased him onto a bench with glowing purple lights around its edges. To the bench, she said, “Keep watch over him until the mag train arrives, okay?”
    “I guess I could do that,” the bench said.
    “You leaving me here?” the guy asked, squinting at her. “It’s cold. Why don’t you sit with me? Pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone.”
    Pretty. Sure. Her stepfather had never let her develop any delusions about that. She knew she was ugly. With all this fellow had drunk, she was surprised he could even tell she was female.
    “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “You take care of yourself, okay?”
    “You’s too,” he mumbled, swaying.
    After waiting a moment to make sure he wouldn’t fall over if she left him on his own, Aliana went back to the bar and leaned against the doorjamb, watching the street. Gods, this was boring.
    “You’re new,” someone said.
    Aliana turned with a start. She hadn’t heard anyone approach, not a good sign, because most people weren’t that quiet unless they were trying to sneak up on you.
    A man stood a few paces away, with dark eyes and bristly dark hair. He was taller than anyone she knew, with muscled shoulders and biceps bulging under his jacket. Gods. He was big.
    He came closer. “You work here?”
    “Bouncer,” she said, watching his hands. He kept them in the pockets of his leather-and-mesh jacket. Not good. He could have a weapon in there.
    “You’re a bouncer?” His laugh rumbled. “Right.”
    “You going in?” Aliana asked, irritated.
    “Maybe I’ll stay here with you.”
    “I’m busy.”
    He stepped closer. “I’m Tidewater.”
    “I’m not interested, Tide.”
    “Right.” He put his hand on her arm.
    She jerked her arm, throwing off his hand. “Blast off.”
    Tide regarded her with curiosity. “You’re tough, you think?” He moved fast, shoving her up against the wall. “Or maybe not, hmm?”
    “Oh, grow up,” Aliana muttered. She twisted and clumsily threw him off. She still wasn’t used to the strength of her dense muscles.
    She hoped he’d decide she was too much trouble and go inside. He didn’t seem hostile. But he came at her again, and in that instant she flashed on all the times Caul had beaten her. Fury roiled over her, a rage that had spent sixteen years in the making. When Tide tried to toss her off balance, she whirled away and kicked as hard as she could, stabbing with the heel of her boot. It should have caught him in the stomach, but when her foot reached him, he was gone.
    They really fought then, hard and intense, not a tussle like she’d had with a few other patrons. She was so angry, she didn’t care that the damn robots didn’t show up to help like they were supposed to. Tide kept evading her blows. This guy was trained. It made no sense. Pros didn’t pick fights with girls outside piss-cheap bars. If she hadn’t been able to sense his intent with her mind an instant ahead of his strikes, he would have knocked her out within seconds. Even with that, their bout only lasted a few minutes before he pinned her on the ground. Staring up at him, she wondered if he intended another kind of assault. It would be stupid, especially in front of the crowd that had gathered. Guys like this earned their pay by doing their boss’s dirty business quick and quiet, nothing public. He wouldn’t trash his reputation just to take out a kid. That was stupid—
    Unless someone had hired him to do it.
    She scowled at him. “Tell Harindor he’s an asshole,