Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

callouses
were a sign of a hard worker, and imperfections made some people seem
more interesting. She still thought Larken was appealing, but in a
way that was perhaps pretty, not handsome. He was emasculated by the
cut of his robe, his perfect long hair, and the makeup that blushed
his cheeks and accentuated his blue eyes. She’d long since
abandoned the quest for cosmetic perfection. Her daily regimen
included bathing, and a little colour or gloss on her lips when it
wore off.
    His advance wasn’t
entirely unwelcome, however, and she let him kiss her, his lips
softening against hers as he realized he wasn’t about to be pushed
away. He tasted of peaches, and moved his lips slowly, prying,
lightly pinching hers. It was much more like the time Sun and her
kissed on a lark to tease a few of their crewmembers at a party than
anything else. He kissed as sweetly as Sun did, but less firmly.
Aspen liked it, she loved Larken even though he still seemed to love
the Countess, so she returned the kiss, adding vigour to it, and she
licked his tongue forward to play for a moment before gently closing
her lips and withdrawing with a smile. “I love you too, Larken,”
she whispered, feeling a sharp pang of guilt. “I don’t think the
Countess would be okay with this though.”
    “I don’t know. A
lot has changed. Things have been strange since we received news that
you were recovered, she has been very particular about how I look.
There’s some kind of consultant named Panna at court, she scans me
often and reports to the Countess in private. Neither of them seem
happy about whatever they’re talking about.”
    “I might know what
it’s about, but it’ll have to wait,” Aspen said. “Help me get
back into the Countess’s good graces. I can’t bear how angry
she’s going to be when she sees me,” she said, applying years of
stage craft thanks to endless drama lessons.
    “Oh, no,” Larken
said, full of concern. “She adores you, this is a cause for great
celebration.”
    “The Countess will
see you now, come this way,” a tall shapeshifter said. His upper
body was a long taper with vertical eyes that protruded slightly,
dragging brown-yellow skin with them when they peered here and there.
    “Thank you,
Seneschal,” Larken said.
    Aspen didn’t have
much time to adjust to the fact that their old Seneschal had been
replaced, he’d been a kind man who doted on her while she was at
court. “What happened to Arsenault?”
    “He was killed by the
artificial intelligence controlling the kitchen,” Larken said.
    “Oh my God,” Aspen
said. “I hope it was quick.”
    “It was not. I had to
help clean, I don’t want to talk about it,” Larken said.
    They entered the great
hall, where the Countess held audience, and the theme of stone
pillars in front of walls with deep alcoves was repeated, only the
stone was crimson, brown and grey. At the end was a single tall
throne that wove those colours together using vines riddled with
gemstones. A seven step dais held it above everyone in the grand
chamber, where holograms of the Countess’ ancestors haunted the
alcoves. Above those alcoves were tall windows, blue skies and a few
spiral stone spires were visible but nothing else. Upon the throne
sat Countess Valona Tineau Danti. Her garb was surprisingly simple –
a long blue gown with a black under layer that showed through down
the centre. Fine platinum chains hung down the backs of her long
sleeves, sliding against the throne as she stood.
    Flesh crafting had made
the woman unnaturally thin and tall. Her face was always narrow and
long, but it seemed even more so with a neck extended at least twice
that of a normal humans, lengthened arms, legs, narrow hips and a
waist that looked like stretched toffee. Special muscle groups, an
extended spine and outer support that were added by the flesh
crafters while they were making alterations kept it all together. A
shock of white hair made her head look even taller, a lattice