Gaze by Viola Grace Page B

when she was seated, he scooted in next to her instead of taking the position across from her.
    She snorted. “Is contact with me part of your courtship?”
    “Yes. Now, as to how many people I have been, it is around forty. I have been many more creatures, trees and animals in my day. It took a while before I decided to leave home and travel the stars.” He poured tea for them both and then settled in on his food.
    “So, you are quite old.”
    “Ancient by your reckoning. I live my lives with friends and family and then change my form and move on when they fade away.” His voice was intent.
    “So, after I am gone, you will lose your Kozue form and move along?”
    He blinked and his cheeks darkened. “Not if you don’t like this form. I can choose something else.”
    Gwyn swallowed and turned to him. “You don’t have to change. You are you, I am just a little jealous of the women who have enjoyed your perfect features.”
    He blushed full on. “None. The Kozue form is new. I mimicked a cousin of mine but made myself prettier.”
    “Is your cousin in the Alliance by any chance?” She chuckled and kept eating. The Sector Guard might be top secret, but there were some aspects in which the Alliance and the Imperium shared resources.
    “He is. He is partnered with a healer, and they are living quite happily.”
    She grinned. “You wish to follow his example?”
    “Well, once I took a biped form, I gravitated to the masculine. Seeking out a female partner seemed very natural, so I began to look into it five decades ago. It took a lot of trying to figure out what I wanted, and then, I took that list and tossed it out the window when I went to see the Yaccaro matchmaking seer. The moment I saw the image, I knew it was right.”
    “Can you have baby display the image?”
    He made the request, and she was looking at herself wrapped in Durz’s arms, thick mist at her feet and the Blue Fairy in the background.
    “I am wearing the same dress I am now.”
    He nodded. “I am aware. When Hargu offered me my choice of clothing for you, that was the one I picked.”
    She laughed. “Hedging your bets?”
    “Doing my best to make a dream come true.” He finished his meal and picked up his cup of tea.
    “Well done.” She grinned. “I am always a fan of a good plan.”
    They tidied up from breakfast, and he asked something that he had not asked her before. “What do you do in your off time?”
    She looked from side to side. “Come here.”
    She stroked her hand along the wall and depressed a hidden panel. The door slid back, and she entered with Durz at her heels.
    “This is the library, video centre, activity centre, everything. This is what I do in my off time.” Gwyn twisted her lips and watched his expression.
    He went to the wall and stroked one of the three hundred crystals. A catalogue of the books in that crystal appeared in front of him. “How many books do you have here?”
    She twisted her lips. “Somewhere over fifteen thousand. I am trying to get through them all.”
    “May I ask why?”
    She sighed and walked to the wall, selecting her favourite book of ancient Admaryn fairy tales. “When I was growing up, books either had to be read to me or I had to pick from a limited selection in braille. It was awkward, difficult and when my schoolmates thought it was funny to flatten my books, I was stuck. They were all special order.”
    “That is cruel, but what is braille?”
    She explained and brought out one of her old books to show him. The Kama Sutra in braille had been crafted as a joke, but she had found it fascinating. She taught him the first few letters and folded the book shut.
    “Hey, that was just getting interesting.”
    She laughed. “I would like to see some of the town if it isn’t too much to ask. I haven’t felt the wind on my skin in quite a while.”
    “Of course. The skimmers we stole should still be there.”
    Gwyn bit her lip. “Can you maintain the shield on my skin if we are