Lady by Viola Grace

wait up.”
    Rowen laughed and waved as they left and stepped into the night air heading for the long, low vehicle that Rox hadn’t seen in action yet.
    The skimmer encapsulated them once they were comfortably seated, and they lifted off to fly into the night sky.
    Devnin smiled. “They are going to be late, they always are. At least he doesn’t have to wear a helmet anymore.”
    “Why did you wear a helmet, and why did you stop?”
    Uadon chuckled. “That one I can answer. Because of their status as both Guardians and nobles, Devnin and Skorin were in danger of being distracted on the job by women throwing themselves at them. They weren’t wearing marriage bands and that brought things into a tempting light. If the nobles were seen to be Guardians, their families would be hounded with offers.”
    “Families do the matchmaking?”
    “The children ask their parents, and the parents apply the pressure.” Uadon lifted Pleska’s hand to his lips. It seemed a casual but heartfelt gesture, and it was completely natural.
    Rox laughed. “Did Pleska apply the pressure?”
    Uadon grinned. “As did my parents. She and I met during the call for talents, and we couldn’t take our eyes off each other.”
    Pleska cuddled up to him, and Uadon put his arm around her.
    Pleska sighed, “He was building a rock wall and I sent bees to circle his head while he was focussing. It was very childish behaviour, but it got his attention. We exchanged particulars during one of the lectures, and back at my room, my first call was to my family.”
    “I did the same. We were married before the Guardian base was complete.”
    Rox asked, “So, no dating, courtship, formal gatherings?”
    Pleska and Uadon looked at each other and shook their heads.
    Uadon said, “There was no need. When you have a paranormal element in your life and you meet someone who not only understands but also compliments your talent, you grab them and don’t let go. I could not even imagine being with someone who didn’t know or understand the pressure of our position.”
    Pleska snorted, “And our families were just happy that we met someone who matched what we needed. They agreed with alacrity despite the differences of our upbringing.”
    A chime sounded and Devnin groaned. He headed to the com room and came back looking surprised. “This one is for you, Lady. Get your trident; I will meet you at the flier.”
    Rox got to her feet and sprinted to her quarters. She grabbed her trident, whipped off her robes and headed back to the exit with her instrument aimed toward the ceiling.
    It seemed strange to be getting undressed for work, but she was on an alien world covered by a garden, and she had never imagined being comfortable with either idea. Now, she was sprinting into the night, flinging her limbs around a man who conjured fire, and she had no idea how this had come to be the most natural thing in the world.
    “Lady, we are heading toward a fungus research centre. They have lost cooling on one of their more dangerous floors, and they need you to keep the floor of the facility cold while they affect repairs.”
    “Why?”
    “Something to do with the spores being toxic. I am afraid you are going to need a bio-suit.”
    “That isn’t going to be good.”
    He chuckled. “I am aware of that. I will be nearby and you can take breaks to warm up as necessary.”
    The hint was that he would use his heat on her, but she didn’t mind. It might be just the thing she needed to keep from stealing what she required.
    She held tight with her left arm and watched their approach to the mountain range. She loved mountains; the cooler temperatures suited her temperament.
    Lady grinned, “Don’t let me get carried away. I don’t want to cool your blood.”
    “You have a decidedly heated effect on me, so it does not seem that a cooling is likely. I promise to tell you if you work me too hard.”
    She blushed until they landed at the subtle entrance of the research