Watching From a Distance Read online

Only then do I realize that it’s a young child who means us no harm. Cor feels her a second after I do and spins. The sudden movement startles her so much, she trips and stumbles into him. Cor jumps, and I hear his own shock stick activate.

  “Cor. No.”

  He stares at the child for a long moment. I can only guess what goes through his head. He probably has not experienced a child that young. Few from the capital do.

  “Cor.” I touch his arm to get his attention. Slowly, he relaxes. As soon as he does, I scoop up the girl.

  “Reve? Is it--?”

  Earlier, when I shook hands, it felt foreign. But holding the child feels strangely normal. It reminds me when I carried Mati home from daycare many years ago. She touches the silver stripe on my shoulder and grins happily. “It’s fine, Cor.” I glance across the crowd, sensing the mother more from her terror than actually seeing her pressing against the rope. In fact, the whole crowd seems to hold its breath, waiting to see how we will respond to this offense.

  Like I could ever harm this little girl.

  Three steps to the crowd and I gently hand the girl back to her mother. I feel a huge loss when I do. In those few seconds I had held Mati. Who knows if I’ll ever get another chance to hold her. The mother murmurs her thanks, tears in her eyes.

  By the time I turn back to Ka’za, she has already continued walking towards the craft. Out of all the ways she ignores me, only this irritates me. As her A-guard, I know it’s my duty to stay within five feet of her. But she can at least try to keep that distance herself! I catch up to her just as her feet touch the landing ramp. By that time, everyone recovers enough that the nerve-racking horns begin again. A few bars of music and we disappear inside the craft.

  As soon as the ramp closes, Ka’za turns to Cor, her dark eyes gentle. “How are you, Cor?” She pulls the translator out of her ear as she speaks. She hates how it feels, and has even less tolerance for it when she’s tired. I’ll have to watch her more closely next time. These people seem to wear her down more than normal.

  The older man nods, although his face looks pale and sweaty. I look away to hide my smile. Unlike everyone else on this ship, my parents couldn’t afford much, a typical trademark of most families in the poorest colony of Cordesle. Boarding school, normal for the capital, was never even considered. Instead, I spent many afternoons making sure all the younger siblings had their homework done, then entertaining them with a variety of games until one of my parents returned home. At least until I was fourteen and everything changed. Cor, coming from Cordesle proper, never had that experience and, as such, fears children like most of the population.

  “She merely startled me, milady. I don’t think I would have hurt her. It’s just--I didn’t want to anything improper.” Cor glances at me, not accusing, but more questioning. I wonder for a moment if he knows I’m from North Harbor. Not like I’ve told that many people. But without that knowledge, my actions do look different.

  The ship trembles slightly as we take off for orbit. “I doubt you would have hurt her.” She turns to Captain Rowley, head of the Purple Guard on our ship. “A child ran out from under the ropes. Startled Cor. It was handled effectively, and without harm to our relationships. I was never in any harm.”

  Captain Rowley nods. “I worried for a moment there. Both you and Cor seemed tense. Should we worry about it in the future?”

  “I don’t think so. But I want your report of my current planet side risk by nightfall.” With a small nod at Cor, she leaves us standing there. Cor goes down the other passage.

  Captain Rowley shakes his head. “It’s times like these I don’t know what she thinks of you, Reve.”

  “Lady Ka’za, sir?”

  Rowley nods slightly.

  “Besides apathetic hatred?”

  Rowley smiles ruefully. “You’re one of the best A-guards she’s ever had. An ability to stay invisible and an instinct to danger like yours is a rare gift; I know. So it can’t be your skill that she hates. She hasn’t hesitated before to transfer out a guard she didn’t agree with. So I don’t get why she treats you like--dirt.”

  I shrug. “I don’t care. I’ve put up with a lot worse on my first assignment than this silent treatment. Besides, we only see each other with a dignitary. She has a lot more to focus on than me.”

  Rowley shakes his head. “Except part of what makes her so good is that she notices everyone and everything. Except you.” Captain Rowley purses his lips thoughtfully. “I should let you know; this is my last assignment. I’m retiring.”

  I blink at him. “You’ve been with the Purple Guard for--so long.”

  “I know. But it is time to leave. Believe it or not, I actually am going to get married.” He smiles such a happy smile that I feel jealous in spite of myself. “I’ll make sure I leave a good word for you on your file. Something that’ll shatter your home address. Which, speaking of North Harbor, any clue what’s going on there?”

  I pause, worry for Mati automatically surfacing, which I do my best to hide. “All I know is that the riots are as bad as the news reports.”

  “Well, hopefully my recommendation will allow you to get a good position.”

  “Do you--really think it will come to that, sir? She’s ignored me practically the whole two years I’ve been here and probably will until the day I request transfer.”

  Captain Rowley frowns. “She knows how well I like you. And she respects my preference of A-guards. But my opinion only last so long as I’m here.”

  He leaves my most likely future alternative hanging in the air. We both know if I am transfered now, I will most likely end up as an attachment to some politician trying to calm down my hometown. I can’t do that, neither personally or emotionally. “What’s the likelihood of a transfer then?”

  “She has something against you, Reve. I can’t find out what; I’ve tried. But--I suspect someone is keeping her from transferring you out, either myself or her uncle. Either way, her patience will give out soon. Two years is long for her.”

  I nod slightly. “Thanks for the warning I suppose.” I take the next turn to get away. Of course it’s just my kind of luck for this to happen right now, right when my family needs me here the most.