Read Calm for Free Online Page A

it, entering the airlock from beneath.
    She was nervous at doing a purge, but he simply pulled her up until her head was exposed to air, he turned her to face him and slid his hand between her thighs. Her reflexive gasp purged her gills, causing her to push away from him and swim to the edge of the surround. It took a few tries to hoist out of the water. She ignored his hand and boosted her body onto the ledge, swinging her legs out and onto the dry surface with a grunt.
    “You have been more graceful.” He observed it with the light amusement of a long time friend.
    “Shut up, Vehn.” She got to her feet and shook out her skirt. It resumed its dry form rather quickly. “Huh, well constructed.”
    “The Lahash clothing is designed to dry in seconds.” He took a step toward her. “Now, may we continue what we began outside?”
    She snorted, “A tour of the Kao family home, please. The make-out session can wait. Oh, how did Niika take to her purge?”
    “As if she were born to it, which she was. She was excited to be in class, I have no doubt your ears will be aching by the time dinner is over.”
    He offered her his arm and she took it, letting him lead her where he would.
    “My family built this home five hundred years ago for the purpose of being close to the children while they are in school. The open ocean is far too dangerous for our little ones, so we educate our children in lakes.”
    Vehn paused near the edge of a huge window, and Meri had to admit that the view was spectacular. “It’s lovely. It seems that the city grew up around it.”
    He smiled. “It did. The Kaos were the first to settle in this body of water. It was excavated, landscaped and the minerals sold to member planets of the Alliance. The funds raised brought the Lahash out of the shadows and into respectable society for the first time.”
    He continued the tour. “Of course, there are those who want a return to the days when the Lahash in spawning simply stole their brides and transported them to the settlements until the child was born. It is much more organized now.”
    “Why do the Sivith put up with it? I don’t see why it would be appealing to be a brood mare.”
    Vehn nodded. “You must understand that it isn’t spawn or not, we either spawn or die, and this has always been accepted by the Sivith. We used to be the same species and they have the same mating urges that our males do, they merely do it via courtship before the necessity kicks in. With our females outnumbered by our males, it is not a practical thing for the Lahash to do.”
    “Why isn’t any of this information in the archives? It would have made things a lot easier, and you might have been able to go on a female recruitment drive or something. There are compatible species out there.” Meri was adamant.
    He chuckled and led her up a series of stairs. “I am aware of that. It is a hard sell among the Lahash. They agreed to send me out to see what I could bring home. After six years, I met nine suitable species and only one suitable mate.”
    Meri felt a blush working its way to her cheeks. “I see.”
    “If you look through that window, you will.”
    She followed the direction that his arm was pointing, and she saw their reflection. It was only now that she was reminded of his height. He had to be seven foot or taller and she was five and a half feet tall. On Earth, her hair had been the most remarkable thing about her, her dark eyes and medium build had made her invisible. It was only when she had been encouraged to enter the Volunteers that she knew what she truly was, a talent who could not only feel stress, but also dampen it in others. Here, she was standing next to a mer-man from outer space and all she could think about was the hand that was moving around her waist and pulling her back against him.
    He whispered a word in a liquid language and their reflection brightened as the outer wall polarized. Vehn bent his head and pressed a line of kisses down