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Commission
gave Chosen an entire day in the company of the man they selected. If unhappy, Faye
could request a severance of their union. He ran a hand down his weary face. Torkel
would prefer to have been a loner for the rest of his life than suffer a
severance from a Chosen.
    His communicator
buzzed as he was leaving his room. Torkel hesitated but had an idea who was
calling and he could not ignore it.
    He flicked the
flashing blue light on the device, keeping it to audio only. “Torkel.”
    “Son, Merlyn
called me. Do you need papan and I to come over?”
    That was the last
thing he needed. “Not this evening, maman.”
    “I’m so happy for
you. I knew this was your year. Didn’t I tell you?”
    Torkel grinned in
spite of his annoyance as she babbled. It was hard to remain unaffected with
the woman who raised him. “Yes, maman.”
    “And she’s from
Earth! I bet you’ll have beautiful babies and she’ll love you so much. You know
my friend says she knows someone who knows someone with a woman from Earth and
their loyalty is worth mentioning.”
    If he let her go
on she’d talk all night. “I only have a minute. I’m waiting for a doctor to see
to her injuries.”
    “Injuries!” she
yelled.
    Torkel winced. “Be
calm, maman. There is minor bruising on her arms.”
    “From that targot ,
Axan. I heard all about it. No one can talk of anything else.”
    Torkel’s mother
had never used profanity to his knowledge and the one she spoke was pretty
rough. “I’m sorry you had to hear from others. I would have called later.”
    “I know, Torkel.
How soon can we meet our new daughter?”
    He wasn’t sure
Faye would want to stay with him. Torkel refused to get his maman upset by
telling her this. “I’ll see how Faye feels later.”
    “Faye,” she
breathed. “How pretty.”
    Torkel chuckled.
“I’m leaving now less she think I abandoned her to the guys.”
    “Oh, do make sure
they’re gentlemen to her.”
    “Yes, maman.”
    “Bye.”
    He ended the call
and hurried back to the recreation room where his Jutak unit waited. When he
arrived, Faye sat on a sofa one arm extended while the doctor kneeled on the
floor and used his neutralizer scanner. His men had gathered around to listen
as she talked.
    “Then the jerk
implied Torkel cheated. The Commission people wanted to go over it again, Axan
lost his mind and grabbed me.”
    Jaron leaned
against the back of the sofa. “She ran toward our unit leader and made it clear
he was her Chosen.”
    His men cheered.
This in turn caused Faye to duck her head. Torkel approached and Gregir and
Geile let him through. Torkel sat next to his Chosen while the doctor finished.
    “I’m done, Torkel.
The bruises are healed but the arm may be sore another day or two.” Dr. Maku
declared.
    “All better.” Faye
shoved her arm under his nose and something wet splashed his pants. Torkel
caught the cup she’d almost dropped and sniffed the contents. Soku .
    Faye climbed
across the space separating them and sat cross ways on his lap. “I’m so glad I
chose you.”
    “I’m glad you
chose me as well.” Were her eyes brighter?
    “Your friends were
very nice to me,” she declared then clutched his shoulders when she swayed.
    Torkel frowned.
She hadn’t appeared this uncoordinated at the arena. “Faye, are you alright?”
    Her nose
scrunched. ‘I’m not sure what they gave me to drink but I might…” She pinched
her fingers together in front of his face. “I might be a little drunk.” Then
she smiled but unlike the smile she graced him with during the choosing, this
one was lopsided as if her mouth wasn’t fully engaged.
    Her words pierced
the fog of his brain. Drunk? Soku wasn’t an alcoholic beverage; it was a
stimulant for tired warriors. “Who gave my Chosen Soku?”
    Suddenly the men
in the room busied themselves and scattered. Only Arak hesitated. He was always
the easiest, because he felt guilty when he lied.
    “Arak?”
    His brown haired
team mate