Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Robyn stepped into the director’s upstairs office.
It was sparsely furnished—a desk, a credenza, two filing cabinets, and a pair of chairs arranged in front of the desk.
A large dry erase board took up most of the left-hand wall.
All in all, nothing spectacular, but the view was fantastic.
The entire back wall was one-way glass that gave an unobstructed panorama of the main aviary building.
Including the cage Kyzel had trespassed into.
“Here they are, Ms. Taylor,” the guard who seemed to be in charge announced.
Ms. Taylor, aka the director of the aviary, could easily be summed up in one word: severe.
From her high cheekbones and sharply defined jawline, to her intense dark eyes.
Even her hair was pulled back, her tight curls tamed smooth into a bun at the nape of her neck.
The only thing that might be soft about her was the deep brown of her skin tone.
This was a woman who took her job seriously, who’d probably fought hard to earn it. Which meant Kyzel’s lack of judgement would have them dumped on the sidewalk outside the facility in less than five minutes. Minus a refund of their entrance fees.
Ms. Taylor eyed Kyzel with suspicion. “Thank you, Fred. Please wait outside.”
Fred looked like he’d protest, but Ms. Taylor gave him a scathing glare. Then it seemed he couldn’t get out of the office fast enough.
Yep. Severe. Even the employees didn’t mess with her. Besides, there wasn’t a lot of room in the office, even though Kyzel held his wings close to his back. Black Wing stood in the corridor frowning, with ECG’s camera hanging around his neck.
The door closed with a soft thump, and silence settled into the room.
“So.” Ms. Taylor’s narrowed gaze was focused on them, the promise of a good dressing down in the depths of that gaze as she leaned back in her chair.
“You broke at least a half dozen rules, committed as many safety violations, and created a stressful atmosphere for not only the birds in the habitat, but also my employees. Explain yourself.”
Kyzel shifted, standing a little straighter. “I do not understand why.”
“Why what?”
“Why are they imprisoned? They should fly free.”
The director frowned. “You mean the birds?”
Ohh, so that’s the problem. He didn’t like the birds being caged. Which meant…. Oh, gracious. He had intended to free them.
“Yes,” Kyzel confirmed. “Why are they kept here? And do not tell me it is for educational purposes.”
The dawning of understanding lit Ms. Taylor’s face too, and she actually smiled. It was a nice smile that softened her features a bit. “What are your names?”
Robyn took a step forward. “This is Kyzel Raptorclaw, visiting from Bezchi, and my name’s Robyn Donahue. I’m really sorry we upset everyone. I thought this would be a good place for a, erm, first date.”
Ms. Taylor nodded, her gaze traveling back and forth between them.
“Normally, what you did would get you automatically ejected from the premises. But before I do that, it’s important you understand that the Global Aviary Sanctuary is an educational center, and I sense here an opportunity to educate.
” She pushed back from her desk and stood.
“Come with me. I have something to show you.”
A few minutes later, Ms. Taylor led them into an unobtrusive building in the farthest corner of the facility. The scent of industrial disinfectant tickled Robyn’s nose as they walked through a wide, airy room lined with observation windows. The place smelled a lot like a hospital.
Kyzel was alert, taking everything in with wide eyes, as if he might miss something. “What is this place?”
“The bird rescue medical center.” Ms. Taylor guided him to a window.
The room on the other side of the glass was empty, save for a young woman setting up trays with packaged surgical instruments.
“This is our operating room, where injured and sick birds are brought. We deal with everything from broken wings to being shot with arrows, and worse.”
Robyn squished her nose in sympathy for the unknown birds. “That’s awful.”
“Yes, well, there are awful people in this world.” Ms. Taylor sighed. “And we haven’t been able to save all the birds, but we do what we can.”
Kyzel frowned. “I do not understand. Why do you keep them here?”
Ms. Taylor gave him a smile. “This is a bird rescue sanctuary, Mr. Raptorclaw. When a bird is healthy enough, it’s returned to the wild. Freed. Not kept here in a cage.”
“Then why are there caged birds?”
“Those are the ones who can’t survive in the wild anymore.”
Kyzel’s expression cleared, and the corners of his mouth crept up into a small smile. “I see. You give them sanctuary.”
“Exactly,” Ms. Taylor said. “My gut tells me that what you did was simply a cultural misunderstanding. I’m going to cut you some slack, as long as you promise to stay out of the birds’ habitats.”
“That is very gracious of you, Ms. Taylor.” Kyzel gave the director a bow. “I will respect your rules, you need not worry.”
“Oh, I’ll still worry, but my gut is rarely wrong. So, I’m going with it, this time.” She nodded to each of them. “Please enjoy the rest of your day, and the sanctuary.”
Kyzel gazed up as he passed under the sanctuary’s beautiful archway.
There was no denying that this was an institution of honor.
He understood that now, although the air current to that enlightenment had been rough.
For a time, he had feared Robyn would part ways with him over his misguided, rash actions.
Yet she had stayed, defended him, taken responsibility for her part, and, most importantly, was still at his side. She carried honor within her soul, as a monarch should. At some point he would have to tell her, but it was too soon. His agreement with Rol would be honored until the time was right.
He turned his gaze toward Robyn. The top of her head barely reached his elbow, yet she walked with the confidence of a warrior. She would be respected for that on his planet.
She glanced up and met his gaze. “Do you feel better about this place now?”
“Immensely. I still regret any embarrassment I caused you.”
“It’s all forgotten.” She waved one fine-boned hand.
Apprehension gripped his insides. “You do not remember?”
Robyn slipped the same hand into his larger one. “That’s a way of saying it’s in the past and I have forgiven you.”
Sweet relief. She did not have the early stages of the mindlessness. And, she was holding his hand of her own volition. The simple connection sent a flood of effervescent warmth through him, and his heart soared on currents of joy.
He wrapped his fingers around her hand as they strolled into the green zone—the park—surrounding the sanctuary. “Thank you. I will be more careful in the future.”
“Don’t.” There was an earnestness to the word. “I mean, just be you, Kyzel. Don’t worry about what I think. I can tell you, from personal experience, that always trying to live up to someone else’s expectations does bad things to a person’s self-esteem.”
“Personal experience? Would you explain?”
She huffed a laugh. “I was married for thirty-five years to a man who expected me to fit his image of me. Once our youngest daughter graduated college, she moved out, and I walked out the door with her.”
“You have a fledg…no, she is not a fledgling any longer, is she?”
“No.” She grinned. “Kathy’s a twenty-seven-year-old tech geek.”
“Tech geek?”
“Computers. You’ll see when you meet her, she understands it all. And I tell you, ever since the Galactic Alliance of Planets made first contact, there’s so much new stuff to keep up with.” Robyn pointed to a large red and yellow cart at the bend of the path. “Are you hungry?”
It had been many hours since break-fast. “I am.”
“Great. Connie has the best sausages in the park...oh, wait. Do you eat meat?”
“Not all Bezchians do, but I am of the raptor clan, and we prefer meat.”
“I should’ve known.” She seemed intrigued by his revelation. “Come on.”
He allowed her to take the lead. Soon they had their “Polish sausages” in hand, and found seating on the rim of a large fountain.
He bit into the first sausage and the casing popped, flooding his mouth with a juicy, deliciousness he had no words to describe.
Spicey, but not too hot. All he could do was close his eyes and chew, savoring the tangy alien flavors.
“Do you like it?” Robyn asked.
He swallowed the food down. “I have never tasted the like. It is outstanding.”
She appeared incredibly pleased by this, then bit into her sausage…and he could not draw a breath. How could chewing be so mesmerizing? Then she swallowed, and her throat moved with the action, sending his thoughts in the most inappropriate direction possible.
That was, of course, the moment she turned her blue eyes on him and smiled. He should feel the stinging heat of embarrassment, but it was oddly absent. Instead, contentment filled all the aching, dark corners of his soul. Corners Careene had never touched.
Robyn cleared her throat. “So, do you have—”
A cry of frustrated anger drew his attention to a thicket of bushes several paces away.
A female Earthling with short-cropped black hair stood gazing up with her hands on her hips.
Hovering above the bushes was Fyad, something rectangular with a cylindrical appendage dangling by a strap from his hand.
“That guy with black wings was at the aviary,” Robyn said. “Who is he?”
“I believe you would call him my bodyguard.” Kyzel took another bite of Polish sausage.
She gave him a surprised look. “What do you do that you need a bodyguard?”
The black-haired woman shouted something indecipherable at Fyad and stomped her foot. The other Bezchian’s laugh was clear, even though his words in reply were not.
He could not tell Robyn the full story yet, but he also would not lie. “I am the head of a large institution.”
What was Fyad doing?
“You mean, like a high-profile company or something?”
“Hmmm.” Now the black-haired female was jumping, trying to catch Fyad’s foot and missing by the feather’s width.
There was something familiar about her. She resembled the young human who had spoken to him and Rol on the street last night. Whatever was happening between her and Fyad now could not be good. He made a move to rise, but the touch of Robyn’s hand on his arm stopped him.
“She was taking pictures of the incident at the aviary,” Robyn explained. “He took her camera away from her there, too. I’m guessing she stalked us to the park and was hiding in the bushes, taking more shots of us eating.”
Kyzel frowned. “Is this normal behavior for a human?”
“Not often.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But, you’re a high-profile businessman, so maybe she recognized you.”
A stone of dread settled in his stomach. It would not be good to be recognized, not at this point, anyway.
Fyad flapped away with the strapped item, sending a whirlwind of leaves and dust circling around the obviously infuriated female.
Kyzel made a small grunt and returned his attention to Robyn. “If that is the case, then Fyad is doing his job. It irked me when my people insisted that I bring others with me as protection. Apparently, their counsel was sounder than I thought.”
“You mean others came with you too?”
“Only my friend, Rol. He is one of those who worries over-much.”
Robyn laughed. “My best friend, Meryl is the same about me sometimes.”
“It is good to have friends who care.”
“Yes, it is.”
He popped the last bite of the Earth sausage into his mouth, and bit down. The lovely combinations of unfamiliar flavors were as strong with this bite as they had been with the first.
“I do not know what Polishes are, but they are delicious in a sausage. Can they be used in other foods?”
Robyn seemed to choke on her drink, and he gave her a firm pat on her back.
Finally, she caught her breath. “Polish is not an ingredient. It refers to the country this sausage came from originally. Poland. That’s why they’re called Polish sausages.”
Heat rose to his face. “It seems I have much to learn about your world.”
“At least as much as I have to learn about yours.” She patted his forearm, and again anticipation raced through him. “Sounds like fun, huh?”
He met her bright blue gaze. “With you, yes.”
She wrapped her hands around his and raised it up to study. “I thought so. You have talons instead of fingernails. Look.” She held up her free hand.
The ends of her fingernails were covered with a smooth, pale pink coloring.
He peered closer. “Are they painted?”
“Yep. It’s called fingernail polish.”
“But, why?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Because it makes me feel pretty.”
He met her gaze. “You are beautiful, Robyn Martin Donahue.”
Her entire face turned the same pink as her nails, but she smiled. “Thank you, but let’s drop the Donahue, okay? No need to bring my ex into our conversations.”
“Names work different here, I see.” On Bezchi, everyone was identified by their clan. Raptorclaw, Firewing, Landwalker, and so on.
“Yeah. Someday I’ll get around to legally dumping Donahue and just be Martin again.” She lowered her gaze back to his hand. “So, how do your talons work?”
He extended them partway. “I can extend and retract them at will.”
“Wow, that’s pretty nifty. Do you use them often?”
“No.” He pulled them back in so they would not scratch her. “Our kind used to hunt, but modern technology has removed that need.”
“Same for most humans.” She wove her fingers through his, her soft sigh full of contentment. “This has been fun, Kyzel. I’m glad you came back this morning.”
So was he. “I have had a wonderful time, Robyn. Would you consider accompanying me to dinner tonight?”
Her smile lit the space between them like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. “I’d love to, Kyzel Raptorclaw.”