Page 2 of Logic Broken

I stepped back, smile still in place, “Be right back. Just sit tight.” When I widened the gap between us, I could see those odd limbs settle down in his grip, going slack and calm once more. Huh, interesting, so was it my proximity that was making them misbehave? I suppose I got to test that theory when I brought him his order.

First, I had to deliver several more orders; I could already see lights flashing on my tablet, warning me. If I didn’t hurry this along, I’d piss off Drova for being slow. That was the last thing I could use when he was already so jumpy.

*

Akri

I watched the human female leave through hooded eyes. She was small and dainty but the way she’d gripped my appendage… strong too. I still couldn’t figure out what had caused my head limbs to malfunction so abhorrently; why would they grip her like that? Was this yet another way in which I had to learn to control this strange body? I thought I’d finally progressed beyond that point.

My stomach cramped painfully and I let go of my tentacles to grab hold of my belly. I should have eaten sooner but I’d been caught up in my research; I had not noticed hunger until I’d unplugged. I hoped she would bring me the food quickly; this was quite uncomfortable to deal with.

Swiveling my head, I tried to keep her in my sight as she progressed through the room. She was clad in a short black dress, her pale legs bare beneath the skirt. There was a spotlessly white apron tied around her middle and a red scarf tied snugly around her slender neck. When I took in the rest of this diner/bar, I could only conclude that she was the cleanest thing around. A spot of bright cleanliness among a sea of grubby patrons.

Even the floor of this establishment was a mess, covered in a fine layer of sawdust meant to soak up any kind of spillage. It filled the air with a musky scent, but the most prevalent smells were those of unwashed bodies, sweat, and the more pleasant food scents. It was very busy, and now that I was paying attention to my surroundings, I was starting to realize that this was not a very safe place to be.

My eyes went back to Jenny, the human waitress was delivering a heavy tray of food to a rowdy table. I was impressed with how she balanced the entire thing on a single hand without tipping it as she unloaded plates of food. My eyes narrowed when I realized she had the added difficulty of dodging the hands reaching for her person.

A noise rattled through my body, the skin along my back twitching, and my tentacles curled, the tips forming solid knots. I struggled to analyze what was happening to me; why was I rumbling like this? It sounded like the growls my friend Fierce made when he felt like something threatened his mate. I didn’t have a mate, so that couldn’t be it, was I feeling threatened? I didn’t believe so.

Jenny was already moving again, my eyes tracking her automatically. Her physical characteristics were pleasing. She was fair-skinned, with brown hair up in a high ponytail that bounced cheerfully with each step she took. The red scarf on her neck drew my attention; I wanted to know what her skin felt like beneath it. Would it be soft? I was startled by the strange thought; the desire to touch a being was entirely new.

When she suddenly turned, our eyes met as if they were magnets drawn together. Hers were a soft mixture between green and brown; hazel. I wondered if she would think my eyes were strange. They most closely resembled those of an Aderian and I knew the humans on the Vagabond thought Aderian eyes looked scary.

The moment seemed to draw out, but a warm smile remained on her face. She was so cheerful and welcoming, handling this crowd of rowdy males with grace and warmth. Did she not find their unwashed bodies distasteful? Or their rude behavior off-putting? I focused more on her expression, on the way she moved, trying to decipher her true mood and feelings. I was still learning this. It wasn’t as natural to me as it was for those born with a body.

I was starting to think that maybe Jenny was just putting up a front, hiding what she was really thinking. A cold feeling washed over me, distracting me from my urgent hunger. What if she was putting on that act around me too? What if she’d really hated it when my tentacle gripped her slender wrist? She’d smiled and said it was fine, but I’d learned that most species said one thing but often thought another. I didn’t like the thought that this single kind human didn’t like me. She was so familiar a sight to me since my days as the Vagabond, where ten humans made their home and sometimes even more.

“Hi,” she said when she approached me again, a bowl of fragrant stew on her tray and a dozen drinks that couldn’t be for me. Up close, I could see a smattering of pale little freckles across the bridge of her nose. They were interesting and I had the strange desire to count them all, my eyes roving over them despite the more urgent needs from my empty stomach. Fifty-six, I thought, but I had a feeling she might have more of those fascinating spots in other places on her body. I desperately wanted to know if that was true.

She sat the bowl down in front of me, followed by a tall glass of water which I hadn’t ordered but should have; I appreciated the thoughtfulness. Then my eyes grew wide when my tentacles got away from me again; this time both of them curled around her closest arm, gently pulling her toward me.

“Oh no,” I said, reaching out to grab them; in a hurry to disentangle them from her fragile arm. Why were they doing that?! When I first gained possession of this body it had been hard to control these extra limbs, but lately, they had followed my commands. Right now, it felt like they were a foreign part of me and any progress I’d made was gone.

She laughed and I noticed a little pinkness along her cheeks as she did so, “It’s alright, they just like me, I guess.” Dancing a little out of the way, she shook her hand and they finally slid off. I drew in a deep breath, hoping that the practice would calm the unsettled feeling in my belly. Was that just the hunger talking, or was it something else? This felt strange and different; I couldn’t be sure what it meant. More data was required before I could draw a conclusion.

“I should still apologize. I don’t mean to touch you without permission,” I said gently. I knew what my friends had been through and something suddenly felt tight in my chest. At least this girl was just working at a bar. She wasn’t enslaved as they had been; she could leave if she wanted to.

The pinkness was still there in her cheeks, I liked the way it looked, it held a certain kind of appeal I couldn’t explain. “That’s alright, I didn’t mind,” she said. She drew in a deep breath, her shoulders expanding with the move. Tilting her head left and right, she seemed to be checking on our surroundings before she dared to lean in a little closer once more. “Listen, watch your back, okay? You look a little too fancy for this place. Someone might jump you on the way out.”

Ah, she was concerned for my well-being. I felt a flush of heat rise up along my chest, I liked that, but she didn’t need to worry. If anything, she needed to worry about whatever fool tried. This body was a well-oiled fighting machine; it was the one scenario where I still felt out of control. If it came down to a fight, instincts would kick in and I couldn’t do anything but ride out the wave.

Distracting myself from the worrisome thought and the prospect of a possible fight, I focused on Jenny. It was easy to let her presence be the only thing that filled me. I very much liked looking at her face, with its pleasing, even features. “Thank you for the warning. My designation is Akri,” I said to her, and I stuck out my hand in greeting the way I knew was customary for humans.

Chapter 2

Jenny

I was still smiling as I got back to work. Akri, what an odd guy, but I really liked him. He looked at me with kindness and with this intense curiosity that I felt mirrored in myself. He wanted to know everything about me and I certainly wanted to find out more about him. Too bad my current situation wasn’t going to allow me to actually sit down and talk with him, maybe even ask him out on a date. I could see myself doing that if this was just a normal job and if I had any choices here.

My eyes darted to Drova behind the bar; the old male was deftly pulling drafts from the tap, the glasses foaming in bright colors. His red eyes moved from the draft he was setting down to the door as soon as the bell jingled, his posture growing stiff. I followed his line of sight but saw only more patrons entering; it wasn’t anybody threatening, nobody I associated with Drova’s gambling issues. He seemed to conclude the same and went back to serving guests, but it was a good reminder that I needed to be on my toes today.

I touched my hand to the silk scarf that covered the pain collar around my neck. If I saw my chance, I should try to escape, but that thing was a liability. With it covered up, most people might not realize my status but this was Ov’Korad, where slavery was legal. Even if I managed to escape from Drova, he would just report his property stolen to the police. They’d hunt me down and return me to him.

To distract myself a little from my possibly grim future, I looked over my shoulder at Akri. I immediately couldn’t help but grin. He was hunched over his food, arm curled around the bowl, and shoveling that stew into his mouth like it was about to vanish into thin air. He must have been really hungry; no wonder he’d ducked in here when this wasn’t a safe place for a guy like him. I suppressed a shiver just thinking about that posh English accent which was so shocking to hear on a completely alien planet.

For the next ten minutes, I worked while keeping an eye on the two things of interest today. One was definitely fun to watch, especially when I realized he was watching me too. The other… Definitely not. Drova seemed to get grimmer by the minute. Had he lost that big this time?

There it was, the jingle, as one group of patrons left and new people ducked inside. I recognized the Sithral male that led the newcomers immediately, bad news. This was definitely it, and I had a feeling I was going to be paying the price for Drova’s addiction. Honestly, it was a miracle it had taken him over a year to lose so badly.