Crystal (Warmth series Book 3)

9: Aragonite

A/N: When Rolo says Nyma is asexual, he doesn't mean sexual orientation. He means literally asexual. As in doesn't reproduce sexually just like the Teiidae lizard I'm basing her species on. If you're confused, don't worry. Just Google "Teiidae" and be amazed by the all-female species of lizard that doesn't reproduce sexually, but still performs sexual acts to stimulate egg growth. It's so cool.
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Aragonite: calms and allows for insight
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It took every ounce of self-control Rolo possessed to not run back to  the site Nyma was still setting up their shop at. But while his feet  somehow managed to keep a steady pace, his thoughts were racing and  swirling in mass confusion and fear. Lotor was here. Prince Lotor, son  of Emperor Zarkon, was here on Meserie. Why?

Sure,  Meserie was popular with races from all across the universe, the Galra  included, but royalty didn't just come here without reason. Lotor must  be after something. Ever since the rebellion lost its last skirmish to  the Galran prince, they'd been forced to lay low. The only plus side to  the whole scenario was that the rebellion's base of operations was still  undiscovered.

Was that why Lotor was here? Was he still hunting  the rebels? Stupid question. Of course he was. But had he found  something that led him here? Fuck, this was going to make things  difficult. Thank the stars for a fresh new curse word to make himself  feel better.

"Nyma," he called, stepping onto their reserved lot.

The  lot was silent. The small, open air shop was fully stocked, and opaque  particle barriers blocked access to it. That would protect their  merchandise from thieves or overly curious customers for the night. The  only light other then from the solar lights along the skypaths and  scattered across the Market platform was from inside the yurt.

Without  preamble, Rolo pushed the yurt's cloth flap door aside, making sure to  close it and activate the seal and temperature regulator as he did so.  His movements were jerky and betrayed the fear that gnawed at his bones.

"Rolo?" his partner gasped, looking up from the portable heating table in the center of the yurt. "What the frell are you-"

"Did anyone stop by?" he demanded abruptly.

"What?" Nyma asked, her face twisting in confusion. "Why would-"

"Yes or no, Nyma," Rolo snapped. "Yes or no. Did anyone stop by?"

Nyma  set her cooking aside on a foldable stool nearby. "Why?" she demanded,  her wide, pupil-less eyes studying her trade partner closely. The  sapphire blue resembling the depths of the moon Khonsu. "What has gotten  into you?"

"It's Lotor," Rolo said, turning on the program that  changed the plasti-fabric windows of the yurt into one-way visibility.  As long as there was power to the yurt, the windows would only allow  people inside to see out. No one outside could see in. "He's here  on Meserie."

"What?!" Nyma gasped. "What the frak is he doing here?"

"I  have no idea," Rolo snapped, tossing his hat to the bedroll and running  his hands through his white hair nervously. "This isn't a big Market,"  he said, trying to force his mind to think and rationalize instead of  panic. "It's not even one of the biggest. The largest Market isn't for  another few galactic movements."

"Calm down, Rolo," Nyma said firmly. "How do you know he's here?"

"I saw  him," the trader said, staring fixedly out one of the yurt's two  windows. "He came to Manset's lounge. I swear it scared the living  quiznak out of him too."