As they entered the store, Kiara became acutely aware of the reactions he inspired around them.
She glanced about, noticing the way mothers snatched up the hands of their children, pulling them out of Nykyrian's path, and other patrons who eyed him in fear. Her heart ached as she overheard som e of the hate-filled whispers—"Killer, cannibal." She looked up at Nykyrian's face, and she could tell he heard them as well by the hard, tight line of his lips.
Trying her best to ignore the imbeciles and their prejudice, she made her way to the women's section.
It took several minutes before Kiara could find a clerk to wait on her. "Excuse me," she finally said, cornering one before the woman could escape to another department. "Do you have this jacket in a size twelve?" she asked, holding up the present for the clerk's inspection.
The clerk's eyes drifted over her shoulder to where Nykyrian had withdrawn and Kiara wanted to shake the woman for the unwarranted fear. The clerk's gaze returned to Kiara and the jacket. "I think so," she said, her voice trembling.
She took it from Kiara's hand and disappeared into the back. Kiara's eyes narrowed in anger. Looking around, she couldn't believe the way people stared and for once, it wasn't because of her fame.
After a m inute, the clerk returned with the right size. "Will this be all, ma'am ?"
Kiara nodded, her teeth clenched.
After ringing the order, the clerk leaned over the counter and whispered, "Where did you find an Andarion? I've never seen one on Gouran before. Aren't you afraid to be with him?"
Kiara tossed a strand of hair over her shoulder as if she were obliviously stupid. "Why no, I'm not afraid, he's already had his daily feeding."
"What do you feed him?" the clerk asked, fear heavy in her voice.
Kiara glared, unable to believe the nerve. Snatching up her package, she left the store.
She started toward another shop, then reconsidered. By the tenseness of Nykyrian's jaw, she could tell he wanted an end to this expedition. It actually amazed her he didn't say something to that effect.
"I'm ready to go home now," she whispered, her throat tight in sympathetic pain.
"Not so much fun with me around. I should have sent Rachol with you."
She stiffened at the sim ple way he stated the fact as if it didn't bother him in the least.
"Do people always act this way around you?"
He shrugged as if it were just a normal occurrence to be overlooked. "You should have seen the reactions when I wore a League uniform."
Kiara stared at the sidewalk while he hailed another transport. "Do Andarions react the same way to you?"
He choked.
She looked up in startled amazement that her question had wrung such an unnatural response from him. "I think that was a negative answer."
He took a deep breath and faced her. "Humans fear me because they think I'm going to feed on them at any minute, Andarions look at me like a pitiful, weak giakon."
"Like I know what that m eans," she said bitterly.
"A castrated coward."
Her mouth formed a small o. Her hair rippled from a sudden breeze as a transport pulled up to the curb. Stepping inside, she thought about his words.
Depressed, she leaned back against the cold seat. No wonder he closed himself off from people. He was caught in the middle of all the hatred and fear of both races. "Has anyone ever attacked you for your mixed blood?"
"You can deduce that without my help."
She sighed at his flat, emotionless tone. "Why are people so stupid?" she asked rhetorically.
His voice surprised her. "They fear for themselves. I'm a reminder humans and Andarions aren't two separate species, but derived from the same genetic make-up.
Unfortunately, neither race wants to admit it could possibly be anything like the other. I quit blaming them for it years ago. Now I just try to avoid mingling with them. It makes life easier to live."
Coldness consumed her as she thought about what it would have been like growing up an anathema to everyone. "What about your parents?" she asked. "How did they cope?"
He took a deep breath. "My mother abandoned me when I was five."
"And the commander?"
"He adopted me."
Kiara smiled. She vaguely remembered Nykyrian's father from a few of the political trips he had made to Gouran when she was a child. "He must have loved you dearly."
"Never assume anything."
This time, there was no mistaking the emotion in his voice. Hatred, cold and simple. She trembled, trying to remember what Huwin was like, but all she could recall was the image of a kind man who patted her on the head while speaking with her father.
She wanted to reach out and soothe away Nykyrian's pain. Kiara couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him. Her parents would have torn anyone apart who looked at her the way people did Nykyrian. She couldn't believe a mother would give up her child for any reason.
Kiara sat in silence the rest of the way home, her mind mulling over her lessons for the day.