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Picking up from last week.
And some… some have sex just because it feels good and some… some use it to get what they want.”
A sickening feeling washed through her as she realized that that was what Luzita did, a thought that she tried – unsuccessfully – to push out of her mind. “And those people, they… they play on the minds and emotions of others, even pretending to be something they aren’t to get what they want.”
Like Maureena, she realized. Maureena and Luzita were cut from the same bolt of Numali silk. Maureena had no doubt recognized herself in Luzita and that had been the real reason she had sold her – she couldn’t risk the competition for control of Taliya.
Taliya closed her eyes to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill over. After a few deep breaths she continued. “For me… sex… love-making… I have to have an emotional bond with the other person. It’s not a matter of them being male or female or whatever, it’s… I have to have some sort of connection to them. And with Luzita… that is broken. I… When Maureena, my mother, sold her, she told her that I said to do it, and Luzita believed her. She believed that I would do that to her.”
“Because that is the sort of thing that she would do to you,” Ayess said quietly, and she started, opening her eyes to stare at her first officer.
Ayess’ race does not have words for he/she/his/hers, etc, because they are (for lack of a better term) hermaphroditic. Their pronouns to refer to other members of their race are “ni” (for he/she/him/her), “ni-es” (his/hers), “ni-en” (they/them) and “ni-en-es” for theirs.
Novel Notes 
Hmm…I pretty much want to just repeat my comment from last week. I can’t decide who Taliya’s love interest is in this story now. I’d been so sure it was Luzita, but now it’s looking like Ayess. Curiouser and curiouser. :-)
I’m definitely not rooting for Luzita anymore. That last line…yep. How awful for Taliya.
I have never really liked Luzita and I am totally rooting from Ayess. I liked them from the start
Poor Taliya. I never really liked Luzita and this isn’t changing my mind.
I am really falling into this story… just so you know.
Beautiful, yet tragic realization, plus a powerful bonding moment between Taliya and Ayess. I can’t help hoping there’s more to Luzita than this. Or even if there is, she’s going to grow as a character over time.
Oh, such tangled emotions. You can’t help feeling for them all.
What to say? Taliya has been betrayed by everyone around her–whether they knew it or not–except, perhaps, for Ayess.
Ayess that is a pretty big logic fallacy you have with that last statement (unless I suppose that is what Taliya thinks, I haven’t seen enough evidence to determine that).
Love the pronouns :-)
What Addison said, quoting Lewis Carroll…this is sublimely sexy scifi, if you’ll pardon my saying so. I’m usually a-sexy, but have had a history of writing sex/erotica. This is the essence of the mystery of attraction and connection between beings. It’s magnetic, magical and we want more <3
So much heartfelt emotion. Great snippet
There’s a reason I love Ayess…
My heart always aches at this part of the novel.