Broken Wings (29 page)

She looked good. Damn good.
The mirror in the bathroom showed her an image of a slender young
woman with shoulder-length brown hair that matched her wings. It
couldn't be her reflection. But it was. It
so
was! Maybe she was pretty. Not
beautiful, but not the ugly duckling she always thought she
was.

The leggings matched the top that
looped around her neck and fastened below her wings on her
back.

Better yet, they'd left shoes that
fit. Someone had figured her size perfectly. No more oversized
Shirukan boots or restrictive, ugly black uniform. The new clothes
totally made up for losing her best jeans.

Now for food. Her stomach ached. Oh,
Great. No one told her where to go or what to do.

First task—find someone who could help
her. That meant going out into the corridors. She didn't know
anyone or anything. What an idiot she'd be.

Relax. You belong
here.
And she had friends there, if she
could find them.

Raea keyed the door open and stepped
through when it slid aside. A familiar face faltered in mid stride
while taking a step around the corner ahead and stopped. Dressed in
a plain gray flightsuit, Cris stared.

Oh, no. Did she do something wrong?
She shouldn't have come out. Every cell in her body screamed to
hide. She turned back to the apartment—

["Wait!"] His rushed steps clapped on
the smooth floor

What? Did he want to tease her now?
Raea crossed her bare arms, or, rather, wrapped them around herself
to hide.

["I…was…hoping…you might join
me?"]

Her insides growled. ["As long as it
involves food."]

He chuckled. ["For
starters."]

Oh, no. Not again. Couldn't he quit
hitting on her? ["Where's Leksel?"] He always moderated Cris's
behavior.

His amusement dropped a notch as he
led her through the curving corridor. He was so jealous of his
brother. So what if she liked Leksel more? It wasn't like she would
ever sleep with either one. ["I don't know. He wasn't in the room
they assigned him when I stopped. He's probably already in the
dining hall. I'm sure we'll see him there."]

["You know where to go?"]

["It was on the map."]

["What map?"]

He stopped at a set of doors with a
vertical line of lights next to it. ["The file map."]

The door opened to a transport
tube.

["I'm not familiar with this world.
Remember? I grew up on Earth, Cris."]

["I forgot about that."] He followed
her inside.

After the doors shut on them, he
leaned against the back of the car. ["Level twelve."]

Raea hiccupped at the sudden drop,
despite knowing it would come after her ride with
Saffir.

A few seconds later, the car stopped
without that gentle bounce that left her wobbly-legged the first
step out of elevators, nor did she feel it any other way. With all
the technology of the Inari, she speculated they used some sort of
reverse gravity to lighten the stop. If they could make cities
float in the sky, she wouldn't doubt it.

They stepped out into a large room
full of tables and chairs among thick pillars. Glass lined the
outer walls all around. The sun high in the sky shone
bright.

["Dining hall. All you can eat,
especially if you've been running from the Shirukan."]

All right, Cris.
She caught his easy grin and elbowed him in the
gut. They didn't need to attract attention. A few of the scattered
faces looked up and she scanned those faces. No sign of Leksel. And
the dining hall took up only half of that tower; a flat wall
extended behind them both directions.

["Where is he?"]

["He can take care of himself."] Chris
strode for the food counter to the left, a shadow over his
mood.

Now she knew why the dining hall took
up only half the pie of the tower—the kitchen and storage area must
have filled the rest. A wide door behind the serving counter
allowed a glimpse into a kitchen.

None of the food under the glass
appealed to her, but her empty stomach refused to wait until she
reached home.

The woman behind the counter wore a
cloth over her wings, giving Raea the impression of being a
hunchback.

Raea shook her head. ["You pick. I
have no idea."]

["You're sure? You trust
me?"]

Not when he asked her like that, but
she didn't have much of a choice. That smug, teasing grin sent a
shudder down her back. ["Just do it, before I change my mind."] As
if that could happen. She had no idea what anything was.

Cris ordered her a plate of what he
took. They sat down at a table away from the others, near the
tinted window blocking direct sunlight from blinding anyone in the
room, and looked out over clear sky.

The food was good, although her hunger
may have overridden her sense of taste. Too much time had passed
since her last meal. The searoot spores had filled her, but those
were hours ago.

Raea almost cleared her plate by the
time she sated her hunger and slowed down to talk. ["That was
good."]

["Very good. But anything's good on an
empty stomach."]

So, she wasn't alone thinking that.
["True, but you have to admit that this was at least
fair."]

["Not as 'fair' as the
company."]

Here we go again.
Didn't he ever quit? Probably not until she said
it straight out. Raea wiped her mouth with the napkin. She had to
tell him, or this would go on until she left. She should have told
him sooner, but she didn't know what would happen or how he would
treat her. Now that she would see Elis again, she had no
excuses.

She was no better than Elis for not
being fully honest. It didn’t excuse him, but she understood partly
why he hadn't said anything, if he had purposely omitted the detail
about bonding. He'd been afraid of losing her.

She had to be straight with Cris. No
pussy-footing around the issue. ["Cris. You really shouldn’t try so
hard."]

["It's not hard. It comes
naturally."]

She restrained the urge to smack him.
["That's what I mean. It's annoying. You'd have better success if
you were more like Leksel."] Why did she say that? Too late. She
couldn't take it back.

Cris stared out at the sky beyond the
window, suddenly somber. A couple Inari flew a ways out. ["I see.
Lucky Leks."]

Nice guilt trip.
Damn him. ["It's not Leksel! All right? He's just
better at…being nice."]

["Mister ice man? Nice? That's
funny."] The way he said that made her cringe. The frown and
crossed arms pointed far from any hint of amusement. ["He's better
at everything. All the time, it was always 'Why can't you be more
like Leksel?' or 'Leksel did this; why can't you?' I'm never good
enough. I get it."]

What the hell? ["Grow up! Do you hear
yourself? You're so jealous for no reason. You're a lot of fun, but
the constant harassment, the…the advances, they're annoying. And
now you act like a child. Grow up and take some responsibility for
your actions. The sooner you quit acting like you're only out for
sex, the sooner you'll actually find someone who wants to be with
you."] Dammit! Arguing with him made her sound like
Leksel.

["Yes, Leks."]

"Whatever," she mumbled, her arms
crossed. ["If you want a girlfriend, you need to respect
women."]

["I do. I respect you."]

["Then show it!"] That urge to smack
him rose up stronger.

He fell silent. Nothing. Not even a
remark she could argue against. Could he be, like, actually
considering what she said?

["It's not that hard, Cris,"] she said
quietly. ["You can be a lot of fun, until you start thinking from
below your waist and let it control your mouth."] Men were men, no
matter what species, although Elis had never once pushed her or
made lewd suggestions. He always respected her, maybe too
much.

She did not just think that. Did she?
Okay, maybe she wouldn't mind him getting a little more comfortable
and close, but she had known him quite a bit longer than a few
days. She liked being close to him, snuggling and cuddling, and
touching him. She liked him touching her, but he never crossed that
invisible line into anything sexual. Ever. Or at least, not
yet.

Cris had been a pain from day one.
She'd only known him for what—three days? He took too many
liberties with his mouth and his eyes.

["Are you done?"]

Raea blinked. ["Done?"]

He motioned to her plate with a few
bites left. ["Eating?"]

Oh. For a second, she thought he meant
done chewing him out. ["Yes."] She'd been done since the
conversation started up again.

He grabbed his plate and started to
rise, all sense of playfulness gone.

["Cris."] She couldn't let him leave
like this.

Now what? Pouting? He was
upset.

Raea hurried to grab his arm and
stepped in front of him. ["Cris. I'm sorry."]

["No, you're not."] He moved around
her. ["You always took Leksel's side."]

["No, I didn't. I stopped him from
killing you."] Oops. She shouldn't have said that so loudly. A few
heads turned.

["Maybe you should have let him
finish."]

["Damn it, Cris!"] The smack of her
hand on his cheek burned. God! He pissed her off. ["It's not about
the two of you. I already have a mate."] Something unlocked in her
stomach to say it, freeing her from a burden she hadn't realized
she carried. Elis would be her mate. She had already made up her
mind weeks ago. She had known from the beginning, and the Starfire
entities had known he was the right person too. There was no
question in her mind. Bonding or not, she would have stayed with
him.

Cris blinked and focused on
her.

Good thing she wore light clothes. The
heat of embarrassment rose through her. She shoved her hair behind
her ear and rubbed her hands on her arms. ["Technically, not yet.
But we were, um…in the bonding process when I was taken. He's also
a Keeper."]

["On Earth?"]

["Yes. Saffir sent him to protect me.
His name is Elis. All right?"] There. Now he knew. Maybe he'd leave
her alone.

["Then it's not Leks."]

["No. It never was. Yes, he's
attractive, but so are you. And Leksel knows how to keep his mouth
shut. He may have lots of…experience."] To say the least, if she
was right in interpreting what he'd said about his life as a
Shirukan. ["But he never once made that his objective around me.
He's too old for my tastes, but that's beside the point. I gave my
heart away before I ever met you."]

He started forward again, his head
higher than a minute ago. ["What's this Elis like?"]

__________

Betrayal

What a change. Cris seemed so relaxed
since their discussion. He made no attempts to hit on her. Not one,
and he asked about Elis. She should have saved herself the trouble
and told him from the start. Talking about Elis brought on the
homesickness, though. As much as she grew to like Inar'Ahben, Earth
was still her home. Cris listened intently to her talk about her
friends and family there too. No one had asked her about her home
in all her time there.

They sat in a parlor with a platform
extending out from a wall open to the fresh air. A couple of
Keepers had passed through in and out.

Raea shifted forward on the chair.
["Maybe you should try Leks again."] In a couple hours, as near as
she could guess, Saffir planned to open the portal. Raea didn't
want to leave without thanking the others.

["Or maybe we should go pester him.
It'd be more fun."] A mischievous grin brightened on his
face.

["You have a death wish. Don't
you?"]

Cris shrugged, but that grin said it
all. ["He's too uptight all the time."]

["With good reason. He's been through
a lot."]

["Maybe. Korali's death hit him the
worst. He was fun to be around when she was alive."] Cris rose and
headed for the door to the corridor. ["Are you coming?"]

Raea jumped up and rushed after him.
They passed through the corridors and one of the skywalks to Tower
Three. A trio of Keepers rushed past in dark blue uniforms, their
wings tight like their grim faces. Trouble?

Raea watched them disappear into the
transport tube. ["What's going on?"]

Cris gave her a sly look. ["Let's find
out."]

The lights next to the transport tube
went all the way to the top. They waited, but it stayed
there.

["Someone's locked it."] Cris fingered
the top green light in the column.

["We can't follow?"]

["No. We'll have to wait, or find
another way up. I'd guess the control room is up there. It's best
not to have the structure's controls and generators in close
proximity. They may be shielded, but…"]