Broken Wings (26 page)

["How do the seeds grow in the
ocean?"] She flipped the cap on the bottle and took a swallow. Just
like the water at the island home. She'd never tasted water as
clean as on the islands. Not a surprise, since they collected fresh
water from the sky. No chemicals or special treatment. Only fresh,
unaltered water.

Cris finished his spores and stretched
his wings around his shoulders. With a smile and a sigh, he laid on
his back, letting his wings fall beside him. ["They're spores.
Inside grows a sprout. It eventually burns its way out with an acid
produced in the leading tip. In the air, it'll dry up and harden
and die. In the ocean, it burrows into the rock, growing as it
absorbs nutrients. At a certain point, it stops releasing its acid
and grows outward along cracks and fissures and loose sediment,
expanding and filling with gas as it does. It tangles with hundreds
of other roots and eventually the shelf they burrowed under breaks
loose and rises to the surface."]

["Not all sprouts settle on rock to
burrow within. They don't anchor and often die before settling, or
are eaten by other creatures. It can take hundreds of seeds to
produce enough sprouts to lift an island."] Leksel added his seeds
to the pile, but didn't lay down. ["Rest. I'll keep
watch."]

Since the fight last night, he had
changed. Raea noticed it. Maybe it was the softer tone of his
voice. It had lost some of the sharp edge. Or maybe it was the way
he respected Cris. Or maybe she wanted to see things that weren't
there.

No. Something about him had definitely
changed for the better.

Raea took a few more swallows and
handed the bottle back to him. They gave her a biology lesson she
wouldn't soon forget. Inar'Ahben was unique and intriguing and she
wished she had time to learn more.

She lifted her wings out beside her
and laid back on the springy carpet of vines. Not quite her bed
back home, but comfortable. She relaxed and let her wings drop. A
cloud shaded the sun. They were pretty high too, at least a mile
above the ocean probably two, if she guessed right.

That whole world was a wonder. Elis
had told her only a little about it, but it must have been ordinary
to him. Earth was to him what this was to her—alien. But she liked
this. It was different but familiar in some ways.

Raea closed her eyes. No wonder Inari
adjusted to life on Earth so easily. The cultures were similar. Or
was that a product of Inari visiting Earth and returning frequently
throughout human history?

Whatever. She liked it. That was all
that mattered. Maybe when the Shirat Empire was gone and the
Starfire no longer threatened—as if that would happen, but she
could hope—she could come back here with Elis.

Elis...A few days had passed since she
was taken from him. What was he doing? She should be with him,
training and flying and just being together. Her whole body longed
for his closeness. She'd felt empty since asking him for time
apart.

She needed him close to her more than
anything, and he wasn't there. He'd want her too. Oh, God. Her eyes
burned, even shut. Worry and grief choked her. Raea sniffed and
wiped her eyes. She had to return soon. These quiet moments let in
too much pain.

Opening her eyes alerted her to Cris
and Leksel watching her. ["I'm fine."] As if. She missed the best
thing in her life. Leksel's story about Korali had struck a chord
with her about bonding. If a hardcore Shirukan could change for
love and defend his bonded mate to the point of needing four people
holding him back from attacking those who killed her, she had
nothing to worry about with Elis.

She had known all along that he would
love her the rest of her life. And she loved him. She couldn't see
herself with anyone else.

Leksel looked away, but Cris still
watched her, his hands behind his head.

["Really."] No, not really. He didn't
believe her either by the expression on his face. ["I just want to
go home…to Earth."]

["Why wouldn't you like it here? I
can't imagine."] Cris smirked at Leksel, who acted like he didn't
hear.

She took the hint, but that had
nothing to do with her feelings. ["That's not it."]

Cris wiggled into a comfortable
position and dropped one hand to his chest.

["It's dangerous here."] Leksel
watched the families with their catch near the buildings a ways
off. ["For Keepers. You're safer on Earth."]

Seriously? He seemed to
understand.

Cris closed his eyes. ["You're no fun,
Leks."]

["Get some rest."]

No argument from her. Raea closed her
eyes and sank into the cushion of plants. After three days, she
felt like she'd known the two for months. What would happen to them
after she returned to Earth? She couldn't help but
wonder.

One moment, the wind rushed across the
island, broken by an occasional unfamiliar sound, like insects
buzzing. The next, a gentle nudge on her shoulder pulled her from
hazy memories drifting through her mind.

["Wake up."]

What? Elis? Where was she?

No. She opened her eyes to Leksel
kneeling over her. Inar'Ahben. Raea blinked and sat up. The searoot
island. She'd fallen asleep. ["I didn't think I was that
tired."]

Leksel stood up. ["Ready?"]

Cris gave her a crooked grin and
clicked the strap for his pack at his waist.

["Yes. I guess."] She rose to her feet
and shifted her wings. A little aching from lying on her back—or
maybe from flying so long that morning—but it would work out with
more flying. At least, she hoped it would.

["Let's go. We need to keep
moving."]

["Yes, sir,"] Cris said.

Leksel acted like he didn't hear.
Instead, he spread his wings and flapped down.

Cris waited. ["You next."]

All right. Raea spread her wings and
flapped down to lift against gravity. This high from the planet's
surface, gravity was less but so was atmosphere. Odd that she had
no problem breathing. Thinner air should have made it more
difficult and tiring to fly. Then again, she didn't know much about
her own biology.

The bonding was proof
enough.

The first chance she had, she would
read all she could about Inari—her species—all the -ologies that
went with it. She wasn't human but something much different. The
last few days emphasized it more than the last six
weeks.

For now, they had to fly.

Cris lifted after her, and they took
up their triangle formation again.

A couple hours passed of steady
flying, past several islands and at least one other city. A few
ships blurred past. If only they'd been successful securing a
shuttle! All this flying wore her out.

Her tri-comm buzzed with a hint of
voice and faded. Leksel dipped, his wings out in a stiff
glide.

["Leks…trouble…comm…"]

Raea's heart jumped from her chest at
the familiar voice. Corsa!

__________

Starfire Secret

["You're breaking up, Corsa,"] Leksel
said.

["My tri-comm was da…discharge
scrambled…I'm lucky…this. I've been searchin…for a while. Meet
me…Not sure how long this…"] This was as bad as a cell phone. Not
even static. Every break sounded like she'd been cut
off.

["Where?"] Leksel held a projection of
their area before him in transparent colors. ["Say again, Corsa.
Where are you?"]

["…
Delvar
two four one…"]

["One more time."] Leksel made an
adjustment on the projector in his gloved hand.

["
Rodelvar
two…n six. I have…"] Nothing
more came from Corsa.

["I hope she's all right."] Raea
wanted to see her again. Corsa had survived the storm, but had she
really survived. Someone or something had cut her off at the end of
that last message.

["She's fine."] Cris glided next to
her. ["Sounds like her tri-comm had some issues from the lightning
of that storm."]

Leksel continued ahead on the same
path.

["You have her location,
Leks?"]

He closed his hand and the hologram
faded. ["Yes."]

After a few seconds, Cris frowned.
["And are we going to change course?"]

Leksel hesitated a couple seconds
before diving. Raea followed. Diving was much easier than flying.
Gravity pulled them down with no work required. The brief drop
relieved her aching back, until she had to open her wings to level
off.

They flew over a large island of
scattered hilly areas with doors and metallic structures she
guessed were homes. In the center, a domed bunker faced a
hexagon-shaped pad with red lights blinking at each point. A lone
shuttle sat in one corner. From the size, four or five shuttles
could have fit on it.

Outside the dark, rounded triangle of
a craft with the open split door on its side stood a familiar face
waving at them—Corsa.

Leksel landed nearby. Raea landed
behind him with Cris behind her. The moment her feet hit the
ground, she hurried past Leksel to meet Corsa. ["You're back! What
happened?"]

Corsa's eyes passed over each of them,
lingering on Leksel longer than on her or Cris.

Raea turned to Leksel. What was with
the sour face? Wasn't Leksel glad to see her?

["I'll tell you inside,"] Corsa
said.

Fine with her. If Raea didn't have to
fly the rest of the way to Starfire Tower, she definitely wouldn't
argue.

A firm grip on her arm stopped her.
Now what? She tried to pull away, but Leksel's fingers clamped
tight.

["Cris?"] Leksel's eyes never left
Corsa. Cris stepped up beside his brother. ["You
first."]

["Why?"] Cris shook his head. ["It's
Corsa, Leks."]

["Go ahead, Cris."] Corsa winked as
Cris passed. ["Oh, but, beware the hidden Shirukan waiting to take
Raea back to Naviketan."] She crossed her arms, her amber eyes on
Leksel. ["Now we don't trust each other?"]

So that was it—delusions of deception?
No way could Corsa have betrayed them.

["You didn't answer the question. What
happened?"] Leksel dropped his hand from Raea to cross his
arms.

About time he released her
arm. Man. Who
did
he trust? For that matter, why did he expect anyone to
trust
him?

["All right. You want the story now?
Fine. The electrical discharge of the storm scrambled the circuits
of my tri-comm. I couldn't contact anyone. So, I flew out of the
cloud to get my bearings, saw no island or any of you or the
Shirukan and decided to fly ahead. I figured sooner or later you'd
catch up. After a few stops, I didn't see any sign of you and
waited here. They had one shuttle available, so I made sure it
stayed."]

Cris popped his head from the doorway
of the shuttle, dark brown hair partially hiding his smiling face.
["You worry too much, Leks."]

["When did you turn so paranoid?"]
Corsa ducked under the top part of the door, which formed a canopy
over the entrance and stepped up the two steps of the bottom half
of the door.

When
did
he become so paranoid? Corsa was
part of his team. Raea thought he'd be glad to see her
again.

Raea brushed loose strands of hair
from her face and glanced aside.

Leksel waited his turn after her. At
least he could try smiling once in a while. Maybe it had been her
imagination to hear him chuckle back at the island home. Or did he
and Cris have some sort of agreement whereby Cris made up in smiles
what Leksel lacked? They needed to balance it out better. It
wouldn't hurt Leksel to actually smile more often. He could be
grateful for the shuttle.

But she couldn't expect him to change
overnight.

Raea stepped into a surprisingly
comfortable pocket of space lined by tinted windows above the
seats. The bench opposite the door would have seated three but the
seat next to the door would fit only one. Nothing occupied the
small cargo area in the rear. Corsa took one of the two seats in
the front on one side of a narrow doorway between the two
seats.

Cris sat on the bench across from her
and buckled in. He patted the seat beside him. ["There's room
here."]

No thanks. He tried way too hard. It
totally turned her off. She'd feel safer with Leksel.

He stepped up behind her and brushed
past to take the other seat at the front next to Corsa. The door
shut behind him. Raea took the seat next to the door, as far from
Cris as possible.

["Buckled in?"] Corsa's gloved hands
worked over the controls with precision, the engines humming a
moment later.

["Yes, sir,"] Cris said.

Finally. They were heading to Starfire
Tower, where Saffir resided, the only remaining Crystal Keeper
besides Raea. And she would have the ability to open a portal
home.