The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2)

by Audrey Sharpe

  Sliding to the edge of her sleeping nook, she placed her feet on the wood floor and stretched. She was the only crewmember other than Jonarel who chose to keep her bed platform in the traditional Kraed formation, with only one edge open to the room. Maybe it was from all the years of building tents and forts with Mya when they were kids, but she had always been drawn to cubbyholes. Sleeping inside what looked like an owl’s nest in a tree suited her perfectly.

  She padded over to the starport and peered out. Below her, the walkway connected to the main deck. Even though the thick foliage and large branches that surrounded the ship hid much of the area from view, she could still see the Clarek clan hard at work loading supplies. A glance at her comband chronometer told her she’d need to get moving if she didn’t want to be late meeting Jonarel for her glider lesson.

  After a quick breakfast and an even quicker shower she pulled on the long-sleeved tunic and calf-length leggings Daymar had given her the night before. She’d graciously provided similar outfits for the entire crew.

  The fabric was Kraed design, providing temperature regulation and absorption of excess moisture, which was a distinct advantage in the humid environment. Daymar had also given her a pair of fabric Kraed boots, which fit snugly to the foot, then wrapped and tied around the leg to just above the knee.

  She wove her hair into her customary braid and then stepped out into the corridor. Kire’s cabin was next to hers, and she paused at the open door on her way to the lift. He was seated on the floor, working on the laces of his boots.

  “Need any help with that?” She’d worn them before during her previous visit to Drakar, so she’d already learned how to work the elaborate set of pulls and knots that held them in place.

  He gave her a wry grin. “Oh, I don’t know. I think in another couple of hours I’ll have it done.”

  She laughed, stepping into the room and kneeling in front of him. “Here, let me.”

  He turned the laces over to her. She backtracked to the point where he’d gone wrong, then worked her way up slowly so he could see what she was doing. “Are you all set to visit the library?”

  “Yep. Siginal introduced me to the custodian last night, so I’ll be heading over there as soon as you finish helping me look respectable.”

  “That could take a while,” she teased. She tied the last few knots then pushed back to her feet. “There. Now you’re ready for a day of study.”

  He stood and shifted his weight back and forth, testing out the new footwear. “Not bad. In fact, these might be the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.”

  “They look good on you.” The dark browns and greens of the boots blended with the matching leggings and tunic he wore, which suited his black hair and hazel eyes.

  “You too.”

  “Thanks. But I’m never going to blend in with my surroundings like you will.” She lifted her blond braid. “Maybe I should ask Jonarel for a cap to cover my hair while I’m out there.”

  Kire shook his head. “Don’t bother. You and Jon will be fine. I saw how you handled that rock monster. Drakar’s big, bad predators should be a piece of cake.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

  They walked to the lift and descended to the main deck. Kire headed off to the library while she stepped inside the med bay where Mya and Celia were filling a couple of packs. “Are you two set for your tour?”

  Mya nodded. “Our guides are meeting us here. They wanted to see the greenhouse first and take a look at some of the plants Celia and I brought from the new homeworld. How about you?”

  “I’m meeting Jonarel at the main lodge in a few minutes. What about Kelly? Is she up?”

  Celia laughed. “She was out the door before dawn. I swear, that girl lives, eats and breathes ships. Give her an opportunity to tour a few Kraed vessels and she’s off like a shot.”

  Aurora smiled. Bronwyn Kelly was definitely in the right place, and the right occupation. She was never going to have a better chance to study ship design and interstellar navigation. The Kraed had written the book on both.

  “Then I’ll see you at the send-off celebration tonight.” Aurora turned to leave.

  “Oh yeah, about that.” Celia twisted her thick hair on top of her head and secured it with a clip that probably doubled as a weapon. “What exactly is this all about? Is it a party or a formal gathering?”

  “More like a party. The clan has a tradition of getting together before any ship departs, no matter how long or short the journey may be. Since we’ll be leaving tomorrow, and taking one of the Clarek ships along with us, the clan will gather tonight to give blessings for a safe return.”

  “That’s a lovely tradition.” Mya tucked a few more items in her pack.

  “I think so, too.” Aurora checked her comband. She was officially late. “Ack. I’ve gotta go. Have fun!” she called out as she headed for the door.

  When she reached the walkway she picked up the pace, pausing just long enough to exchange greetings with the members of the Clarek clan she encountered along the way.

  Despite the shade provided by the tree canopy, the heat and humidity were already building. Thank goodness for the clothing Daymar had provided. She had no idea what the fabric was made of, but it felt like she was wearing a full-body cooling system.

  She spotted Jonarel standing by the lodge entrance, talking to Star. His outfit was similar to hers, but it looked entirely different on him. His rich skin tones and hair matched the fabric perfectly, and the fit showed off the contours of his upper body and defined his lean hips and muscular legs. Artists would fall over themselves to portray Jonarel in portrait or sculpture.

  His surroundings emphasized the raw physicality of his being. Among the crew, he stood out because of the way he looked. Here, he stood out because of his commanding presence. He drew attention, just as Siginal did. And he could have easily chosen a life here on Drakar, following in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he’d designed and built the Starhawke for her, and joined her crew. She still wasn’t clear on why exactly he’d made that decision, but she was grateful. His selflessness and willingness to leave his clan to travel the galaxy with her still humbled her.

  He turned toward her as Star’s image faded away. The look in his golden eyes almost stopped her in her tracks. If he’d been intense yesterday, that was a pale shadow to the way he was gazing at her now. Almost like she was prey. Her stomach clenched as warning bells went off in her head. She might have made a mistake asking for this lesson.

  Too late now. But she could change the dynamic. She halted in front of him and snapped off a perfect Academy salute. “Cadet Hawke reporting for training, sir.”

  Her attempt to lighten the mood worked. The intensity in his gaze dimmed. “Are you ready?”

  “Lead the way.”

  He set off across the walkway and she followed, having to hustle to keep up with his long strides. It was easy to forget how quickly he could cover ground. On the Starhawke, everything was in easy reach.

  “We will start in the practice arena,” he said. “That way you can focus on the glider rather than your surroundings. If you get comfortable, we can head out into the forest.”

  “Stellar.”

  They continued down a narrow path that led away from the main compound and out toward the fringes of the community. The trees thinned, with a large opening appearing up ahead. The walkway continued out to the center of the open area. Stairs led down into a large sand pit surrounded by a three-meter-high thicket of what looked like thorny briar that had been sanded on the inside, creating a bowl effect, like a small stadium without any seats. “What’s that?” She indicated the living barbed wire.

  “Greglar. The thorns are poisonous, so it’s an effective deterrent for predators.”

  Aurora halted on the walkway. “Deterrent? Do you mean some of your predators might pay us a visit while we’re practicing?” Her shielding ability would protect her, but she’d planned to focus on the lesson. If they
were likely to be attacked, she wanted to know.

  Jonarel turned. “No. They have learned not to approach this area.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “All you need to focus on is me.”

  There was that warning bell again. She pulled back slightly and he released her, continuing along the walkway. As she followed him down the stairway to the sand, the feeling of unreality grew, like she’d stepped out of time into an alternate universe. The way Jonarel kept gazing at her reinforced that concept.

  She glanced around, surprised to find the place deserted. “Isn’t anyone else practicing today?”

  He shook his head. “Not at the moment. My father thought you might appreciate some time alone.”

  The warning bells turned into klaxons. She’d been alone with Jonarel thousands of times in the long years of their friendship, including an entire month that they’d spent working side by side to get the Starhawke ready for her first mission. And she’d never been the least bit uncomfortable. Today, everything was different. And it was making her jumpy as a frog.

  Jonarel lifted a glider off one of the racks at the center of the circular space and set it on the ground between them.

  It was a little wider and shorter than the ones they had on the Starhawke, and resembled a surfboard that had been stretched lengthwise. “Is this a different model than our gliders?”

  “This is a training glider.” He touched a panel and two sets of controls lifted out of the narrow base, one at the front of the device and a second set positioned about half a meter behind. “It will allow you to take the lead position but gives me dual controls from the center.” He motioned for her to step up in front. “I will direct our motion so there is no risk of crashing.”

  “What about falling off?” she asked as she grasped the controls. That had been her major concern on Gaia, since balancing on moving objects was not her forte. She’d never tested whether her shield could protect her from injury following a vertical freefall, and she really didn’t want to learn the answer today.

  Jonarel’s arms came around her from behind and she sucked in a breath. Then she realized he was reaching for the slim harness that was attached to the controls in front of her. Overreacting much, Aurora?

  He slipped the harness around her torso and secured it. “You will not fall.” His deep voice rumbled next to her ear. “I am right here.”

  She swallowed. This wasn’t how she’d pictured the lesson going.

  “Do you remember how to start it?” he asked.

  She nodded, touching the ignition point with her thumb. Jonarel moved away from her as the lightweight craft lifted off the ground. She swayed as the glider shifted under her feet, but the harness helped her stay in position.

  “Now what?” She glanced over her shoulder. Bad move. Her body followed the movement and she tilted to the left, pressing into the harness. She whipped her head back around and gripped the controls to regain her balance. “Sorry.”

  Jonarel cleared his throat before replying. “It is probably best if you do not look at me right now.” He sounded amused.

  Too bad she wasn’t. His behavior had her wound up like a top. It had been a while since she’d been a beginner at something, and her tendency toward perfectionism was rearing its head, especially with Jonarel as her teacher. Tension wasn’t going to help her balance or coordination, and she’d need both if she wanted to develop any level of competence. But she wasn’t sure how to get her mind and body to relax.

  Too bad Cade wasn’t around. He had a knack for getting her to let go and laugh at herself. She could easily picture him standing in front of the glider, a taunting smile on his face as he teased her mercilessly until she loosened up and stopped taking everything so seriously. Learning from Cade would be a lot of fun. And he’d be a natural with a glider. After all, she’d seen first hand how well he handled his jetbike when he’d rescued her on Gaia.

  “Aurora?” Jonarel’s voice startled her out of her daydream.

  Oh boy. Definitely not the time for those thoughts. “Sorry. Just trying to get focused.” What the hell was wrong with her? Maybe the humidity really was going to her head. She took a slow breath, held it to the count of four, and released it, willing the tension and anxiety to flow out with the air. It didn’t. Oh well. She’d work with what she had. She kept her gaze forward this time. “What’s the plan?”

  “To start, we will complete a few circuits around the interior. Stay as steady as possible. The circle will force you to balance while turning.”

  Unless she slid right off. She glanced at the harness. Would she be dangling from it in a moment? “Here goes.” She released the stabilizers and the device crept forward. So far so good. But when she increased the speed beyond the sedate pace she’d experienced the last time she was on a glider, the muscles in her abdomen and shoulders tensed. She braced against the feeling of motion and unease, which only made everything worse. Her hands clutched the controls in a death grip and an involuntary moan escaped her lips.

  The glider slowed immediately as Jonarel took over. “Aurora, are you okay?”

  Good thing he couldn’t see her face. “I’m fine. The motion just feels…weird.”

  “Your body tensed.”

  “I realize that.”

  He was silent for a moment. “How can I help?”

  You can’t. You’re part of the problem. But she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that. “I don’t know.”

  More silence. Then the stabilizers engaged, bringing them to a halt. He appeared at her side a moment later. “Wait here.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  JONAREL MENTALLY BERATED himself as he approached the glider racks. His father’s words from the previous night still echoed in his ears, influencing his thoughts and actions, and draining all the joy out of what should have been a fun experience with Aurora. Instead, she was so tense she could barely move.

  Tehar appeared, her expression concerned. “What do you need?”

  He briefly outlined his plan. He noticed the skepticism in her eyes, but she did not argue, just kept glancing at Aurora with a frown.

  “As you wish,” she replied before disappearing. A few moments later, one of the panels in front of him opened, revealing a small canteen.

  He carried it back to the glider. “Drink this.” He held the canteen out to Aurora.

  She took it tentatively, inhaling as she brought it toward her nose. When she caught the scent of the tenrebac, she gave him a hard look. “Care to explain why you’re offering me alcohol?”

  He rested his hands on his hips and held her gaze. “Because you need to be relaxed if we are going to leave this arena. That is what you want, correct? To go explore in the forest?”

  Her expression was wary. “Yes.”

  “Then unless you have a better idea, I recommend you drink that. It will allow you to stop fighting the motion of the glider.”

  She obviously did not like the idea, but there was no way he would allow her to operate a glider when she was tight as a bow. That would put them both in danger.

  She brought the canteen to her lips and sipped. The alcohol took effect within moments. Her shoulders slowly relaxed and her posture became more fluid. The look in her eyes also indicated her brain had stopped trying to force a million conflicting commands through.

  He plucked the canteen from her fingers. “That should be enough.”

  She grinned, another sign she was a little tipsy. “Let’s do this.”

  Now he was the one feeling tense. He might have given her a bit too much. But she looked a lot happier to be on the glider. And with him. That was something.

  He stowed the canteen in a compartment in the glider’s base, then rejoined her. This time when she brought them up to speed, she remained relaxed. In fact, she looked like she was having fun.

  By their fourth lap, she was moving with the glider, using it like an extension of her body rather than bracing against it. And he did not have to make adjustments to th
eir course to keep them from crashing, either.

  “I think I’m getting this,” she called out.

  “Much better,” he agreed. “Ready for the next step?”

  She slowed the glider but did not make the mistake of looking back at him. She was learning. “Which is?”

  “Obstacles.”

  Thanks to her tenrebac-induced confidence, she responded with enthusiasm. “Sure!”

  Tehar, who was keeping a close watch on the proceedings, activated the hidden compartments and the open space in front of them filled with sculpted tree trunks that lifted out of the sand, creating a mini forest.

  Aurora engaged the stabilizers as she studied the terrain. “What exactly am I supposed to do?”

  He rested his arms on the controls, a convenient excuse to get closer and breathe in her scent. “Circle the exterior first to get a feel for the layout, then begin weaving between a few of the trees as you go along. After you are comfortable with that, add a few more and perhaps change direction.”

  “So the goal is for me to be able to go wherever I want?”

  “No.”

  “No?” That apparently surprised her, because she tipped her head up so she could see his face. “Why not?”

  He struggled to focus on her question when she was so tantalizingly close. It would be easy to lean forward and brush her lips with his. He forced his gaze to meet hers, instead. “For one thing, it would take months to become that proficient.” She looked adorably disappointed. It took all his willpower not to wrap his arms around her.

  “Then what is the goal?” she asked.

  That question touched a little too close to home, reminding him of his conversation with his father. He banished his father’s voice from his head. “For you to become comfortable enough that we can take the glider into the forest. Out there, we will encounter obstacles, some of which will be moving. I will need to make quick adjustments, and if you resist, we will run into trouble.”