Thunder rumbled around Raea and lightning flashed. They flew somewhere near the bottom of the cloud. From what she knew about clouds like this—assuming cumulonimbus clouds acted the same on Inar'Ahben as they did on Earth—they couldn't stay there. One lightning strike would be all it took. Besides, the condensation soaked her and made her wings heavy and cumbersome.
["All right."] Leksel leveled with Raea. ["The cloud was heading for an island. We'll land there as it passes."]
["If we don't miss it."] Cris liked antagonizing Leksel too much. The older man deserved more respect; he'd kept them out of Shirukan hands, although she wondered how he knew so much about them. He'd proven himself, though, and that gave her confidence in his judgment.
["Then you can stay behind."]
["You'd let that happen?"]
["Don't argue, Cris!"]
This was ridiculous. Raea had it with them. ["Would you two stop fighting? Why doesn't one of you fly to the edge to check for the island?"]
["She's smart, Leksel, and has a good point,"] Corsa said.
["Go ahead. Tell us if the Shirukan are still there. They can't fly forever."]
Corsa said nothing, but disappeared into the mist. Raea wiped her face, but the water condensation weighed her down. She struggled against gravity and the added weight of the water soaking her. Lightning flashed, leaving spots in her vision and her body trembling from the peal of thunder in its wake.
["Raea!"]
She wiped her eyes clear of the rain. A brown tube that could have fit two of her in it side-by-side emerged before she could avoid it.
A quick adjustment turned her upright so she hit it with her chest. Her breath knocked out, and she clung to the slippery mass amid the spots in her vision.
A moment later, strong arms secured around her. ["Let go. I have you."]
Leksel? She let go and let him lift her. Through the mist and the spots, she made out a tapering tangle of tubes sinking past her into the mist. A few seconds later, her feet touched solid ground. Her knees quivered and she fell against him for support. Being hungry and fatigued didn't help. She pulled her wings close and leaned on him.
["Easy."] His voice was gentle and reassuring.
Warmth rose to her face and she backed away.
["Well done, Raea. You found the island."] Cris landed next to them, his dark hair plastered to his face like hers and Leksel's.
["Where's Corsa?"]
No one answered.
["Corsa?"] Leksel searched the thick mist. It shifted around them, sometimes revealing ten feet, sometimes two, and various distances between. An amorphous creature of weather, it left them cold and drenched.
Lightning flashed too close overhead. Its thunder cracked a moment later, leaving Raea's ears ringing.
["Corsa!"]
["We can't stand here waiting."] Cris stepped forward and disappeared into the mist.
["Cris!"] Leksel urged Raea to follow.
["I'm here. Come on. Someone has to live here."]
Cris's shape darkened in the mist of the cloud and she hurried to catch him. ["Slow down. Aren't you worried about Leksel or Corsa?"]
["They'll catch up."] His eyes lifted from her. ["See?"]
["We stay together."] Leksel's tone and the dark expression made Raea flinch, but Cris continued forward.
Leksel followed close behind. Wind buffeted Raea. She held her wings close to her back and shivered. Heavy drops lashed her. The storm grew worse, if the increasing size of the fine mist to raindrops was any comparison. Lightning flashed around them, sometimes streaking past to leave spots in her eyes and ringing in her ears from the thunder; other times illuminating the cloud and rain and the land where the cloud thinned.
It could end already. Raea almost didn't care about the Shirukan waiting to catch them. Almost.
She slipped on something wet and grabbed Cris's arm for balance.
["Careful."] He always smiled. So opposite of Leksel, or was that why he did it—to purposefully distance himself? Josh liked to tease his sister by giving her the exact opposite of what she expected, acting playful when she wanted him to be serious. It drove Tess nuts, which was why he did it.
Raea smiled at the memory. She hadn't seen Tess in a while, but she missed Josh, and Elis, Linds, and Jess for that matter.
Thunder and lightning ripped through the air, trembling through her body. She hated this—Shirukan behind them and a storm around them. She'd give anything for a chance to eat and rest in a safe, quiet house.
They came to a high ledge of rock on their left. Water ran in rivulets down the jagged stone. How much time had passed since they entered the storm? Where were they on the island? Would Corsa find them? Was she lost or captured? ["Where's Corsa?"]
["I don't know,"] Leksel grumbled. ["It doesn't matter. Keeping you away from the Shirukan does. She knows that."]
["But if she's lost, shouldn't we—"]
["No. Follow Cris."]
["But she's part of your group. You're a team."] And a pretty good one at that, from what Raea had seen. Didn't he care? What if Corsa had fallen into the ocean or been struck by lightning or captured by the Shirukan, if she made it out of the storm?
Leksel's wet wings disappeared behind him, and his face hardened. ["She knows her duty."]
["Come on."] Cris grabbed her arm. ["This isn't a good time to argue."]
Now he backed down? Wasn't he the least bit concerned either?
["But—"] Raea slipped but kept her feet beneath her to move with Cris.
["Keep going. We have to get out of this rain before the island emerges. The rock will help hide us, especially you."]
Yeah. Her and her unique Starfire radiation. She understood that, but she didn't like leaving Corsa, the woman who had helped her when she awoke on that world, not to mention helping them through all the trouble of getting past the Shirukan.
Raea followed Cris, ignoring Leksel. Whatever happened to leaving no one behind? Or didn't that kind of ethic exist here, or was it only him? And just when she thought she could trust his judgment too. Just goes to show what I know—nothing. At least Elis would care.
Cris's last words brushed aside her longing with one problem. ["How will the rock hide us?"]
["Inari homes, Raea. Islanders prefer to dig their homes in the rock base of the islands."]
Okay. That she had to see for herself.
["We should be close to someone, especially with a hill like this."] Cris felt along it, disappearing into the cloud.
["Cris!"]
Nothing. Oh, God. Now what?
["Cris!"] Raea hurried forward as best as she could on the slippery ground with the wind thrashing drops at her like tiny bullets.
Leksel stayed with her. He should have said something. Or was he glad Cris was gone?
Damn them all! She was tired and hungry and scared and didn't know who she could trust any more.
A sudden squeal ahead startled her.
["Cris! Are you all right?"]
["Perfect."] His voice reached her on the tri-comm. ["Get up here."]
He sounded excited. Excited was good, or at least she hoped it was. This excited was more satisfaction, so it should be good.
His dark shape materialized from the cloud.
He pointed to a cut out shape in the hillside. Rounded at the top with a few steps down to the base. A door. Thank goodness. Visions of a warm, dry home filled her head, but this wouldn't be like any home she knew. This was underground on an island in the sky, no less. Oh, man. The stories she could tell when she returned, at least to those who already knew her secret.
Cris touched a pad near the door and grinned at her, all of him a wet mess. He brushed his hair aside from his eyes.
A few seconds later, the door slid partly aside, but not on any automatic prompt like in the city. This was a basic door in a groove. A man in a coverall stayed just within the doorway. His eyes widened on a round face darkened by days in the sun.
["Shirukan! I— I— I'm sorry, but we don't hav
e—"]
Leksel shoved past her into the door and pushed the man aside.
["Leks—"] Cris met her gaze and nudged her to follow, probably so they could argue inside. Once inside, he slid the door closed behind them. At least they were out of the storm.
["We're not Shirukan."] Leksel grabbed her left wrist and peeled off the wet glove.
The man's eyes widened. ["Keepers. All of you?"]
["Only me."] Damn it, Leksel. What was he thinking? Raea yanked her hand from him and peeled off the other wet glove. Her fingers were wrinkled and wet, like the rest of her. Dry clothes would be a welcome change, but she was glad for the warm home.
["What do you want?"]
["Dargilis, who was—"] A woman with a bundle in her arms emerged from a doorway ahead and tightened her tan wings to her back. By the way she cradled the bundle, it must have been an infant. ["What do you want?"] Suspicion and fear poured from her voice and her posture.
Even the public hated Shirukan? How did the empire stay in power?
["Your protection. A place to rest and eat."] Leksel's voice softened almost into exhaustion. That she believed. When was the last time he had eaten or slept? Raea hadn't even considered the sacrifices the others made for her. ["I'm sorry to place you in this situation, but we have to get her to Starfire Tower. We barely escaped the Shirukan disguised as them."]
At a motion from him, Raea held up her hands.
The woman relaxed and checked the infant she held. ["Oh. Certainly then."]
For the first time since waking up that morning, Raea saw Leksel relax. Cris wore a satisfied smirk as he peeled off the wet gloves and started shedding the jacket.
The woman waved Raea forward. ["I don't think you want to undress here."]
She had that right! Raea hurried to follow her through a doorway into a short hall. The walls were roughcut stone of various layers. She wouldn't believe any of this if it wasn't happening. She had to tell Josh. He'd flip! When she returned, he'd learn the truth of his Dark Angel and everything about the world his favorite angel came from. He deserved to know the truth. Besides, she doubted she could keep it all to herself when she saw him again.
Raea sighed. More like if she saw him again. What if the Shirukan came to the island? Leksel said the rock would hide her, but what if he was wrong?
How would Corsa find them, if she had survived?
Too much had happened that day. Her stomach rumbled and her exhaustion caught up. Raea wanted a hot shower, food, and rest. For a while, she was safe, or as safe as she could be in the Shirat Empire.
__________
Confrontation
Raea stepped out of the shower and wrapped the warm towel around her. Inari homes weren't much different than what she knew on Earth, except they showered rather than bathed, in a spray-like waterfall. As Kayan had explained before taking the black uniform, immersing one's wings in water too often removed protective oils from the feathers.
That didn't matter to Raea like the weight of the water. Raea had enough of the rain, and only sprayed down her body. Almost two days had passed since she last showered. The hot water washed away the city smells and melted the chill of the storm.
In the small bathroom, she dressed in the simple gown Kayan had left for her with the hole for her wings which left a small portion of her back open. Eventually, she'd have to return to the Shirukan uniform but for now, she could relax.
And eat.
Barefoot on the surprisingly warm stone floor, Raea found her way through the short hall to the main sitting room where they had entered. A nook off to the opposite side opened into a dining area. Kayan stepped into the faint light of the doorway with a plate of steaming food, a finger to her lips.
Raea followed the woman past Leksel and Cris sleeping on mats on either side of the sitting room, blanketed from their chests down. The hard lines she had come to know of Leksel's face had softened into a peace she wouldn't have expected. Cris too looked at peace. Both slept soundly. She crept past them, glancing down with a smile at each.
Inari muscle patterns were a little different than humans, not much, but noticeable. She had seen it first on Elis, when she'd treated the wound in his side left by Pallin's knife a few weeks ago.
She wanted him now. Raea reached for the crystal on its chain. Although bent and soaked during their flight, she had let the small black feather dry on a towel while she showered. The dry curl of softness caressed her fingers.
Emotions lumped in her throat and burned her eyes. Elis… She loved him enough to forgive him and spend the rest of her life with him, especially if that life was cut short. If anything, this adventure showed her that every day was precious. She'd never take anything for granted again.
This was so not the time to cry about it. She wiped her eyes and hurried through an arched doorway into the light of the dining area.
Kayan set the plate on the oblong table and sat down in a different chair. ["I had to reheat it. You took a while in the shower,"] she whispered.
Raea sat down in the chair before the plate. This wasn't the rehydrated stuff Corsa had served her some time ago, but it was alien food. Very alien by the thin, brown—plant?—things topped by slices of what appeared to be meat and some type of seed or berry with a green sauce drizzled over the top.
["I'm sure it's fine."] Raea poked at it, but no surprises jumped out. Here went her taste buds. With something like chop sticks, she managed after a few tries to lift a few strings of the plant to her mouth and tried not to cringe.
Oh, man! This was divine.
The only thing keeping her from eating quickly was the utensils. Linds was the Chinese food expert. Raea hated chop sticks.
["Sorry about the sticks. We don't have anything fancy on the island."]
["No problem. This is so good!"] She slurped a hanging piece of plant and froze to listen. The last thing she wanted was to disturb Leksel and Cris by talking too loudly. They needed their rest.
Kayan smiled and sat back, her shoulders relaxed. ["It's nothing like they have in the cities."]
["Oh, no. It's great. Really…Thank you."] Raea waved away the other woman's apology. ["It's delicious, but I always preferred salads."]
Kayan frowned. ["What's a…salad?"]
Ah, English words. She'd slipped it in without thinking to make up for the shortcomings in her Inari vocabulary. Did they even have a word for salad? This strange dish resembled a salad more than anything. So, how did she explain what it was? A salad could be lettuce or pasta.
["Nevermind."] Raea focused on eating.
Kayan dropped her eyes.
Her stomach settled with each bite, leaving her content and aware of her fatigue. The distant thunder of the storm occasionally filled the silence of the house.
["Your friends didn't say much."]
If she meant Leksel, Raea believed it, but for Cris not to say much? That was unusual.
Raea swallowed a bite. ["About what?"]
["What brought you here. I understand the empire is trying to gather all the shards of the Starfire."] Kayan shivered and rubbed her arms, her eyes flicking past Raea to the doorway. ["They said the Shirukan brought you through that portal a couple days ago and they rescued you, and you've been trying to escape since. Leksel wouldn't say much more."]
Typical. ["He's not much of a talker."] At least not from what she'd learned about him.
["He wouldn't let Cris say much either."]
Of course. Leksel really had a problem with Cris. Why did he keep him around? The two drove each other nuts—one serious and focused and the other nonchalant and rebellious. Complete opposites.
If only Corsa had stayed. She had moderated the two.
["We lost another in the storm."] Hopefully Corsa had survived, but Raea doubted it. The regrets stopped her appetite, what little remained unsatisfied.
Kayan dropped her eyes. ["I'm sorry."]
["It's not your fault."]
Silence hung in the air, until Raea shoved the plate aside.
["If it's worth anything, I'm glad you escaped."]
["Thanks."] Too bad about Corsa though. Raea liked her best of the three.
Kayan flashed a quick smile and took the plate to a basin.
Raea finished her cup of water and sank back. With her stomach filled, the events of the day caught up to drag her down.
["There's a mat in the room with your friends for you. You'll want to sleep while you can. The boys wake early to follow Dargilis out."]
["Boys?"] Raea hadn't seen any boys.
Kayan smiled and led her to the room where Leksel and Cris slept. ["Poor Silia will be the only girl."]
The kids. Raea unrolled the mat in a clear spot on the floor away from the two men. They stayed with a larger family than she expected. The boys must have been asleep already when they arrived.
["I can relate. She'll be tough."] Growing up with two younger cousins had taught her to tolerate a lot, although she'd never get used to cold showers.
Kayan smiled and handed her a blanket and small pillow. ["Sleep well."]
Raea laid down and closed her eyes. Kayan returned to the dining area briefly, switching off the light so only the faint glow from a night light in the corner guided her into the hall. Her steps faded, leaving nothing but the faint breathing of the two men.
At least they didn't snore.
Stars twinkled in the night sky, a band thick with them crossing from northeast to southwest. The Milky Way.
A beautiful voice sang with nothing but vague sounds and notes in a slow melody reminiscent of tearful farewells and yearning love. Even the stars seemed to shine brighter. Salera's white hair crossed over the view briefly, then moved away, revealing her cloak billowing around her leggings in the breeze. But she didn't move.
After some time, her voice faded to nothing.
["You have a beautiful voice."]
The scene blurred a moment. It settled on a small interior space of the ship, a short platform between the man standing within the open hatch and Salera. In the lights of the airlock, Vodin smiled.
["General. I didn't know you were there."]
He shrugged and stepped onto the platform. ["I came to apologize, but when I heard your voice, I didn't want to disturb you."]
Broken Wings Page 13