Fractured Chances Read online

  It took two hours, but they threw all their packs and bags onto the raft with Krenon, Christie and Newlin climbed on board because they were weak swimmers, and everyone else got into a line. They grabbed the ties around the raft, and they kicked.

  The water was icy, and they got tired quickly. They kicked for what felt like forever as the river tried to sweep them away, but eventually, they tangled in the far bank. Now, they had to pull it out of the river enough to get everyone out of the icy water. Sunlight was already starting to change colour. The two younger kids hopped off and started hauling. Arthur joined them, and soon, Krenon was safe, everybody else was out, and Nan was staggering out, telling them that now, the clock was ticking.

  Leena nodded. “Ready to sprint. Here we go.”

  The kids took off, and Nan moved with Krenon as fast as she could. They were racing daylight.

  She yelled out, “Don’t stop at the vehicles. Overshoot them by a few metres. I don’t trust this winged bastard.”

  She put everything she had into getting Krenon out of the zone, but she was so. Damned. Tired.

  The light turned to red and then darkened to purple. Nan got Krenon to safety, but the winged asshole landed nearby. “It is a pity you weren’t just a little bit faster. Your life is mine, Caretaker Nan. I will come to retrieve you once you have had your injuries seen to.”

  She looked at the fading light. “The sun has just set now.”

  He walked up to her and leaned in. “The sun set at the top of my mountain five minutes ago. You. Are. Mine.”

  She collapsed from the pain in her body. The kids were already halfway to the colony. The last team got her and Krenon. Lord Varix explained that he wanted to be notified when she was confirmed ready to start honouring her debt.

  What fun. It seemed that she was in demand.

  “Broken collarbone, dislocated shoulder, fractured wrist, inflamed ankle, and you got poked in the ribs with a stick. Oh, and your hands are abraded through tissue in some places.” The medic rattled it out as he went over the injuries so that her time in the med centre would make sense to her group. “If you were a parcel, I would return you for the bad handling.”

  She nodded. “So would I.”

  “Right. Well, you are going under now, so you should be feeling less damaged when you wake up. I don’t know how you managed to do what you did, but if the rest of your kind is this sturdy, his lordship made a good choice to bring you here.” The medic smiled. “Get some sleep.”

  Nan nodded and lay back. A nap sounded like a very good thing. She heard the injector, and then, she was out. It was the first good rest she had had since the asteroid strike.

  The med centre was dark and silent when she woke up. Her body felt bruised and tender, but it wasn’t painful. She flexed her arms and shoulders and stretched. Yeah, that was better. Finding her way around in the dark was difficult, but she located the bathroom and was able to take care of the reason she had woken up.

  She was on her way back to the bed she had woken in, but there were two glowing eyes staring at her in the darkness.

  She jumped and then paused with her hand on her chest. “Geez. You could warn someone.”

  He chuckled. “You looked so sweet sleeping; I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “You... were watching me sleep?”

  “Yes, I would have offered you assistance to the lav, but you were headed in the right direction. I didn’t want to startle you. That would have ended badly.”

  She paused and chuckled. “You are right there. There is no one here at night?”

  “No. You are the only patient, and you are stable. You were sleeping off the anaesthetic. Can you really not see well in the dark?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Everything is blurry to me. Your eyes stand out, though, so I didn’t bump into you.”

  She could see that he was smiling. His glowing eyes highlighted his face and showed the sharp fangs that were very disturbing.

  “Uh, have you been here long?”

  “A few hours. Are you ready to go?”

  “What?”

  “I am taking you now. I suppose, I will have to wake the quartermaster for clothing for you, or you could make something for yourself out of supplies I have at my home.” He cocked his head.

  Nan was glad that the medical gown was a long tunic that reached her knees. She felt a little exposed at the way his gaze went from head to foot and back again. “Now? Can’t I say goodbye to the kids?”

  “They know where you are going, and the magistrate is aware that I am removing you from the colony.” He beckoned. “Come along.”

  “Um, what do I call you?”

  “Lord Varix. It is the standard honourific for a Hmrain. That or Overseer Varix.” He turned, and the room went dark.

  Nan panicked and reached out. She caught his wing and hung on, using him to lead her to the exit. He paused, turned, and put an arm around her. “I don’t know what use your species is. Frail, easily broken, and can’t even see in the dark,” he muttered as he escorted her to the door. He opened the door, and the night sky gave her the light she needed.

  “Oh. Wow.” She stepped out and stared up at the sky. Small moons, large moons, distant stars. Clouds of gasses in fantastic colours. The sky was a dark circus, and she loved it.

  “You will have years to enjoy the night sky. Are you afraid of heights?” He swung her up and into his arms. He didn’t wait for an answer.

  His wings beat heavily, and he bent his knees before launching skyward. She held her breath for a while and then realized that was a stupid response. Holding in the air wasn’t going to slow her fall.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To my home. I didn’t want to be too involved in the colony, so I authorized them to chose the species I would allow and made the arrangements for housing and supplies.”

  “Oh. So, where will I be working with the animals?”

  “At my home. I keep a small aerie for the khitans and other shelters for the creatures who need help. You will assist me.”

  “Ah. Okay.” Her legs were getting cold, but he was very warm, so it was simple to steal the heat while he flew.

  They were halfway up the mountain range when he began to descend, and he moved between two jagged peaks before coming out the other side. She stared at the lush forest, felt the warm air, and blinked. “A microclimate?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. This is the inner part of the restricted zone. It is an area that is ideal for helping my personal projects grow to adulthood without interference. Other species are aggressive and predatory. I do not care for them.”

  “Ah. So, why did you allow colonists?”

  He grumbled. “My planet was ready. My siblings encouraged me.”

  He soared over a thick patch of forest, and it suddenly opened to show a neat—if sprawling—house with several small buildings, some caged runs, and the house was positioned to overlook them all.

  She chuckled. “Family pressure is the worst.”

  He landed in front of the house and set her on the stone pad in front of it. “Please, go in and see if you can find something to wear.”

  “Is anything off the table for that?”

  He shook his head. “Anything you find, you can use.”

  Nan nodded and went inside. The place was so sparse, she doubted that anyone lived there. No fabric was readily available, but with a little bit of looking around, she found what she suspected. A clothing generator. She had read the manual for this. She activated it, pulled up the menu, and flicked through the offerings. The choices were sparse. Dress, two-piece, or bodysuit. It was going to show everything, but Varix wasn’t going to look. Her species was pathetic and weak.

  She selected the heavier of the fabrics for one and two more in a lighter design. If she was going to be dealing with things with claws, she wanted a layer between them and her.

  The scan was easy, and then, the machine hummed as i
t started to shape her suit. It was a very fast 3D printer.

  While she waited, she found the kitchen, the chiller, and the vegetable stores. He even had a spice cabinet. Nice.

  The upstairs was where the bedroom was, and that gave her pause. She got the funny suspicion that she was going to be sleeping in the shelters with the animals.

  The chime let her know that her outfit was done, so she sprinted back and wiggled her way into the dark blue bodysuit, closing the seal and leaving the two lighter suits to be crafted in the machine.

  She was dressed. The suit covered her feet, so she could run around outside, and she was ready to see what she was going to be doing.

  How bad could it be?

  Chapter Three

  For a guy who looked as conspicuous as he did, he was hard to spot in the darkness. It was only when she caught the glow of his eyes as he turned his head toward her that she was able to walk to him.

  He looked her up and down then quirked his lips. “Interesting choice.”

  She shrugged. “It seemed the most practical.”

  “It is very formfitting.”

  She looked down. “Is that a problem?”

  “I was not sure that you were an adult, but the proof is ample.” His gaze flicked to her chest.

  Nan sighed. “Any other comments that you just want to get out of the way? Shall I bend over so you can make a reference to my ass?”

  He chuckled. “You have heard comments before?”

  “I have just spent every waking moment since the asteroid strike with teenage boys and overactive hormones. Nothing that you can say will shock me. If I fainted every time someone commented on my body, I would be dead in a ditch back on Earth.”

  “Hm. Interesting. Well, I will introduce you to your charges. These are the khitans that I found after the crash. I will introduce you.”

  He opened one enclosure, and in the rear of it was a building with doors that led out into the enclosure. The doors were nearly two feet square, and as they approached, some small creatures came toward them.

  “I would recommend that you let them get used to you.”

  The creatures were still hidden by the lack of light, but they were knee-high, and there were curious noises that were incredibly cute. She stood still while they sniffed at her, and the light began to brighten enough for her to see that there was something on their backs.

  Varix made a small sound and said, “Huh. They like you.”

  She stood straight, and something thudded onto her shoulder. She turned her face, and the softest fur she had ever stroked was against her cheek. There were equally soft feathers and a delicate purr. A soft, wet nose poked her cheek. “These are khitans?”

  “Yes. There are many varieties, but they all get along well. I have to say, I thought they would be a little more aggressive with you.”

  “Don’t be so disappointed.” She chuckled and held her hand to the nose of the small creature who dug in with its claws as it leaned forward to sniff. It was very pointy.

  The little mouth opened, and it gnawed on her knuckle carefully.

  “She’s hungry.” Varix chuckled. “Come on, I will show you how to feed the oldest ones and then that young one on your shoulder.”

  He took her into the chamber with a soft light in the rear, which began to glow when they entered. It was basic animal husbandry with raw meat. When she carried the first few loads out to the feeding area, she was surrounded by mewling and begging creatures that were still dark and fuzzy to her.

  She set the long joints of meat out on the table, and the little ones tried to tear at them, but their teeth couldn’t manage it.

  He chuckled. “Open the other gate.”

  The other gate was twice the size of the first, and the creatures that emerged were to scale with the door. They tore the food apart, and the little scraps left behind were just the right size for the smaller ones.

  The little beast that had been on her shoulder was trying to eat, but the pieces that it was trying to eat were still too large.

  Nan crouched near the littlest one and took one of the bits of meat, tearing the raw stuff to pieces with her teeth before spitting them back into her hand and holding her hand out to the khitan.

  Dawn was fully in control, and she crouched there while the other beasts that had a problem chewing off the bone came to her for their servings. One khitan even brought over a piece of meat for her to take apart. She tore the meat apart and left a few larger pieces. The khitan tore those pieces apart by holding them with its claws.

  The entire time, Lord Varix was watching her. When the khitans were sated, they wandered away to rest in their enclosures. The bones were left, and Varix said, “Leave them. We will gather them later.”

  She nodded and got to her feet. The littlest khitan jumped onto her shoulder and tried to sit while she walked. She carefully reached up and gripped the creature. “I don’t think you are supposed to come with me, Sweetie.”

  The little beast was silver and black with huge green eyes. The things that differentiated it from a cat were the wings and the horns that swept back to either side of its head. The three tails were interesting, but it wasn’t until she tried to put the little one on the floor that she found out they were prehensile. The tails lashed around her forearm from several different angles, and that little khitan wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Um, Lord Varix? How do I get it off?”

  He turned and snorted. He gripped the khitan and made a strange chuffing noise. The smaller creature mewled and squeezed tighter.

  She blinked. “I don’t think it wants to let go, and I don’t want to injure it getting it off. Can I just take it with us until it gets tired?”

  He raised his brows. “Tired?”

  “Doesn’t it sleep after it eats?”

  “It does, but only for a few minutes.”

  She smiled. “In that case, I had better be paying attention.”

  He nodded. “The enclosure is for their benefit anyway. It keeps out predators.”

  She cuddled the khitan in her arms, and it looked up at her with those huge green eyes. She sighed and followed Lord Varix out of the enclosure. She closed it behind her.

  The little beast in her arms started to vibrate, and she snorted. “Are you happy, or are you going to explode?”

  It wrapped its paws around her wrist and held on. The wings ruffled happily.

  She stroked its head and chuckled.

  Lord Varix led her back into his home. He opened a window and smiled. “When she wants out, she will fly out and return if she wishes to. If not, she will cling to the exterior of the enclosure until you go and let her in again.”

  “So, it is a she?”

  He nodded. “She is. Yes.”

  He walked into the kitchen, his wings folded tight to his back.

  “What do you want me to do now?”

  He grinned. “Wash your hands, sit, and have breakfast. Or, did you swallow some of the meat?”

  She shrugged. “A little bit.” She walked past him and scrubbed her hands, making the khitan move up her arm to get away from the water.

  When her hands were dry, she took a seat at the only other chair at the table. “So, you don’t get many visitors?”

  “I do not care for them.” He took out a loaf of bread and sawed off a few slices before chopping several leafy vegetables and then whisking eggs into a froth.

  She blinked. This was going to be her first space-omelette.

  He assembled everything in a strangely normal manner. When her plate was set in front of her, there was a huge serving of eggs with a bright orange cast and a lot of plants and herbs that were completely unknown to her. The bread was normal. She took a few bites and swallowed them with effort. She was hungry, so she kept going. The bread helped wash it down.

  He was smiling at her. “You don’t care for the herbs?”

  She mumbled around a bite of bread. “I am sure th
ey were nutritious. They tasted nutritious.”

  He laughed. “You can do the cooking if you like. We can add it to your service.”

  She shrugged. “Sure. I am going to need to spend a few days tasting things before I can cook, though.”

  “Well, the threat of my culinary skills will be a motivating factor. I like a minimum of two meals per day, but you are free to forage at will.”

  “So, feed the khitans in the morning. Gather the bones later. I am guessing to clean up any defecation left in the enclosures?”

  “No, the beetles take care of that. If you see a large khitan at any time, and by large, I mean nearly my height, open all the enclosures and let the smaller ones go to her. She will assess them and determine if they are able to join her for proper training. If not, they will return to the enclosures.”

  “Um, in that case, what do I do?”

  “Stand aside. Don’t move. You have been accepted by the little ones, and their scent is on you. Well, and that one is literally on you. Was it difficult to eat with her on you?”

  “No, she’s pretty light. I imagine, if she was more developed, it would be an issue. Do you know why she stuck to me?” As she asked, Nan was stroking the little beast behind the ears.

  “I believe she feels safe with you. She certainly appreciated the meal. How did you know to do that?”

  “I used to watch a lot of animal documentaries. Since her teeth are already out and she was trying to eat the meat, she would normally have a mother who would partially chew the food and give it back. My teeth are for tearing, so I used that to cut the meat up into small bits.”

  He paused, his dark features strangely focused. “You take care of things.”

  She shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

  “Why?”

  “Because no one took care of me, so I know how difficult it is to feel alone, helpless, and confused. I try and smooth that over as best I can.”

  Lord Varix frowned. “You mean that no one came for you after the asteroid?”

  “Oh, no. I was raised in state custody. The family I was with only wanted the funds from my placement with them, and the school was waiting for me to age out so that I would be off their rosters. Everyone was waiting for me to go away, so I studied. I studied everything.”