Tearing the Sky Read online

  Lily smiled. “It means fledgeling in Vor.”

  Iris sighed. “Right. I should get used to that, then. I can go now?”

  He nodded. “Come back anytime. The overseer has declared you a priority case.”

  Iris put her feet over the edge of the bed, and Lily helped her get to her feet. She swayed but felt different. Lighter. “I was out for a week? What happened?”

  “You passed out when the overseer rescued you. He had them scan you from top to bottom and found some old breaks that weren’t set. They fixed them. You also have two inches of hair, so now you look like one of the storm riders.”

  “The storm riders?”

  “Yeah, the women who fly the giant birds. You remember.”

  “Oh. Right. They were in the briefing.”

  “Right. Come on, it’s a great day out.” Lily opened the door.

  Iris inhaled the scent of the alien world. Spices, food cooking, livestock, and green and growing scents all assailed her. There was the tinge of animals and fuel.

  Iris straightened and walked next to her sister. “Have you chosen your bond yet?”

  Lily smiled. “I have. I am going into medicine. Again. Seeing those medics working on you made me wish I could help you myself but my current skills don’t cover this equipment. My studies will start after you are settled.”

  She felt a pang of guilt. “You have been holding back for me?”

  “It has only been a week. It has also let me learn about the city and find my way around.”

  “Right, little sis. So, where are we going?”

  “The bond house. That is where we live until you get your assessments and assignment to your position. The bond agreement has to work both ways. Remember that.”

  Iris glanced at her sibling. “What are you saying?”

  “All that I am allowed to unless I want to get kicked off Avor like Madam and Ally did.”

  “They what?”

  “Oh, yeah. Ally was telling the locals that she was the companion, and Madame was backing her up. Technically they aren’t off-world yet, but they are on the next shuttle back to a bond auction. They won’t interfere with you.”

  “Interfere with? What would they have to do with me now that they can cause havoc here?” Iris looked around as they walked between buildings.

  Shadows cruised overhead, and Lily chuckled. “The guard is back. They go out and hunt for most of the meat this settlement consumes.”

  Iris nodded. “That was in the file.”

  “I am guessing you were the only one that read it.” Lily hugged her suddenly. “I was really worried about you.”

  Iris hugged her back. “Never worry about me. You know the rules.”

  “I grew up a lot during this, so now I can worry about you. You do a lot of stupid shit, Iris.”

  Iris laughed, and they separated. “Yeah, you did grow up at some point. I should have been paying closer attention.”

  “You should have, but I now have a whole week of experience here, and I am going to show you what is what and introduce you to the bond placement director.”

  “Oh. Nice. I can walk now. I have gotten my legs back and am feeling better. We can move faster.”

  “Things here move at their own pace. There are fourteen species here that support and are compatible with the Vor. We are the most recent. There have been two other bond transports from Earth, each with fifty people. We were brought in because... uh...”

  “We were all girls in a contained group.”

  “Yup. And a large quantity of a specific age.”

  “All of breeding age.”

  “Right. Wait. You knew that we were mail-order brides?” Lily was shocked.

  “Of course. If you read the Hmrain details on our shipping manifest, it was right there. All of us were in a mate classification for a variety of species.” She nudged her sister. “If we want any part of Terra to survive after we are gone, it is going to be in our genes.”

  “Yeah, but why weren’t you companion class?”

  “I got into a fight that day. They assessed me as physically compatible with the Vor, and I completed the set.”

  Lily looked at her. “You are really calm about this.”

  “Of course, I am. Yavor isn’t here today.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Iris shrugged. “The air kind of hums when he’s there. The city hums.”

  Lily blinked. “Wow. Okay. It’s down here and to the left.”

  Iris looked at the signage that stated it was a bond-training house. “That looks like it.”

  “I keep forgetting that you had the language installed.”

  “I had everything installed. My bond debt is huge.”

  Lily laughed as they walked through the stone streets and to the steps of the bond house. “The coordinator is named Arluth. He’s pretty nice.”

  “Helpful?”

  “Oh, very.”

  “Good.” The doors opened as they approached, and Lily smiled at the talking creature made of shadows.

  “Welcome. Is this the one missing from the manifest?” There was a sibilant hissing from the being.

  Iris inclined her head. “I am. I have received medical treatment and am now ready to resume my path to my bond.”

  “I am Arluth, and I will assist you. Would you come with me? We will begin the cognitive scanning.”

  “May my sister accompany me?”

  “You are truly siblings?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Of course. Lily, please, come with. It will help you gain more knowledge of the equipment.”

  They followed Arluth deeper into the building. It was time for intake to Avor.

  Iris lay in the first machine. Arluth tweaked it, and she answered the questions in all the languages of Avor.

  “Interesting. You paid for extra education?”

  “Yes, sir. I thought it would gain me a pricier bond, and since I am not planning on travelling, a few extra years of work won’t be an issue.”

  Arluth spoke in Vor. “Very practical. Few beings from dying worlds think that far ahead.”

  “I had a choice between a life with minimal ignorance or disabling my own mind and skills by refusing the opportunity of an education. It has never been freely offered before, so I took it.”

  He chuckled. “It was not free. You added two years to your bond in languages alone.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I know.”

  He was lifting the unit when she did that, and he paused. “What is that? Lily does that as well. Do you have more olfactory receptors than it appears?”

  “No. In our family, we do it for surrender to an absolute.” She smiled. “It is an acknowledgement of action not in our best interest in the short term.”

  “Ah. Self-deprecation. I understand. It does indicate that you were raised in the same manner as your sibling.”

  Iris looked at Lily. “You could say that.”

  Lily smiled. “You could definitely say that.”

  Their father died when Iris was six and Lily was two. Their mother struggled until Iris was twelve, and then Iris took care of Lily, her homework, and afterschool interests. When she was eighteen, Iris’s mother checked herself into a mental facility and left Iris and Lily alone.

  Lily had her mannerisms because Iris raised her.

  Iris got into the physical-tolerance machine, and she grinned at the lack of aches and pains. Physical labour didn’t pay well, but there was always plenty of it, and her body had had plenty of proof of her efforts. All those aches and pains were now gone.

  Arluth chuckled happily. “Very strong. Good.”

  The reflex test was fun, and she was sweating when she was done.

  “Your endurance is down, but that is to be expected since you were asleep so long.”

  “How long were we out?”

  He paused. “Two years?” He checked a data pad that one of his shoulders was holding. “Yes. Two years after the bond auction. We are a distance from the main population hubs of this sector.”

  “Right.” Iris stepped free of the reflex machine, and Arluth wrapped his shadows around her wrist.

  Her pulse started slow, and then it was racing through her limbs. She swayed, pressed her thighs together as her sex throbbed, and gasped. She whined when he started again, and this time, she came faster.

  He caught her. “Huh. I thought Lily was trying to get you an easy posting, but it seems you have the aptitude for the toughest one of all.”

  Iris blinked and rubbed her palms on her thighs, ignoring the fluttering and twitching inside her. “Yeah, he mentioned something about that, but then he left town for a bit, and I am guessing he changed his mind.”

  Arluth shivered, his shadows going everywhere. “Changed. His. Mind?” He straightened. “That does not seem likely. Lord Yavor is not known for whimsy.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I do know that he said one of his riders would be watching out for Lily and me, and she wasn’t there when I woke up. So, that feels like a changed mind to me. Either way, what am I suited for?”

  “Companion.”

  She batted that idea away. “Aside from that. What else?”

  He tilted what she assumed was his head. “Storm rider.”

  Iris shook her head. “High profile. Not my style.”

  “It is the most suitable for your mind and physiology. You have no fear and quick reflexes. If one of the birds wants to bond with you, there is no reason why you could not be a storm rider. I will call their captain and have you brought to the aerie.”

  Iris looked to Lily as Arluth went to the communication unit.

  Iris wrinkled her nose. “Did I just put my foot in it?”

  “I think you will make an excellent storm rider, a
nd there isn’t an overseer to stop you... yet.” Lily grinned.

  “Do you think he will have an opinion on it?”

  Lily nodded. “Pretty sure he will have an opinion, but go for it. I think a bit of rebellion would look good on you.”

  Arluth came back to them and bowed. “You can wait in the main hall. Rey is on her way.”

  Iris smiled weakly. “Oh. Good. This will be interesting. Thank you for your assessment, Coordinator Arluth.”

  “Oh, I am coming with you. Rey seemed strangely excited that you were mobile.”

  “Oh. Goody.”

  Lily bowed to Arluth and cackled as they returned to the main hall. Iris started pacing slowly while keeping a nervous eye on the door. When Rey came through the door, she bowed low. “Apologies, my lady. I left you unattended.”

  Iris blushed. “I don’t need attending. I need a job for the colony so that I can earn my keep.”

  Rey cocked her head. “He will be back in a few days. You can begin earning your keep then.”

  Iris fisted her hands. “Can I at least learn what you do?”

  Rey looked at her and nodded. “Of course, my lady.”

  Iris whispered, “Please, don’t call me that. I haven’t taken on the position.”

  Rey snorted. “You are stuck on his world and the only companion class female here. It is going to be assigned to you.”

  Arluth chuckled. “It already has been. She refused it.”

  “I didn’t refuse it... specifically. I just know he isn’t here, so there is no sense in me waiting for him.”

  Rey chuckled. “I hope you are good at climbing stairs. It is the first thing we learn.”

  Arluth paused and darted behind a desk. “She doesn’t have her ration ticket or her dorm registration.”

  Lily smiled. “You are in my dorm room. We are on the fourth level here in the bond house. You just have to be in by eight. Miss Rey, may I accompany you?”

  “You can if you can.”

  Arluth clipped a tight band on Iris’s wrist. “There. That will entitle you to basic rations in the city. Any inn or food vendor will supply you with the designated calorie count.”

  “Thank you.” She inclined her head and then turned to Rey. “Shall we?”

  Rey grinned. “Of course, my lady.”

  Lily nodded. “Wait for me.”

  Rey snorted and started to walk toward the door. “Storm riders don’t wait. Lives are usually at stake.”

  Iris nodded, and they left the bond house and followed the woman to a narrow set of stairs that hugged the inner wall of the barricade that protected the city. Rey started to take the steps two at a time, but Iris took each step as she climbed upward. The city wall was enormous, so it was quite the climb. She was coated with sweat by the time she got to the top, but the view was incredible.

  “Oh, wow.”

  Rey looked at her and smiled with satisfaction. “I thought that you would enjoy the view.”

  Iris looked down the steps, and Lily was only halfway up. “She’s been on restricted motion for a few years.”

  “Haven’t you?”

  Iris paused. “Yeah. But... I’m different.”

  Rey laughed. “Come on. Your sibling can catch up. Aybee, we have a straggler coming up the steps. Can you help her hydrate?”

  Aybee laughed. “Of course. You need water for that one you have?”

  “She looks fine.”

  Iris steeled herself. “I do require water.”

  A water bag came flying at her, and she took a few sips. “Thank you.”

  The woman nodded. “You know there is a lift, right?”

  “I guessed there was, but as storms tend to affect power, it is wise to maintain basic physical fitness.”

  Rey laughed. “You call that basic?”

  “It is running up stairs. My thighs are going to hate me when I try and go downstairs, but it isn’t the end of the world.”

  Rey chuckled. “Come with me, my lady.”

  Iris nodded and waved at Lily. Lily waved back and kept coming.

  Rey took her away from the steps, and they headed toward the area where the birds perched and rubbed against each other.

  The Korik were gorgeous, and they were huge. Gold, silver, and pearl were the colour of the feathers.

  “Are they all female?”

  “Yeah. We leave them with the males for breeding season, and when they lay their eggs, the males care for them so that the females can hunt. Their bipedal partners help where they can, but waiting out the breeding season is rough on us all.”

  “Why?”

  “We are linked to our partners on a very basic level, and each of the riders has a ground-bound mate. When our birds are driven to mate, so are we. Things get a little rough, so we try to go in shifts.”

  The birds extended their deadly beaks toward Iris, and she remained still until they started rubbing their heads against her. “Wow, they are really friendly.”

  Rey blinked in confusion. “Yeah, they seem to be. Normally they would be flapping and screaming right now.”

  Iris chuckled and stroked the two heads she could reach. “They know a fellow hunter.”

  Rey stepped back and said, “They will let you know if they aren’t happy.”

  Iris dug her fingers into the feathers and touched all three birds in turn. “I bet you were the first inhabitants on Avor.”

  The chirp in her ear confirmed it.

  A giant shadow crossed over her, and there was a rumble in the air. Iris’s skin started to tingle, and her belly felt electric.

  Rey chuckled. “Oh, good. Lord Yavor is back. That’s his long-range transport. One of the males.”

  Iris stood with her feet rooted to the stone as the midnight form settled a few metres from the others.

  To her astonishment, the birds tucked her away against their chests like a chick.

  Heavy feet thudded to the stone, and Yavor walked toward her. She held her breath and saw his dark shape pass her. When she heard Lily speaking to him, the birds caught on, and they moved her further down the row until she was on the far side of them and toward the large male.

  A huge purple eye looked down at her, and she looked up at him. She smiled and heard his name in her mind. He reached out with his hooked beak and nudged her under him. Iris was pushed under the fluffy warmth of his body, and he settled around her.

  It was less than a minute in warm comfort until a concerned chirp sounded and was met by low murmurs. A hand closed around her arm, and Yavor pulled her out from under his mount.

  He was grinning when he pulled her free. “You are very nervous, Irith. They are trying to soothe you.”

  She swallowed. “I can’t imagine why.”

  He cupped the back of her head in his hand. His eyes looked over her. “You are well?”

  She could feel the vibration in her body at his touch. “Yes, my lord.”

  “The birds have taken to you.”

  She had no comment on that. It was hard to comment while staring into the eyes of the person who had saved her from a life of servitude, only to tuck her into a life of the same. She had avoided the auction, but the result was the same, with the exception of her sister remaining with her. That was worth the world to her.

  Now, she wasn’t so sure that she wanted her sister to watch what would happen to her.

  He smiled. “You are thinking quickly, but your thoughts are not of me. Let’s change that.”

  He kissed her, and she gripped the hand that cupped her jaw. The other held her head and kept her from backing away. She was his, and he was starting to prove it. This was the moment that their connection would begin.

  Chapter Three

  The first brush of his lips against hers made her freeze. The second and third brushes made her less wary. Yavor was being very careful. Very deliberate.

  Iris was held between his hands, and he licked at her lips before he parted them. His tongue swept in to taste. He stroked his tongue against hers and paused. He lifted his head and thumbed tears from her cheeks. He dragged his tongue across her cheeks, the tip a delicate point. “You are frightened and hungry. They did not feed you.”

  “I got a ration cuff.” She looked at him, memorizing his features. She wanted to do a thousand things with him, and only fifty could be managed on the wall.

  She could count the number of sexual encounters she had had in her life on one hand. Just his kiss was more than she had felt in any of those moments. That was what spurred the tears.