He was the only one on watch and his guns hung at his sides, mounted sleek and black on the stiff arms of his protective cover, above the pincers he could use as hands.
Kas took the first step out from the shouting group of the Illy, and without another moment's hesitation, Taya ran toward the sky raider.
He noticed her before she got to him, the head of the machine tipping down to look at her.
“Stop them.” She looked straight up into the glass, and the dark tint faded to clear. For the first time, she found herself face to face with one of her captors.
Pale yellow eyes watched her with an interest that made her want to stumble back a step or two, turn tail and run.
She forced some saliva down her throat, worked her tongue off the roof of her mouth. “You need to stop it.”
The robotic suit stayed still, but inside it, the sky raider tipped his head. “Why?”
The sibilant tones which made everything they said more frightening hissed over her. But now she'd been given a window into the helmet, she saw there was a disconnect between when the sky raider had spoken and when she'd heard the question.
It came to her in a flash that that wasn't how they sounded. They were using some device, some method of translating their language into Illian. It made her less afraid to know she wasn't dealing with something that sounded like she would expect a slither to sound like, if slithers could speak instead of hiss.
“We are different groups, we come from different parts of Barit. We are the Illy, they are the Kardanx. The Kardanx have different beliefs, different ways to us.”
“We do not care.” Again, his mouth moved and only after a beat did the hiss of his answer wash over her.
She shivered.
“Then you are stupid.” She banged his leg with her fist in frustration, felt the gritty crunch of rusting metal. “If you want less work done in the mines, then you'll let that Kardanx take Jerilia. Because we're all mixed up in there. Kardanx and Illy together. And if he takes her, it will be against her will, and that will make us all feel like we have even less control than we already do. The Illy will fight the Kardanx. Fight them down in the shafts. Where you do not go.”
She saw the pale yellow eyes blink in their narrow, sharp face that was otherwise not that different from her own, if you discounted the long, sharp incisors she caught the briefest glimpse of and the pale yellow fur that covered his face. He spoke again, although this time there was no hiss of reply to her.
She had the feeling he was talking to someone else. Getting advice. How he could do that, she didn't know. But then, most of what the sky raiders could do was new and magical to her.
He gave a sharp nod within his metallic cocoon, as if receiving an order, and then lifted both arms.
She heard something in the metallic suit whine. And the sky raider shifted, lifting up his arms. The barrel of one of his guns came level with her face.
But before she could think anything, feel any terror, the guard swung away from her and in two long steps was beside the Kardanx, gun leveled at his head.
“Let the woman go back to her kind.” The hiss of the order fell into the silence that had descended, licking the air like a hungry tongue.
Without a word, the Kardanx released Jerilia, and she ran toward Kas and the others, stumbling in her haste.
They opened ranks for her, and then stepped back in to fill the gap, closing the line again.
“All who are the Illy, go this side. All who are Kardanx, go this side.” He pointed with the guns, and Taya moved over to her group.
Some had been standing a little way away, watching without getting involved, and they began to move, pushing and weaving through each other to reach their people.
In the confusion, Taya saw one of the few Kardanx women in the camp slip amongst the Illy. The woman caught her eye and stumbled, and Taya realized her horror, and her anger, must have shown on her face.
If they sheltered one of the only Kardanx women left, if they took her to their side, that would be reason enough for another scene like the one today.
But hadn't she just seen how some of the Kardanx treated women? And hadn't she in these last few minutes come to the realization that the ugly whispers about men killing wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters was true?
Could she send a woman back to that against her will?
“Please.” The woman was at her side faster than it seemed possible. Her hands came out to touch Taya's arm, and then drew back, fists clenched. “They don't want me anyway. They think me a witch. It's why I'm one of the few women in the group. I was living outside the village, and there was no man to kill me when the sky raiders came.
There was truth and desperation in her words. Her accent was thick, the vowels round and plump as a ripe plum, but she spoke Illian fluently.
Taya studied her, looking for some trick, some hidden motive. She was a few years older than Taya and her eyes were a pale, almost glacial green. Her skin was honey-gold, close to Taya's own skin tone. Her dark hair hung down her back with a glint of auburn in it.
With a grimace, knowing only trouble could come of it, Taya gave a quick nod and pushed the woman deeper into the crowd. She felt a brief, light touch of thanks on her shoulder, and the woman was gone, burrowing deep into the mass.
Silence fell as the last of the prisoners sorted themselves into Illy and Kardanx.
The Illy, with their equal mix of men and women, were the bigger group, because most of the Kardanx volunteered for night shift.
If it were true that for nearly every man standing here, at least one woman had died, the sky raiders must have had to attack many towns and villages in Kardai to get this many of them. And the blood must stain the ground in Kardai dark red.
Looking at the Kardanx, thinking of that many bodies, Taya felt the burn of nausea in her throat.
She should be thankful to Garamundo. Thankful for the protection they offered. Keeping the sky raiders away so that only a few places in West Lathor were hit.
But giving even a drop of thanks to Garamundo was beyond her because of Garek.
She felt something on her cheek, and lifted a hand to brush it away. Her finger came away with a single tear, and she rubbed it into the filthy tunic she wore.
The guard swiveled the head of his suit to her, one gun held steady on each group, then walked slowly back, so that he could see them all without having to turn. The glass of the dome that covered his head was opaque again. “We understand now. Your ways are different. It is decided. You do not mix. You do not fight. You work together peacefully. There must be no break in production.” The sinister voice that came from the sky raider's suit drifted on the fading light of the evening as the Star sank down in the west. The threat in the words, the very sound of them, made her shiver.
In the distance, the transporter skimmed over the open ground toward them, bringing the night shift.
There must be no break in production.
She shivered again.
There had been a few demonstrations of what would happen if production should slow or even stop, right at the start.
She watched the Star as it lit the sky a deep violet, low on the horizon. She liked to think of it slipping away from them here on Shadow to rise in the east on Barit. Taking a part of her with it.
Kas came up next to her and put a hand on her arm, and when she looked across at him, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. He looked tired. Tired and worn.
She'd run to the enemy. Made a decision without consulting him first.
“I don't regret it.”
Kas gave a slow nod. “This was the culmination of two weeks of antagonism.” He blew out a breath, looked across at the Kardanx. “It was only a matter of time.”
“Tell me.” Taya's voice came out on a croak. “Are the rumors true? What they did to their women, that there are so few here?”
Kas looked away. “So I hear.”
“Then I'm doubly glad I did it. That some man who has n
o woman in his bed because he slit her throat like a goat tried to take a woman from the Illy, rape her . . .” She couldn't finish the sentence, her throat too tight. She took a breath. “I'll deal with the sky raiders before I deal with them.”
Her gaze was drawn to the big Kardanx, to his hands. She imagined him holding a woman against his chest, running a knife across her throat.
She could hear a singing in her ears, like the sound the massive sky raider ship had made when it hovered over Pan Nuk, and taken them all. A singing, soaring sound of rage.
“Taya.”
She turned to Kas, and he took a half-step back.
“What?” The word came out slowly, and she frowned at him. “What?”
“You were . . .” Kas wet his lips, set his feet apart. “Taya, you were starting to call the Change.”
Also by Michelle Diener
Science Fiction Novels
Verdant String series:
Interference & Insurgency Box Set
Breakaway
Breakeven
Sky Raiders series:
Intended (Exclusive to New Notification List subscribers)
Sky Raiders
Calling the Change
Shadow Warrior
Class 5 series:
Dark Horse
Dark Deeds
Dark Minds
* * *
Historical Fiction Novels
Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series:
In a Treacherous Court
Keeper of the King’s Secrets
In Defense of the Queen
Regency London series:
The Emperor’s Conspiracy
Banquet of Lies
A Dangerous Madness
Other historical novels:
Daughter of the Sky
* * *
Fantasy Novels by Michelle Diener
Mistress of the Wind
The Dark Forest series:
The Golden Apple
The Silver Pear
* * *
Short Paranormal Fiction
Breaking Out: Part I (Short story)
Breaking Out: Part II (Novella)
To receive notification when Michelle Diener’s next book is released, you can sign up to her new release notification list.
About the Author
Michelle Diener is an award winning author of historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy.
Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and children.
You can contact Michelle through her website or sign up to receive notification when she has a new book out on her New Release Notification page.
Connect with Michelle
www.michellediener.com
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much to Edie, Deborah, Diane, Justin and Jo for your eagle eyes and great suggestions as always, as well as to my awesome reader team! Thanks as always to EJR Digital Art for the truly beautiful cover!
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