Broken Wings

by Melanie Nilles

  The night fell silent, a light breeze blowing loose strands of brown hair to tickle her face.

  "I'm going home." Raea wrapped her arms around herself and his jacket. The faint smell of him lingered on it. The scent of the man she loved, who hadn't told her about an important fact of what she was. "I have a lot of thinking to do."

  She hurried away, afraid to look up to the face half hidden by the hair he needed to cut. Her heart ached in the tangle of emotions. She didn't want to leave him, but she couldn't face him now. He'd lied to her. She needed time to think, time alone.

  "Raea, please—"

  She whirled, tears welling up to cool the anger and desire struggling inside her. "Don't, Elis!" After a breath to calm herself, she couldn't talk. The choking hold of betrayal strangled her voice, which barely squeaked out when she spoke again. "You should have told me. I need some time alone."

  Did he think he would trap her into a permanent partnership for the rest of their lives? It wasn't fair. All their time together…

  No. She needed him too.

  Which was why this was so difficult, but she needed space, at least for a while.

  His eyes begged her to return to him, and her heart yearned to take those steps. But she had to know. Was this right? Was Elis the one she would love the rest of her life, especially when he didn't tell her everything? She was only eighteen, and she loved him. But she barely knew him, especially if he would lie like this to her.

  If she was human, none of this would be a concern, except she would still have trouble with a man who lied to her. How could she trust him with her life?

  Raea swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped her eyes. "Just leave me alone for a while." She turned and ran before he could object, because he had the power to call her back. She wanted him to call her back.

  Oh, God. What had she done? Why did she feel horrible?

  Elis's eyes burned a hole through her back. He watched her, and she didn't have to turn around to know.

  He said nothing, which hurt even more.

  __________

  The Terran Brief

  Thunder rumbled around Prime Commander Alshouan Valdas and vibrated through the dense black stone of the room to reach her feet, her dark wings open slightly for balance. The operators released the power of Heffin's Gate, after several hours to fire it up to full power. The portal, just a small one set to open from outside their atmosphere to a place outside the Solar System—beyond the detection of humans—would soon connect her to their operatives on Earth.

  The black metal lining the room within the central corridors of Heffin's Gate protected her in her booth from the immense radiation of the Starfire's power.

  Valdas sat back from the console and tapped the keys on the side of the oblong tri-comm against her cheek, her hand finishing with a swipe of a loose strand of auburn hair. She had already pre-entered Prime Commander Loran's code. He had only to respond to the signal she sent.

  Now for the wait. At best, they could keep the portal open a little more than one Earth hour with the two shards in the machine. By their calculations, it should be about 8 a.m. on a Friday in his time zone. From what he'd said in previous communiqués, he should be available to answer her call.

  The door behind her hissed open. Valdas swiveled her seat from the active console along the wall of the small room.

  A female technician in an orange jumpsuit with three black lines slanted across the right shoulder—a senior tech—stepped in. ["The portal is open, sir."]

  A formality, and unnecessary. Valdas had spent enough time within some part of the machine or another to recognize the various sounds and vibrations.

  She waved away the woman and turned back to the console to pull Tarolis's past reports. She'd read them all before, but this time was different. She needed something more.

  While she skimmed through the most recent update on his activities, the tri-comm beeped. A moment later, she stared at a man in a dark blue suit and gold-accented red silk tie. So, he had turned the optic option on. Funny seeing him without his black uniform or brown-gold wings. He'd let his light brown hair grow too. He looked so human.

  ["Prime Commander Alshouan Valdas."] He smiled and leaned back against something she couldn't see, since the scan only included his body. And that connected directly to her optic nerve for privacy.

  ["Yes."]

  ["To what do I owe this honor?"] The cynicism wasn't lost on her. He might be older and more experienced, but he was still the same rank. Besides, he had given up the chance for promotion when he left for Earth with his unit fourteen Earth years ago. Despite being far younger, she outranked him, and, by the tone of his voice, he resented it.

  ["Commander Montran Pallin returned barely alive. He was badly burned and told us little before going into shock. I need to know what you know about his activities. He said you paid for his stay on Earth."]

  ["Yes, I did, but I wish I hadn't. You know he risked our presence here?"]

  ["He said a reporter knew."]

  Tarolis crossed his arms. ["Because he told her. He begged me to clean up his mess. Some idiotic idea that she could help him. Now it's all over their news that he killed her because he was after some high school girl."]

  ["A girl?"]

  ["The Crystal Keeper. She's been raised by humans."]

  ["Shartrael Raea. Yes, he mentioned her, along with Jasheir Elis, Naolis and Mennara's youngest child."] Naolis was one of the two Crystal Keepers whose shards now powered Heffin's Gate. Their last surviving child had escaped capture two years ago, when Saffir sent him to Earth, apparently to protect the Crystal Keeper there.

  Tarolis stepped away from whatever he leaned against and stood upright. ["If the authorities here make the connection to me, our activities may be compromised. Commander Montran was a fool, Valdas. He risked everything. I can't afford this right now. I'm this close—"] He held his thumb and forefinger close together. ["—to proceeding with our mission here. I can't afford any mistakes right now. Soon, NeoGen Labs will be ready for a live test. The others are in places of authority around the world, manipulating these humans for our benefit. And it could all crumble with media attention at the wrong time if they connect him to me. Bad enough all the attention on 'angels' in that small city."]

  McClarron. Small was right at only about four thousand inhabitants. It was supposed to be in some remotely populated area too. She wouldn't have expected it to gain much notice beyond its own borders.

  City nothing. Unlike Inari cities or islands, which floated in the sky, humans had built their homes on the ground, of which their world had plenty. Inar'Ahben was a unique world, as they had discovered in their explorations.

  So was Earth, the only world where the top sentient species—in this case the only sentient species—were nearly identical in appearance, with a few ugly details. It had proven a valuable asset to Keepers over the last five thousand Earth years, but no longer. The empire would soon change that, starting with conquering all of Inar'Ahben.

  ["That is unfortunate. It seems we both have to clean up after his mistakes."] In her case, she would have to send in a team to retrieve the Crystal Keeper, since Pallin had failed.

  ["Yes. This world is far more complex than it once was. Their technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. It complicates matters for me."] Tarolis folded his arms. ["It's all in my reports. I trust you've read them."]

  ["I have. What of the atmospheric distortions of the portal?"]

  ["The scientific communities are speculating on the phenomena, but religions are predicting the end of their world by that and the appearances of angels."]

  Valdas smirked. Angels, indeed. So far advanced yet still so very superstitious these humans, but they could use it to their advantage, as the Keepers had.

  ["And,"] Tarolis added while handling a small device, ["others are connecting the dots, as they say here, on their internet. I suggest any move you make is done and over while a portal can be maintained. I'm sending an aerial
image from one of their satellites. Commander Montran supplied me with the location of the Crystal Keeper's residence while he was here."]

  Her tri-comm beeped. ["Received."]

  ["They make our job too easy in many ways."]

  ["But difficult in others?"]

  Tarolis smiled. ["Do not underestimate these humans, Prime Commander Alshouan."]

  ["No. We won't make that mistake again."]

  He tapped a strap on his wrist. ["I have to be somewhere soon. Is there anything else you need from me?"]

  ["Nothing more."]

  ["Prime Commander Loran out."] He disappeared from the room. But he had never been there, simply an image in her mind.

  Valdas pulled the tri-comm off and placed it in a slot at her console. With a few keystrokes, an aerial image projected in a flat two-dimensional holograph before her. A white line circled one of the structures amid a grid of lines framing several structures in each square. This one lay at the far edge of that grid with open land beyond.

  She would not fail. In fact, she would personally lead the team to extricate the Crystal Keeper.

  __________

  What Are Friends For?

  The empty chair in every class reminded Raea of what she missed. She caught Josh's questioning gaze in English when she looked past him to where Elis usually sat. He hadn't shown up for school that morning, and it ate at her conscience that she had hurt him over a simple misunderstanding. In her imagination, she could see him brooding in his room, alone and sad. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but he was so sensitive about everything. That made it difficult to not feel sorry for him, especially when Nare was the closest family he had and she gave him trouble. Raea sympathized, given her cousin Dave's determination to make her life miserable.

  He had forgotten to tell her about bonding. So what? She'd bet every Inari knew their own biology, just as she'd learned human and animal biology growing up on Earth. He probably took it for granted, never really considering that she didn't know better.

  It was probably nothing more than an honest mistake. He wouldn't force her to do anything. She'd always had to make the first move.

  No! She couldn't forgive him like that. He really ought to have said something. He knew she didn't know. Why did this have to happen now, when their lives were finally on the right path? The bullies had stopped teasing her about dating "Creepy" Elis, and all the commotion of four weeks ago was finally settling down and being forgotten.

  She still needed time to decide. This was turning into a miserable day. How would she last one day like this, much less two or more?

  Maybe that was her answer.

  Near the end of her history class, a knock on the door quieted the usual whispers and hushed clowning. Raea looked across two rows of desks to the door open a crack.

  That short-cut icy blue hair stood out from anything natural, although it was natural for an Inari. With her hands covered by black fingerless gloves like Elis wore in public to hide his Starburst marks, Nare motioned for Raea.

  Whispers flew around the room, mostly from the guys: "Whoa!" "Check it out." And the one that made her gag—"Who's the babe?"

  Guys! The drooling put dogs to shame.

  "Quiet," Miss Devon said. She adjusted her glasses on her tiny nose and stepped away from her desk in the front corner of the classroom.

  If only Raea could sneak out. No such luck, and Miss Devon wasn't the type to let her go without a good reason. If Nare was there, it had to be because of Elis. Raea just wanted to know that he was all right. A minute. That's all it would take.

  Stupid clock. Time could go a little faster. Ten minutes until the bell rang. Ten minutes until lunch break. Then she'd have plenty of time to talk with Nare about Elis.

  Miss Devon motioned her forward. Yes! Raea jumped from her desk and hurried around the rows to the door, her heart pounding. Please let it be news that he's all right.

  She stepped into the quiet hall and closed the door behind her. No one else needed to know.

  "He said to bring this right away." Nare slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a folded paper. "He's so pathetic right now."

  Raea unfolded the paper, her hands trembling. A small black feather floated out, and she caught it. Her heart stopped. He'd gone through the trouble of pulling a perfectly good feather. Her poor Elis. "How is he? Is he all right?"

  "He'll get over it." Nare waved away her concern and pointed to the note.

  Get over what? She read the note…

  Raea,

  This is the 32nd time I've started trying to write to you. I'll try again, but I don't know if I can say it any better. I couldn't say it in person, because nothing sounds right, and this probably won't either.

  I thought about you all night and what you said. I never meant to hurt you or force you into anything. I knew it was wrong of me. There's no excuse for upsetting you, and nothing else I can say sounds more adequate. I just want you to know how sorry I am and that I would do anything for you.

  I will always love you. Please come back.

  Elis

  He admitted his mistake, but what about the next time? Would there be a next time?

  "Typical." Nare's eyes jumped from the paper to her, her arms crossed.

  What was her problem?

  "They never think before they act. Do they?" Nare's bitterness softened away with a sigh. "I heard him crying last night, even though he denied it. He locked himself in his room. I tried to talk to him, but he told me to go away, said I shouldn't be there and that this was my fault. My fault. As if I had anything to do with his stupidity. Besides, Evelyn invited me to stay, and it's her house."

  Crying? Over her? Her poor Elis. What had she done? Her stomach twisted into a wretched mess.

  Elis…

  "Anyway, don't worry too much. Take your time, Raea, and don't let him push you."

  But he didn't push her. She wanted to be close. In fact, he'd pushed her away all last week. Elis had been the one encouraging her to spend time with her friends. "He's never pushed me into anything. He was just there, waiting." He'd never expected anything. And her perfect memory—another mixed blessing of the Starfire—returned of that moment she admitted her feelings. He'd been so surprised, as had she to find out he liked her the same way, but he'd never indicated he felt anything for her until she admitted it first. He'd always waited for her.

  "Good. At least he did something right."

  Raea opened her hand on the small curl of feather ready to lift away with the slightest puff of air. A part of him that he wanted her to remember. She would never forget. If only she could be sure now. But what would she give up? Bonding to one man the rest of her life sounded risky—shared pleasure and pain? What did that mean?

  "He did everything right, except this. I just need time. I'm not abandoning him."

  "But he's afraid you will."

  Yes, he was. The letter said that. What if she did? She couldn't imagine being with anyone else, but she had to know without a doubt that he was right for her. Why couldn't Inari relationships come with instructions?

  Raea sighed and closed her fingers gently around the tickling softness of the feather. "I'm not ready for that kind of permanent commitment yet, but I love him."

  "Elis better count himself lucky to have you, or to have had you."

  What? No. Past tense was wrong, so very wrong. Nare misunderstood. "I'm not leaving him. I just…" Why did she say that? All she was doing was spending some time away. Nare had a cruel way of making him into the bad guy. She totally didn't get it.

  "Whatever. I should get back to the house. He's probably panicking or something. He told me a few times exactly how to get here and find you. Idiot. I remember everything as perfectly as him. We're all—" Nare lowered her voice and leaned close. ["We're all Keepers."]

  Raea sighed and folded the note. Nare so didn't get it, but Raea knew no one else who could understand. "Thanks, Nare."

  "No problem. See ya later?"

  "Lat
er?"

  "I thought, since you wanted space to think but are still training, I could take over for a while."

  Nare annoyed Raea with her critical view of Elis, but maybe she was right. Besides, hearing about Elis from someone else might reveal an important detail or at least provide some interesting stories.

  "All right," Raea mumbled.

  "Later." Nare strode away through the quiet halls.

  Raea returned to class, where someone had to ask about the blue-haired woman she talked to. Disbelief poured from the guys that Nare could be any relation to Elis. She was too hot, according to them.

  With a little trouble, she tucked the small feather into the wire holding her crystal shard. It curled around it to tickle her chest under her shirt.

  The bell rang none too soon and Raea hurried from class to meet her friends for lunch.

  Questions during lunch tempted her to run home to check on Elis in reassurance. No. She shouldn't. Besides, Nare was there to keep an eye on him. Her emotions didn't control her. Raea controlled them. And this issue was about logic.

  But the hole in her chest from missing him ached as if to tear out her heart. She loved him. That should be enough.

  Stop it! Raea slammed her fork on the table.

  Next to her, Linds jumped and bland peas popped from her tray. "What the hell was that about?"

  "Nothing." Raea didn't want to talk about it.

  "Is this about Elis? I heard you had a fight or something." Linds rounded up the rolling peas and set them in a different corner of her tray.

  "No." Who—

  Josh looked up. "Wha'?" he asked with a mouthful of food. Disgusting. He choked down the food. "Not me. I didn't say anything."

  Right. He was the only one she'd told, only because he'd asked first thing that morning when she showed up at school without Elis at her side and cried on his shoulder. He swore he wouldn't say anything about her temporary separation with Elis.

  Unless he was innocent and rumors started because of Nare showing up at school. She should never have said anything about Nare being related to Elis.