by Rinelle Grey
“Why not?”
“If there’s any chance I can get the Hylista working again and get home then I can’t risk tampering with the implant. It’s an offence on Urslat, one that could land me in jail, or worse.”
She was silent while she digested his words. “But what if the council tries to split us up before you fix it?” she asked.
She didn’t sound upset. Tyris breathed a sigh of relief. “I won’t let that happen,” he said firmly. “By their own rules, we have eighteen months, and I think it’s reasonable that we insist on that. That should give us plenty of time to make repairs.” He wished he felt as confident of the outcome as he sounded.
Marlee was quiet for a moment. Was she upset? He wished he could see her face. Had he just ruined everything because he was so desperate to get home, when only moments ago he’d been so content with the way things were here? But he couldn’t let go of this possibility. Not yet.
Marlee turned and looked at him. “You’ll still take me with you, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay then,” she agreed. “We’ll wait until spring and see if you can repair your ship.
When she snuggled next to him and he could sense her body relax, he let himself relax. It would all be okay. He’d find some way to fix the Hylista then he’d take her home, where it didn’t matter if neither of them could ever have children.
Chapter 22
Tyris climbed the ladder to remove the next damaged portion of Marlee’s roof. Even though the sun sank rapidly in the sky, sweat ran in trickles down his back, mingling with the melting snow. He sawed off a broken end of a roof brace and bent down to hand the piece to Marlee, waiting at the bottom of the ladder.
He wiped his forehead and moved onto the next roof brace, looking over his shoulder at the sun. The top of the trees, new leaves already sprouting, obscured nearly a quarter of the yellow circle. It would be dark in half an hour. Just enough time to get this section of the roof tidied up as long as he kept moving.
Sighing, he sawed at the next broken roof strut. After spending the whole day helping the villagers repair the barn, he was tired, and the work felt pointless. He only had a few hours each evening after the other work was done for the day, and at this rate, it would take a week before the house would be habitable. They’d only be here for a few days before they went looking for the anysogen and attempted to repair the Hylista.
He handed another broken piece of wood down to Marlee, feeling less despondent at her smile. Even a few nights alone could be worth the effort. And there was no certainty that he could repair his ship, even with the anysogen. He still had no idea how he could get the Hylista into orbit, but something would come to him... eventually.
If only he could get out there now and begin work. They’d spent the entire week since the snow had melted repairing the barn, and though he didn’t resent the work, he resented the delay. All these mundane tasks drove him crazy, but as Marlee had pointed out, the fast melting snow would mean the trickle of a creek was a raging torrent. They wouldn’t be able to cross safely until the water went down.
So he might as well do something with his time. Marlee stood below the ladder again, waiting for the next piece of scrap wood. He sawed quickly and handed it down to her.
As he straightened up, sunlight flared in his face, almost blinding him.
He held up his hand to block the light. Where was it coming from? The sun was behind him, not in front of him. With his hand shielding his eyes, he could just make out something bright and reflective on the other side of the village, towering over the houses. The Tenacity. What a pity it was all but useless.
Or was it? As he continued to work on the roof, plans formed in his mind. The Hylista couldn’t break orbit. The Tenacity couldn’t fly at any speed that was useful. If he could borrow the parts he needed to repair his ship...
By the time it was finally too dark to work any longer, he climbed down the ladder. It was gloomier inside the house, despite the gaping hole in the roof, and Marlee had lit a lantern. Looking at her in the flickering light, Tyris felt a surge of desire. What a pity it wouldn’t be warm enough to sleep in their room tonight.
It might not be warm enough to sleep here, but maybe they could stay an hour or so...
He stepped towards her and slipped his arms around her waist before it even occurred to him that he was still damp with sweat. Thank goodness for the white powder Marlee had showed him. She said it was made up from some sort of crushed rocks mixed with salt. It might not stop him sweating, but it did stop the stink.
All he could smell was Marlee’s own scent of musky sweetness. It was enough to make him forget all about the spaceships.
Driven by a sudden need, he kissed her, softly at first, then more insistently. She clung to him, and a shiver ran through her. “Are you cold?” Concern and disappointment warred in his head.
Marlee shook her head quickly. “Not at all.”
Tyris smiled softly. “Do you think Nerris will notice if we’re a little late home tonight?”
Again she shook her head. Tyris understood. He didn’t feel like words right now either. Instead, he kissed her again. Then he pulled back reluctantly. “I should probably clean up a little.”
“I don’t mind,” Marlee said, not letting him go.
That was all the encouragement he needed. He was probably going to get hot and sweaty again soon anyway. Taking Marlee’s hands, he pulled her into the bedroom, closing the curtain behind them.
If only the roof hadn’t collapsed, how many times would they have made love in the last few months? How much had they missed out on?
But if the roof hadn’t collapsed, forcing them to move in with Marlee’s parents, he would never have heard about the anysogen, and he wouldn’t have realised there was a chance he could repair the Hylista. And if they hadn’t been interrupted that night, he probably would have asked Karla to remove his implant by now. Marlee could even be carrying his child.
For a moment, the vision blinded him, making him hungry for the warmth of the family he’d never really had. It was almost enough to make him toss out the thought of returning home.
If only it were that simple. If he could guarantee Marlee would fall pregnant, it would be tempting. But he couldn’t. He groaned and pushed the thought out of his head. He was here, now and so was Marlee. And if things went the way he planned, he could go home and be with Marlee.
He pulled her down onto the unmade bed, ignoring the sharp pokes of several bits of straw.
As he kissed her thoroughly, he marvelled at how much her little breathy sighs and moans turned him on. He never had to wonder if they were real. He slid his hands under her jumper over her soft, smooth skin. She groaned against his lips as his hand edged up to rub at the underside of her breast.
The last of the sun’s rays had taken any warmth with them, and even though Tyris wanted to remove every clothing barrier, it was too cold. Tonight he would have to be quick, much as he wanted to take his time.
His hand reversed direction, sliding down across her stomach, under the waistband of her skirt and under the edge of her pants. She drew in a sharp breath, her eyes wide and dark. “Tyris,” she mouthed softly.
He thrust against her, the longing to be inside her heating him even through the layers of clothes. When he slid his fingers between her legs, he drew in a breath at the moist warmth, ready to skip straight to the main event. But he held back.
He wasn’t her first partner, he knew that, but he suspected that not many had focused on her pleasure. He wanted to make sure this experience surpassed any other. So he reined in his own desire and watched the look on her face, eyes closed in rapture pulled taut, as he rubbed his fingers over her.
He knew the moment she came close to the brink. Her head tossed from side to side, and her hands clutched him, pulling him down closer. Her mouth made a little ‘O’, but nothing came out other than short sharp breaths. He groaned softly, placing soft kisses all over her face wherev
er he could reach as she shuddered in release, moaning his name.
He barely even noticed the gathering darkness or the cold creeping in around the curtain. She opened her eyes and stared up at him, blinking slightly. She breathed his name softly.
He brushed her hair out of her eyes, wishing he’d stopped to bring the lamp in so he could see her better. His desire had calmed just a little, a lull before the storm.
Until she reached for him, pulling at the cord that tied his pants. She fumbled a little in the darkness, and he pulled the knot undone himself too impatient to wait. The pants slid down, and she reached out for him, stroking with a feather’s touch. Desire built in him, but he forced himself to stay still. He didn’t want to say or do anything that might make her stop. Slowly her movements became more sure, more firm, and when she wrapped her hand around him, his breath was coming in ragged gasps. Not able to wait any longer, he rolled onto her, battling with the folds of her thick skirt.
She pulled them out of the way, bunched up around her middle, a frustrating barrier between them, but not enough to stop him. He slid into her, the wait only having made his need stronger. He raised himself on one arm and cupped her face with his other hand as he thrust into her. The expression of delight on her face and the way she clung to him etched itself into his memory.
He groaned in release and thrust into her once more before his arms gave way and he collapsed on top of her. She held him close, hands stroking his back.
Soon, if this weather held, he would be finished the repairs and then he would have time to spend exploring every inch of her soft body. If it would be several more weeks before he could get to his ship, he might as well enjoy them.
Now though, the cold was creeping in. Most of the ice that had melted during the day would freeze again overnight. Reluctantly, he rolled off Marlee and straightened up his clothing then held out his hand to help her up.
As they walked back to the hall where everyone would be eating after the hard day’s work, he glanced up at the Tenacity again hovering over them all like a sentinel, and his earlier thoughts returned.
“What sort of condition is the Tenacity in?” he asked.
Marlee’s eyes went to it as well. “Nerris and Nelor keep it maintained, but I don’t know if it would fly anymore. It’s not fast enough to get to an inhabited planet anyway.”
“No, I realise that. But it might have parts I could use to repair the Hylista.”
Marlee tilted her head to one side then shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s locked though, and no one is allowed to visit without the council’s permission.”
Tyris frowned. “I’d rather not tell them I’m trying to repair my ship just yet. Is there some way we could have a look around without telling them? I wouldn’t take any parts without permission, but there’s no point asking if there isn’t anything I need.”
Marlee considered for a moment. “There is one way,” she said slowly.
“What?”
“Nelor has a key.”
Tyris fell silent. Though Marlee and Nelor had talked a couple of times, there was still a tension between them. Could he trust the young man to keep their secret?
“It’s worth a chance,” he said. The old ship had to have rocket boosters. If he could find the parts he needed, he might just be able to get out of here.
“I’ll ask him tonight.” Marlee’s footsteps hurried towards the hall, as though impatient to have an answer.
“No, not tonight,” Tyris said. “If we start asking questions, Nerris or the rest of the council might guess what we’re doing. Tomorrow will be better.”
“If we can get a job that is somewhere near where Nelor is working, we might be able to talk to him inconspicuously,” Marlee suggested
Tyris nodded. “It might be better if I talk to him alone though.”
“Why?” Marlee stared at him.
“Because it’s my ship and my responsibility,” Tyris said. “I don’t want Nelor to agree to this because he feels he can’t say no to you.”
Or to not agree to it because he felt he could. If he had to put a little pressure on Nelor, it was better that Marlee not be involved.
Marlee nodded slowly. “All right then. I’ll find a job somewhere else, and you can tell me how it goes at lunch.”
*****
When they arrived at the village hall early the next morning, quite a crowd had already assembled. Even after a week of hard work, an air of anticipation and excitement hung in the air. The hall buzzed with people talking, excitement raising the noise level.
Tyris felt keyed up, even more so because of his plans for the day. “So if I get drawn before Nelor, then I obviously can’t choose to do the same job. Or he may choose a job where only one person is required,” he said in frustration.
Marlee nodded. “There’s always that risk. We’ll just have to wait and see.” She was always so easy-going, but impatience gnawed at Tyris. The long period of idleness and the realisation that he’d been tricked into thinking escape was impossible frustrated him. He wanted to get to work without any more delays.
Unfortunately, delays seemed to be unavoidable. He stifled a sigh.
They joined the people lining up to receive their numbers then waited while the council members and the village elders drew and chose their jobs. Tyris had expected the elders would choose easier jobs—surely that was why they went first—but as they had every day this week, nearly all of them elected to do some sort of physical work, mostly on the barn.
He glanced at the piece of paper in his hand as the next lot of numbers were called. Seventy-eight. Now there was nothing he could do but wait.
Beren wrote names in charcoal beside the job list on the wall behind him. The list was long: working on the barn, preparing the ground for planting, repairing other buildings, and checking the last of the stores. So many things to do to keep a community running.
“Thirty-four.” Jaimma walked up and chose to join those digging up the fields for this year’s crops.
“Seventeen.” Another young woman walked up, and chose to join those planting seeds in the greenhouse.
“Seventy-eight.” Tyris looked at the number in his hand in dismay then looked at Marlee. What should he do?
Marlee pulled the number from his hand and thrust hers at him, then walked up to the stage. She chose to join Jaimma digging. She smiled at him as she left the hall, and he smiled back.
“Fifty-nine,” Beren called.
“Thirty-seven.”
“Forty-three.”
“Nineteen.” Finally Nelor walked up onto the stage, and chose to cut down saplings to replace the roof supports on the barn.
Five numbers later, Tyris’s number was called. When he also asked to cut trees, there were a few raised eyebrows, but no-one commented. Beren told him where to find an axe and then moved on to the next number.
Tyris exited the hall and looked around for Nelor. The young man strode towards the far strand of trees, so Tyris grabbed an axe and hurried to catch him.
As he entered the woods only a few steps behind Nelor, the man turned. “Hi, Tyris.” His voice sounded casual, but Tyris didn’t miss the curiosity in his gaze.
“Where will we find the best trees for supports?” he asked.
“Towards the stream probably.” Nelor pointed.
He could check on the height of the stream as well. Tyris liked the efficiency of that. “Lead the way,” he said.
As they walked, Tyris said, “Nelor, I wondered if I could ask you for a favour?”
“What?” Nelor’s expression was guarded.
“Marlee said you have a key to the Tenacity?”
Nelor raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know?”
Tyris hesitated. But he already knew this was his best option. “I’m wondering if anything there could be useful for repairing my ship.”
“You think you can fix it?” Nelor’s eyes lit up. “That you might be able to get back to the central planets?” His voice wa
s rushed and eager.
“Maybe,” Tyris said cautiously. Why was Nelor so excited? Before winter, when Marlee had first raised the possibility with him, he hadn’t believed it was even possible. “If I can find replacements for the damaged parts, I think there is a chance.”
Nelor nodded eagerly, then paused. His expression changed to a frown. “No one is supposed to go out to the Tenacity without permission from the council.”
“And yet, you have a key.” Tyris pointed out.
“Yes...” Nelor said slowly. “Dad let me have one. He got tired of sitting out there while I explored, and he knew I wouldn’t touch anything. Look, I want to get off this planet as much as anyone, but I can’t let you pull the ship apart without the council’s permission.”
“I won’t touch anything,” Tyris promised. “I just want to look, to see if there is anything useful at all before I bother the council.”
“Dad never minds a chance to go out to the Tenacity. I’m sure he’d be happy to take you. Maybe he could even make some suggestions?”
“Probably,” Tyris agreed. He paused, before adding, “But I’m not sure that they’re as eager to get off this planet as we are.”
“What do you mean?” Nelor asked. “Everyone wants to get away from the pollution here. Why wouldn’t they?”
“I wish I knew. At first I thought I was imagining it, until I found out that there’s refined anysogen here. Nerris didn’t even mention its existence when I told him I needed it.”
He’d caught Nelor’s attention. “Why wouldn’t he mention it?”
“I don’t know. But it seems to me that he doesn’t want me to leave the planet.”
Nelor frowned.
Not wanting to offend him, Tyris said, “I could be wrong, but I’m not ready to risk it. You can understand how important it is for us to get off this planet.”
“Of course I do.” Nelor sighed and looked up at Tyris. “No luck with a baby?”
Tyris hesitated. He didn’t want to lie, but if a small omission could buy him Nelor’s cooperation... “No, no luck,” he said. It wasn’t a lie. He was just leaving out the reason why.
