Strange Skies

by Kristi Helvig

  James spoke slowly. “That gives us about eight hours to locate the guns, get your dad, and get out of here.”

  My heart leapt in my throat, but I had to play it cool. I stared directly ahead and watched the flames lick the edges of the twigs. “Does that mean we have a plan?”

  James spoke in a low voice. “Of course.” He turned to Markus and Alec. “Gentlemen?”

  Markus twirled a larger twig back and forth between his fingers. “Sure, but can some of the other people we bring along be of the female variety? It’d be a shame to leave all the good ones here.”

  I scoffed. “I bet you can’t even name a single girl who has had the pleasure of your company these past few months.”

  Markus shot me a wounded look over the flames. “I’m offended. Of course I can, there was a Sara in there somewhere I think, and … a Becca, definitely a Becca. Come to think of it, they might have both been there together.”

  Alec’s face darkened. “I’d treat a woman so much better than that. She’d be the only name I remembered.”

  “That’s touching,” said Markus, tossing the twig on the ground. “But sometimes it’s nice to have something other than a little fire to keep you warm at night.”

  A meat monster howled in the darkness and Alec leapt to his feet. “I’ll go hunt. I’m hungry.”

  “Want help?” Markus asked. He didn’t look like he had any intention of getting up.

  Alec pulled out his gun and powered it up. “No, I’m bueno. Need some alone time.”

  “Suit yourself,” said Markus as he stretched his legs out in front of the fire.

  James had shifted closer to me and, without thinking, I moved my body several inches toward his.

  I thought about everything we had to accomplish in the next few light breaks. And people I wanted to bring with us, like Reed. James would know who else would be good to have as allies, and Markus had a whole curvy guest list in mind. “Your ship isn’t that big, Markus. How will we fit everyone?” I asked.

  “Hey,” Markus protested. “Watch how you talk about a man’s ship. It’s not the size that matters, it’s how well it holds up under pressure.”

  “Max has his own ship,” James interjected. “He’d come with us. I’m sure of it.”

  I watched James. “Have you thought about this before?”

  “Yeah, when Kale returned with your dad, I started planning how to keep you both safe.”

  Luckily it had grown dark enough to hide the blush I felt rising up my cheeks.

  The carcass of the animal lay stripped of meat, and I licked my lips. Hopefully, the next planet would have meat monsters too, because I was getting used to this.

  Markus belched and yawned. “Time for some shut-eye. We only have two light breaks before Kale leaves and I need me some rest.”

  “Good idea,” said Alec. “I think probably we all could use some sleep.”

  “James!” a voice whispered from the woods. “James!”

  Sonya emerged from the trees, her hair wild and eyes bright. Markus stopped mid-step and stared at her as though entranced. She glared at me and looked back at James. “I looked for you in your hut, but should have known you’d be here again. I have something important to tell you.”

  Part of me was disappointed that I’d been wrong about her. It was easier to dislike someone who was dishonest. But maybe I was about to find out where Dad’s weapons were. The thought made me ecstatic.

  A sharp cracking sound in the brush right behind us made me jump to my feet. What if she brought Kale here with her? I whipped out my gun and aimed into the darkness.

  James threw his arm across me and pushed my raised weapon down. I had a sudden flashback of him taking my weapon. Not once, but twice. My gut twisted in fear. I snatched my gun out of his reach and backed away.

  “Don’t shoot. It’s just me. Sorry to scare you.” Max walked out of the trees toward the fire pit.

  “What the—” I said. “Why the hell is everybody sneaking up on us?”

  Max smiled. “James asked me to come. Guess he hasn’t told you yet?”

  I frowned and looked at James. He wasn’t smiling. He looked like he’d just been kicked in the stomach. He stared at the ground. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

  “Nonsense,” said Max. “I’ve got the ship ready and everything. You and Tora are scheduled for departure in five minutes.” He watched Lucy chew on a gigantic bone. “Hey, did you guys save any dinner?”

  Markus tossed him a rib the size of my forearm. “It’s all we got left. Sorry.”

  “Departure for where?” Sonya demanded. “What’s going on?”

  Alec took a step closer and his hand inched toward his gun. “I don’t remember anything in the plan about taking Tora away.”

  The old familiar fear gripped hold of my gut, and the hand holding my gun started to shake. “Yeah, what the hell is going on, James?”

  He ran his hand through his sandy hair. “I wanted to surprise you with something … something good. But I see you’re scared. You still don’t trust me.” He reached for my hand and held it between his.

  I tried to ignore the electric jolt that I felt at his touch. “It’s not like surprises have been a good thing in my life so far. You of all people should know that.”

  Sonya stared at my hands in James’, her eyes narrowed. I couldn’t read the exact emotions on her face but none of them were happy. “Wait, what did you want to tell us? Is it about my dad’s guns?” I asked.

  Her eyes remained fixed on our interlocked hands. “Nothing as important as whatever you two are doing tonight, I guess. It can wait until our scheduled meeting. Sorry, I shouldn’t have come.” I could have sworn she had tears in her eyes as she headed back into the woods.

  “Sonya, wait—” James started, but she fled into the dark without turning back.

  “We should go after her,” I said, “and make her tell us.” We were so close to finding out the location of the guns.

  “We won’t find her if she doesn’t want to be found,” James said. “Let her cool down and I’m sure she’ll come through when I meet with her.”

  “Okay, not that I don’t appreciate good drama, but I’m freakin’ exhausted.” Markus saluted us. “Whatever you’re up to, be back on time. Night, kids.” He ducked into his hut and Lucy trotted in after him with the huge bone tucked between her teeth.

  “No way,” Markus yelled from inside. “I don’t have many rules, but no bones in the hut is one of them.” The bone came hurtling back out. Remarkably, Lucy didn’t come chasing after it. She’d curled up with Markus instead. Guess I’d been wrong about her having the best sense of all of us.

  I turned back to the others. Alec’s eyes gleamed in the firelight. He didn’t look happy. He didn’t strike me as a guy that liked surprises much, but I could relate. All the surprises that had happened in my life so far had sucked big-time. Still, I was curious.

  “I’m not sure about this,” I admitted. “Maybe it’s not the best time for a surprise.”

  Max walked in between James and me and grabbed hold of our arms. “You’ll have to work this out on the ship. No time to spare. It’s cutting it close as it is.” He pulled us toward the woods and turned back to Alec. “They’ll be safe and sound, and back in two hours. No worries, man.”

  James was silent as we walked.

  “How far is your ship?” I asked Max.

  “Not far at all. Just up ahead behind some brush.” He jerked his thumb toward James. “You wouldn’t believe the trouble this guy went through for you. It had to be at night to avoid Consulate flyovers, had to be in the right window of time, had to be—”

  “Okay, Max, I got this.” James reached for my hand. I let him take it despite the doubt still gnawing inside me. Trust wasn’t a commodity I was used to trading in. I’d been positive I could trust James several times and he’d let me down—hard.

  We walked in silence until we reached Max’s ship. Max bowed at the hatch door. �
�My lady,” he said and waved me inside. I hadn’t known Max long, but I liked him. I was all too aware of my well-worn T-shirt and the tendrils of frizzed hair that had escaped my braid, and knew the chances were slim that I’d ever be called “my lady” again.

  I smiled. “Should I take my usual seat?”

  He grinned. “Absolutely.” Max settled into the pilot’s seat and picked up a headset. “Settle back and enjoy the short ride. I’ll have this earpiece on so I won’t hear any, uh, conversing back there. Ready for takeoff, James?”

  James strapped himself in and gave Max a thumbs-up sign. The ship rose into the air. I watched out the dashboard window as we hovered a moment, then sped off toward the dark horizon. Max put on his headset and started moving his head to an unheard rhythm.

  I turned to James. “Can you tell me where we’re going yet?”

  “No, you’ll see soon enough.” He undid his seat restraint and knelt on the floor at my side. “Look, Tora, I owe you so many apologies that I don’t even know where to start. It’s just … the look on your face back there … like you thought I was going to hurt you. I’m not sure that’s something I can ever undo.”

  I gulped. He could be right. “You can try, though. I’ve heard your explanation but it doesn’t take away the fact that you betrayed me … multiple times.” I thought of the time he’d taken my gun away, then pointed his own at my head. “I just don’t understand what you were thinking.”

  James grasped my hand in his. “I’m sorry. I was cocky. Too cocky. I thought I could manage everything on my own.” His eyes searched mine. “I thought I was such a great shot that it would be no problem to shoot you, because I knew you’d live. Except then I didn’t. The moment I shot you, I was gripped with crazy worry that I’d actually killed you.” His voice broke. “When the Consulate soldiers started shooting at me, I knew I deserved it.”

  My heart battled with my head as a tear slid out of the corner of my eye. Dammit. “But you lived. And I lived, and you found out who killed your family, so was it worth it?”

  “God, no. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.” He pressed my hand to his cheek. “You know how I told you about the time Markus first showed me your picture and I couldn’t shoot at you when you came out of your bunker that day?”

  I nodded. Tons of lasers had come my way, yet James had insisted that he shot everywhere but at me.

  James sighed. “There was this sadness in your face in that picture. I recognized the same thing in myself. Then, after I got to know you, I had these feelings for you that I tried to push away. I was so torn between what I felt for you and what I thought I needed to do to avenge my family. The only thing I want now is your forgiveness, but I know I don’t deserve it.”

  The stubble on his face tickled my hand but I couldn’t pull away. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to pull away from him again. “You’re right. You don’t deserve it,” I said, though I didn’t move my hand. “I’ll let you try to earn my trust, but I’m not making any promises. And if you ever shoot me again, we’re done. A girl has her limits.”

  James kissed my hand. “No more shooting.”

  The ship thudded softly against the ground, and James grabbed the side of my chair to keep his balance. Max whipped off his headset and turned around to us. “We’ve arrived. I’ll be right here if you need me. You only have one hour before we leave, so get moving.”

  James walked over and clasped a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Thanks a lot for this. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem, happy to help out.” Max tipped his head toward me and I smiled.

  The hatch door opened and James ushered me through. I stepped out into a small clearing in the center of some trees. Trees that looked exactly like the ones around our camp. I looked around. Nope, just more trees. It was the opposite of surprising.

  James came up behind me and laughed. “I know what you’re thinking. Be patient.” He grabbed my hand. “This way, through those trees there.”

  The foliage was dense and thick but in less than twenty steps, we were out of it. I looked up and gasped. “The beach! It looks so different at night.”

  Now that we were out of the woods, I noticed the sky was lit up with stars, including the Weeping Boy. The two moons hung low like glowing orbs just above the horizon. And the sand took my breath away. It glowed a sparkling pink as though it was lit from underneath. The beach shimmered in iridescent color.

  “Tell me that isn’t the coolest thing you’ve seen,” said James. “There was nothing close to this on Earth.”

  A light, warm breeze caressed my skin as I kicked off my shoes and wiggled my toes in the shimmering soft sand. Specks of pink glowed across the tops of my toes.

  James tugged at my arm. “C’mon, I didn’t just bring you here to look at it.” He pulled me down to the water’s edge. “We’re going in.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. The thing I’d dreamed of doing forever—swimming in real water—was about to happen with James. I stared out into the abyss of ocean. The water sparkled from the moonlight as the waves undulated across the surface. The warm water lapped over my feet, and I inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air. I was in real water and still couldn’t get over that I could breathe whenever and wherever I wanted, without the use of any suits or contraptions.

  A large wave crashed onto the shore and soaked my pants from the knees down. “Uh, I didn’t exactly bring a swimsuit,” I said.

  A mischievous look came over James’ face. “I didn’t say you needed one.” With that, he peeled his own shirt over his head and threw it into the sand. I tried not to stare but the moonlight highlighted his abs. God, he was gorgeous.

  He took a step toward me and playfully tugged the bottom of my shirt, er, his shirt. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you before.”

  I gulped, remembering when I’d woken up in nothing but bandages and a medical gown. His lips brushed mine and the butterflies in my stomach kicked in. I stepped back and pulled the shirt over my head before tossing it next to his. This was my chance to figure out how to swim, and we only had an hour, so I had to make it count.

  James took out his gun and dropped it in the sand, then yanked his pants down and stepped out of them. My jaw dropped. He looked downright hot standing there in nothing but underwear. He grinned, then turned and raced into the water. “Come catch me,” he said and dove under the surface.

  This was actually happening. I hesitated and looked around but the beach was deserted. Oh, what the hell. I pulled the gun from my waistband and put it with James’ before slipping my pants down over my hips. After a deep breath, I dropped them all the way to my feet. All that remained were my thermoplastic panties. Though I dreaded getting them wet, there was no way I was taking them off. I waded into the water and made it waist deep before James surfaced again. He stood about ten feet away from me and ran his hand through his hair. I was all too aware that the moonlight didn’t hide the fact that I was half naked. His eyes traveled down my body and back to my face.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Come here.”

  I took another step and shivered.

  He moved through the water toward me. “Are you cold?”

  I shook my head and undid my braid so that my hair fell around my shoulders. “No.” It was true. The water was warm. It was the intensity of his stare that made my body react.

  We met in the water and all I could think about was him kissing me again. Instead, he came around behind me and put his hand on my waist. “Are you ready?”

  Yeah, I’d never been more ready. I leaned back into his body. “For what?”

  He laughed and caressed my side. “To swim. Isn’t that your dream?”

  My body tingled at his touch. I wanted to swim, and we only had an hour. “Sure.”

  He pulled one of my arms back a little and then swept it over my head before doing the same with my other arm. He murmured into my ear. “This is how people used to swim on Earth when there was water, except you’
d be horizontal.” His hand trailed down my arm and lingered at my lower back.

  I wished I could see his face. I turned to face him. “So far your swimming lesson seems as unorthodox as that medical exam back in my room in the bunker.”

  James laughed again. It was such a rare sound from him. I’d never seen him like this before and it made him even sexier. I leaned toward his lips. He kissed me briefly then pulled away. “After you learn how to swim. We live near water now and you should know how to do it.”

  It was the first time ever I’d wished he was more like Markus. “You’ve never been swimming before, Mr. Expert, so how do you know how to do it?” I challenged.

  “I don’t, I only saw an old video on the Net. This is my first time too,” he said. “You can watch me make a fool of myself first.”

  I smiled. “Twist my arm.”

  He dove under again but rose to the surface and moved his arms in the way that he’d moved mine. It wasn’t graceful, but it got the job done because he moved a few feet in the water before he came up coughing. “It’s harder than it looks, but at least it’s freshwater,” he said when he caught his breath. “Oceans on Earth had salt in them.”

  I tried to ignore the water dripping off his body and scooped up a handful of water. “Mmm. Just like Caelia Pure.”

  He laughed. “Okay, enough stalling. Now you try.”

  I cringed. It would be just my luck that I’d die trying to learn to swim.

  “Fine. Here goes.” I put one arm in the air as I glided forward onto my stomach. Water went up my nose and I sputtered back upright again.

  James eased up to my side. “Take it easy. I’m right here. Try again.”

  I wiped the water from my face. “Okay, I’ll start out with what I did in the creek.” I leaned back and floated, staring up at the dazzling sky. James stood next to me but I didn’t dare look at him. I still wasn’t over the fact that I was mostly naked.

  His hand reached out to touch my stomach and I shivered again. One of his fingers lightly grazed the underside of my breast and heat spread through me like fire. If I didn’t start swimming, I was pretty sure I was going to jump on him. I flipped over and moved my arms in the water. When I didn’t get very far, I remembered that James had also kicked his legs.