Silence of Stars

by Holly J. Wood

  “Gideon, aren’t you going to answer?” Nadia asked impatiently.

  “Sorry . . . what?” He shook himself and turned to her.

  “Cypris just asked if you were planning on going to the Commencement Ceremony dance,” she said, casting him a dark look before blotting her lips with a napkin.

  “Oh . . . right. I’d forgotten about that.” He gave Cypris a polite smile before taking a bite of his dessert.

  Nadia threw him an irritated look, but Saydra cut in to defuse the tension. “Why don’t you tell Lark about the dance, Nadia?”

  She nodded and turned to me. “There is always a big dance to celebrate the end of training for new Recruits. Dances are a big deal around here. It will probably be different from the dances you’re used to, but I think you’ll like it.”

  Great. They had dances here, too? I managed a smile. “It sounds fun. Have the other Recruits arrived yet?”

  Saydra glanced at her cuff which was identical to Gideon’s. “They will be arriving in a few hours.”

  I leaned forward. “By airship? Can we go watch it land?”

  “I’m afraid not,” she said. “Your passage here was much more taxing than theirs, and we must make sure you have adequate rest tonight.”

  “You’ll see them tomorrow,” Gideon added with a reassuring nod.

  “All of the Recruits from Earth will be wearing screens. That should make it easy for you to identify each other.” Nadia winked. “The Council requires that all Recruits from other worlds wear them, because of the amount of light we have on Lior. It’s to protect your eyes.”

  “Except at night. She can take the screens off at night,” Villy chimed in.

  A spark of hope ignited in my chest until I noticed the looks on the others’ faces.

  “No, dear,” Saydra said. She held a finger to her lips to gesture for Villy to be quiet, but the old woman obviously didn’t take the hint.

  “Some of the other Recruits took theirs off at night. I saw them,” Villy insisted.

  “That was before we learned it was a mistake, Grandma,” Gideon said, though he was looking at me.

  “And anyway, you look beautiful with them on,” Nadia said.

  Cypris offered a tight smile.

  Gideon focused on his dessert.

  Villy spoke up again, “I remember when Silvert danced with me on the night of the full moons. He Claimed me that night.” She got up from the table with a happy, far-off gleam in her eyes and swayed around the room as she hummed to herself.

  I hid a smile behind my napkin as the rest of the family exchanged knowing looks. Gideon pushed his chair back. He winked at Saydra and took a guitar-like instrument from its place near the hearth. Sitting on the edge of the hearthstone, he strummed a melody that matched the flow of Villy’s steps.

  Chills covered my arms as the enchanting notes filled the room. The music was beautiful—magical even. It caressed the air and entered my soul, filling me with a different kind of light than I’d experienced before.

  We watched Villy glide around the room, the graceful movement belying her age as Gideon continued to play. His eyes met mine once and I felt my face flush before glancing away. I wanted to belong here, as one of the family—but it would be impossible to think of Gideon as a brother if he continued to look at me like that.

  >

  I stared up at the sky, unable to sleep. I should have been exhausted, what with traveling to another galaxy and all, but the two days of unconsciousness had thrown me off. My bed wasn’t the problem—it was as comfortable as a cloud—the problem was that I was used to writing in my journal every night before bed. I’d done the ritual since I was old enough to draw pictures.

  The other problem? I was staring up through the retractable ceiling at three moons and a brilliant array of multi-colored stars. If I didn’t get outside and start exploring, I would physically implode. I could sense freedom and the incredible new world that was waiting just beyond the bark of this tree.

  I threw the covers back and hopped out of bed, sliding into my soft leather boots as I wrapped a shawl over my nightdress. I walked out onto the balcony and looked down. It was even higher than I remembered. I sighed as I realized I would have to find another way to sneak out.

  I was about to turn back inside when a distant whinny floated over the sound of the running stream below. I looked in the direction of the stable and knew exactly where I would begin my exploration.

  From this viewpoint, I noticed the outline of something near the edge of the balcony—a ladder! I moved closer and almost laughed out loud. It was woven out of bark and ran the length of the entire tree, passing next to each balcony like a fire escape.

  I removed my boots and tied the shawl around my waist before swinging one leg over the side of the banister. My feet tingled and I forced myself not to look down as I took firm hold of the highest rung, relieved to find that it was firmly anchored into the tree.

  I climbed down as carefully as possible. My palms began to sweat about halfway down, but I was too excited to worry about slipping. When I reached the ground, I pumped my arms in a silent victory cheer. I was free! I leaned back against the tree trunk and looked up at the sky.

  Ever since Villy mentioned the screens at dinner, I knew I was going to try it. The light from the moons was bright, but I didn’t think it was bright enough to hurt me.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly lifted the screens from my face. I squinted, testing the light before opening my eyes fully. It was strange; like suddenly seeing things at twilight rather than at nighttime. But that was all: strange. It didn’t hurt. I folded the screens and tucked them into the pocket of my nightdress as I made my way to the stable.

  The large wooden door creaked as I slid it aside. The movement of shuffling hooves told me the barn wasn’t empty. I breathed in the scent of horses and sweet hay. I’d always loved horses. The only other animals I’d seen here so far were birds, and they’d looked like birds back home—only brighter.

  A soft nicker sounded from the closest stall and a light glowed from inside. I reached in my pocket for the screens, but wasn’t willing to put them on just yet. I wanted to see with my own eyes.

  I crept to the side of the stall and peered through a crack in the wood, staring directly at the rump of a sleek Palomino. The animal glowed, but not enough to make me shield my eyes. I moved slowly to the front of the stall and peered over the door.

  I let out a gasp before a hand covered my mouth.

  “Careful. You’ll spook him,” Gideon whispered.

  I took in several quick breaths and nodded. His hand was warm and smelled like something pleasant and musky. The light flowing from him as he held me tightly to his chest was like a drizzle of warm honey.

  “I’m going to move my hand away. But no loud noises, okay?”

  I nodded again and he slowly dropped his hand from my mouth before turning me to face him. “What are you doing out here? Where are your light screens?” His eyes narrowed.

  I bit my lip. “I have them in my pocket. I couldn’t sleep and wanted to explore for a little while.”

  He folded his arms. “I see. You couldn’t sleep, so you decided to go wandering—by yourself—on an unfamiliar planet?”

  I looked away to avoid his glare. “I wasn’t going to go far.” I blew out a breath and shrugged. “I’m not used to sleeping without writing in my journal first.”

  He paused. “That’s right . . . I read about that in your file.”

  I whipped back to face him. “They recorded my sleeping habits?”

  He shifted. “All habits were noted.”

  Thank goodness I’m not a nose-picker, I thought sarcastically. “What other information was in that file?”

  He lowered his eyes. “Don’t change the subject. You can’t go wandering alone while you’re here, okay? It’s one of the rules.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. No one told me about that rule.”

 
He shook his head. “I didn’t think it was necessary yet. With all you’ve been through, I figured you’d be out cold by now. How are you still functioning?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve never needed much sleep . . . but you probably already knew that.” I smirked.

  Gideon’s mouth lifted as he rolled his eyes.

  I sighed. “Look, I’ll try not to go wandering alone again. Now can we please talk about this?” I gestured to the stall. “That horse—it has wings!”

  Gideon seemed satisfied. His broad shoulders relaxed as he turned to look at the animal. “Yeah. Crazy, huh?”

  The Palomino snorted and poked its head over the stall. It nickered impatiently at Gideon as its feathery blonde wings fluttered and tucked back at its sides.

  He turned my chin to face him, his eyes softer as he took a deep breath. “Lark, I don’t want you to break the rules, but the truth is I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but you have to put the screens back on first. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I’m fine . . . see?” I opened my eyes a little wider and blinked a few times.

  His mouth twitched and he looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t.

  “What?” I asked.

  He stared at me. “You have beautiful eyes.”

  I frowned and looked away. “Why do you do that?” I demanded.

  “Give you a compliment?” He tilted his head.

  “Yes—no.” I bit my lip before meeting his eyes again. “I mean . . . are things different here or something? Because the way you act with me . . .” I hugged my arms tighter. “I mean, maybe you’re not my friend, but don’t you think you should at least treat me like a sister while I’m here?”

  “Sister?” he gave a short laugh. When I didn’t smile he blew out a breath and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Will you please just put the screens on? Otherwise I’m going to have to make you go back to your room.”

  “Ha! I’d like to see you try.” I planted my feet firmly on the straw-covered ground and glowered.

  He followed the movement and his eyes widened. “Where are your shoes?”

  “I left them behind. Don’t need them,” I said, raising my chin. This was my first experience exploring a new planet and I’d be danged if I was going to let Gideon ruin it for me.

  He stared me down for another moment before speaking. “Well?”

  “Well, what?”

  “I’ll let the shoes slide—for now—but you have to put the screens on. I’m ready whenever you are.” He folded his arms to mirror my stance and waited.

  “I. Don’t. Need. Them.” I said between gritted teeth.

  “I say you do.”

  “Well then you’re going to have to catch me first!” I was already running.

  “Oh no you don’t!”

  I could hear his footsteps closing the distance fast as I darted for the other end of the barn. There was a door, but the handle wouldn’t give. I squealed as I spun to the side, barely evading Gideon’s grasp.

  A ladder leading to the second floor was my only option. He laughed as I flew up the rungs. I stopped short and groaned when I discovered it was a dead end; a hayloft, with no escape but the ladder I’d just climbed.

  Gideon topped the ladder and smirked. “Checkmate.”

  I looked wildly around and noticed an open hay shaft at the end of the room. “Wanna bet?” I ran as fast as I could and stopped short at the ledge. It was high, but the large stack of hay at the bottom would cushion my fall . . . I hoped.

  I was about to launch off the edge when Gideon tackled me from behind, pulling me on top of him. I shrieked and rolled away, but he quickly grabbed hold again, pulling my back to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.

  We both laughed as we tried to catch our breath. Hay covered our clothes and hair. It scratched my ankles where the nightdress didn’t reach.

  “Do you give up now?” he murmured into the top of my head.

  “It doesn’t matter—you probably smashed the screens when you tackled me,” I said as another laugh bubbled up.

  “They’re pretty indestructible.” He reached into my pocket and pulled them out while keeping his other arm around me.

  I took them from him and twirled them in my fingers. “Why is it so important that I wear these, anyway? Villy said other Recruits took them off at night.”

  Gideon sighed and I relished the feeling of his chest rising and falling against my back.

  “It used to be allowed at night, but then we found out—the hard way—that it was still dangerous. One kid went blind. He was out at night, when he wasn’t supposed to.” I could feel his accusatory stare. “He ran into a snake, of all things.”

  I winced. “What happened?”

  “He tried to catch it. The light was its defense mechanism.” Gideon paused and I wondered if he noticed that he’d pulled me closer. “He was lucky we found him as quickly as we did.”

  “Did it blind him?”

  “Yes. And he was sent back to his planet immediately after. The Council doesn’t tolerate Recruits who don’t follow the rules.”

  We fell silent for several moments. It felt amazing to have his light flowing into me. Could he feel how fast my heart was beating? The desire to have him Mindspeak was almost overpowering. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from asking. I let out a sigh and stood, putting the light screens on again before brushing straw from my hair and nightgown.

  Gideon stood and faced me. Without saying anything, he reached for my hair and gently removed pieces of straw. My heart thudded as I lowered my arms and let him help. His face was just a breath away. If I looked up, my forehead would touch his chin.

  “There,” he said softly. “I think I got all of it.”

  “Thanks.”

  His eyes lowered to search mine. “Lark,” he tipped my chin up and I hesitated before finally allowing myself to meet his gaze. My breath felt shallow as I saw the fire smoldering in his blue eyes. “I’m sorry I used Mindspeak tonight. You were right—I’ve been careless. I won’t do it anymore if you don’t want me to.”

  Disappointment sank through me like a stone. I had almost expected him to kiss me, but instead he was apologizing. My common sense warred with my heart as I considered how to answer. “It’s not worth the risks you would face.” I turned from him and he let me go.

  Some things are worth the sacrifice.

  I shivered as his words entered my consciousness. They were more coaxing, more appealing than ever before. He was speaking directly to my heart. I bathed in the sensation before forcing up the wall again. I couldn’t let my defenses down like this. I crossed my arms and spoke without turning to face him.

  “Can you show me the horses?”

  Gideon released a breath. He was silent for several heartbeats before answering. “Sure. If that’s what you want?”

  No. But that’s what’s best. I nodded and hurried down the ladder without waiting for him. Now that I had the screens on and knew what to expect, I walked directly up to the stall of the magnificent Palomino. “How do you keep him from flying away?” I asked as Gideon came to stand beside me.

  “You train him.” He smiled and pulled a sugar cube from his pocket. The animal lapped it up from his palm.

  “So, it’s a Pegasus?”

  “A what?” Gideon looked at me strangely.

  “You know—a winged horse. Don’t you call it Pegasus?”

  He shook his head. “We have a different name for them in our language. They are called aerion.”

  I considered this for a moment. “I heard you speak your language to Nadia. It’s beautiful. How do you know English so well?”

  “We always learn the language of the planet we’re Recruiting from. I took an extensive course in English before my mission to Earth.”

  He stroked the animal’s neck. “This is Chrysaor. He’s the fastest aerion in the village.” Gideon turned and gestured to
the other stalls. “We each have our own mounts—except Villy. She claims she’s too old to ride.”

  “You ride them?” My mouth dropped open as I stared at the majestic animal and its powerful wings.

  Gideon chuckled. “Of course. You didn’t think we kept them as pets, did you?”

  An excited grin worked its way across my face. “Can you teach me to ride?”

  He dismissed me with a shake of his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

  I grabbed hold of his sleeve. “I’m a fast learner. Will you let me try?”

  Gideon turned to me with an uncertain frown when the sound of approaching footsteps made us both freeze. He held a finger to his lips and led me quickly down the path of stalls. Judging by how close the footsteps were, we wouldn’t have time to reach the opposite door before being discovered.

  CHAPTER

  Ten

  My heart pounded. If we were caught together—would we get in trouble? Just before the stable door opened, Gideon swung us through a side door. The room was dark and smelled strongly of leather. He held me close and guided us behind a rack of saddles.

  It’s probably Nadia. Sometimes she comes out here to bring her aerion a treat after she thinks everyone else is in bed. The light from his touch combined with Mindspeak caused a warm rush through my entire body.

  Nadia wouldn’t get us in trouble, would she? I waited, wishing Gideon could hear me speaking to his mind as clearly as I heard him. When he didn’t respond, I sagged in disappointment.

  Are you alright? He tightened his grip on my arms.

  I nodded but moved soundlessly away from him. I couldn’t handle having him hold me anymore. Feeling the way I did at Gideon’s touch was going to force me into a confession I knew I’d live to regret.

  His eyes glimmered softly as he watched me in the darkness. We could be here for a while.

  I nodded and slid down the wall until I was sitting with my back to it. He did the same and our shoulders touched. I inched away until I couldn’t feel the flow of his light.

  We sat like that for several minutes. I tried to ignore the frantic way my heart raced around inside my chest. Every cell in my body wanted to reach out to Gideon. It was like he possessed a magnetic force field that drew me into its orbit. I’d never felt this way before. It was scary how fast I was falling, like being dropped down a steep water slide with no way of slowing down or holding on. The fact that we couldn’t be together ached to a degree that was almost debilitating. The more I tried not to think about it, the more I obsessed.