by Medley, Lisa
“Yes,” Ela said, having no intention of being around next week. She heard Harold talking to an unseen person downstairs. Curious, she’d seen no one in the structure since they’d arrived. They’d eaten some sort of sweet cakes when they’d gotten home. Delicious, even though she was still full from the meal at the ceremony.
“Come on. I’ll show you your room.”
Ela followed Danae down a long, narrow way and up to the second level of the home. She tried not to stare in awe at every small thing. She had so many questions, but the more she asked, the longer she’d have to wait to escape.
Stopping in front of one of the wooden doors, Danae pushed it open. “This is Gabe’s room, but he’s at UNM doing summer school. He won’t be back for a couple more weeks.”
“U.N.M.?” Ela asked.
“University of New Mexico. College? Hmm… I see we’re going to be starting at square one. You have much to learn, padawan.”
Even though she spoke Apache, nothing Danae was saying made any sense. Ela faked a yawn.
“Right. You’re probably beat. So, shared bathroom there.” Danae pointed to another door. “If you wake before me in the morning, no need to hunt down any bunnies. We have toaster waffles. Much easier. Tomorrow, we’ll start with that and take things one step at a time. We’ll have to go back to the ceremony, but not as early.”
“Thank you, Danae.”
“No problem. You’re the coolest thing to happen on the rez in a long time.”
***
Ela listened in the dark for hours, waiting for Harold to finally go to bed. He’d been staying up for his wife to return, no doubt, but had finally given in. His door shut when the moon was very high in the sky. Ela pushed and worked at the glass window until she managed to open it. Noah had said he’d be flying to the stars before dawn. Could she make it in time?
Sliding her arms through the loops of the pack, she stepped out onto the roof, gauging the distance to the ground. She eased around to an overhang and shimmied down the supporting post to a wooden floor, her heart hammering in her chest. She’d have to follow the trail back, but she’d keep to the scrubby edges. If she was caught and delayed, she’d miss her one and only chance.
Running as quickly through the scrub as she dared, she covered the mile or so back to town and was relieved when the corral came into view. Lights shone on the stall, but she saw no guards standing lookout. She spotted the black mare she’d ridden earlier, and eased into the stall. Talking quietly to the mare, she led her to the gate and out before grabbing hold of her mane and throwing herself up onto the horse. Surprised, the horse bucked and stamped but then settled. Ela stroked her neck then nudged her forward as quietly as possible in the direction Noah had gone, sticking to the shadows.
If she stayed within sight of the main trail all the way back, and she pushed the mare, they could make it in time. She spurred the horse’s flanks with her heels, and the mare broke into a gallop. For a while, in the moonlight of the desert, Ela could almost forget she was a prisoner in a strange time and imagined that around each turn, she might see her family again.
Hours later, she saw the SpaceXport instead.
Chapter Seven
Music blasted in the shuttle cockpit as Noah eased the ship out of Earth’s atmosphere. The G-forces lessened as well and his body lightened as the lack of gravity overcame him. Weightlessness was a damn strange thing, but an experience he never ceased to enjoy. On Earth, gravity was a bitch, making everything from walking to loading a ship harder, but, in space, anti-gravity was the great equalizer. He could think of a variety of activities he’d like to partake in while weightless, none of which he was likely to enjoy on this mission.
For this trip, he was a glorified FedEx deliveryman. The cargo shuttle lacked the amenities of the passenger ship still under construction, in which Janson would deliver his first patrons in a few short months. The first ship was buried under the reservation. No six-by-six foot bubble viewing windows or luxurious lounge chairs for this ride. The shuttle was stripped down to the necessities, all lash points, cargo straps, and lockers. Tess and Cole were on board the floating Blue Moon Hotel, or at least what there was of it so far. The skeleton staff, who were assembling and working out the kinks before the actual guests arrived, had already taken to calling the project the Lunatic instead. An insider joke that would make Janson piss his marketing pants if he found out.
Noah’s job was to resupply provisions and bring up more equipment and modules. He even had a few appointments for the rooms on board. His hold was filled with everything from leather chairs to fresh food. One of many more missions to come before the grand opening. Up and back, every three days, until he’d bring the crew and then, eventually, Janson and the guests themselves. He couldn’t even fathom how much this was all costing.
Noah turned the volume to eleven. God, what a fiasco the grand opening was sure to be. Yeah, spending eight hours in a shuttle with Janson would be enough to drive a man to drink. Dealing with a bunch of amateur astronauts? Made him appreciate the quiet solitude of the cargo shuttle all the more.
Only problem was now that the immediate tasks of launching and escaping the pull of Earth’s atmosphere were over, he was basically on cruise control for the next several hours until he needed to dock at the Moon port. His mind still struggled to grasp and believe that this was his job. A year ago, he’d been booted from NASA’s astronaut training program and on his way back to the nothing that was his home. A failure. Amazing what one ridiculous job offer and a wormhole could do for a guy’s career…and bank account.
Money everywhere now and nothing to spend it on. His life was the SpaceXport and whatever missions Janson was crazy enough to dream up. Except for the wormhole research. Noah had experienced quite enough of that for a lifetime. It pained him that Janson pursued it even now. He had no idea what was going on over there, on Amun where the hole had opened and pulled them through to Ela’s village, but he was certain nothing good could come of poking the bear.
And damned if that little train of thought didn’t take him right back to his biggest challenge. Ela.
How was she fairing on the reservation? He could call and check, once he docked, but until then she was on her own. Hell, she was on her own for the next few weeks, most likely. Janson wouldn’t appreciate any delays in his schedule. Noah didn’t have time to run back and forth between the Moon, the SpaceXport and the reservation every day. Besides, she was a grown-ass woman! And he wasn’t her keeper, or family…or husband. She wasn’t his responsibility. Not really. Nope, not at all. In fact, he’d already gone above and beyond the call of duty time and again on her behalf.
He’d done enough. More than enough.
He kept repeating that mantra in the back of his mind as Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars” started from the space mix playlist Tessa had made him, and he cruised through the glorious darkness. Even the wonders before him couldn’t drown out the gnawing pit in the bottom of his stomach that warned him otherwise. The farther he flew from the reservation…from Earth, the more clearly he began to understand. Ela was more than a burden or responsibility to him. He missed her already. Missed being near her. Missed her breathless wonder. Missed her questions and funny mistranslations. Leaving her alone with strangers was not the right choice. His heart knew the truth even if his mind refused to acknowledge it.
Ela was his.
***
Ela slowly came to consciousness in the cold, hard darkness of the closed locker she’d hidden in. The violence of the departure had jostled her around inside the cramped space like a stone tumbling down a swollen river. A great cacophony of sound, like a herd of thundering hooves racing across the desert floor, rattled against the door. Her heart fought to catch its rhythm. She pressed her ear to the cold door and listened for activity outside, hoping to get a sense of where they…or Noah might be, but all she could hear was the relentless noise.
Trying to adjust her body inside the confined locker caused her le
g to spasm so violently she couldn’t catch her breath. Alarm set in as her breathing grew progressively more difficult. Despite what lay outside the door, she had to get out. Now.
She pushed against the enclosure, trying to open the door and escape her self-imposed cage, but it didn’t budge. She tried again, sliding her hands along the edges in the darkness, feeling for a gap to pry herself free. Nothing.
Fear rose up from her belly and bile filled her throat as panic took over.
Curling into a tight ball, she pulled her knees up under her chin and swiveled her body around until her feet pressed against the door. She tucked her head to her chest and squared her shoulders against the back of the containment. Bright white spots shot like fireworks behind her closed eyelids as she pressed her feet flat against the door and extended her legs forward, bearing down. The close walls of the box seemed to narrow and her head began to swim.
The door bulged outward in the center with the full force of her effort. A groan escaped her as she pushed her body to its limit. The door folded, releasing the latch, and slammed open, banging against the side of the locker bay. Fresh oxygen rushed into the small space, but not before Ela passed out from the exertion.
***
A loud, metallic bang caught Noah’s attention despite his raucous playlist. He knew these shuttles inside and out, including every noise they were likely to make. Whatever he’d heard was not normal. He turned down the music and listened closely, checking his cargo bay alert lights for any sign of malfunction. Everything seemed A-OK. He brought up the cargo monitors. Maybe a strap had broken and part of his shipment had come loose. It was possible. The forcefulness of takeoff often caused shifting, hence the abundance of lash points.
It took his brain several long seconds to reckon what his eyes were registering. A body floated freely in his cargo hold. The long, black hair fanning out from her head told him exactly who she was before he could even make his way back to verify.
Ela.
Dear gods of the universe, how in Hell is she on my ship?
He made a rapid check of his settings to ensure the ship remained on autopilot then unbuckled from the captain’s chair. Grasping the overhead rail, he raced, hand over hand, along the railing back to the cargo hold, not wanting to engage the anti-gravity cuff until he secured Ela.
What the fuck is she doing here? His mind refused to process the turn of events into any probable scenario. At the moment, it didn’t even matter. Clearly, she was here, and now he’d have to deal with it. With her.
He opened the back door and crossed through the narrow opening into the main hold. His mouth gaped as he marveled at her. An open locker door revealed her previous hiding place, and why he was only now learning of her clandestine presence. Pushing off against the doorframe, he floated to her and circled his arms around her waist, securing her against his own body as his momentum moved them to the back wall. Noah eased them to the floor where he kicked his right foot under a standing loop to hold himself in place while he did a quick evaluation of Ela.
He slid two trembling fingers across her throat, searching for a pulse and praying she was still alive. The cabin remained pressurized and oxygenated during the entire mission, but inanimate objects, like furniture and food, in the cargo hold didn’t need as much oxygen to survive the trip. Resources were diverted to the cabin as needed. His heart lurched with relief when he felt her steady pulse.
Thank God.
With no apparently immediate or obvious injuries to her, he maintained his hold on Ela and pushed off toward the still open doorway. He needed to get her back to the bridge where the oxygen was richer and he could examine her further while keeping an eye on their progress toward the Moon. Autopilot was fine for quick bathroom breaks or a spin around the interior to stretch one’s legs, but he wasn’t willing to trust it long term. Without a backup pilot, he was the only one he could truly count on to get himself safely there and back.
Hell, there wasn’t even a bunk in this ship. Only a series of rails, floor footholds, and the captain’s chair. The shuttle wasn’t supposed to have human passengers. Perhaps an oversight, all things considered. Noah locked his leg around the base of the captain’s seat and eased Ela down onto the chair. He stretched the lap belt across her and locked it, securing her into place so he could better evaluate her condition. Tilting her head back, he examined her face. Cradling her cheek, he rubbed a thumb across her high cheekbone. Her naturally mocha skin was unusually pale. He worked his hands through her hair and across her skull, searching for head injuries. None found, he raised her eyelids with his thumbs, checking for dilation.
All good there.
His next best guess was insufficient oxygen. If she’d been hiding in that locker, there would have been even less available oxygen than in the cargo hold. It was a wonder she’d survived this far, let alone had the strength to break out of that damned locker from the inside. His heart hurt with the probable outcome if she’d failed. He shook off an involuntary shudder that coursed through him.
She was here. Alive and soon to be well.
Until he killed her for stowing away on his ship.
Anger boiled beneath the surface, but he pushed it down, refusing to allow it to rise until she was awake and he could get an explanation from her. He couldn’t imagine any excuse that would slacken his anger at her putting herself and him at such great risk. He considered himself a tolerant and reasonable man, but Ela putting herself into danger pushed him to the brink in every way. He hadn’t saved her life for her to act so foolishly.
Waking her was the first step away from that edge.
He popped the small hub above the captain’s chair and a cubby door opened, allowing an oxygen mask to drop down, just like in a commercial airliner. Shaking out the device, he untangled the elastic strap and placed the mask over Ela’s nose and mouth. The plastic fogged with her first exhalation.
In. Out. In. Out.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to wake. Her hands clenched into fists, and she woke with a gasp, eyes wild as she stared ahead into space. She blinked hard twice then snapped her head around to take in Noah. Ela ripped the mask from her face and began talking rapidly. In Apache.
Without a mobile transcom, this was going to be a pain. He could use the ship’s transcom, but everything was recorded there. Base would know she was on the ship as soon as he activated it.
Goddamn tech.
It had to be done. No way was he waiting for three days to find out why the hell she was here. He activated the transcom.
“Again please. But I’d suggest you start with why the fuck you are on my ship, Ela.”
Ela pulled at the lap belt, trying to free herself.
“Nope. You just stay right there for now. And quit flailing around. You’re going to kick something and knock us into the next universe.”
She stilled then fixed her eyes on his.
Ela was pissed. He could feel the anger burning off her. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what she had to be pissed about. She was the one in the wrong here. Not him.
Somehow, he didn’t think that mattered to her at the moment.
“Free me.”
“Not happening. Why are you on my ship? Were you in that open locker back there? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could be dead right now. Should be dead right now. What the fuck were you thinking?” Noah felt his blood pressure rising as his temples pulsed.
Ela stared in awe out the front viewing window, completely ignoring his appeals for several long moments.
She turned to him, her brown eyes pooling with tears. “I want you to take me home. I knew that being here—near the stars—was the only way to get there. But you left me in the desert instead of taking me with you. You will take me home now.”
Noah stood, dumbfounded. She was right about one thing. The only way she was getting to the wormhole was in one of his ships. But there was no way in holy hell he was taking her there. Stowing away on his shuttle
wouldn’t change that.
Ever.
Chapter Eight
Finally freed, Ela floated around the cabin along the upper handrail with ease, marveling at the lightness of her physical body. She felt ethereal, more spirit than flesh. This is how the Great Spirits must feel. Upon first being released and experiencing weightlessness, she’d thought perhaps she’d passed already and was stuck in some sort of otherworld.
Noah’s stern words had anchored her back in reality. He was so angry with her. Any hope of convincing him to take her through the wormhole had quickly vanished. He’d never take her now, for spite if nothing else. She didn’t understand his fears since he’d already journeyed through it once. His worries of time and space were beyond her understanding or experience. All she knew was that she’d gone to sleep in her wickiup with her family nearby and awakened with Noah in a strange new world which she would never, ever fit into. Her brief time on the reservation was proof of that.
What was she now? Apache? Spirit? Something else?
She was strong and resourceful, but each new challenge proved more and more overwhelming. She was completely alone in her misery and longing for something she would never have again.
Home.
Noah worked near the large window while she explored. She’d promised to look but not touch anything other than the necessary handholds. A promise that proved harder to keep than she’d imagined. She found herself curious to discover what was inside every box and behind every door and cubby she encountered. Noah’s ire was enough to stay her hand, however. She didn’t fear him, but the disappointment in his eyes was more than she could bear. Somehow, he had a way of stirring a mixture of feelings inside her she couldn’t understand. Her own anger, at his refusal to help her and do her bidding, swirled with her desire to smooth the worried lines creasing his forehead.
He did care for her. Had, in fact, cared for her physically since long before she awoke in his sick bay to find him lingering nearby. Of course, she’d recognized him from his visits in her wickiup, but she’d considered his very existence to be a fevered dream and nothing more. She’d never seen a man like him before. Certainly, she couldn’t puzzle out why this stranger was in her home, let alone how she’d come to be in his.
