Page 104 of Star Bringer
“I’ll pass,” he mutters. His face has healed a lot in the last two weeks, but he still looks unhappy. And distracted. Something is definitely bothering him, and I suspect it’s more than just Rain. Then again, I know how distracted I was, how much I hurt, after my father died. Is there any wonder Merrick doesn’t seem like he’s on his game?
Rain, Beckett, and I start to wander from the bridge. To my surprise, Ian follows us. Before I can even get fully down the ramp, Rain is running like a child while Beckett follows bemusedly behind her.
I wrap my arms about myself as I shiver, but I keep pressing forward. It’s too fun to watch Rain experience her first snow.
She’s twirling in the stuff. Slowly, because she’s clearly finding the higher gravity of Glacea harder to maneuver in. She’s in her blue-and-pink jumpsuit, and it stands out brightly against the whiteness. It makes me glad she’s not still in her priestess robes—there’s no way I’d even be able to see her out there.
But all of a sudden, the sweet little high priestess stops, leans down, and makes a snowball—which she promptly hurls in Beckett’s unsuspecting face.
“I bet three hundred planetas that Beckett won’t throw one back,” Ian murmurs from his position at my shoulder. We haven’t been this close since our last near kiss.
“You don’t have three hundred planetas,” I shoot back. “And if you do, they’re likely mine anyway. Remember the buttons?” It’s only a few seconds before Beckett balls up a handful of snow herself and hurls it straight at Rain. “Looks like you would have lost.”
“Wonders will never cease.” He shakes his head. And I understand the slight grin teasing his lips. Beckett, while still surly toward me, has seemed a lot lighter, for lack of a better word, the last couple of days. I don’t know if it’s Rain or if she’s finally starting to feel better after being away from theCaelestisfor so many days.
I guess I hope it’s both.
Suddenly, as if from an unseen force, a few little flecks of white start drifting down from the sky. Rain squeals like I’ve never heard from her before. “Kali! Get your beautiful ass over here right now!It’s snowing!”
A herd of rabid drokarays couldn’t keep me from this. I run forward, my tongue already out, trying to catch the few tiny specks of white as they drift toward the ground. Somewhere to my left, Rain is laughing, yelling, chasing Beckett as they both try to beat the other to their first taste of snowflake.
I probably never actually catch one. But maybe I do.
Either way, I’m alive. This is living.
I turn to grin at Ian and find him watching me with a curious look on his face. The feeling of his eyes on me is heady, intoxicating, and suddenly my heart is beating fast for a whole new reason. I go back to chasing flakes but add a little swish to my hips for good measure, and even with my back to him, I continue to feel him watching me. I feel my face redden.
“Hey, kids,” Ian eventually shouts. “Time’s up. Back to work.”
Rain turns, raises both arms in the air, and throws herself backward, almost disappearing in a drift of snow. “Please, Daddy? Just one more snow Ancient before we go?”
Laughing, Beckett drags her up, and they stumble back toward the ship, arm in arm and laughing like the kids Ian just accused them of being.
They’re still laughing as they hurry past Ian, brushing off the last remnants of snow and leaving a watery trail in their wake as they head for the bridge. I reluctantly follow, though not before I nudge Ian with a snow-covered shoulder as I brush past him.
“Think I caught my first flake,” I murmur, darting my tongue out to the corner of my mouth.
He groans. And it’s fuckingamazing.
A couple of minutes later, Beckett is back at her post. Then we’re in the air again, flying toward the sky port of Rodos.
It’s close to Glacea’s capital city, Lanberu, and in a highly populated area. We could be recognized, and that likely wouldn’t be ideal, considering the dead-or-alive-flyer thing. But Rodos is where theReformerwas heading, so that’s where we’re going, too.
“What’s the plan?” I ask as Ian and I stroll back to the bridge at a more leisurely pace.
“Gage and I are going to ask a few questions.”
“And what if you don’t get the answers you’re looking for?” I really hope he does, but I’m doubtful. And worried about what he’ll do next if he doesn’t find Milla here.
“Gage is Corporation, remember? He’ll have the ins we need to get the answers.” He shrugs. “And if not, he’ll see if he can break into their systems. TheReformerlikely had a flight plan filed—even if it’s not accurate, it will at least give us a next move. And the security in these places is usually crap. Not many people have a clue how to hack into a spaceflight management network. Most have never even seen one.”
That’s a lot easier for me to imagine after our stop in Rangar. But all I say is, “You’re lucky to have Gage, then.”
“Yeah, even if tossing him out of the airlock still seems like a good idea now and then.” He grins.
“What about the rest of us?”
“I only thought about tossing you out of the airlock a couple times,” he teases, but then he gets serious when he sees my look. “You stay here. Beckett is going to take off so theStarlightisn’t a sitting varlen in port, but she’ll keep close. We don’t know if there are any reports out about the ship, but best not to risk it. Then we’ll rendezvous back here in a couple of hours.”
