Exclusive sneak peak from the upcoming BROKEN WINGS:

 

 

Leksel turned, the muscles in his neck tightening like his wings. ["They're onto us. We make this fast and we get out. No questions. No staring. Understand?"] His eyes fixed on her with a momentary shift to Cris.

Then she was right; the Shirukan were closing in on them. Her heart pounded at the narrow escape. That was close, closer than she thought possible. They had almost been caught. More than ever she wanted to get out of that city and off that world. She would never argue with Dave again if she found her way home.

How did they know where they were? Unless…["Your computer access alerted them."]

His expression lightened. ["No. We have current access codes. It was you."]

["Me?"] How? Was it her behavior? What had she done?

["The Starfire gives off a unique trace radiation. Another scan and they'll know where we're heading. We'll have to hurry,"] Leksel said.

Cris moved close to her. ["You're thinking like one of us. I must be rubbing off."]

In his delusional dreams.

The computer double-beeped and the doors opened.

["Let's go."] Leksel led them through another corridor.

Raea cringed at the number of men and women in uniforms, many of them Shirukan. The glass walls over the walkway gave her a view of towering, rounded city structures, one of them ahead. From the view of clouds below and around them, they strode through a tunnel connected to a small section of the city separate from the large city proper. Through the glass ceiling, she made out a flat area ahead where a large, sleekly curved ship took off straight up. Some of the ships like she had seen in the docking bay they left flew among the clouds outside.

A grasp on her arm pulled her attention ahead. Cris let go when she hurried to catch up.

Leksel and Corsa led them into a different docking bay, this one with three tiers on each side and a dozen open doors to the sky around each tier. The smell of fresh air filled her lungs, despite the crowds of plain-clothed people and Shirukan. The smallest ships resembled oversized beetles with windows and small wings.

Leksel rushed them past several empty, red cross-hair sections on the main deck where there should have been ships. He stopped at a panel on the wall next to one of the shuttles. At his touch, a holographic display lit up before him in a pattern of colors.

Corsa tapped her shoulder and pointed.

Raea turned and her heart froze. Oh, hell no.

["Uh, oh."] Cris stepped up beside her. He could say that again.

A large group of Shirukan entered.

["Leks,"] Cris said.

No answer.

["Leks, you better see this."]

["Crystal fire!"] Something pounded behind them.

Leksel tapped on the colored keys again, a scowl on his face.

["Leksey, we have trouble."] Cris jumped back and grabbed his arm.

["Leave me alone!"] Leksel yanked his arm away. ["It's not taking the code."]

["Leks. Shirukan?"]

At that, the big man looked up.

A large number of Shirukan followed a woman with her dark hair pulled back. Those already in the bay lined up as if for an inspection.

Corsa pulled Cris forward with her. What was she thinking?

Raea caught her breath at a sudden jerk on her arm.

Leksel pulled Raea around the nose of the shuttle pointing out to an open sky. A stiff breeze blew in through the open bay door. It would be so easy to fly out, but he held her close to him.

He put a finger to his lips and peeked around the shuttle. Raea leaned close to see around him. Standing against him felt strange, but she didn't mind any more. Besides, his attention focused on the mass of black-uniformed Shirukan. It wasn't like he did it because he liked her, although that thought lingered in the back of her mind. Corsa should never have suggested it.

All the Shirukan, and Corsa and Cris, lined up in neat rows on either side of the center, where the woman stood.

["We traced the Crystal Keeper to this location minutes ago. She's here now. No one leaves until every person is searched, and I expect—"] She raised her voice. ["Every civilian to cooperate fully. You will be free to leave after you've been scanned."] The woman met the eyes of several of the Shirukan. Her stern face settled into a frown and her eyes lingered on Corsa and Cris before passing over others.

Next to Raea, Leksel's muscles hardened. If she thought him tense before, Raea was way off. That was nothing to being able to bounce a quarter off him.

["Do I make myself clear?"]

A chorus of voices in unison rose up: ["Yes, sir!"]

At that, the Shirukan scattered.

["Crystal fire!"] Leksel muttered under his breath and straightened at the nose of the shuttle. ["They've locked out the release codes for the shuttles."]

This couldn't be happening. ["How do we get out of here?"] It couldn't end like this. They were so close!

["If we drop, we may not be noticed, then we can fly low to the nearest island."]

A tingle of excitement passed through her at the thought of flying again and her wings lifted slightly, until her stomach rumbled. Flying on an empty stomach didn't appeal to her, but escaping did, hungry or not.

["We're all hungry, and tired."] So, he'd noticed. ["As soon as the others—"]

[Leks."]

He spun so fast, he bumped her. She hadn't noticed how close they still stood. Only a couple days and she was comfortable with him, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Cris joined them. Corsa glanced back and crossed to Raea's other side.

["Now what?"]

Leksel glanced at Raea.

If he wanted her opinion, she couldn't give him any, except to agree with him. She wanted to spread her wings and catch the air. She missed flying. ["Sounds good."]

His jaw muscles flexed.

["What sounds good?"] Cris looked from her to Leksel.

["We fly."]

["Are you insane?"] Cris's wings lifted slightly.

["Maybe,"] Corsa said.

The sound of voices and footsteps grew louder.

["Go!"] Leksel shoved Cris towards the bay door.

["You can't bypass the lockout?"]

["No. Go!"]

Cris looked like he wanted to argue again.

To hell with it. Raea didn't want to wait, or to be caught, and she didn't care what Cris thought. At least Leksel made a decision. She rushed into the open air and plummeted through puffs of clouds, momentary blocks of fog that left her shivering and her heart pounding.

A sense of freedom rushed through her as the ocean spread out below. Above her, the city loomed enormous. Three shapes fell her direction.

["They're onto us!"] Leksel's voice came through clear on her tri-comm. ["Fly, Raea! Here they come."]

She opened her wings. The sudden parachute effect strained her muscles. A sharp pain twinged in her back, but she couldn't falter.

Once level, she searched the sky around her. Leksel leveled with her, Cris flew above and opposite. Corsa followed slightly behind and above.

Behind them, black shapes formed a wedge in the sky.

["How are you in a storm?"]

She didn't like the sound of that. ["Um…I don't know."] What did Leksel have in mind?

Oh, no. A dark cloud piled up to their left. He had to be joking.

He angled towards it. Not joking.