Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (best authors to read .TXT) 📗

sound so shaken. She wouldn’t tell me what happened, but she made me promise to meet her. I don’t know why she left the day we were supposed to meet.”

Layela removed her hands from Josmere’s, leaning back against the seat. “I know why, Josmere. For the same reason you mentioned earlier.” Layela looked at the thousands of shimmering stars before them. Some of them were suns that held life. One of them was providing light for Yoma, wherever she was.

“She sent you to meet me that day because she thought I could use the backup, and you’re the only person she trusts.” Josmere knew Yoma better than anyone else, and she hadn’t even suspected it. But Yoma had been right. Josmere had helped and wouldn’t stop helping.

Nor would she break her promise to her best friend, to keep a horrible vision from the forefront of Layela’s mind.

“She’s so stubborn. What if she’s the one that needs our help, and she just didn’t want us involved?” Layela turned to look at Josmere, who didn’t look back. “What if the vision would let us help her, Josmere? Damn it all, what if she dies and we could have helped her?”

Josmere turned and opened her mouth, but before any sound could escape, their comm unit crackled to life.

“Unidentified shuttle, this is Civilian Freighter Miranda. Do you need assistance?”

Josmere smiled and replied without a pause, “Yes, Miranda. We are out of power. Please assist.”

The Berganda laughed, ignoring Layela’s disbelieving look. “It looks like the Three Fates are still on our side!”

Layela stared as the huge freighter pulled near them, passengers eagerly looking out their viewing ports. Josmere waved at them, even though they probably couldn’t see her.

What amazed Josmere was the timing the Three Fates had chosen for this rescue, just when Layela had started to weaken Josmere’s resolve.

Luck indeed.

i

“What cute little uniforms,” Josmere mumbled as they looked out at the waiting crew. Layela gave her a stern look and opened the shuttle door, the fresh warm air stroking their skin in welcome. Layela smiled as she stepped out. Two women and one man, all wearing the same blue uniform, all seeming genuinely pleased they had saved someone, returned her smile.

Josmere stepped out and the crew’s smiles wavered a bit. One woman, with short blonde hair and broad shoulders, scowled and stepped in front of the other two.

 “Welcome aboard the Miranda,” the blonde woman said, looking straight at Layela. Without missing a beat, she added, “You are welcome to stay. The ether fiend must go.”

Josmere didn’t move or say a word. Layela immediately stepped in front of her, holding her hands out in plea.

“Please, we’ll stay down here and won’t cause any trouble.” The woman arched an eyebrow and straightened her spine, and suddenly Layela thought it best that they leave. Something in the way the woman stood left Layela suspecting she was much more than a simple stewardess. And the steel in her eyes told her that she had witnessed enough hardship to feel the need for vengeance. A vengeance against ether creatures. “If you just give us a boost, we’ll get off your ship.”

The woman examined Layela for a second, as though debating her sanity. “I have seen what ether races can do, and what they did to some colonies.”

Layela wondered just how closely the woman had witnessed the outbreaks thirty years ago, when Solari and the ether races had clashed on the furthest planets of the old Solarian border. It was during that time that gassing rooms and regulation gloves had become common for all ether beings who had chosen to remain on their home planets in or near Solarian space.

Josmere stepped beside Layela and looked at the woman, who did not shy away. Layela hoped she didn’t have a gun. Either one of them.

“The Berganda never participated in any of those attacks,” Josmere whispered. “We, too, were made to pay the price.” She lifted her hand slowly, the worn leather glove secured.

The woman looked at the gloves with disgust, as though she felt all the ether races should have simply been gassed. Layela suddenly regretted not staying onboard Destiny. At least there, no one wanted them dead.

“I don’t think they’ll be any trouble to us, Travis,” another voice rang clear as a man joined them. He was older, probably in his fifties, one eye closed by a vicious scar that claimed half of his face. He wore no eye patch to hide the damage. “We could just welcome them on board, or let them go.”

He joined them and examined Layela closely. She forced herself to meet his gaze, though the yellow-flecked brown of his one good eye sent shivers down her spine.

“Or we can just simply turn them in for a handsome reward. Isn’t that right, Ms. Delamores?”

Layela became numb and her mouth went dry. Dunkat Groosh must have put out a reward on her head. Josmere tensed beside her, but Layela doubted she would be enough to take down the whole crew, even if her powers worked.

She forced a thin smile and tried to buy some time as her mind raced to find an escape. “For a commuter ship, you’re not very friendly.”

The man gave a short, harsh laugh, his scar wrinkling, sections of it so thin that Layela could swear his skull was showing through.

“We’re marauders, girl, and the only reason you’re not already in shackles and ready to be shipped to Solaria is because we have even less love of Solaria than we do of ether fiends.” Layela didn’t know much of the marauders, only that they had been the front line thirty years ago in the ether wars — which would explain the woman’s instinctive dislike of Josmere. Since the wars, few spoke of them, and even fewer wondered why. But they disliked Solaria, and she could try to use that to her advantage.

“We just need to reach safe port, and you’ll never see us again,” she said, still holding up her hand in supplication. “I just want