Star Rider and the Golden Threads by Heidi Skarie (best ereader for pdf and epub .TXT) 📗

succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep. In the dream worlds she wasback in the swamp. Out of the swirling fog, Seetva appeared, carryinga small cage. Creatures inside it clawed the bars, trying to escape.

“You’re mine now, Onolyn!”Seetva said. “I’ve added you to my collection to use as Iplease.”

Onolyn starting screaming andwoke herself up. She shook with fear, her heart pounded and shecouldn’t catch her breath. “Master Bakka, please help me!Please!” She moaned rocking back and forth.

“Onolyn, are you all right?”

Confused and groggy, Onolynopened her eyes and saw Zac squatting by the cage with a candle inhis hand.

“I brought you water.” Heslid a glass through the bars and set it on the floor beside her.

She picked it up and took a fewswallows. It felt good gliding down her parched throat. “Where haveyou been? I waited all day. Seetva put a spell in the room. I’mscared, Zac.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t gethere any sooner. Seetva watches me so closely I wasn’t able tobring you any food. Onolyn, you need to give into Seetva’s demandsso she’ll let you out of the cage and give you food and water.”

“Never. I’d rather die!”

He looked at her with terrifiedeyes. “I couldn’t bear it if you died. I have to go. I’mendangering both of us by being here.” He stood and started for thedoor.”

“No! Don’t go! I don’t wantto be alone.”

He turned toward her. “You mustshield yourself from her. You have to be stronger than her.”

He left the workroom and Onolynbroke down in tears.

25

Coalition Starship

Toemeka and Jake entered one ofthe starship’s crowded mess halls and headed to the food stationwhere it listed the meals available. She made a selection, thenwaited for Jake to make his. Several friends greeted her and she wasglad she’d shed her rich-girl disguise upon arriving.

At a nearby table, three femalepilots looked speculatively at her and Jake, no doubt wondering abouttheir relationship. Jake was considered a hot catch and they probablydidn’t want competition.

Despite being on inactive dutyfor over three months, Toemeka found it easy to slip back intomilitary life. She and Jake walked over to the counter where anandroid, designed to look like a teenage boy, set their food out. Onher plate was sliced meat from a margo bird on a fresh purple-leafedsalad. All large spaceships had hydroponic gardens and raised somefowl and animals. She and Jake headed toward a table with two openplaces.

Toemeka sat between two soldiersand Jake sat across from her. She took a bite of margo. It was nicelyseasoned, but the simple fare made her miss Jaipar’s elaboratedishes made by palace chefs.

“I was surprised to see you inthe landing bay,” Jake said. “When you didn’t return to Jelmurafter Samrat Condor’s air fleet attacked, I was sure you’dresigned.”

“I took a leave of absence.”

“Why didn’t you go back onactive duty sooner and come to Alandra’s aid? Jelmur was your homefor seven yours. I thought you loved your new country.”

“I do. I wanted to go toAlandra, but . . .” She thought of her argument with Michio. He’dbeen against her returning to the Coalition base when he’d realizedshe was pregnant. But she couldn’t tell Jake that, since it wasagainst regulations for a pregnant woman to be on active duty. Andshe had no intention of being removed from active duty just whenCondor’s air fleet was about to strike Borko.

Jake waited expectantly for aresponse.

“I’ve been working at asecret refugee dome where my skills as a scientist were needed tobuild an addition with so many refugees coming in from Alandra.”

His brow wrinkled in puzzlement;he hadn’t touched his food. “That seemed more important? You’rea trained combat pilot. You can dogfight with the best of them.Erling’s parents took you in and loved you like one of their owndaughters. Didn’t you want to fight for them?”

“I wanted to be there, butcouldn’t.”

“Why? You swore revenge onSamrat Condor after his troops murdered your family. You trained tobe an agent so you could join the battle against him. But when hisair fleet bombed Coalition headquarters, killing many of yourfriends, you didn’t return to fight. I don’t get it.”

Toemeka’s face flushed withguilt and a familiar wave of grief clutched her heart. She still wokeup screaming with nightmares from the day soldiers killed her family.She found it ironic that Jake understood what drove her better thanher husband. “Can we discuss this in private?” she asked, awarethat everyone near them at the table was looking at her.

He nodded, suddenly cognizant ofthe attention their conversation had drawn. He began to eat and shetook a bite of her now-cold meat.

Jake finishing chewing and said,“Breezy and Sharma will be arrested if the occupying army finds outthey once worked for the Coalition—and are now working for theResistance. In fact, Erling’s whole family could be arrested andexecuted. So could mine for that matter.”

Toemeka’s breath caught in herthroat, riddled with anxiety for them. “No one on Jelmur would everreport them.”

“You’d be surprised whatpeople will do for food, money or power.”

“How are they doing?”

“Surviving. Did Erling tell youSharma’s fiancé Connor was killed?”

Toemeka nodded.

“She’s retreated from life.She’s a ghost of her former self. Shattered. Fragile.”

Toemeka thought of losing Michioand her chest tightened. She could understand Sharma’s pain. “Andyour family?”

“My parents are all right sofar. My kid brother enlisted. He’s on this starship.”

“He’s only sixteen!”

“Just turned seventeen. He’sold enough.” Jake leaned closer. “So was he worth it?”

She was caught off guard. Was hereferring to Michio? “Was who worth what?”

“The guy you married. Was heworth giving up your country and friends for?”

“I didn’t give up anything.I’m here, aren’t I?”

He held her gaze with hiscompelling navy-blue eyes rimmed with thick lashes. “You gave meup.”

“Don’t blame that on me!”She realized she’d raised her voice when the neighbors on eitherside of them turned to stare at her again. She and Jake wereproviding a good show.

“I made a mistake.” Jake’seyes pleaded with her to understand. “You threw away ourrelationship for one stupid mistake. You never even gave me a chanceto explain.”

“There wasn’t anything toexplain. I didn’t want to be with a man I couldn’t trust.” Tooupset to eat, she grabbed her tray and dumped it on