Calypso by S. G. Ricketts (top 20 books to read .txt) 📖
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green of the leaves.
Kira jumped as he sat down in front of her. “This does solve a problem, though.” She stared at him. He grinned suddenly and propped his chin on his hand, elbow on his knee. “Yes…this solves a lot…”
“What, that I’ve been divinely ordained to live?” she said. He ignored her sarcasm. The sunlight softened his face as he thought. Kira sighed and propped her own cheek on her hand. With a start, she realized that she was no longer afraid of him. Cautiously, she allowed herself to really look at him. He brushed back the wayward hair, blue-gold eyes lost in thought. Aside from the obviously alien phosphorescence and double irises, he could have been human. She straightened and glanced away, feeling the heat creep up her face. He would have been stunning as a human.
He seemed to sense her discomfort and, looking up, grinned. “I suppose it doesn’t look too good from your side, does it?”
“No shit.” She stared intently at the wall behind him, fighting to regain her composure.
He grinned, teeth bright against the blackness of his skin. “May I explain?” He leaned forward slightly and held out his hand. Kira eyed it warily. His hand curled into a fist before dropping into his lap.“Ah…I suppose you’re right.” He tapped his knee thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I never wanted to kill you.” Kira snorted. He grimaced. “I wouldn’t believe me either. The second night I saw you, I heard a patrol nearby. Even if you’d used the cover of the storm, they would have found you.” He sighed ruefully. “I had to take you, and I’m sorry, but they can’t know you’re alive.”
“‘They can’t know I’m alive.’Who? And why?” Kira watched him out of the corner of her eye. What would he care if some other native found her?
He scratched his chin sheepishly . “I told the Council three months ago that you were dead.”
Three months…that was when the sabotage started. Kira sat up and glared at him. “So you were the one messing with my traps!” He winced but didn’t deny it. “ Gah! You coward! Trying to starve me to death instead of killing me like a man?” she snapped.
His marks swirled a stormy blue as his face twitched in annoyance. “Your continual doubt of my manhood is rather irritating.”
Kira flushed, but crossed her arms defiantly. “Is it manly to hide like that?” Her words stung him and she gave a short laugh. “I don’t think I was the one hiding that night.”
He looked her up and down, then laughed. She watched him in confusion. “Well said, Baleeina. As to my ‘sabotage,’ you seem to be just fine for all my attempts to starve you.” She quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. His smile grew. “I like to think I’m a better hunter than that. If I’d wanted you to starve, you would have that very first month.” He shook his head, all humor gone. “Be glad Vitastami saved you. Otherwise, I would have been forced to kill you this time.” Kira shivered at the truth behind his words. His eyes lingered on the pit in the floor, the water still reflecting the sunlight. “Honestly, I’m not sure even your divine ordainment can keep you alive. Let me think.” He pushed himself up, long fingers splayed against the gray wood of the tree. Marks swirled and danced across the skin, curling around all six fingers. Kira shivered again, this time from the alienness of him.
He paced back and forth, mumbling and muttering to himself in his strange language. Minutes melted into hours and she moved to settle against the far wall of the tree. He glanced briefly in her direction when she moved, then returned to his brooding. Time crawled. For a while, she counted how many footsteps it took him to get from one side of the tree to the other. Then, she tried to see a pattern in his markings. She was beginning to wonder if they changed color with his mood. At the moment, they had faded back to a deep midnight blue, tendrils of a lighter blue-green twining through it. In an eerie way, they were pretty. It was frustrating to watch him determine the rest of her life.
The light had vanished from the inside of the tree and the leaves above were burnished gold when he finally stopped. She watched him pivot, one hand still on his chin in thought. He stepped forward and tapped his chin, eyes holding hers. She swallowed, waiting. Time froze. Finally, he nodded. “You live.”
Imprint
Kira jumped as he sat down in front of her. “This does solve a problem, though.” She stared at him. He grinned suddenly and propped his chin on his hand, elbow on his knee. “Yes…this solves a lot…”
“What, that I’ve been divinely ordained to live?” she said. He ignored her sarcasm. The sunlight softened his face as he thought. Kira sighed and propped her own cheek on her hand. With a start, she realized that she was no longer afraid of him. Cautiously, she allowed herself to really look at him. He brushed back the wayward hair, blue-gold eyes lost in thought. Aside from the obviously alien phosphorescence and double irises, he could have been human. She straightened and glanced away, feeling the heat creep up her face. He would have been stunning as a human.
He seemed to sense her discomfort and, looking up, grinned. “I suppose it doesn’t look too good from your side, does it?”
“No shit.” She stared intently at the wall behind him, fighting to regain her composure.
He grinned, teeth bright against the blackness of his skin. “May I explain?” He leaned forward slightly and held out his hand. Kira eyed it warily. His hand curled into a fist before dropping into his lap.“Ah…I suppose you’re right.” He tapped his knee thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I never wanted to kill you.” Kira snorted. He grimaced. “I wouldn’t believe me either. The second night I saw you, I heard a patrol nearby. Even if you’d used the cover of the storm, they would have found you.” He sighed ruefully. “I had to take you, and I’m sorry, but they can’t know you’re alive.”
“‘They can’t know I’m alive.’Who? And why?” Kira watched him out of the corner of her eye. What would he care if some other native found her?
He scratched his chin sheepishly . “I told the Council three months ago that you were dead.”
Three months…that was when the sabotage started. Kira sat up and glared at him. “So you were the one messing with my traps!” He winced but didn’t deny it. “ Gah! You coward! Trying to starve me to death instead of killing me like a man?” she snapped.
His marks swirled a stormy blue as his face twitched in annoyance. “Your continual doubt of my manhood is rather irritating.”
Kira flushed, but crossed her arms defiantly. “Is it manly to hide like that?” Her words stung him and she gave a short laugh. “I don’t think I was the one hiding that night.”
He looked her up and down, then laughed. She watched him in confusion. “Well said, Baleeina. As to my ‘sabotage,’ you seem to be just fine for all my attempts to starve you.” She quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. His smile grew. “I like to think I’m a better hunter than that. If I’d wanted you to starve, you would have that very first month.” He shook his head, all humor gone. “Be glad Vitastami saved you. Otherwise, I would have been forced to kill you this time.” Kira shivered at the truth behind his words. His eyes lingered on the pit in the floor, the water still reflecting the sunlight. “Honestly, I’m not sure even your divine ordainment can keep you alive. Let me think.” He pushed himself up, long fingers splayed against the gray wood of the tree. Marks swirled and danced across the skin, curling around all six fingers. Kira shivered again, this time from the alienness of him.
He paced back and forth, mumbling and muttering to himself in his strange language. Minutes melted into hours and she moved to settle against the far wall of the tree. He glanced briefly in her direction when she moved, then returned to his brooding. Time crawled. For a while, she counted how many footsteps it took him to get from one side of the tree to the other. Then, she tried to see a pattern in his markings. She was beginning to wonder if they changed color with his mood. At the moment, they had faded back to a deep midnight blue, tendrils of a lighter blue-green twining through it. In an eerie way, they were pretty. It was frustrating to watch him determine the rest of her life.
The light had vanished from the inside of the tree and the leaves above were burnished gold when he finally stopped. She watched him pivot, one hand still on his chin in thought. He stepped forward and tapped his chin, eyes holding hers. She swallowed, waiting. Time froze. Finally, he nodded. “You live.”
Imprint
Publication Date: 03-18-2011
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