Silence of Stars Read online

  He turned to me, his eyes tight. Something’s wrong.

  I stiffened and strained my ears for sound.

  He shook his head. Not out there. I mean something’s wrong with you . . . what is it? His shoulder touched mine as he leaned closer. Man, he smelled good.

  I had to think of something—anything—other than what I had been thinking. I leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I was wondering when you’re going to teach me to ride.”

  His face relaxed and he leaned his head against the wall. That’s not going to happen.

  “Oh come on,” I whispered. “There must be something you want . . . something I can help you with. Can’t we make a deal?” I felt him shiver slightly and he nudged away from me.

  It’s too dangerous. I almost lost you coming through the wormhole. I won’t risk that again.

  “I took horseback riding lessons for five years. I think I can handle it.” I failed to mention that those lessons had been years ago; I was tired of being treated like a baby. It was time Gideon took me seriously. Besides, once I got an idea in my mind, it was next to impossible to get it out.

  He rolled his head to one side and lifted an eyebrow my direction. This is a little more complex than the horseback riding you’re used to. With an aerion, you get thrown and you’re not lying in the dirt—you’re hurtling down from a fall you won’t get back up from.

  I crossed my arms and rested my chin on my knees, ignoring his comment. “There’s something you want, and I’m going to find out what it is.” I turned my head slightly and looked at him. “And when I do, you’re going to teach me how to fly.”

  He chuckled softly in Mindspeak which did crazy things to my stomach.

  “What’s so funny?” I whispered.

  You. When he looked at me and his eyes flashed like blue diamonds.

  I swallowed.

  What makes you so sure there’s something I want?

  I turned from his gaze and traced my finger along the dirt of the floor. “Everyone wants something.”

  Only people from Earth think that way.

  I scowled at him but knew he hadn’t meant it as an insult. When he spoke to my mind the communication was much clearer than spoken words. “You’re telling me there’s absolutely nothing you want?” I met his eyes, daring him to answer.

  He was silent for several moments, then turned and looked toward the door. I don’t hear anything. I’ll go check it out. When he turned back to me the glimmer in his eyes was gone. Stay here.

  I nodded and watched him go. My light screens adjusted, so I could see his movements.

  He slid the door open a crack and peered into the barn. All clear. We better get you back before you’re missed.

  “You can speak out loud if no one’s here anymore,” I said as I stood and brushed off my nightdress. The truth was, if he kept using Mindspeak right now I wouldn’t be able to keep from throwing myself at him. His voice was being permanently etched into my heart.

  “Right . . . sorry.” One side of his mouth lifted in an apologetic smile, but there was something deeper in his eyes before he quickly erased it.

  “I’ll take you back and help you to your room. No one will ever have to know about your little unauthorized escapade.” He raised an eyebrow and tried to look severe.

  “I’m not a bit sleepy.” I started backing toward the stalls. “What do you say we go for a little ride before calling it a night?”

  “Nice try.” He reached out and took my wrist. “If you don’t get some sleep you’re going to be dead on your feet for your first day of training.”

  I blew out a breath. “Fine.”

  He chuckled softly and then fell silent as he led me from the barn. When we made it to the base of the tree, he turned. “Wait here and I’ll make sure everyone’s asleep before I come back for you.”

  I nodded and then jumped as a tiny burst of pink light ignited three feet in front of me. It floated through the air. “Whoa. What is that?”

  Gideon wrinkled his brow and turned to follow my gaze. The pink flash died out, and then another tiny light ignited; this one neon blue.

  “Those are fireflies.”

  I stared in awe and held out my hand, trying to catch the light but it died out too quickly. “They’re beautiful.”

  He watched me as I waited with wide eyes for the next burst of light.

  “There’s another one!” I gasped as a bright orange firefly ignited a few yards out. “That is so cool.”

  He smiled. “Once you get up to your room, look out from your balcony and I’ll show you something even cooler.”

  “Ok.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the fireflies, but knew he was waiting so he could go to bed. “You don’t have to worry about helping me sneak through the house. I’ll just use the ladder like I did before.”

  His face went slack. “You used the ladder? Lark, that’s over four stories high—you could have been killed!”

  “Shh!” I held a finger to my lips to remind him to keep his voice down before shaking my head. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s perfectly safe. Why would it be there if not to use?”

  “It’s only for emergencies. I’m not sure the last time it was tested—even the neighbor kids know better than to climb on it.” He took me by the shoulders and I tried to brace myself against the warmth of his light. “Promise me you’ll never use it again.”

  “I’m not going to make a promise I know I can’t keep.”

  “You promised me back in the stable that you wouldn’t wander alone anymore.”

  “I didn’t promise. I said I would try.”

  His face darkened. “You led me to believe you wouldn’t do it. That’s as good as a promise here.” He shook his head. “I know Earth’s people lack in integrity, but I thought you were different.”

  I looked at the ground, his words cutting deep. “You’re right. I wasn’t being completely honest.”

  Gideon blew out a breath and turned away from me. He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “You’re going to be my undoing, you know that?”

  I moved a step closer. “Gideon, I’ll do my best to keep the rules—not that I even know what all of them are—but I need this. I can’t live on a new planet and not explore.”

  He turned and faced me slowly, his eyes flashing with an expression I couldn’t read.

  I hesitated and then continued, “When I saw that ladder, it was like—I don’t know—like I felt free for the first time in my life. There were so many rules, so many restrictions back home. We weren’t allowed to own books, or eat what we wanted, or speak freely on certain subjects. Right before we were Contacted they were even about to impose a mandatory curfew.” I dropped my head and looked at my hands. “Am I making any sense?”

  I felt him step closer and his hand brushed mine. I looked up at him and my breath caught at the expression of tenderness on his face.

  “I won’t tell anyone about the ladder, but you have to promise—” he looked away and his jaw clenched, “you have to promise that you’ll be extremely careful.”

  “I promise.” My stomach leapt in excitement. I wasn’t sure if it was over the freedom that the ladder promised, or the fact that Gideon’s hand had brushed against mine again.

  He shook his head and gave me a wry smile. “Why couldn’t you be afraid of heights or something?”

  I shrugged. “I’m afraid of tight spaces—does that help?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I already knew that.” I playfully smacked his shoulder and he grinned. My heart stopped as he reached out and laced his fingers through mine.

  “If you’re determined to risk your life, let’s get it over with so you can get some sleep before tomorrow,” he said.

  I swallowed and my pulse sputtered as he guided me to the base of the ladder.

  “I’ll be watching from here in case you need help.”

  “Okay.” I attempted to gather the skirt of my nightdress aro
und my legs. Gideon realized the problem and moved several steps away.

  “Thanks,” I whispered with a little laugh.

  He folded his arms across his chest and wrinkled his brow as he watched me begin the climb.

  I focused on the ascent, wanting him to see that it was easy for me, but not wanting to go so fast that he would think I was reckless. After only a few minutes I was climbing over the railing of the balcony. My breathing was uneven and my palms were sweaty, but I’d made it.

  I grinned as I leaned over the railing and waved at Gideon below. He waved back, and suddenly spoke to my mind, Wait there—there’s something I want you to see.

  I stifled a giggle as he began running through the field away from the house. After a moment, my laugh turned into a gasp of delight.

  Fireflies—thousands of them—rose up from the field, igniting in hundreds of different colors. It was like a cloud of twinkling Christmas lights dancing through the night air.

  I rested my elbows on the railing and watched in awe. Everything on this planet possessed a magical quality to it; like I’d stumbled into a dream that I could experience with each of my senses.

  Gideon stopped running. From this distance, I couldn’t see him very well, but I waved my thanks. He waved back. I wondered if there was a boundary limit to Mindspeak like there was with verbal speech.

  He walked slowly through the field, looking like a regal prince as fireflies rolled up in waves around him. When he reached the base of the tree he gave me one final wave before disappearing from sight.

  I sighed, waiting for the last of the firefly display to fade before slipping into bed. The covers were soft and warm around me. I stared up at the waning moons and fell asleep to the hypnotic chorus of cricket song.

  CHAPTER

  Eleven

  “Good morning, Lark.”

  I sat up. It took several seconds for me to remember where I was. Dawn broke through the window as birds chirped. Definitely not Philadelphia. I turned to see Nadia standing in the doorway.

  She smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Kind of,” I croaked, my voice still hoarse from sleep.

  “Hopefully it was enough to get you through the day.” She opened my wardrobe before facing me again. “Go ahead and get dressed. We’ve got breakfast ready for you.”

  “Thanks.” I ran a hand over my face and smiled at her before she left the room. The sleep began to wear off, replaced by an excited ping in my gut. Today was my first day of training.

  I bounced out of bed and hurried to get ready. As I brushed my hair I thought of Gideon. The familiar craving for his Mindspeak bloomed in my chest, but I fought against it. There wasn’t time for that. I had a planet to save.

  I pulled my hair into a messy bun and slid the soft leather boots over my black leggings. I’d opted for a dark grey tunic with a black sash around the waist. After a quick glance in the mirror, I was on my way down to the dining area. Nadia and Gideon were already at the table.

  My heart did a double-beat at the sight of Gideon. His hair was slightly damp and he was dressed in some kind of uniform. He glanced up as I entered the room.

  “You ready for this, Captain?” he asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.

  “Ready for everything except being called ‘Captain,’” I said with a dead-pan expression.

  Saydra rushed into the room carrying a basket of what looked like sweet rolls. “Good morning, Lark. How did you sleep?”

  “Fine, thanks.” I slid into the chair beside Nadia. “Can I help with anything?”

  She nodded, her raven hair shining from the light pouring through the windows. “Yes, you can help finish this food. I’m afraid I made too much.”

  “It smells amazing.” I gave her a smile and reached for a sweet roll. The truth was, I was so nervous I wasn’t sure I could eat anything, but I would try for Saydra’s sake.

  “I have something for you,” Gideon said.

  I turned, raising a curious eyebrow as I bit into the roll. I moaned and my eyes closed involuntarily. The sweet, flaky layers practically melted on my tongue.

  “Maybe I should give you a minute,” he teased.

  I covered my mouth and laughed. “Sorry, I’ll try to contain myself.”

  Saydra beamed as she leaned over to pour nectar into my cup. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “‘Like’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.” I winked at her before turning to Gideon. “What is it?” I asked before sneaking another bite.

  “This.” He placed a small wooden box on the table and slid it in front of my plate.

  I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. Gideon, Saydra and Nadia all watched as I slowly opened it. My eyes grew wide. A cuff with a twisted gold and silver band rested inside. “Is this really for me?”

  Gideon nodded. “It’s your data cuff. All the Recruits are given them. I’ll teach you how it works, but all training notifications will be sent through this, so don’t take it off.”

  “I’ve been dying to get my hands on one of these,” I said, gently removing the cuff from the box.

  “Try it on,” Nadia said.

  I put the cuff on my wrist, but couldn’t see a way to clasp it. “How do I—?” Before I could finish the question, the band snapped over my wrist, locking into place like a powerful magnet. The screen lit up with the words: Welcome, Recruit Taylor.

  “Whoa.” It was cool—and slightly creepy at the same time.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Nadia said. She looked down at her own gold and silver streaked cuff. “You’d better grab a roll for the road. We need to get going or you’ll be late for your first day.”

  “Okay.” I lifted my cup, planning to take a quick swig of nectar, but as soon as I took one sip I couldn’t help draining the entire thing. This must have been what was meant by the phrase “Nectar of the gods.” When I put the cup back on the table, Saydra handed me another sweet roll.

  “Good luck, dear.”

  “Thanks so much for breakfast.”

  She smiled and I noticed how similar her smile was to Gideon’s. I turned to find him standing by the open doorway, waiting for me. Nadia had already gone out so I followed after her. I brushed past Gideon, his eyes holding me fast.

  Don’t be nervous. Everything will be fine.

  The corner of my mouth lifted. I stepped outside and drew in a deep breath of the humid morning air. “I’ll never get over this.”

  The sun was rising above the tip of the mountain, showering the treetops in dewy gold as a waterfall roared.

  Nadia smiled. “I wish we had time for sightseeing, but we really should hurry.”

  “Don’t worry, Nadia, we’ll get there in time,” Gideon said, stepping beside me on the vine-covered landing, “and you’ll still have time to see Slade.”

  She threw him a look. “That’s not why I’m hurrying.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Alright.”

  She huffed and started down the long stairs. Gideon gave me a wink. “Come on.”

  “How do we get to the Academy?” I asked. “The city seems kind of far.”

  “We’ll take an Orb.”

  “An Orb? Is that some kind of spacecraft?” My fingers tingled at the prospect.

  Gideon shook his head and tapped the screen on his cuff. He held it near his mouth. “Freedom Fighter Academy, three passengers.”

  We cleared the Norths’ property line and came to an open field with an impressive view of the mountain.

  “Hurry and request four passengers. You know Cypris usually meets us,” Nadia said with a frown.

  As if on cue, Cypris appeared in the clearing wearing a Freedom Fighter uniform in a shade of hunter green which set off the deep green of her eyes. She flashed a smile and walked our direction.

  “Sorry, I already sent the request,” Gideon said. “You three can take this Orb and I’ll get a single-passenger in a minute.”

  “Right,”
Nadia crossed her arms, “and show up at the Academy without your Recruit? You know that wouldn’t look good as her Guardian.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “What are the rules of you being my Guardian, anyway?”

  Cypris reached us before they could answer. “Good morning!” She said, her eyes bright as she looked at Gideon. “What are you guys talking about?”

  Nadia sighed. “Gideon accidentally got an Orb for three, but he has to stay with Lark, so I’ll get us a two-passenger real quick.”

  “Why don’t you just request four so we can all go together?” Cypris eyed Gideon and me standing together.

  “And get in trouble for transport waste?” Nadia shook her head. “I’m up for an advancement soon and there’s no way I’m messing with that.” She tapped on her cuff, but before she could make the request, Cypris grabbed her arm.

  “One of us will just lap-ride.” She slid Gideon a coy smile. I had to fight back the impulse to scratch at those perfect green eyes.

  Nadia wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t know . . . each Orb is only meant to accommodate as many passengers as it has seats for.”

  Cypris put a hand on her hip. “Oh come on, Nadia. People do it all the time. You’ve told me before Orbs are built to carry far more weight than that.”

  Gideon turned to his sister. “How do you know?”

  “She studied the blueprints once,” Cypris answered with a smirk.

  Nadia threw her hands in the air. “I only had to hack a few data systems to find the information. Don’t pretend you’ve never been curious.”

  I was smiling at their banter when something glinted in the sky, catching my attention. I looked up to see a glass sphere the size of a small SUV gliding toward us.

  “What’s that?” I gasped, pointing upward. As it drew closer, there was a soft hum which grew louder as it came to rest on the grass in front of us.