Helix (7 page)

It was too late to back out. She could see that he had made up his mind. Sighing, she sat up and let him slip from her before she tried dismounting. She had forgotten to get off him once, and he had been less than impressed when she wrenched his sensitive flesh to the side.

She followed his direction and sat in his chair while he prepared instruments and sterilized two of the eighteen rings he wore in his ears.

He sterilized her skin, marked her carefully, and created the first minute hole to slip the ring through. She jerked when the needle pierced her flesh but held still when the ring went in.

He carefully made sure that the piercings were even before he made the second circular incision. When the next ring was in place and fastened, her inner star rose and sealed the wounds.

She reached up and tugged at them, amazed at the lack of pain.

Nero winced. “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Nope. She healed it. Now, do you want to get dressed and go flying?”

He grinned. “Are you still up for it?”

“Oh. I am. It is you that might find it awkward. Go and get some pants.”

Harmony was right. He was a little ungainly, but he picked it up quickly. In only a few minutes, they were playing tag in the sky like unruly children or wild pixies.

Harmony felt her star speak, but it wasn’t to her, it was to the darkness inside Nero, and it was not an audible conversation.

How are you finding your Avatar?

He is strong and very attached to yours. This might work, bright one.

They will have much to do if we are to build this world up, dark one.

They are suited to it. We simply need to tell them what we actually want. If your Avatar can increase the population by assisting us in raising the survivor rate, we might just have a chance to wake the world once again.

Does it want to hear from us? It was not pleased to be forced to join us in the first place.

You were not pleased to be joined to me, light one. I cannot blame the planet for not wanting to be baked in our glow. It can’t even rotate with our gravitational soup holding it in place.

I think it is still awake. After all, there is a gravitational pull that holds the fallen in place and the ship and the food service are inexplicable to all of the living down there. They think it is our influence, but it isn’t. Nor is the ability to capture souls. That is a definite sign that the planet is awake. We just need to tease it into conversation, dark one.

That is a tricky proposition. Another Avatar would be alone on the world. How would we even know what the planet wants?

Harmony was holding Nero’s hand over one of the great rivers that glowed constantly. A wave of energy burst up, and they were swamped in a column of water.

Harmony thought back to her star.
You could simply ask it. Send a message through rock and wait for a response. Planets can be sluggish.

Thank you, Harmony. Do you think I need a name?

It would make things easier. My people categorize everything.

What would you suggest?

Harah?

Harah. I like that. It is the same forward and backward. It appeals to me.

I am glad, Harah. If you wish to change it, just keep me posted.

There was silence for a moment, and Nero blinked and nodded. “His name is Nirin. The same forward and backward. Somehow, that makes a difference.”

Harmony laughed and soared upward into the perpetual daylight.

Since flight was now an option, she remained at the restoration centre and waited around in her uniform all day. She helped Nero with filing and viability testing for ancient samples of tissue and waited for a ship to fall.

The moment that she got the call, she flew to the hangar. Rhennal got into the ship, and she preceded him to the falling craft.

Harah had briefed her on what to do, and she had to do it, no matter how painful the experience. Viable DNA was the goal, so she had to stop the burn and end the suffering of the fallen.

She flew up to the ship and used Harah’s senses to feel the occupants of the ship and the level of destruction that had ensued. With sharp blasts of energy, Harmony killed the two survivors who still clung to life and immediately pulled all of the star’s power away from the bodies. They stopped burning instantly.

Rhennal caught the ship and transported it down to the retrievers. Harmony flew off to a hilltop and wailed like an infant.

What is the matter? You have created two viable samples.

They are not samples, Harah! They had lives, hopes, dreams, perhaps loved ones and I snuffed them out.

They would have been dead within minutes and far more damaged. This was the kinder option, Harmony.

It doesn’t make me feel better. I am destined to kill now. Over and over, every time a ship comes through with a crew thrashing in agony at being torn apart by gravity and radiation, I have to kill the survivors. I know why. I can feel why. It still hurts my soul, Harah.

I feel it, Harmony. Remain here as long as you wish. I will be here if you wish to talk.

Harmony wrapped her arms around her knees and looked out at the city. It was silent. The people in it were moving about their daily tasks and trying to get on to the next day, but the next day was just like the day before.

Waking the planet would give them day and night. It would make time mean something again even if the population did not age. She leaned back and sighed. It was something that the stars would handle; it was not up to her.

A stone tripped along the ground next to her and a figure stood there. “Why isn’t it up to you?”

Harmony jolted. It was not Nero; it was a woman with delicate lavender skin and huge gossamer wings.

“Waking the world is beyond me. I am just here to kill again and again.”

The woman with wings sat next to her with a soft smile. “That is over simplifying, is it not? If the population rises, the count of minds and dependants rise and the world will take an interest.”

“How do you know so much about it?”

The woman grinned. “I used to be the Avatar of this world, and I gave her permission to use my likeness again if need be.”

“What is her name?”

“Naema. She was a wild planet looking for a star to settle around, and she ended up trapped here. She was unhappy until the people began to come. She wanted to be a world with people more than anything. If you ask her to help, she will.”

“What is your name?”

The woman grinned. “Jarula. Jarula of the Vorwings. My race is ancient and evil. I ran to Naema to hide, and she took me with her into the rift. I lived a long life and eventually gave myself to the soil.”

“You died.”

“Close enough. My soul to hers, my mind bound to the ground beneath your feet. I am the ship, the city that you walk in and I feel the joy at every life restored in that city. I also grieve for the fallen who are lost and those restored who will not wait.”

She blinked and looked directly into the face of the woman speaking to her. “You are also my sparring partner in the physical centre. You are the solid holograms.”

Jarula laughed. “My kind had too much power to simply let it fade into nothing, so it waits and is useful in a thousand ways you never see. Bring more living souls to me, Harmony. Both Naema and I are eagerly waiting a full city and lively laughter. I know you can do it, child. End their suffering and bring them back to life again. Naema will hold their souls, and I will nurture their bodies. If we all work together, this world will begin to turn and time will resume its proper course.”

Harmony blinked. “Why are you talking to me directly?”

“You needed it. You are the switch that the stars flipped without giving you time to learn the ins and outs of this very strange situation. Naema will be there for you when you need rest, I will be there for you when you need sustenance.”

Jarula got to her feet and her wings began to vibrate rapidly. “And Harmony?”

“Yes?”

“Eat your desserts. I put them there for a reason.” The purple fairy winked and disappeared in a shower of sparks.

Harmony was startled into laughter. She took flight and returned to the city, heading straight for the restoration centre.

Nero was working on the tubes, and he gave her a worried glance. “You have been crying. Nirin told me.”

“I had something to work out. How many are viable?”

“Out of six? Six. Whatever you did was effective. Their damage is minimal and their samples are already showing signs of growth. Another hour and I can put them in the tanks.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “That’s just great.”

“Ah, Harmony. I would hug you but…”

“I know.”

“Can you tell me something?” He asked her absently as he moved from fallen to fallen.

“Sure.”

“Can you find out why we suddenly got two hundred more restoration tanks? I am not complaining, but I have no idea where they came from.”

She sat at his desk and started to giggle. When her tears and laughter eased, she told him about the strange conversation she had had with the woman who wasn’t there.

He gave her a look and asked, “When was the last time you ate?”

“Two or three days ago, why?”

“I think you might be a little unbalanced.” He winked. “I will be busy here for a few more hours. Can I meet you at home?”

She laughed and came up to his side, kissing his cheek. “I will see you later. For now, I have dessert to eat.”

With her mind coming to grips with her day, she went for some food and put her hands under the scanner. A tray of desserts appeared and confirmed her conversation.

Laughing softly, she said, “Thank you, Jarula. I look forward to my next workout.”

She picked up the tray and headed for a table. Life may have gone from extreme to bizarre and horrific, but it was still a life, and as long as she could live it with the man she loved, it was enough.

Saving a world would just have to come in second.

Apologies for the delay. I went on vacation. Who knew that a good vacation keeps you from tying yourself to your computer for hours every day? I had never had a good vacation before. It has set a new bar for me.


All of the
H
series are women who have been damaged at work. Next release will be a hiatus from that because we are returning to the world of
Guardian Enjel
.
Avenging Enjel
is Myrik’s tale. After serving his sentence and counselling others, he decides to leave Jela and join the Alliance in the capacity of Hunter. A woman from the second wave of Terrans is more than he bargained for, and after fighting her off, he finds a mate he is willing to fight for. What could go wrong?

Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.