Rain of Tears (6 page)

“Do you know how to pilot a shuttle?”

“I do. I rarely have to though. I try to pay for my travels.”

Mala looked at her curiously. “No offense, but how can you earn money when you just use your talent to effect the weather?”

Rain laughed. “I fill swimming pools.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I create a localized storm and fill swimming pools. It takes me a while, but eventually, I do enough to get me off to the next world.”

Mala giggled. “You are enterprising.”

“Oh, I am. I have also herded animals, created skating environments in mountain gullies and helped balloonists. Anything to get me closer to the goal of the next world. It is why the Citadel offer was so agreeable. Having unlimited transport was far too tempting.”

Mala looked around and whispered. “How are you enjoying your partner?”

“Why are you whispering?”

Fixer scowled. “Because my husband or one of my daughters can be lurking around any corner. He hides in shadows, and she is just invisible when she chooses to be.”

“You have children?”

“Three. Twin girls and a boy. We don’t know which one of us he takes after yet or if he has something unique to him.” There was nothing but pride in her features. Mala cleared her face and asked, “So, how are you getting along with him?”

“Well, he is going to be a little upset with me when I return. Tonight was our first night with complete privacy, and he is going to be twitchy when I arrive and have to spend time talking to Turnari.” Reyan paused. “We are a good match. He knows what I am and what it means.”

Mala’s features took on an understanding cast. “I know how good that feels, so I wish you luck with him. Feel free to come over here for lunch anytime you are stationed at the Citadel. I love talking to others, and I think my girls will love the sparks when you touch their little hands.”

Reyan groaned. “You don’t want me to zap them repeatedly, do you?”

“No, because the moment they figured out it was a two-way street, you would never have a moment of peace.”

She laughed. “I have had enough peace. I am looking forward to a little disturbance of that peace.”

Mala waved her hands. “Don’t say that too loud. It tends to be answered.”

Giggling, Reyan sat across from her host and shared a pot of tea while Mala replaced the calories that she had burned during the customization, and they waited for Carella to finish whatever she was doing and return to collect Reyan.

When the sunlight went red, Mala asked, “Did you just want to take a standing skimmer?”

“Will that upset Carella?”

“No. She will be a bit embarrassed, but she will get over it. It will give her an excuse to take a flight over to the Citadel to speak with you and apologize if she wishes to.” Mala shrugged and led the way to her more mechanical offerings.

“This is my newest standing unit. I am designing it so that you can fit enough for all shuttle members on one trip with a few spares that can be carried. Rescue missions are taking up a lot of our work, so this comes up frequently.”

Reyan took a look at the small base with the forward controls. “Have you considered making it a back bracer with the controls on the arms? It would aid stability.”

“Well, this one is a prototype, so give me a minute to make those adjustments.” Fixer pressed her hands to the unit, and the metal sleeked and extended. “I went with the forward controls for a larger-sized passenger, but for a custom unit, there is nothing wrong with the back-bracing method.”

The alterations kept Reyan’s attention until she saw Mala flapping her hand at the door.

Reyan turned just in time to see the black sparkle of Carella’s suit disappear.

“Am I an experiment? A crash dummy?”

Mala smiled as she finished. “No, but you are one of the only people I have met who is willing to consider flying on this. It is perfectly stable, but I need a test pilot, and my husband won’t let me do it myself.”

Reyan stepped into place with her original clothing bundled into a small pack on her back. The skimmer powered up with a light touch, and the controls were intuitive. “Well, Mala. Thank you for an interesting afternoon. Tomorrow, I will send you a breakdown of any changes that should be made.”

“Have a good flight, and you are most welcome for the afternoon. I thought your kind were a myth or at least an exaggeration.” Mala winked and waved her off.

With her body as relaxed as it could be, Reyan moved the controls slightly, and she shot out of the hangar workshop and across the tarmac.

An evil grin struck her as she shot over the edge of a drop-off and remained at a steady height. Forward motion was steady, her body provided most of the directional changes, and when she leaned back, the unit climbed.

She kept the wind from messing up her hair or getting bugs in her teeth, but the rest of her body felt the tugging and pressure. The suit was insulating but not to the point of numbness.

She flew herself across the span between the two facilities and settled the new skimmer in the front entryway of the Citadel, powering it off and flipping it over one shoulder.

She waved down a passing woman in robes. “Where can I find the director’s office?”

Bemused, the woman took in the bodysuit and the gadget and smiled. “End of the hall, to the lift, fifth floor.”

“Thank you.” Whistling the symphony, Reyan went to meet her new boss.

Chapter Ten

Turnari was polite, charming and completely in awe of Reyan. She sighed.

“Master Turnari, I am delighted to be here, will be only too happy to lecture on weather control and extended lifespans. As long as I have a base to call mine and someone to drive me or a shuttle of my own, I am happy. Now, where do I sleep?”

She used the euphemism, because she didn’t want him to think she was available night and day. She recognized his curiosity, he was just trying to come up with good questions.

Turnari got to his feet and escorted her and her new toy down the lift and onto the third floor. “The masters’ quarters are down this way. Specialist Hobbs said that you and he were partners, is that correct?”

“It is. We are a good match on many fronts. I feel more in sync with the current world when I am with him. Why?”

“I just didn’t want to put you in a room with him if you are not up to sharing space.”

She chuckled. “We have been sharing an office and two cots for the last few months. Anything different is good.”

The administrator grinned. “In that case, we are here.”

She palmed the lock, and the door slid open. “Already programmed to me. Nice.”

“The Ichadrans have a unique bio signature. Technically, your sisters could open this as well. I will meet with you and Specialist Hobbs tomorrow. There is a com cuff in your quarters at your desk. Have a good evening.”

He left her, and she stepped into her quarters, letting the door close behind her. She set the portable skimmer to one side and walked in silently. Her beloved farmer was on the bed, fast asleep. She wrapped him in fog and walked into the bathing room, smiling at the amenities on offer. The new suit peeled off easily, and Mala had promised more replacements in the next few days.

Once she was naked, she took down her hair, letting the long lavender braid uncoil until it hit her buttocks. Her fingers undid the braid, and she stepped into the shower for a good scrubbing.

The slick feel of the soap made her smile, and the scent of fruits and flowers that clung to her hair after two washings made her feel pretty. Bathing was a sensory experience for her instead of a hygienic necessity, but she enjoyed it far more than a good meal or a glass of wine.

With her body clean and her hair giving her memories of lazy summers, she stepped onto the drying vents and blasted herself clean with concentrated bursts of air.

Brushing out her hair was the most complicated part of the whole procedure. The lavender waves were soft, and in theory, they had been designed to look dramatic while the wind was whipping her skin. She never let the wind get that close, to hell with drama.

When she was clean, her suit was hanging in the refresher and she had her nerves together, she went out into the bedroom and crawled into bed next to Unrik.

He turned and faced her, his dark eyes intense. “I was beginning to think you were moving into the Guard Base.”

She caressed his jaw as he leaned in to kiss her. “They offered, but I told them I had something to do back at the Citadel.”

He laughed and kissed his way down her body. “I am not sure that being called a thing is flattering, but I am not in a mood to argue.”

Reyan wanted to laugh, but as his mouth worked at her skin, all humour fled. She focussed on his mouth, his hands and, when he moved over her, his body. She didn’t really appreciate keeping him at full height once he slid into her, and after that, she made a mental note to let him shrink just a little.

The first coming together was fast, hard and took the edge off.

He laughed softly and caressed her hip. “Did you have dinner?”

“No. Fixer ate it all.”

He snickered and got to his feet, walking over to the dispensing unit next to the desk. After keying in his selections, he looked around. “What is that?”

“It’s a personal portable skimmer. Mala let me test it out.” She watched him lift it and admired the play of muscles in his back.

“It’s light.”

“That is the idea. It would get you where you needed to go and is light enough that you can carry a spare for extraction assignments.” She stretched and tucked her hair up in a loose knot held only by friction.

“I don’t think we will get many of those.”

She chuckled. “You never know when a good fog bank will be desirable.”

To prove her point, she created a fog bank in the bedroom as she slipped silently out of the bed. She stroked his thigh and felt him jump. Reyan wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulders. He shivered and shuddered in her grasp, and she had fun with his inability to see where she was going to touch next.

She played with him, touching, retreating and then touching again until the dispenser chirped and told her that the food was ready. Having worked up an appetite, she waved the fog away, and it proved to be a tactical error.

Unrik growled and lifted her where she stood, bringing her down until she surrounded him. He pressed her to the wall and rocked into her until they both shuddered in release.

Note to self—Teasing will lead to sudden movement. Do it often.

Dinner had now become dessert.

They came together all night, sometimes she initiated, sometimes he did, but they always ended up together.

Sitting in the dining room the next morning, they drew a fair share of attention. She was wearing her black, gold and scarlet master’s robe over the bodysuit, and she smiled brightly and spoke softly to anyone who came up to introduce themselves even though her food was stone cold by the time she made it through.

Her wrist cuff chirped.

Unrik smiled slowly.

She pressed a button and tried not to watch Unrik as he watched her. Their joining was still new, and his obsession with her would soon wane. She hoped. He was very intense.

“Hello?”

“This is Turnari, I wanted to speak to you about a situation that has arisen.”

“Specialist Hobbs and I are on our way to your office.” She disconnected the call and scowled at her lover. “Stop looking at me in that tone of voice.”

He laughed and helped clear the table before he offered her his arm to escort her up to the administrator’s office.

They sat side-by-side and faced Turnari as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We hate sending people out before they have settled in, but there is a bit of a disaster brewing on a world being bio-formed.”

Reyan perked up. “What kind of disaster?”

He rubbed his forehead. “They only say that the weather won’t fix if that makes any sense.”

She scowled and looked to Unrik. “Not good. Their machines weren’t able to work out a weather pattern before they burned out. Now, the weather shifts and won’t settle on seasons, so nothing can be started regarding planting or completion of surfacing.”

Turnari sighed. “Thank goodness you know what it means. Will you two go?”

Unrik nodded. “Of course. I will enjoy seeing you in action again.”

She read between the lines, and she wanted to smack him. He had just seen her in action two hours ago.

“When do we leave?”

Turnari smiled. “The shuttle is on the tarmac. Novice Treani is your assigned pilot. She is very good, her talent is navigation. You won’t get lost.”

Unrik got to his feet and held his hand out for Reyan. She took it and smiled, “You will send us information on the details of the situation?”

“Of course. They are waiting on the shuttle. See you when you get back.”

With the bright wave, Turnari dismissed them, so Reyan and Unrik headed to the tarmac for their first day as Citadel Morganti representatives.

Chapter Eleven

Ka-8 was a lovely world where nothing was happening. The air was heavy and nothing was moving.

“This is really going to hurt.” Reyan stood with her hands on her hips, her lips twisted with concentration.

Unrik scowled. “Will you be able to manage it?”

“Of course. I am just going to be useless for a few days afterward. I only have to get one large mass of air moving, and the rest will simply happen, but to do that, I need a large chunk of water.”

The researchers blinked nervously.

Novice Treani pointed to the nearest water source. “Does it matter if it is freshwater?”

“No. Since there is no indigenous life, it won’t matter if there is some concentration for a limited time.” She smiled. “Can you get me there?”

The researchers had handed the entire enterprise over to Reyan, and she was doing her job.

Treani smiled. “Of course. To the shuttle!”

Reyan paused, “Specialist Hobbs, did you want to continue to discuss the flora? There won’t be anything for you to see unless I am successful.”