Page 6 of Bound

That can’t be right, surely?

I climb the stairs back up to my quarters, seething at the way I responded to Rych’s feral behavior. Hopefully Fenek will keep him as far away from me as possible. The last thing I need is to be around some hulking male who could knock me over with his great wings and cause even more damage to my weak body.

And it’s been a long time since anyone caused a reaction which almost destroyed my underwear.

I pause at the top to catch my breath and see him through the floor to ceiling window. Rych’s wings swing insolently from side to side as he follows a small housebot down the path towards the garage where Fenek keeps his ground transport. I watchhis progress. The sunlight shines off his feathers, which bloom almost purple in color.

This is silly. I shake my head as I turn away from the view and go into my bedroom, replacing the glass at the side of my bed and sitting down heavily.

I hate being alone with my thoughts and my aching bones and my lungs which crackle like a paper bag. All Fenek has are bots and more bots, as if he can’t bear to surround himself with living creatures.

Save for me and Rych, although we’re useful to him in ways bots cannot be.

I clear my throat and open my mouth to begin my warm-up. If I close my eyes, it’s almost like being backstage with the band again. I could be in the dingy basement of a pub with Dan the bass player arguing with Morris about his amp being broken, and Morris “fixing” it by plugging it in. I could be about to go on stage and see my dad stood at the back, that goofy smile on his face as the band strikes up and the five people sat at the bar ignore us.

I could be there with them all, when I sing. Not on an alien planet wondering if I’ll ever recover from this virus and knowing I’ll never see home again.

The alarm blares, and I get up so quickly my leg gives way, and I tumble to the floor. Cursing, I heave myself painfully to my feet and make it to the doorway.

There’s a strange, light smoke hanging in the air. Panic grips at my chest, icy fingers around my heart and lungs. I know I need to run, but my body isn’t willing. I have to get down the stairs. I have to get out of this place.

With an effort I didn’t think I could muster, I fling myself against the wall and half fall, half slide down to the floor below. My head is hot, weirdly muzzy as the smoke increases.

After everything I’ve been through, is it really going to end like this? The nearest door is still down a long corridor which seems like a hundred miles away. I stumble forward, covering my mouth and nose with the sleeve of my top in a vain attempt not to breathe in the smoke. It doesn’t work, and I start to cough, my vision sheeting red as I do my best to get down the corridor and away from the fire.

Coughing saps the last of my energy, and even though I’m trying to stay upright, my knees buckle, and I know this time when I hit the floor, I won’t get up again.

But I don’t hit the floor.

I hit something hard which yields under me.

“Take care, little spark. I have you.”

Through my desperate attempts to breathe and not cough, my eyes streaming, I see him.

Rych.

He has me in his arms, and I’m being carried out into the open as the alarm ceases and I attempt to gulp down the clean air outside.

“You can…put me down,” I rasp.

“You can’t stand,” Rych responds, eyes narrowing as he scans the building.

“I can and I will. Put me down.” I do my best to glare at him, even if I can hardly see.

Rych lets me slide down his muscular body, one wing steadying me as I wobble like a newborn deer on legs which would have rather I stayed put. In his embrace.

Treacherous legs.

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“There’s been a coolant leak in the dwelling. Now the alarms have stopped, the system will purge itself and clear out any remaining gas,” Rych says, as if this is an everyday occurrence.

There’s a whooshing hiss from the roof of Fenek’s house, and I see a white geyser shooting into the sky. Unable to help myself, I cling to Rych’s wing.

“I won’t let you go.” His arm is around me, and I’m face to face with his bare chest and the tangled necklaces.

A clawed finger curls under my chin, lifting it until I’m staring up at him. His dark eyes bore into me. His full lips are something I ache for.

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