Page 7 of Star Bright
“Darcy,” he repeated, wrapping his tongue around the syllables. “And um-Ug.”
She made a little noise that he identified as amusement. “Just Ug. And I just met the robot tonight.” She pivoted on one knee. “What do we call you?”
“Service droids do not require individual designations,” it said primly.
“So I should just yell, ‘Random service droid, I’m ready for my memory wipe now’?”
“After your memory is wiped, you’ll have no need to yell for any service droid.”
“Well,until then, what should we call you?”
The servo whine was pitched so high it was almost inaudible. Then the neural gel flickered. “I am Kong.”
The female—Darcy—shook her head at the droid. “Okay, Kong.” Then she looked back at him. “And who do you want to be? At least for now.”
He thought for a moment. “What is the spice in the water?”
“Chili powder. But I don’t actually know what kind of pepper it is. Maybe ancho or jalapeño or cayenne. How about Caye?”
“Caye. Yes.”
“All right, Caye. I’ll check on you later, make sure that knock to your head wasn’t worse than Kong could tell. And if you need anything—”
“I will tell you.” He settled back to the cushions, staring up unblinking, wondering if he would sleep in this strange place. If he did, would he forget the name that Darcy had given him?
Would he forget her?
At the softest brush over the crown of his head, he twisted to look at her.
“Are you hurting? I’m sorry, but Kong says we don’t have any painkillers suitable for a drakling.” Her lips quirked in a way thatmade his beast follow the wry swoop on the wing. “I don’t even know what a drakling is.”
“I don’t know what an Earther is,” he confessed. “But I came here, so maybe I used to know.”
“We’ll figure it out,” she repeated.
We. For some reason, the idea that he wasn’t alone let him close his eyes.
Maybe some time passed, maybe he even slept, the essence of Darcy lingering on his lips.
But from the stillness and silence and darkness, a monster—not his beast—unfurled, rising through him. He sensed its coming, numbed nerves screaming to terrified, agonizing life.
“Shanya!” That scream ripped from his throat like fire. “Yadira! Atsu!”
He lunged to his feet, or tried to, forgetting his weakness. But he only managed to tear down the white fabric above him. He flailed at the veil as if he could grab the kaleidoscoping memories. “Shanya!”
“Caye! Stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Darcy’s hands were on him again, unwinding the shroud, uncovering him.
He hurt, badly, so bad, memories raging back like immolating flame.
“My fledglings are on that ship,” he grated. “My mate.”
“Children?” She stilled “But we didn’t…” Hesitating, she glanced down uncertainly.
The droid rolled nervously behind her knees. “Scans did not indicate any other lifeforms aboard. And no…not lifeforms either.”
“No! I would not have left them.” The cry broke from him.
Should have broken him, but somehow he rose to his feet.
