Snows of Aturia (The Darvel Exploratory Systems #3) Page 3

  “I am,” came the growled reply, their would-be savior rapidly losing patience.

  Stephens shook his head. “Bullshit! He has wings! And that tail…”

  “He’s an outer rimmer,” Fowler shot back. “They don’t look like the civilized ones. We might be able to trust him anyway, but I don’t know for certain.”

  Vanessa stifled an annoyed grunt and pushed forward, brushing off Tackert’s attempt to grab ahold of her as she squeezed in behind them to glare at Fowler. A man with a bright shock of ginger hair just barely visible and stubble on his cheeks blinked at her in surprise.

  “Look, I appreciate that you’re trying to lookout for everyone’s safety, but I will freeze or die of hypothermia if I don’t get out of here, so at this point I don’t care if he’s Krampus himself descending upon us with chains and whips as long as I get somewhere warm.”

  “You have a female with you?” the Aturian growled, making all the men around her stiffen.

  “What’s it to you?” Stephens shot back.

  “You are putting her life at risk with this foolishness,” the alien snapped. She swore his neck craned, but his height was impressive enough that he might have just straightened. She had the distinct impression he was looking for her. “Come out, female, and I will take you to safety.”

  “Wait.” A man stepped out of the pilot station, his mouth pressed into a grim line, his arm shooting out to block her from stepping out gratefully to the stranger. His assessing gaze roved around the group, obviously putting everything together between what he had overheard in the cockpit and what he could see before his eyes. “I am Lieutenant Vincent Carthy, and I’m in charge of this unit, sir. I appreciate your concern and have to agree with you.” He cast her an appraising look. “Our comms are fried, and the shuttle is dead. I can’t get the engines back online and have been told that the beacon signal isn’t getting through. We can’t get ourselves to safety, much less her.” His lips tightened, and he shook his head. “I acknowledge that she’s not in a position to survive long out here, but, as we are entrusted with her safety, I can’t just release her to your custody. We will go with you, but only together. Not a single member of this unit or our charge will be made unnecessarily vulnerable by going alone.”

  The alien stepped back, and Vanessa’s heart jumped into her throat, terrified that he might leave. She began to push against the restraining arm when the male spoke.

  “Very well. I shall return with aid. Remain here.”

  Wings spread and a thunderous clap filled the air as the snow whirled for a moment and then he was gone. Vanessa stared at the space where the Aturian had been, her heart plummeting.

  “He said he was returning with aid,” Tackert said behind her quietly as he tugged on her arm, pulling her back out of the cutting wind.

  She nodded and pulled her blanket higher as she sat heavily once more in her chair. She was starting to shiver again even with the blanket protecting her.

  “He’ll be back,” she whispered in affirmation, hoping with everything she had that it would be true.

  Fowler snorted and dropped into the chair at the other side of her, shaking his head. “No doubt about it. For whatever reason, whether we can trust his intentions or not, I just know he’ll be returning for you, since you made yourself known. I hope we don’t end up regretting it.”

  Stephens muttered in agreement, but Carthy frowned at them, shouldering his blaster. “Miss Williams may have forced our hand, but we didn’t have any real choice in the end. She was correct that she wouldn’t be able to survive long here. It’s necessary to get her to safety as soon as possible.”

  “Even if it means risking the rest of us. We have no idea what they do with strangers out here, and no one knows where we are.” Fowler swiped a hand down his face with a sigh. “Don’t mind me. You’re right, this is the only option. Our chances of hiking out of here, even with the TRS, were shaky at best.”

  “Fuck.” Stephens sighed. “Okay, let’s get all cozy and try to keep Miss Williams as warm as possible. Who knows when that scary asshole will return?”

  “That’s the spirit, Stephens.” Carthy chuckled. “Detach two of the seats from the side that has been punched through and drag them over here. The emergency kit should have a small space heating unit we can set between us. It will have enough charge to keep going for a few hours. Between that and the heat generated from our bodies pressed together, we should be okay for a little while.”

  Tackert gave her a comforting smile as he stood. “See? I told you everything would be okay.”

  As she watched him join the others pulling up the seats while Carthy busied himself with setting up the heating unit, Vanessa tucked her nose once more beneath the blanket and prayed that it wouldn’t be too long.

  She hadn’t been joking when she said she would go with the alien regardless of who or what he was. In her mind, he was salvation. He was already her hero, regardless of what sort of monster the men were afraid he might be. She didn’t know enough about Aturians to even be able to guess what differences lay in an outer rimmer, but she couldn’t deny that she was curious. Blame it on being a writer, but she couldn’t wait for him to return so that she could finally get her first real look at her rescuer.

  Chapter 4

  Wings tipping into another air current, Jor’y headed directly for the valetik’s town nestled in the valley below. He hated to rouse any of his brethren in assist him when the storm was already descending, but he had little choice. There was no way he could safely move all the humans alone, and they were determined not to let him remove the most vulnerable one in their company without their protection. It was perhaps honorable that they wished to protect her, if also foolish. Still, that meant that he would need assistance, especially since the one flyer that their town possessed for transporting goods wouldn’t make it in through the storm.

  Only an Aturian, bred for their planet’s harsh climate, could fly in this weather. And even they had their limits. Fortunately, it was still early and the full fury of the storm had not yet arrived.

  Circling as he descended, Jor’y located Vi’ryk’s home. He hated to disturb the male so soon after giving him leave for the evening, but he trusted his friend’s input, and Vi’ryk would better know which males to call on and was among the stronger flyers in the valetik. His friend would be needed for this rescue. His target located, Jor’y folded his wings just enough to allow himself to descend. The ground sped toward him, and his wings flared wide to slow his drop at precisely the right moment, his body bending so that his clawed feet hit the walkway in front of the house.

  He didn’t feel any chill from the already accumulating snow any more than he had on the mountain thanks to the downy feathers that started mid-calf and thickened around his feet to provide a warm waterproof barrier against the icy cold. With barely a pause to adjust his balance, he strode forward. The door swung open at his approach, and Vi’ryk stepped out, his wings shrugging and stretching as he gave Jor’y an annoyed look.

  “Jor’y? You got here quickly. I received your comm and alerted three other males to accompany us into the mountains like you asked, but you explained nothing,” Vi’ryk growled as he descended the shallow steps that kept his house above flood level during the melting season.

  “They are coming?” Jor’y glanced around impatiently.

  His friend nodded. “They will be joining us at any moment. Not to be disrespectful, but what’s going on?”

  Jor’y fluffed out his wings, his jaw clenching as he continued to scan their surroundings for any sign of the approaching males. “A shuttle went down in the mountains. I went to search for survivors, but there are too many to carry at once, and they refuse to be separated from their most vulnerable member… a female.”

  “A female is stranded in the mountains?” Vi’ryk asked, his wings fluttering around him anxiously.

  Jor’y’s jaw tightened as he battled back a wave of fury. He glanced over at Vi’ryk. “Comm the males an
d tell them to hurry. We must leave now. I have the impression that the female was not as well protected as the males around her. I cannot rest until she is safely within the estate walls.” He paused, his feathers bristling at the unbidden thought of any of the males attempting to warm her with their wings or feathered scruffs. He had barely caught a glimpse of her, her face unnaturally red, likely from the frigid temperatures, but there was something about her in her most vulnerable moment, an underlying strength and perseverance, that called to him. “Tell them that the responsibility of the female is mine. I will see to her care personally.”

  Vi’ryk raised a feathered brow.

  “Not for the reason you are thinking,” he growled. “I have no intentions to steal the human. I merely feel responsible for her welfare, and it is the most practical solution. I can best protect her and keep her warm, given that I am larger, stronger, and have fuller plumage.”

  “As you say,” his friend replied cryptically as he sent instructions through the comm on his wrist, rousing Jor’y’s annoyance further.

  A growl rattled out of him, which seemed to amuse the male, but it silenced at the immediate swell of relief that filled him as three strong males flew into view over the top of the neighboring buildings, their white wings spread wide. Jor’y didn’t wait for them to land. There was no time for it, and with his instructions relayed over the comm, it was unnecessary. With a leap and a powerful flap of his wings, he rose into the sky, Vi’ryk following close behind him as he immediately sped back toward the mountains… and the female.

  If the approaching males were surprised at his sudden departure, they did not show it. The Aturians merely swooped through the air and dropped into formation behind him. The brisk beat of their wings sounded above the wind, cracking not unlike thunder. In the old times, before the colonization of their world, a formation of guardians would have been enough to instill fear into hearts, and inspire hope for any injured, stranded, or lost. He wanted the female to feel hope when she heard their approach. Despite their small number, there was no missing it.

  Keeping a punishing pace in hopes of outrunning the worst of the storm, they flew higher into the mountains. He knew that it strained the males in his wake, but still he pushed them, his eyes scanning the storm. When at last the half-buried shuttle came into view, he exhaled in relief and dropped down to it. He was not surprised to see the red glow of several blaster targeting systems snap up toward him and then separate in a confused rush. He trusted that the humans would not be so foolish as to fire on their rescuers.

  Although no blaster fire came, the lasers remained locked onto them as they landed with echoing whomps in the deep snow. Slowly, Jor’y straightened from his half-crouch, the feathers on his feet creating a broad enough padding with his large clawed toes that he didn’t sink as he strode forward. He kept his pace easy so not to frighten the humans. The humans stared out at them, their faces still rigid with suspicion as they clustered around the female and kept their weapons trained on them.

  A few of the males behind him, despite their typical easy natures, growled at the sight, especially when one of the targeting lasers rose to his chest, but he lifted a hand to silence them. He didn’t want to trigger any tensions that could result in injuries or loss of life.

  “The humans would not be so foolish as to fire on their only hope for safety,” Jor’y reminded them.

  As if on cue, one of the humans shuffled forward warily. The male he recognized as Lieutenant Carthy, the one who claimed to be in command.

  “Is this the rescue party?” the male shouted over the wind.

  He inclined his head. Unlike the smaller human, he didn’t need to raise his voice so much to be heard. “It is. We will get you to safety. From this moment on you are formally under my protection and shall remain so until we can hail the southern continent.”

  The male drew in a deep breath and nodded. “And you are the one in charge around here, correct?”

  “I am the valmek,” Jor’y affirmed. He raised his head to the wind, the fine feathers on his crown puffing out, and frowned. They would have to make this quick. The storm was gaining strength sooner than he had estimated. “We must make haste. Give me your female. I will personally assure her safety. My males will transport each of you.”

  “Shit, we’re going to be carried flying down the mountain?” One of the other males, Stephens, stared fearfully out at them, his throat working. “I thought we would have a flyer.”

  Jor’y snorted derisively. “You have the best flyers in these mountains. No flying machine would make the flight that we have been designed by the gods for. But even we are not gods ourselves. Our window of escape is closing as we speak. We must make haste.”

  Carthy nodded and glanced over at the male beside him. This male, with his darker complexion did not look as pale and red as the others, his dark gaze assessing.

  “Tackert, bring Miss Williams up,” Carthy ordered.

  The male nodded and stepped back, disappearing into the ruined remains of the shuttle and reemerging with a much smaller figure beside him wearing bulky layers and some type of metal cloth wrapped around most of her. All except those warm brown eyes that immediately found Jor’y.

  Tackert bent and whispered something to her as he gestured to him. To his relief, the female did not balk. She nodded, her gaze never leaving him as she started through the snow. He noticed immediately how woefully disadvantaged she was. The moment she stepped out of the shuttle, her small, booted feet began to sink, plunging knee-deep. He frowned at the sight. She was going to get soaked. He could already see her body shivering harder as she made her way toward him. He wanted to stride forward and just scoop her up, but he forced himself to wait calmly as she came toward him as not to frighten her. Although she was wary, there was a measure of trust in her eyes that he did not wish to see extinguished.

  Stopping just in front of him, she tilted her head and smiled up at him, her lips rising just above the protective level of her wrappings.

  “Hi there, I’m Vanessa Williams. You’re Jor’ytal, right?” Her pronunciation was terrible, but her voice was soft and sweet and made him want to wrap his wings around her so he could keep her tucked against him.

  He inclined his head and stretched a hand out to her. Electricity shot through his arm at the soft touch of her palm against his, and he hissed deep in his throat. Her eyes widened, and her muscles tensed as she prepared to jerk her hand away. He closed his fingers first, capturing her hand within his.

  “You are safe. Come, Va’nessa,” he rumbled, slowly drawing her toward him, his wings cupping protectively.

  Her giggle was nervous, but she nodded as she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. “Okay then. I guess we’re going flying now.”

  “We are. Do not fear.”

  She angled her head up, looking him in the eye. “You won’t let me fall, will you?”

  “Never,” he growled.

  Her face lit up with a broad smile, and then she did the most marvelous thing. She ducked her head against his collar of feathers, pillowing her face in their softness like a female taking reassurance and comfort from her mate. The sight did something strange to his heart. If he had not already been entranced with her, he would have found her enchanting now.

  Crooning low in his throat, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her up against his chest more firmly. From the corner of his eye, he could see the other humans approach his males, their bearing stiff as they allowed the Aturians to wrap their arms around them in an attainable grip. Vi’ryk cast him an exasperated look as he carefully adjusted his grip on Stephens, who appeared to shrink away from the male’s touch.

  Jor’y huffed in amusement and turned away, orientating himself in the direction of his estate. Clutching the warm feminine bundle close to him, he allowed himself a moment to draw in her sweet perfume as he spread his wings wide before launching them into the sky.

  Although distantly he heard a few masculine shouts, he was proud
and very pleased that his female did not scream or cry. She gave nothing but a small gasp that dissolved into an awed sound. Every now and then when he was required to drop suddenly or take a turn so not to fight against the wind, her little tantalizing gasps reached his ear and made his blood ignite, fueling his imagination with other ways he could make a female gasp in his arms.

  It was entirely inappropriate. It was contrary to everything he had been taught at a young age of how a valmek was to behave around females or anyone in need of his strength. She gave no indication of interest in mating, but some part of him was fixating on her, and by the gods, he enjoyed it.

  Chapter 5

  With her body pressed firmly against the large frame of the alien carrying her, surrounded by his incredible heat, Vanessa had spent their flight through the mountains in a languid state. Half-asleep, she had clung to him and enjoyed the warm, spicy scent of him not unlike a pleasant, mulled wine mingling with an unfamiliar masculine musk. Paired with the fact that his body seemed to emit more heat than a human, and that her cheek was nestled in the softest, warmest downy feathers that covered his upper pectorals and thickened into a luxurious collar, she had no interest in looking around until his wings dipped in descent.

  Curiosity being the bane of so many writers, she abandoned that warmth to crane her neck just enough to watch with interest despite being immediately hit in the face with a frigid blast of air that threatened to steal the breath from her lungs. The stinging sensation of the cold against her skin was just barely tolerable for a short amount of time. Enough time that she was able to watch as the mountainside and valley below them came into sharper detail as they dropped from dizzying heights.

  Her eyes widened as a large gray shadow just above the valley became more defined, emerging from the swirling snows. She was looking at an actual castle! There was no mistaking what it was. No fewer than six impossibly tall turrets jutted up into the sky from a massive walled structure that seemed like it was carved out of the rock itself. Not an impossible feat to be sure, since there were civilizations in Earth’s own history which had accomplished similar works. But seeing it in person, half-covered in snow yet lit from within with the warm glow of lights, was awe-inspiring.