Read Online Guardians (Caretaker Chronicles Book 2) by Josi Russell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Josi Russell
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office. I wish you—” He stopped.
“Wish I could what?”
He wanted to say that he wished Zella and he
could have time to spend together that wasn’t rushing to the next shift or
dragging home from the last one, but there was too much invitation in the
words. He didn’t say them, just looked away.
Zella, still clinging to his arm, lifted a hand
to his cheek and turned his face to her.
“Daniel, we can be . . .” She
paused, searching for the right words. “Together. My parents like you. Your
mama likes me. We could, you know, get married and start a life.”
Daniel let himself remain in her arms for one
second, then pulled gently away, disentangling her hands from his arm and
pushing her hand gently away from his face before standing and leaning on the
stair railing.
“Zel, I—” How to assuage the hurt in her eyes? “It’s
not that I don’t want to be with you—I do. It’s just that, you know, with my
mother and my sisters—” He fumbled. “With my dad dying—I don’t think I can . . .
take care of anyone else right now.”
Her eyes flashed and she stood. “That’s not what
I want, Daniel. I’m not looking for someone to set me up in a life of luxury.
Did you ever think I might be asking because I think maybe you could use
somebody who would take care of you?” Zella stomped up the stairs and went into
the building. He wouldn’t see her again tonight.
He was speechless as he watched her go. He hadn’t
known the depth of her feelings. He took a step, trying to form words, but the
dry taste of Yynium dust choked them back.
***
Kaia noticed that
something was different about the junkyard as soon as the hovercar dropped her
off. She couldn’t see the junk from outside the corrugated metal fence that
surrounded it. The last time Kaia had visited, and all the times before that,
the refuse from the mines and refinery had lain in twisted, tangled lumps. The
junker had bulldozed anything and everything into a big pile in the middle,
dumping at the edges and bulldozing around it in a big circle, pushing the
trash into an uneven heap that folded in on itself and rendered inaccessible
the center of the pile, which was where Kaia suspected all the good stuff was.
In fact, the junker had told her that somewhere
in the middle the Saras Company had dumped all the old ship parts from the
first exploration missions they’d sent to Minea. Kaia would like to get her
hands on some of those first drives. She had read about them in the manuals.
Called Octagon drives, they held potential in their cores that Kaia felt had
been overlooked in the rush to redesign them. All the parts from the old ships
were rumored to be in here somewhere. Buried under ever-increasing loads, they’d
become nothing more than refuse, dumped in this unused corner of the city
behind the spaceport, and covered with concrete rubble, old hovercars, and
tangled mining equipment.
But now, as Kaia entered, the junkyard was
inviting. Flowing arcs of piled metal gave way to smooth lines of old boards.
The pathways between the towering piles of junk had been neatly swept, and
small columns of smooth stones dotted the intersections, offering navigation
through the maze. She was here looking for a set of gears and anything she
could use for the body of a little robot she was making for Polara and Rigel.
She glanced toward the middle, where the enormous
mountain of junk had shrunk considerably. Around it were smaller piles,
obviously being reorganized into small groups of similar items. She took a few
steps toward it, wondering if any early items had been uncovered, then glanced
at her missive to check the time. There was a new message from Aria, seeing if
they could move their lunch date back an hour. She swiped it, and sent a yes.
Calculating how much time it would take to get back to the housing district, she
knew she’d have to see if she could find the old ship stuff next time. She didn’t
want to be rushed through exploration
“Wish I could what?”
He wanted to say that he wished Zella and he
could have time to spend together that wasn’t rushing to the next shift or
dragging home from the last one, but there was too much invitation in the
words. He didn’t say them, just looked away.
Zella, still clinging to his arm, lifted a hand
to his cheek and turned his face to her.
“Daniel, we can be . . .” She
paused, searching for the right words. “Together. My parents like you. Your
mama likes me. We could, you know, get married and start a life.”
Daniel let himself remain in her arms for one
second, then pulled gently away, disentangling her hands from his arm and
pushing her hand gently away from his face before standing and leaning on the
stair railing.
“Zel, I—” How to assuage the hurt in her eyes? “It’s
not that I don’t want to be with you—I do. It’s just that, you know, with my
mother and my sisters—” He fumbled. “With my dad dying—I don’t think I can . . .
take care of anyone else right now.”
Her eyes flashed and she stood. “That’s not what
I want, Daniel. I’m not looking for someone to set me up in a life of luxury.
Did you ever think I might be asking because I think maybe you could use
somebody who would take care of you?” Zella stomped up the stairs and went into
the building. He wouldn’t see her again tonight.
He was speechless as he watched her go. He hadn’t
known the depth of her feelings. He took a step, trying to form words, but the
dry taste of Yynium dust choked them back.
***
Kaia noticed that
something was different about the junkyard as soon as the hovercar dropped her
off. She couldn’t see the junk from outside the corrugated metal fence that
surrounded it. The last time Kaia had visited, and all the times before that,
the refuse from the mines and refinery had lain in twisted, tangled lumps. The
junker had bulldozed anything and everything into a big pile in the middle,
dumping at the edges and bulldozing around it in a big circle, pushing the
trash into an uneven heap that folded in on itself and rendered inaccessible
the center of the pile, which was where Kaia suspected all the good stuff was.
In fact, the junker had told her that somewhere
in the middle the Saras Company had dumped all the old ship parts from the
first exploration missions they’d sent to Minea. Kaia would like to get her
hands on some of those first drives. She had read about them in the manuals.
Called Octagon drives, they held potential in their cores that Kaia felt had
been overlooked in the rush to redesign them. All the parts from the old ships
were rumored to be in here somewhere. Buried under ever-increasing loads, they’d
become nothing more than refuse, dumped in this unused corner of the city
behind the spaceport, and covered with concrete rubble, old hovercars, and
tangled mining equipment.
But now, as Kaia entered, the junkyard was
inviting. Flowing arcs of piled metal gave way to smooth lines of old boards.
The pathways between the towering piles of junk had been neatly swept, and
small columns of smooth stones dotted the intersections, offering navigation
through the maze. She was here looking for a set of gears and anything she
could use for the body of a little robot she was making for Polara and Rigel.
She glanced toward the middle, where the enormous
mountain of junk had shrunk considerably. Around it were smaller piles,
obviously being reorganized into small groups of similar items. She took a few
steps toward it, wondering if any early items had been uncovered, then glanced
at her missive to check the time. There was a new message from Aria, seeing if
they could move their lunch date back an hour. She swiped it, and sent a yes.
Calculating how much time it would take to get back to the housing district, she
knew she’d have to see if she could find the old ship stuff next time. She didn’t
want to be rushed through exploration
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