Read Online Starfinder: A Novel of the Skylords by John Marco - Free Book Online
Authors: John Marco
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coat small enough to fit him, tossing out clothing as he searched. “Too big,” he said, again and again. Finally, he fished up a coat he thought might suit him. “Here,” he pronounced, turning toward Fiona as he slipped it on. “This should keep me warm out—”
He stopped, shocked to see Fiona already buttoning up a coat of her own. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going with you,” she announced. She stretched out her arms, spinning to show off the coat. The long, blue garment flared out like a skirt around her ankles.
“You can’t,” said Moth. “You have to go back.”
“No. I can’t ever go back there. I can’t , Moth.”
Moth knew she was just acting brave. Or maybe she really was afraid, but not of the Reach. “Fiona, you think you have nothing to lose but you’re wrong. You have everything.”
“Like what?” said Fiona tartly. “My parents are dead. My grandfather’s a criminal who doesn’t want me around. I have nothing, Moth. The only thing I have is you.” She shoved her fists into the coat’s floppy pockets. “These pockets are plenty deep. We can stuff ’em full of food.” She peered into a crate packed with boots and started picking through them. “We’ll need these, too,” she said. “For the mountain.”
Moth slid closer. “Fiona?”
“Come on, help me look. Start trying them on.”
“You can’t just run away, Fiona. He’ll come looking for you.”
Fiona was careful to keep her face turned away. “No he won’t, Moth,” she said, her voice breaking. “He’ll just come looking for that star-thingy.”
MISSING
SKYHIGH CORALIN STALKED across the misty airfield, sneaking past the silent hangars with an unlit lantern and his pockets stuffed with food and matches. Dawn was less than an hour away, and Skyhigh hurried to reach the barn before the sun came up. After a long and sleepless night spent patrolling Calio in his dragonfly he had managed to scrounge up a few more supplies for Moth and Fiona, but the day ahead promised to be another busy one, and Skyhigh knew he wouldn’t have much time to spend with the kids. By now Governor Rendor was looking for Fiona, he was sure. He glanced about as he made his way to the old hangar, afraid he might be followed. Taking supplies to Moth and Fiona was a risk. If he was discovered . . .
“Don’t think about it,” he whispered, crossing into the shadow of the barn. He would check on them quickly, he decided, give them the things he had brought, and then be off. If he was lucky he’d be back to work by the time the cooks started slopping out breakfast.
As he rounded the west side of the building, Skyhigh put the lantern handle between his teeth, letting it swing from his jaw to free up his hands so he could open the doors. But the doors, he discovered, had already been opened. He bit down miserably on the handle of the lantern.
“Oh, no . . .”
At once he peered inside, listening carefully, The vast interior of the place stood silent. He stepped into the dark hangar.
“Moth?” he chanced. “Fiona?”
No answer. Skyhigh pushed on deeper, his mind racing with awful possibilities. His eyes scanned the blackness as he made his way toward the loft, but when he came to a disheveled pile of clothing and boots, he paused. The coats had been picked through, thrown aside in a hurry. The barrel of boots was the same.
“No!” he shouted. Angrily he tossed the lantern to the ground. The glass enclosure shattered to bits. “Moth!” he growled. “Don’t you ever listen?”
He thought of going after them, but doubted he’d find them. Calio was a small city but full of good hiding places. All they had to do was wait long enough to hop on the train.
“I don’t have time for this,” groaned Skyhigh.
He went back toward the doors, slipping outside again into the cool air. He’d have to look for them later, he decided. Right now there were escorts to fly.
As he headed for the barracks, Skyhigh’s gaze fell upon
He stopped, shocked to see Fiona already buttoning up a coat of her own. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going with you,” she announced. She stretched out her arms, spinning to show off the coat. The long, blue garment flared out like a skirt around her ankles.
“You can’t,” said Moth. “You have to go back.”
“No. I can’t ever go back there. I can’t , Moth.”
Moth knew she was just acting brave. Or maybe she really was afraid, but not of the Reach. “Fiona, you think you have nothing to lose but you’re wrong. You have everything.”
“Like what?” said Fiona tartly. “My parents are dead. My grandfather’s a criminal who doesn’t want me around. I have nothing, Moth. The only thing I have is you.” She shoved her fists into the coat’s floppy pockets. “These pockets are plenty deep. We can stuff ’em full of food.” She peered into a crate packed with boots and started picking through them. “We’ll need these, too,” she said. “For the mountain.”
Moth slid closer. “Fiona?”
“Come on, help me look. Start trying them on.”
“You can’t just run away, Fiona. He’ll come looking for you.”
Fiona was careful to keep her face turned away. “No he won’t, Moth,” she said, her voice breaking. “He’ll just come looking for that star-thingy.”
MISSING
SKYHIGH CORALIN STALKED across the misty airfield, sneaking past the silent hangars with an unlit lantern and his pockets stuffed with food and matches. Dawn was less than an hour away, and Skyhigh hurried to reach the barn before the sun came up. After a long and sleepless night spent patrolling Calio in his dragonfly he had managed to scrounge up a few more supplies for Moth and Fiona, but the day ahead promised to be another busy one, and Skyhigh knew he wouldn’t have much time to spend with the kids. By now Governor Rendor was looking for Fiona, he was sure. He glanced about as he made his way to the old hangar, afraid he might be followed. Taking supplies to Moth and Fiona was a risk. If he was discovered . . .
“Don’t think about it,” he whispered, crossing into the shadow of the barn. He would check on them quickly, he decided, give them the things he had brought, and then be off. If he was lucky he’d be back to work by the time the cooks started slopping out breakfast.
As he rounded the west side of the building, Skyhigh put the lantern handle between his teeth, letting it swing from his jaw to free up his hands so he could open the doors. But the doors, he discovered, had already been opened. He bit down miserably on the handle of the lantern.
“Oh, no . . .”
At once he peered inside, listening carefully, The vast interior of the place stood silent. He stepped into the dark hangar.
“Moth?” he chanced. “Fiona?”
No answer. Skyhigh pushed on deeper, his mind racing with awful possibilities. His eyes scanned the blackness as he made his way toward the loft, but when he came to a disheveled pile of clothing and boots, he paused. The coats had been picked through, thrown aside in a hurry. The barrel of boots was the same.
“No!” he shouted. Angrily he tossed the lantern to the ground. The glass enclosure shattered to bits. “Moth!” he growled. “Don’t you ever listen?”
He thought of going after them, but doubted he’d find them. Calio was a small city but full of good hiding places. All they had to do was wait long enough to hop on the train.
“I don’t have time for this,” groaned Skyhigh.
He went back toward the doors, slipping outside again into the cool air. He’d have to look for them later, he decided. Right now there were escorts to fly.
As he headed for the barracks, Skyhigh’s gaze fell upon
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