Broken Skies

My sleep is restful and my dreams, though odd, aren’t frightening at all. I’m back at the cabin I shared with dad and Jace, feet propped up on the table and a book in my hands. Dad is cooking di

Lir studies the cabin with wide eyes and then his emerald gaze focuses on me. That eyebrow of his rises and he smiles, a mixture of amusement and amazement on his face. He leans over me and strokes my cheek once before the dream shatters into green and gold and disappears.

* * * * * * *

The morning light slanting through the window wakes me. There’s still a dull pain in my leg, but I feel ten times better, stronger even. I hop out of bed and pause for a moment, waiting for the dizziness, the tiredness, something, but there’s nothing. It’s as if that one night of really good sleep and pleasant dreams restored me. Weird, but good, especially since I want to hit the road today.

Lir, still sleeping, looks so very peaceful, the most relaxed I’ve ever seen him. Tousled green curls frame his face and his lips are turned up in a lazy half smile. That look, it’s almost like the one he gave me in the dream, tender and sweet. If only he’d look at me like that when awake. What am I thinking?

I dash out of the room and into the kitchen. Thankfully, Peter must still be sleeping too.

Living room. Kitchen. Hallway. Repeat. My pacing doesn’t help my racing mind, but it gives me something to do. Why am I dreaming about Lir? Why do I care? Do I care if I care? The doubts and worries just keep piling on, getting even more nonsensical. What if I like him? Do I? Why don’t I even know? Shouldn’t I know?

On my next circuit, I run into Lir who’s exited the bedroom and stands in the hallway. He blinks a couple times and runs his hand through his sleep mussed hair.

“Morning.” The little half smile. The eyebrow. Stop staring, Jax. It was just a dream. “I think there’s something we need to talk about,” he says.

Oh no. Was I talking in my sleep? What if I grabbed him or something? I can’t deal with this right now. “Yup, there sure is…uhhh… your hair.”

“My hair?” His brow furrows.

“Yes, your hair.” More confident now. I smile and nod. Those guys are looking for an alien. Lir looks normal enough in Jace’s clothes and long sleeves could cover his kitu. He can almost pass for human. Then there’s his hair. I’ve seen some interesting hair colors, I mean mine is deep red after all, but I’ve never seen anyone with green hair. I reach up and feel a few strands, studying the color and the shape. “How would you feel about a haircut?”

“A haircut.” He goes from confused to almost…disappointed?

“Yeah, come on. I bet I can find some scissors.” I’m in luck. I find a large pair of poultry shears in the back of one of the kitchen drawers. I pull out a chair. “Sit.”

The eyebrow arches upwards. He’s transitioning back to amusement. Too bad it’s at the expense of my discomfort. “Should I be worried? I mean, I’d like to keep my ears please.”

I laugh and nudge his shoulder. “Just sit. I’ve got this.” Okay, so I really have no idea how to cut hair, but how hard can it possibly be?

It’s harder than I expected. Once I get the green tips cut off one side, I cut them off the other— it’s completely uneven, so I remove some more from the opposite side…. And so on. I can’t cut it too short at his neck otherwise his scales will be visible, but when I step back I have to burst out laughing at his new look.

Shorter on the sides and top and then curling down his neck. He looks ridiculous. Lir looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “Do I even want to look in a mirror right now?”

“It might be best if I evened it up at your neck and we found you a banda

“A mullet huh?” Lir smiles. His eyes meet mine and I suck in a breath.

Without the oddly colored hair to distract from them, his eyes shine out like emeralds set in gold. They are amazing and clearly non-human. Too bright. Too perfect. And I lose myself in them. “Your eyes…” I whisper.

Lir fidgets on the chair. “I can’t really do anything about those.”

I reach out and put a hand on his cheek. He freezes, studying my face, his eyes the only thing about him that’s moving. “No, you can’t,” I say. “I hadn’t… They’re amazing.” Lir chuckles nervously, but doesn’t move away. There’s a lock of hair resting on his eyelash. “Close your eyes.”

Without a word, he does and I purse my lips to blow the hair away. Our faces are only inches apart and I can see every detail of his features. Without him watching me, I take the time to take it all in. Strong cheekbones and an angular jaw. A dusting of stubble, which, this close I can tell has a hint of green in it. Long eyelashes lining his still closed eyes. Golden. He’s truly gorgeous. I brush another lock of hair from his face and, before I know what I’m doing, I lean forward and press my lips to his. The heat of desire flares through me, but almost as quickly is extinguished by the sudden chill of fear. What am I doing?

Lir jerks back and opens his eyes. “Jax?”

My hand slaps over my mouth and I jump up and run out of the room. Out of the house. Just out. I can’t believe I did that. I’ve done some pretty stupid things, some pretty impulsive things, but this was topping the list. What that hell was I thinking? I wasn’t, that’s the problem.

Lir runs out of the house calling my name. He sees me at the end of the gravel drive and starts toward me, but I turn and run into the trees. “Jax, come back.”

I run full out, not caring, not wanting to think. Just run. I want to go home. I want to find Jace. I want… to kiss him again. My feet almost squeal against the dirt with my abrupt stop. Where did that thought come from? Random bursts of thought start to coalesce in my head, making more sense than before. I can’t run from this. I need Lir to get to Jace. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a whisper: I need Lir. Period.

Turning back the way I came, my steps are much slower now. I’m not looking forward to discussing this with Lir. I round the corner and have to retreat. Lir is standing in the middle of the yard and four men have guns pointed at him. His hands are up, but it doesn’t look like the men are backing off. I haven’t been gone that long. How did they find us?

The bushes shield me from their view, but there’s not really anything I can do to help Lir. I can’t outrun a bullet and I’d be no good in a fight against all those guys. One man motions downward with his gun barrel and gives a command I can’t hear. Lir kneels. It’s begi

SEVENTEEN

I’m really too far away to make out their faces, but none of the men look like Stu. That’s a start. Lir’s kitu is covered and his hair is mostly disguised. They might not know what he is.

Or maybe they do. A blond man kicks Lir in the stomach. His shout is loud enough to reach my ears. “Erk bastard.”

Lir doubles over, clutching his stomach and the man who kicked him raises his gun. The kicker’s voice is lower now and I can’t make out the words. Lir shakes his head rapidly, interjecting with more words too low for me to hear.

Peter runs out of the house, throwing himself between the gun and Lir and frantically waving his arms. One of the other men, this one brown haired, steps forward and grabs Peter’s arm. He pulls Peter out of the way and points his gun at the priest.

There’s no way I can sit here and watch them be shot. I have to do something to stop this. The moment I start toward the yard, Lir’s head springs up and he searches the tree line until he’s looking right at my location.