Rift in the Sky

About to repeat her warning, much louder, Aryl hesitated. “From home . . .” she answered, losing whatever else she might have said. “Before we left.” On impulse, she lifted her arm and showed him her bracelet. “This, too.”

“Nice work. But new,” in a dismissive tone. “My specialty is the ancient. The rare. Rare like you.” The Human reached for her hair. “What is it about you?” he asked, his voice gone strange, his eyes not quite focused. “There’s something . . .”

Don’t attract attention. Blend in. Which precluded slapping his hand away, she decided reluctantly. Her hair promptly retreated, twisting itself into an uncomfortably tight knot at the back of her neck.

Encouraging that unwelcome hand to pursue.

Hair wasn’t, Aryl realized, particularly clever. She slid off the stool and away from the hand before it touched. “I’ll be leaving,” she said firmly and did.

“Don’t go!”

Aryl joined the others pushing their way into the crowd around the stage.

KaeCee, undeterred, followed.

Aryl?

Remind me to tell you how well I blended, Aryl sent, not holding back a snip of outrage. Which wasn’t all because she was forced to run away. There was being surrounded by too many Humans, everyone with sloshing drinks and foul breath. There was breathing smoke and enduring brain-numbing noise.

Not to mention the floor was sticky.

Without warning, Aryl found herself pressed against the side of the stage by the crowd. She looked up naked legs and other parts to find herself staring into golden eyes the size of her fist.

“You!” she shouted.

“Wait!” KaeCee cried from behind.

There were times no action would end well. Aryl stared up at her quarry, quivering with the desire to leap on the stage and grab it, knowing she shouldn’t. It, meanwhile, began a graceful gyration to the left, traveling away from her as quickly as it could given the lack of space between its fellows and their lack of cooperation getting out of its way.

Unfortunately, not moving gave the persistent Human all the time he needed to catch up and breathe down her neck. Aryl dug a discreet elbow sharply into his ribs. As he gasped, she took advantage of a gap between tables to go left herself, keeping the golden-eyed creature in sight.

Only wise, she told herself, to keep all options available.

A sweaty hand gripped her arm. Shields tight, proud of her restraint, Aryl glared into his flushed face and said very clearly, “I will break your wrist.”

KaeCee let go, but didn’t retreat. “If you want the Aala, I’ll hire him for the night. Just come back with me.”

Aala. The golden-eyed creature had a name. Was male.

Night? How could she know for sure, down here?

How could she believe anything this Human told her? Aryl forced the edge from her voice. “I don’t need him all night. I need him to show me how to reach the top layer of this city.” To free her people. To take them to the sun and sky. She hadn’t realized the urgency of that need until now. Her breath caught. “Can you arrange it?”

This produced a beaming smile. Two of his teeth, she noticed, had been inlaid with tiny stones. “My dear beauty. I can do better. You don’t need him. I can take you.”

“You know the way?”

“Of course. You don’t think I live here, do you?” He paused as if waiting for a reply, then continued more quickly. “My offices are in the Sun Layer itself. I come down occasionally. For the scenery.” With a move closer.

Moved or was pushed. The music had increased in tempo, causing a mass shuffle toward the stage among the spectators. To express disapproval? From what Aryl could see, those who made it close to the stage either threw items to impede the footing of those on it or slapped them.

Then she noticed how those on the stage came perilously near its edge to provide flesh to be slapped, and how each slap left behind a patch of gold or silver.

Not disapproval. As for what it was?

Aryl shook her head. Watching pox eat their flop-eared prey made more sense.

“Here.” KaeCee pressed something small and round into her hand. “Why should Brocheuse get them all?” With a wave at a nearby gyrating Human, whose bare skin sparkled with patches. Among other things. Flecks of metal pinched his skin along lines that suggested the seams of clothing. That had to hurt. Maybe those watching gave him the patches out of pity, Aryl thought dubiously.

“Go ahead,” her companion urged. “Have some fun. Be daring.”

The suggestion from one who belonged here was all Aryl needed. “I will,” she said happily.

And leaped on the stage in pursuit of the Aala.

Chapter 4

AS CHASES WENT, it was over too quickly. The Aala spotted her approach, eyes dilating, but when he tried to flee, his limbs tangled with those of his neighbors, knocking several down. On rising again, they began, most unfairly, to strike him with fists and feet.