Broken Skies Read Online Free PDF

you could have—”
    “And never gotten my brother back? Nope. It was the only choice I had. Don’t think I’m doing any of this for you.” My eyes narrow as he picks at his food. “I expect you to pull your weight, so don’t think you can just sit back and let me serve you all the time.”
    One eyebrow quirks up. “Is that what this was?” Lir motions to the food and first aid kit on the table. “You serving me?”
    I roll my eyes and stuff another chunk of bread in my mouth. He laughs. He actually laughs at me, full out, mouth open, eyes twinkling laughing at me. I squash the answering smile trying to creep across my face and force myself to look away. It’s no good getting too friendly. He is the enemy after all.
    A drop of green liquid traces its way down Lir’s forearm from underneath his makeshift bandage and drops to the table. Blood? I think I’d heard somewhere that the aliens bled green. The amount of information we actually have on Earth’s— invaders? Visitors? Settlers?— is pretty lacking, but I guess that little tidbit must have been correct.
    “You’re bleeding on the table.”
    Lir’s shoulders jerk. “Oh sorry.” He pulls the first aid kit closer. “I suppose I should go ahead and take care of this then.” He carefully unwinds his jacket from the wound, a hiss escaping his mouth when the cut is fully revealed.
    The slice is a good eight inches long, nearly from wrist to elbow. Although sluggishly, it’s still bleeding too. Green blood. Interesting. Despite their near human appearance, how many other oddities do these creatures have that set them apart from us?
    “It’s a clean cut,” I say. Lir’s head shoots up at my words and he sends me a dirty look. “You might need to sew it up though.”
    The eyebrow goes up again. Damn eyebrow. “You are a helpful one aren’t you?” He smirks and scoots his chair closer to mine, pulling the white box along the table until he’s next to me. “I am left handed though, and it is not exactly in a convenient spot. Not to mention, you are the one that caused it. I think y ou might need to sew it up.”
    “Me?” The word comes out in a croak.
    “Well I cannot exactly wander around leaking blood now can I?” He tilts his head to the side. “Not if you want my help anyway.”
    Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and will my hands to be steady. I can do this. “Okay,” I say quietly.
    Lir leans closer and sets his arm down across the table in front of me. It’s just an arm, nothing special. Warm skin with a dusting of pale gold hair. Nothing scary. It’s going to sit there and I’m going to sew it up. I’ve sewn up wounds for Jace before. No big deal.
    Except I’ve never been as… aware… of Jace as I am of Lir. Jace is Jace, my brother, no one that could hurt me, but Lir is different. An unknown. He’s been pleasant enough, but that could change in an instant. I slide the med kit across the table and take out some gauze, suture thread and the small curved needle.
    Lir shifts when my fingers brush against his arm and I flinch, jerking my hand back.
    “I’m not going to bite you know,” he says.
    He’s facing away from me— Is he queasy?— so he must not have seen my expression. His head turns and I bring my eyes back down to his arm. No good to have him thinking I’m scared.
    I settle my left hand on his wrist and use my right to wipe at the cut with disinfectant soaked gauze. He inhales sharply and stiffens, and I almost snatch my hand away again, but he relaxes once I’ve finished cleaning his wound and so do I. Well, mostly. My breathing is pretty steady at least. This is a little harder than I thought it would be.
    I fumble when I go to grab the needle. It slips from my fingers and slides off the table. Before it can hit the floor, Lir’s hand darts out to catch it and he holds it out to me, his fingertips brushing against my palm when I take it from him. A chill passes over me in a mist of unease, more from the