Broken Skies Read Online Free PDF Page B

intense expression on his face as he studies me than the touch. He tilts his head to the side and I quickly look away, concentrating instead on trying to get my shaky hands to thread the needle.
    After my fourth or maybe fifth attempt, Lir shakes his head. “One would think you humans would be a little more advanced than a needle and thread.”
    There’s just enough derision in his tone for my rising temper to push out my nervousness. “We are. I mean, I could parade you down to the med center. They’ve got stuff there that will fix you right up. I don’t know how keen they’d be on letting you out though.” He doesn’t respond so I continue, “I’m horribly sorry that you have to be stuck with these primitive medical techniques. Would you rather I leave it be?”
    He holds his arm out and looks away. “Just get on with it.” His jaw tenses as he clenches his teeth and waits for me to start stitching.
    * * * * * * *
    I shoot to my feet as soon as the last stitch is in place. I’ve managed to hold my hands steady this long and now the only thing I want is to get out of this room and get a few real breaths.
    “I think you’re capable of wrapping it up. I’m going to find you something to wear. Since you can’t wear that.” I motion to the now disheveled uniform. “Dead giveaway.”
    Striding across the kitchen, I go into Jace’s room and shut the door behind me. It takes a moment before I feel comfortable enough to continue with my task. If I’m this thrown by sitting next to the alien for a few minutes, how am I ever going to survive traveling with him? It doesn’t matter. I have to make it work.
    I open Jace’s dresser and pick through the clothes, searching for something that will fit alien boy. My heart lurches just a bit as I shuffle through the haphazard pile of shirts. Jace was always the messy one. Is. I mean, Jace is the messy one. I pull out a green t-shirt and drop it on the bed, then I find a pair of faded jeans with a hole in the knee— Jace won’t miss those— and put them on the bed with the shirt.
    I manage not to jump out of my skin when Lir just walks into the room. Don’t aliens know how to knock?
    “Change,” I say, sending him a dirty look, and then stride back through the doorway.
    Flopping into the chair in the den, I begin making a mental list of supplies we’ll need for the trip. As I’m tallying the supplies I have on hand and what we may need to trade for, a loud thump draws my eye to Jace’s doorway where Lir is standing with his back to me— shirtless.
    My hand shoots up to cover the sound of my gasp. I’d heard of the green blood, but I’d never heard of anything like this. Golden scales with green tips extend from the hairline on the back of his neck in a line along his spine and flare out over his hips, disappearing into the top of the dark gray uniform pants. The line of scales, the trail down his back only a few inches wide, is brilliantly colored, almost like jewels. I’ve never seen anything like it and I want to know what they feel like. Are they soft like a snake’s sun warmed skin or hard and jagged like the colored rocks they resemble?
    I’m up and almost halfway across the room before I realize what I’m doing and stop in my tracks. Mentally cursing myself, I step back, jostling the table behind me when my hip hits it. Lir looks back at me over his shoulder and I can feel flames licking at my cheeks.
    He raises his eyebrow and simply stares at me while I stammer out something about needing to get to the kitchen. “You know, for supplies,” I say. “Food. To pack…”
    I can almost see the truth hit him as he takes in my red face and almost incoherent phrases. He begins to smile. He knows I was watching him and I’m mortified. “I’ve just never… I didn’t know… the scales…” He only looks at me expectantly and my horrible mouth won’t shut up. “They’re beautiful.” If my face could get any redder, it just did.
    “I think this is