population in mind. We try to make them into their genetic ideals but not all of them will be able to reach their full potential. Which is why after they go through the morph they must go through Fledge. Do you know what Fledge is, Junco?"
I shake my head.
"It's a test of sorts. To see which individuals can fulfill the potential bestowed upon them. Everyone you've met so far has succeeded in Fledge. Proved themselves worthy."
Tier's words on the rock on Earth come back to me, She's worthy. That's what I thought. She's worthy – it's just that no one recognizes it yet.
"And there is a very simple test to determine if you're worthy or not." He stops and waits for me this time.
"Which is?"
"In this case it is a series of fights. That's what Fledge is. A series of fights to the death."
"So you want me to kill people in order to prove myself."
He nods. "Your clutchmate, Esta, went through Fledge a few years ago. So she earned her place. And if you want to stay here, you must do the same."
I shrug. "OK."
"You may not use the weapon."
"Lucan," I snarl his name, "seriously, if you think the most dangerous thing about me is that stupid weapon, you are grossly mistaken."
"There is one more thing."
"And that is?" I ask, looking at him sideways.
He hesitates and I notice the slightest crack of a smile beneath his facade. "You must testify against Tier."
"No problem." I catch his shock like a firefly in a jar and tuck down my satisfaction.
He physically moves backward. "And you will tell the truth."
"I always tell the truth, Lucan."
He regains his composure. "Very well. I will set it up."
"You do that," I say to his back as he exits the room.
You do that, Lucan. And I'll do the same.
Chapter Four
Braun enters before the door can close behind Lucan and his smile brings me back from the edge. "Junco," he says, "I get that you love the shirt, but you can't wear it like that."
I frown at him as he removes his knife and lifts the fabric up from my back. "What are you doing?"
He leans down into my face. "Making you look presentable, babe. Just give me a minute." His hands get busy cutting the shirt around my wings.
"Don't call me babe." I look over my shoulder at him and he shrugs.
"Sorry, Junco. Forgot." Then he flashes a smile and continues to cut. "I invited the 039 over for poker. And the box is stocked, so should be a good time tonight."
"Why?"
He's finished cutting now and he takes a second to straighten out my shirt before leaning into my face again. "Welcome home party, Junco." His hands take my arm and force it into the shirt. Then he manipulates the cloth so that his cut stretches over the uppermost portion of my wing. When his fingers make contact with the sensitive feathers my back arches involuntarily and I squeal. "Shit, what was that?" I ask, my breath heavy.
"Sorry, Junco. I know, it's weird, right? Don't take it the wrong way, I'm just trying to get them out through the cuts in the fabric."
"What way might I take it?"
He stops and leans around to see my face. "It's kind of erotic, isn't it? The whole wing-touching thing."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Yeah, kinda."
He wrestles with the other wing, forcing me to stifle the sounds that want to escape my lips. When he's finally done I breathe out a sigh of relief and look up into his eyes. They glow a little more with each passing second and are a warm orange, like a beckoning fire. "This isn't my home, Braun." I pick up the conversation as quickly as possible to avoid the weirdness that wants to creep in.
"Is now. We inducted you as our ninth warrior back on the shuttle while you were out."
"I thought you guys didn't want me to morph? You were all outside the door when Tier and Layla were putting me under."
"Not us. That was the fucking crew and the other two teams that were hitching a ride after the clusterfuck in the MR. We were always on board. Tier would never make a decision like that without us. Just isn't
I shake my head.
"It's a test of sorts. To see which individuals can fulfill the potential bestowed upon them. Everyone you've met so far has succeeded in Fledge. Proved themselves worthy."
Tier's words on the rock on Earth come back to me, She's worthy. That's what I thought. She's worthy – it's just that no one recognizes it yet.
"And there is a very simple test to determine if you're worthy or not." He stops and waits for me this time.
"Which is?"
"In this case it is a series of fights. That's what Fledge is. A series of fights to the death."
"So you want me to kill people in order to prove myself."
He nods. "Your clutchmate, Esta, went through Fledge a few years ago. So she earned her place. And if you want to stay here, you must do the same."
I shrug. "OK."
"You may not use the weapon."
"Lucan," I snarl his name, "seriously, if you think the most dangerous thing about me is that stupid weapon, you are grossly mistaken."
"There is one more thing."
"And that is?" I ask, looking at him sideways.
He hesitates and I notice the slightest crack of a smile beneath his facade. "You must testify against Tier."
"No problem." I catch his shock like a firefly in a jar and tuck down my satisfaction.
He physically moves backward. "And you will tell the truth."
"I always tell the truth, Lucan."
He regains his composure. "Very well. I will set it up."
"You do that," I say to his back as he exits the room.
You do that, Lucan. And I'll do the same.
Chapter Four
Braun enters before the door can close behind Lucan and his smile brings me back from the edge. "Junco," he says, "I get that you love the shirt, but you can't wear it like that."
I frown at him as he removes his knife and lifts the fabric up from my back. "What are you doing?"
He leans down into my face. "Making you look presentable, babe. Just give me a minute." His hands get busy cutting the shirt around my wings.
"Don't call me babe." I look over my shoulder at him and he shrugs.
"Sorry, Junco. Forgot." Then he flashes a smile and continues to cut. "I invited the 039 over for poker. And the box is stocked, so should be a good time tonight."
"Why?"
He's finished cutting now and he takes a second to straighten out my shirt before leaning into my face again. "Welcome home party, Junco." His hands take my arm and force it into the shirt. Then he manipulates the cloth so that his cut stretches over the uppermost portion of my wing. When his fingers make contact with the sensitive feathers my back arches involuntarily and I squeal. "Shit, what was that?" I ask, my breath heavy.
"Sorry, Junco. I know, it's weird, right? Don't take it the wrong way, I'm just trying to get them out through the cuts in the fabric."
"What way might I take it?"
He stops and leans around to see my face. "It's kind of erotic, isn't it? The whole wing-touching thing."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Yeah, kinda."
He wrestles with the other wing, forcing me to stifle the sounds that want to escape my lips. When he's finally done I breathe out a sigh of relief and look up into his eyes. They glow a little more with each passing second and are a warm orange, like a beckoning fire. "This isn't my home, Braun." I pick up the conversation as quickly as possible to avoid the weirdness that wants to creep in.
"Is now. We inducted you as our ninth warrior back on the shuttle while you were out."
"I thought you guys didn't want me to morph? You were all outside the door when Tier and Layla were putting me under."
"Not us. That was the fucking crew and the other two teams that were hitching a ride after the clusterfuck in the MR. We were always on board. Tier would never make a decision like that without us. Just isn't
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