Hera Read Online Free PDF Page A

illegal boats. No self doubting. Nothing
out of the ordinary.
    Her fingers shook on the white keyboard as
she forced herself to write lie after lie. Went up north as far as
Angon, north of Dakru City. Saw dolphins and a whale. A quiet
day.
    No mention of the black pillar, the man and
his boy, or Sacmis’ near death.
    Hera sat staring at the text for a long
moment, other words superimposing themselves, her mother’s words –
then she tapped the key to send the report off and waited, palms
sweating, to hear what the commander would say.
    Half an hour later, Nekut walked into the
room, her red hair flaring like a fire in the gloom.
    “Why are you and Sacmis wet?” Nekut stopped
before the desk, face neutral, hands clasped behind her back.
    Hera schooled her features into a matching
blankness. “Waves washed over the boat, Commander.”
    “A boring and wet first patrol, eh, Hera?”
Nekut gave a faint smile, the mask cracking for a moment. “Do not
worry, the excitement will come. Sooner or later you’ll catch
illegals and get medals and a promotion. Every time is different.
Soon you’ll find that quiet days are also good.”
    Hera nodded, not trusting her voice.
    Nekut frowned. “Why is your hair loose,
soldier? Gather it up.”
    With a trembling hand, Hera pushed the long,
wet strands out of her eyes. “Yes, Commander.”
    “You say you saw dolphins and a whale,” Nekut
said, mellowing again. “I spoke to the fisheries team and we
already sent a whaling boat that way. Good job.”
    The image of the mortal man and the boy
flashed before Hera’s eyes and damn it all if she did not feel a
knot of worry form in her stomach. Would they have the time to get
away before the whaling team reached the place, or would they be
shot?
    Forget about them.
    But her body was strummed like a music chord
and sweat ran down her back.
    “Well, get some rest, Hera. I’ll comment on
your report tomorrow. Good job, Gultur.” She saluted, and Hera
saluted back. The Commander had barely left the room when Hera
slumped back in her chair and closed her eyes, sighing in
relief.
    Sacmis had not betrayed her. Too scared,
probably, that they’d believe Hera’s word over hers. After all,
Hera was a hatha , and had a clean record of obedience.
    But what to do now? Hera rubbed her
face. She once thought she knew. Her future lay ahead, bright and
straight: a career in the police, then the temple, while pursuing
her parasitology studies in the biology department. That was the
plan. That had been her path.
    Nothing was clear anymore. Too much gray had
blurred the outlines.
    Two other hathas walked in, the fine
scales on their necks catching the light and giving them away. They
nodded a greeting. Hera took a deep breath and stood. She needed
fresh air, she needed to walk and think. She needed to see with her
own eyes the mortals’ world, and she’d be damned if she waited
longer.
    Slipping out of the offices was easy, but the
guard at the gate was not happy with the idea of her leaving.
    “Your transport to Dakru City will be here in
ten minutes, hatha .”
    “Then I’ll take the next one.”
    The guard bowed her head. Sweat trickled down
her temples. Interesting . The guard was nervous. Was it fear
or attraction? “You are not supposed to go out, hatha .”
    She scowled. “And why not?”
    “Your education and training are not finished
yet.”
    “This makes no sense.” Hera grabbed the
guard’s arm. The other Gultur shook. Definitely fear, Hera could
smell it on the other woman’s sweat. “We walk freely in Dakru City
and the Bone Tower, why not here?”
    “ Hatha , please...” Futilely, the guard
tried to pull away. “You are only sixteen. The indoctrination is
not yet complete and there’s insurgence in the major cities of the
mortals—”
    “Now? Here?” Hera released the woman, mostly
out of shock. “Are you telling me I was patrolling the coast for
fishermen while there’s real fighting going on?” Her hands