Chapter 7

SEVEN

Turi was used to waking up before dawn. The bed was too soft, the room too quiet, and her mind too full of questions and revelations. She slipped out from under the covers and padded barefoot across the plush carpet to the window. The fortress was silent, save for the occasional hum of machinery that she was slowly becoming accustomed to. Outside, the darkness of the early dawn was punctuated by the blinking out of distant stars and the soft glow of the planet’s three moons. It was a view she could never have imagined from the confines of her settlement.

She turned away from the window and looked around her room. The room was more furnished now, after six days of Turi being there. Comfortable sofas and chairs were arranged in the large main area, with a small ion fireplace for her alone. Ara said Ellion installed the module because he’d seen Turi sitting by the large one in the central hall. One wall was a storage closet, which Turi didn’t know in the beginning, and she had a nice selection of clothes to choose from.

Ara had become a constant companion, assisting her with navigating the various rooms and functionalities of the fortress. The Skrac had left a small device on a table by the door. It was a communication device, she’d been told, should she need anything during the night. Turi wasn’t brave enough to try using it yet, but she still marveled at the technology that was commonplace here in the fortress.

She was no longer bound by the rules of the settlement, no longer confined to the fields and the small, cramped house she had shared with her family, and already, that life felt farther and farther away. Here, she could wander without fear of punishment or censure.

Turi dressed quickly in the new, soft clothes and stepped out into the hallway. There were two fabricators in the fortress, and she headed for the closest one on the fourth level. There, she found a large mess hall, filled with tables and chairs that were all empty. It looked as if many people once lived there, but the fortress was always eerily quiet. The only sound the soft whisper of air circulating through the vents. She walked slowly, running her fingers along the cool, silver walls, feeling the subtle hum of energy beneath her touch.

She fabricated a breakfast of warm porridge and added sweet fruits that Turi had never tasted before, enjoying the flavors and marking it as a favorite. The large kitchen was where Ellion had said she could try cooking, if she wished. Presently, it sat quiet and untouched. The large, sleek metal ovens and stoves were far too intimidating to try using on her own.

It was a good morning for exploring. Ara was nowhere to be seen. Ellion was absent, as he often was, so she explored. The lower levels of the fortress were still a mystery. The lift carried her down smoothly, and she stepped out into a dimly lit corridor. At the end of the hall, a soft, ambient light spilled out from an open doorway. Curiosity pulled her forward, and she peeked inside.

She let out a gasp and took in the room before her. It was vast, filled with rows upon rows of shelves, each one overflowing with books, tablets, and strange objects she couldn’t begin to identify. The scent of old paper and the cool hum of the digital tablets filled the air with a sense of awe and possibility.

Turi stepped inside, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. She wandered around, cautiously at first, then bolder. She fingered the spines of old bound books, her gaze tracing the intricate patterns on the covers and the faint embossed letters that held a world of stories and knowledge. The air was thick with the scent of aged paper and the faint, metallic tang of technology.

It had to be a library, but she’d only heard of them from stories of old times, before things became lean and hard at the settlement. Turi gaped in awe at the expansive library, overwhelmed by the sheer number of books, files, and tablets. The knowledge contained within those shelves was staggering. She yearned to read and learn, but reading was forbidden by anyone other than Riests, and even they were only permitted to read certain texts, as dictated by the Axis.

“Do you like to read?” Ellion’s voice came from behind her, startling a yelp out of her. He leaned against the doorway, wings folded behind him and a small smile playing on his lips.

“I…I can’t read,” she admitted. “You know we aren’t allowed.”

“I wondered if you found a way. Others have, in the past.”

“You knew this and you didn’t punish them?”

Ellion shrugged. “I exercise discretion in what I choose to notice in the settlements. If I didn’t, all my time would be spent administering punishments.” His expression softened. “Would you like to learn to read?”

The idea was both thrilling and daunting. “Am I allowed to, now?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“I don’t see why not,” he replied. “You are no longer living in a settlement.”

“Then, yes.” She raised her chin as a sudden wave of excitement moved through her. “I’d like that very much.”

He stepped further into the library, his presence somehow making the vast room feel intimate. “Then I will teach you.”

Turi’s pulse kicked up a notch at the sound of his deep, confident voice. “Thank you…Ellion.”

Ellion smiled and his face lost its harsh lines for a moment. His eyes twinkled with pleasure as his gaze moved over her in a faintly possessive way that made her shiver. “Very well.” He walked to one of the shelves and selected a slim book with a red leather cover. “We’ll start with something simple.” He handed it to her, and their fingers brushed briefly. Turi’s breath caught at the sudden warmth that passed between them. She quickly schooled her features, not wanting to reveal the unexpected sensation.

“What language are these books written in?” Turi asked, following him to a bench between two shelves.

“Dendian. It is the most commonly spoken language of the quadrant,” he said. “ We are speaking it right now. I suspect it will be easy for you once you put the symbols together with the sounds.”

They sat and Ellion tapped the cover of the book he’d handed her. “It’s a simple, whimsical volume of poems, mostly about the stars. Some are of love. The words are easy and you should find it entertaining.”

She didn’t know what poems were, exactly, but she settled beside him, close enough to feel the heat of his body beside hers. To breathe in the scent of him. She liked sitting next to him. She no longer felt such fear in his presence. Turi was more comfortable around him. Just the fact that she’d called him by his name, rather than “Overseer,” was a big step. She saw the effect it had on him.

“Open the book,” he said. “Let us begin with the first poem.”

She nodded and did as he said. Her fingers moved the pages with great care, as if they were fragile, delicate things. Her mouth was tense, because this thing she was doing was strictly forbidden in the place where she’d spent most of her life. The Axis might disapprove of this, but if Ellion wasn’t worried, neither was she. Her gaze moved eagerly to the symbols on the pages. Her heart beat hard with excitement. Soon, everything in this incredible library would be open for her. To learn .

Perhaps the years ahead of living in this fortress would not pass as slowly and dully as she’d feared at first. Her skin tingled at the sound of Ellion’s deep, gravelly voice as he patiently began reading the symbols, pointing out each and sounding them out. She resisted the urge to lean closer. Perhaps the years ahead would not be as lonely as she feared, either.