Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

Roscoe, TJ, and Ramsey plummeted from the Starwind. A ruined, crescent-shaped campus awaited them far below. Roscoe and TJ grinned as they rocketed toward the planet’s surface. Ramsey wore an armored rebreather that cupped the back of his head.

Eridani tumbled wildly. She breathed raggedly, nearly hyperventilating. Directional thrusters glowed from within her armor’s shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joints.

We will keep you safe, said Eleski. Remember, I am your body, and Katsinki is your propulsion. Move, like you did before. We will receive your neural impulses and translate them into the appropriate locomotion.

“I’m going to die,” breathed Eridani. She closed her eyes tight.

Grostonk picked up the comm. “You’d better not!”

You will not perish, said Katsinki. However, if you do not open your eyes and start moving, it is possible we will damage your body when moving it for you. This is not what we wish.

Eridani screamed, and she curled into a ball as she fell.

“Captain, what’s wrong?” asked Grostonk. “Captain!”

You can do this, said Eleski.

I can’t do this, thought Eridani.

Trust the movements of your body, said Katsinki.

All right, thought Eridani. Here goes nothing! She opened her eyes and extended her legs, willing them to jump. The rockets fired, and the wings sprang from her back. She swooped up, catching a glimpse of the shuttle as it raced for the horizon. It worked! Oh my god, we’re flying!

Indeed, we are, said Eleski. A feeling of warmth and pride flowed from her.

“Grostonk, I’m okay,” said Eridani. “Everything’s okay!”

He exhaled audibly and sat back in his chair. “Good. I really need to—wait, they can’t hear me, can they? Roscoe and his guys, I mean.”

“No way,” said Eridani. “It’s just you, me, and the denshi-tengus on this channel.”

“Good. Great,” said Grostonk. “Because now I need to hit the head. Can’t imagine why. I’ll be right back.”

“Talk to you soon,” said Eridani, and she beamed. She rolled and dove, coming alongside Roscoe’s Reavers just as they pulled their cords. They guided their parachutes to land beyond the edge of the ruined campus, where they promptly took cover under a rusted slab.

Rocketing skyward for a moment more, Eridani cut her engines and fell backward, arms outstretched. Gaining speed, her wings snapped back to their recesses as she twisted like a corkscrew, catching flight again close to the surface, where she drifted down upon the cushion of her directional thrusters. Her wings folded up again as she touched down near the mercenary trio.

“That’s a really nice rig,” said Ramsey. “Where’d you get it?”

“Some friends made it for me,” said Eridani.

“Don’t suppose you got a business card,” said Roscoe. “I know a lot of people that’d pay good money for high-end custom mech suits.”

Still breathless and grinning, Eridani stood arms akimbo. “It was kind of a one-off, but I’ll ask if they’d be interested in picking up some more business.”

“Yeah, sure you will,” said TJ, and he kicked away a stray bone.

“Enough talk boys,” said Roscoe. “It’s time to move.” Keeping low, he regarded Eridani as he crept along a valley of broken machinery. “Appreciate you keeping their attention while we winged down, but you gave away our position.” He and TJ cleared their throats, expectorating wads of black sludge. “It would’ve been better if you landed further off and used stealth to close the distance.”

“Whose attention are we talking about?” asked Eridani.

TJ’s pupils dilated behind ephemeral grids that flashed upon his lenses. “Schurke’s sentries. They’re scattered across the campus rooftops.”

“I didn’t see anyone,” said Eridani.

Roscoe winked. “Wouldn’t be very good at their jobs if you did.” Suddenly apprehensive, he nudged a nearby pile of clothing with his boot. A fresh body tumbled out. “This man’s been shot. I think we stumbled into their killing field.”

Ramsey dropped prone.

TJ swiftly scanned their surroundings. “Hidden bunkers,” he said. Quickly, precisely, he indicated three locations. “I’m activating coordinated photonic polymers.” He blinked twice and vanished completely from sight.

“This is what I was talking about, when I said you gave away our—!” Thrown back violently, Roscoe struck a wall of junk. Gunfire cracked in the distance. Gritting his teeth, Roscoe stood upright and plucked a badly deformed bullet from his cheekbone. Blood trickled from the injury, and titanium claws extended from his gloves. “Keep moving,” he growled, and he bolted across the rusted field, moving faster than Eridani could follow.

We are being targeted, said Eleski. You must run!

Got it, thought Eridani, and she bolted along the makeshift path. Pockets of debris exploded from both sides of the ravine as gunfire echoed across the landscape.

Flames engulfed one of the hidden bunkers. Brief cries of surprise and anguish erupted from another. Silence lingered for only a moment before machinegun and pistol fire filled the air from the third bunker. One by one, the firearms fell quiet.

Winded, Eridani pressed her back against a junkyard wall. Moving around is exhausting, she thought. What am I doing wrong?

You are moving your limbs, causing them to strain against me, said Eleski. Allow yourself to relax completely. Allow me to serve as your musculoskeletal apparatus.

Eridani nodded. I’ll try.

To her right, Ramsey assembled his rifle and bipod. He took position further up the ravine and fired several shots. A moment later, Roscoe returned in a blur of motion.

“How do you move like that?” asked Eridani. “I didn’t see anything in your profile that accounts for it.”

“What you spent on that starship, I spent on neuroware and other upgrades,” said Roscoe. “And I ain’t about to tip my hand by listing everything they put in me.”

TJ rippled into visibility, standing beside his uncle.

“All immediate threats have been eliminated,” said Ramsey, and he rejoined the others. “The eastern entrance should be clear for about a minute.”

“Keep ‘em pinned,” said Roscoe. “TJ, support your cousin. Use your stealth suit to keep ‘em guessing. The captain and I will wait for you inside.” He looked at Eridani. “You’re fast enough. You can keep up.” He dashed away, moving at superhuman speeds.

Eridani activated her rockets and followed. Racing along the valley, she dove under rusted