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

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’ve never been in your room before, so I’ll need you to guide me around,” he said.

April sighed. She took his hand and pulled him along. “Come on. The door’s over this way.”

A supernova exploded under his eyelids. Its shock wave reached his lips just as he smiled. “You’re kicking me out? But the music sounds so much better in here.”

“Orin, you can’t stay.” Tears welled in her eyes. “You’ve seen me. To be honest, I don’t know how you can even stand to be around me.”

“That’s like asking me if I could stand to be around when the moon rises over the sea, or if I could stand to be around for the sunrise.” He smiled wistfully. “Yes, April, I can definitely stand to be around you.”

She released his hand and wiped at her nose. Hurrying to the bathroom, she grabbed a terrycloth robe from a steel hook and secured it tightly around her. “All right, you… you can look.”

“Thank you,” said Orin, and he opened his eyes. “Will you dance with me?”

April laughed. “I don’t think so. I’m rubbish at dancing! Pure rubbish.”

Stars twinkled in his eyes. “That’s okay. I can’t dance, either.”

“That’s hardly a compelling argument.” She gazed upon him awhile. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Hesitantly, she took his hand. Slowly they danced, and they drifted close.

In time, the symphony faded away, and they parted. “You’d best check in with Casey,” said April. “She’ll be losing her mind by now. Come to think of it, I’m surprised she hasn’t called me yet.”

“I never left the hangar,” said Orin. “I’m just also here, with you.”

“You are?” she whispered, and he nodded. “How?”

“I don’t know, but I think Mike’s starting to worry,” said Orin. “You have my focus, so my conversation with him has been a bit distracted.”

She leaned into his chest and listened to the music of the cosmos contained within him. “You’d better get back, then.”

“I guess I’d better.” He smiled sweetly, and he vanished.

Stumbling slightly, April steadied herself. With a dreamy smile, she shed her bathrobe, eased down onto her bed, and she stretched out. Her tendrils and filaments pulsed and swayed prismatically.

◆◆◆

Within the cargo hangar, Orin brought his attention to bear on Casey as she led Edison, Malmoradan, Shona, Sturmhardt, and Misaki down the stairs. He studied Casey as she smiled and laughed with her friends and crewmates. Something felt off about her. It almost feels like she has a nightmare body, but she doesn’t look any different from her primary form, thought Orin. I’ll have to ask her about that.

“Welcome back,” said Mike. He sat on a nearby workbench. “You had me a little worried there.”

“Sorry. I was somewhere else,” said Orin.

“Do you mean that literally or figuratively?” asked Mike.

“Literally,” said Orin. “I thought of April, and I was simultaneously here and in her room with her.”

“That’s extraordinary. Are you limited by distance?”

“I don’t know, but I’m not about to risk finding out here in the nightmare,” said Orin.

Involuntarily, Orin thought of Eridani and his parents. Instantly, he stood within the dining hall of Martin’s Cavern Lake mansion. Glass walls and wooden floors flowed around the natural stones and contours of the cave into which the residence was built. Red and green string lights twinkled alongside streamers of plastic icicles, over bunches of holly, foam candy canes, and festive candles.

Torsha noticed him first, and she stared, astonished. “Orin?”

Everyone else at the table turned to see what she was looking at. “What’s going on?” whispered Aurora.

Eridani stood up and cautiously approached her brother. “Orin, is that you?” Thuraya hurried to stand protectively between Orin and Eridani. Oliver, Aurora, Martin, and Brittany slowly gathered round.

Orin opened his mouth to speak, but his head swung back, and he released a piercing, harmonic shriek. Covering their ears, the others watched as Orin’s body flickered. As suddenly as he had appeared, Orin vanished.

Within the cargo hold, Orin collapsed on the deck, heaving. “I think I’m limited by distance,” he gasped. “Remind me never to do that again.”

“Are you okay?” asked Mike. “What happened? Where did you go?”

“Cavern Lake, I think,” said Orin. “I thought of my family, and off I went.” He climbed back to his feet. “I really need to learn to control this.”

Mike rested a reassuring hand on Orin’s back. “Be very deliberate about your thinking. Whenever you start to picture someone else, catch the thought in a piece of paper and fold it up as small as it can go. Imagine a desk. Put those thoughts inside a drawer, all the way in the back.”

Orin closed his eyes and imagined doing just that. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mike. It’ll take some practice, but that’s a huge help.”

“It’s no problem at all. After the accident, I needed a lot of help with intrusive thoughts. I’m glad it came in handy for you too,” said Mike.

“Are you okay?” asked Casey.

“I’m fine,” said Orin.

“Good.” Casey stopped next to Mike, as the others drew close. “Wow,” she said, and she whistled appreciatively. “Orin, look at you!” She glanced toward the overhead camera and gestured toward him. “In case April wasn’t sure where to look.”

Orin chuckled. “I think she knows what I look like.” He explained his simultaneous appearances.

“You danced with her like this, huh?” asked Malmoradan. “Orion Sky is catchy, but I think Smooth Sky might be a little more fitting.”

“Why Smooth Sky?” asked Orin.

“You might wanna put these on,” said Shona, and she tossed Orin a bundle of clothes.

Orin glanced down. “Oh God, I’m naked!” Red suns drifted within his ears and cheeks. “Shona, thank you. I’ll be right back!” Orin excused himself and dashed behind Casey’s shuttle. He climbed into a pair of his boxers, a pair of jeans, and he sat down to don his socks and boots.

Casey walked over as he emerged. “Hey Orin, I wanted to clear the air. We fought well together, you and me against