Free The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy

color,” Lo says.
    â€œI know,” I tell her and wink. I check Kaya, happy to find that she isn’t glaring for once. Perhaps I can appeal to her human side. “You said you were from Entra. Is that a spacedock?”
    â€œIt’s the only other planet with a settlement between Earth City and the Edge. It’s mostly farming, outside of the Runner outposts.” Kaya faces the orange ceiling as though she’s looking at something I can’t see. “We have two suns and two moons. That’s twice as good as that ridiculous Earth.”
    â€œI don’t doubt it.” I force a kind tone. She fidgets with her bracelet, and the green light makes the skin on her wrist appear alien.
    â€œWhat are the bracelets about?”
    â€œTo keep track of us.” She twirls the band on her wrist. “Johnny can’t watch over all of us all the time. He’s got other business. More lucrative business. We’re his head servant’s job, thoughhe sucks at it. He’s too busy tinkering with his toys.”
    â€œBen? I mean, the Mec?” I finish Lo’s right foot and move on to her left.
    â€œYeah. That rat of a Mec.” She leans forward and whispers, “Last run, he dropped a girl out the airlock.” She winces. “Forget I said that. So anyway, greens are elite and live in the Family Room. We get Johnny’s handpicked clients, and we don’t have to handle money. You have to be a little exotic to be green.”
    I stare down at Kaya’s tag. “So if green is the top shelf, what do the blue girls do?”
    â€œTrade themselves to the passengers. They’re a bit on their own, but they find regulars and rooms. I imagine it’s not terrible to be a blue girl.”
    â€œAnd yellow?”
    â€œThey have to stay on the crew deck. Not a lot of money down there. Or food. Not a lot of anything.” She stands up like she needs to run away from her words. “Wait here until it turns off.” She leaves, and I put a second coat of color on Lo’s toes. My skin tingles under the orange light, but it’s not unpleasant.
    â€œI feel a little nuts,” Lo says. “You feel a little nuts?”
    I nod, focusing on the job at hand and trying to project calm. “We’re going to be all right. Between the two of us, we have the smarts to get through this.”
    â€œYeah. Maybe.” She touches my shoulder, and I lock my fingers with hers.
    â€œI’m so glad you’re here,” I admit in a rush. “So glad.”
    She squeezes my hand. “Yep.”
    Something dings , and the orange light of the room fades. Kayacomes back, and I can’t help but smile at Lo, who’s admiring her newly pink toenails. We’re still as naked as the hour we were born, which makes things awfully awkward when we step into the shower room and find Ben waiting.
    I could try to cover up or turn away, but I’m too steamed. I wait for his eyes to fall down me as he turns to Kaya. I even plant my hands on my hips, almost wanting him to look, wanting to be able to kick him for looking.
    â€œJohnny’s already asking for Rain,” he says. “Have her dressed and ready to go in five.”
    Kaya’s tight mouth suggests that she’s holding back a few choice curses. She must really believe that Ben killed that girl, but Ben had alluded to Johnny doing it before, hadn’t he?
    Ben checks his com. “I’ll wait out there.” He thrusts bracelets at us without letting his gaze drop to my skin and leaves. I turn the circlet of silver over in my hand.
    â€œMec silver,” Kaya says. “All the way from the Edge.” The bracelet shines like a mirror, and it’s heavy and cold. It’s the most expensive piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, let alone held.
    â€œYou have to put it on to see your color,” Kaya says. “And remember, once it’s on, it doesn’t come off unless