Free Core by Viola Grace Page B

“Did you want to start a fire? The sun will be going down soon, and these ruins will get dark.”
    Cor snorted.
    “I know you can see in the dark, Cor. Not all of us are so lucky.” Sox stomped forward and flipped out their bedroll near the glossy stone fire pit.
    “Do you not see wood anywhere?”
    Sox looked around and right past the pile of lumber that was so carefully laid at the edge of the garden. “I am sure you will find something, you always do.”
    With great formality, Cor bowed to her friend. “Well then, I shall go looking for some wood.” Shaking her head in amazement, Cor went exploring.
    Her boots had solid grips that did not skid on the polished marble, and to her eyes, this place had not been abandoned and was not the ruin she had been led to expect. Everything smelled clean, and the breezes off the mountain brought a hint of frost.
    The halls were open to the garden, each a thirty-foot column of expertly carved stone and inset. It was a home designed to look in on the garden, and there was no one in it. To Cor, it seemed like quite the waste of perfect housekeeping, but on the other side, she did not see anyone who could have done the polishing.
    As she walked the halls, she kept an eye on the sacrifices emerging from their tents in the garden. The girls were shivering as if attacked by a brutal wind, and the distress in her charges made her cease her exploration. It was time to get to work.
    She brought two armloads of wood to the fire pit and rolled her eyes at the cries of relief. They could see the wood now. That much was certain.
    “I found a supply of wood. We will be able to keep the blaze going all night.” Cor looked to Sox and raised a brow.
    Sox looked at the wood and shrugged helplessly.
    Sighing heavily, Cor got to work on setting the wood into a log cabin with bark in the centre. “Get me my pack, would you?”
    Sox brought the pack forward, and Cor rooted around until she found her lighter. It was her father’s and one of the only objects she had brought from Earth that had survived six years with her. Whistling gently, she lit a few shreds of bark and used them to light the bark inside the tower.
    There was the standard holding of breath as she waited for the fire to catch, but when it did, she grinned and clapped her hands. Shivering women, which confused Cor, immediately surrounded the fire. Despite their thin clothing, the weather was not cold enough to account for their change in demeanour.
    Sox huddled near the fire, and Cor grabbed her by her arm, pulling her away. “What is going on, Sox?”
    Sox shivered and rubbed at her arms. “What do you mean?”
    “It isn’t cold. It is cool, sure, but not more than a fall day. Why are you shivering?” Cor touched her cheek, and Sox’s eyes flared wide.
    “Oh, stars. Why am I seeing a garden in this wasteland?”
    Cor whispered, “That is what I am seeing. There is a tree behind you. If I pick some of the fruit, will you try it?”
    Sox nodded carefully, her midnight hair sliding over her shoulders.
    Cor carefully passed her and reached up into the tree where fruit gleamed with tempting colours. She bit into one and slurped up the juice. It was ripe and delicious, tangy and tart. She plucked a second one and brought it to Sox.
    Her friend’s hands closed around the fruit, and Sox’s shock was unmistakable. She could see the fruit that was obvious. She brought it close to her nose and sniffed before biting into the skin. “Oh, that’s good. Why can you see this?”
    “I don’t think it matters, but it does matter that no one else can. What the hell is going on here?”
    Sox slurped up the last of her fruit and wiped her hands on her uniform. “I think we should probably ask our little sacrifices.”
    “That seems like a logical idea.”
    Cor and Sox walked toward the girls who were ignoring their guards with a studied air. It was time to find out what they were doing on Lero.

Chapter Two
    “Tobeena, since you are the