Free Flight by J.A. Huss Page A

out to be the honest to God fucking Seventh Sibling for real, was just that. A fucking fluke. We didn't know, we thought you were just a pretty effective fucking clone. And we just wanted you for us." He turns so I can see his face. "That's it, Junco. We liked you and we just wanted you for us."
    We sit there listening to the crackle of the fire for several long minutes.
    I feel stupid.
    But no one has been straight with me and I just don't have the history with these people to understand what's going on. Or, like Lucan said, ask good questions.
    "I followed you through sniper school, did you know that, Junco?"
    His words snap me back to the present. "What?" I frown up at him. "What do you mean?"
    He smiles at me now. "I was with you every fucking second of that training." He looks away and his smile falters. "I was," he hesitates, "not visible, one of Lucan's gifts, so you never saw me. But that's how long we've planned for you to be our nine. I've been waiting for this day a long time and I just don't know what Tier was thinking." He shakes his head, clearly confused. "It was his idea. If he wanted you for himself all he had to do was say so. But the day you guys came back from vacation I asked him and he said it was still on."
    I squeeze my eyes shut as the words soak in. "He gave me away?" My throat starts to tighten up a little it hurts so bad.
    "Basically, you could say that."
    "And Ashur? He knew too? And took me out to dinner and kissed me?"
    "He kissed you?" Isten lets out a long sigh. "Fuck, anyone else I should know about?"
    "I kissed him back, if that was your next question. You gonna threaten to kill him now?"
    He stays silent, but I'm just getting warmed up. "So once again, everyone knew but me, yet they all felt like they could just play with my feelings?"
    More silence. I nod and get up. "Wonderful. I'm done for today, Isten. Whatever happens tomorrow, happens. I imagine that if this wasn't in the plan then someone would have stopped you from taking me off-world, so that's just motherfucking wonderful."
    I've been sold out yet again.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    I wake up in the morning and Isten is banging shit around outside. The air is cool and misty when I venture through the flap in my bed clothes. The fake sun is just peeking up over the fake horizon in what I can only assume is the fake east.
    "Coffee, Juncs?"
    I shake my head and take a seat on a large rock near the edge of a cliff. My legs start to get goosebumps from the chill, and I lean into the sun a little to warm my face.
    "Maybe you should put clothes on?" Isten calls from across the camp. "Or learn to drink coffee like the grown-ups?"
    I ignore him and rub my legs. "When can we start shooting?"
    He's busy packing ammo into the rifle bags but he stops and gets up, then walks over to me. "Hey, look, if this isn't want you want, just say so, OK? I just needed to vent last night. I'm not really interested in trapping you in my head for eternity based on a plan we made years ago and you had no say in."
    "Actually, I've thought about it quite a bit." I look over to him and he's still and silent, waiting for my words. "If we are twined, and it's forever, then that means you can't give me away to anyone else, right?"
    He pulls me up to his chest and squeezes. "I'd never give you away, Junco. Ever."
    "Yeah, sure." I breathe in and then out again. "That's what they all think at first, then poof. My world is ripped apart all over again."
    "Well," he pushes me back so he can see my face, "this one's a done deal. So, be very sure."
    "I'm very sure. Just do it."
    He lifts my chin up a little and smiles. "It's supposed to be special. Let's go shoot first. Then we can see how we work together without the twine. It'll be a good before-and-after comparison."
    I smile, but none of this makes me happy and none of it makes me feel special.
     
     
     
    Flying up the mountain isn't a option with the gear so we start hiking shortly after breakfast,