Circumstellar Read Online Free Page B

mystery to me, the disbelief in his voice was evident.
    “Huh? You say something, Farron?” the Plumber asked while turning his head towards his companion. He glanced at Farron for a second before I caught his attention. Suddenly, deep blue joined the green in my vision, and I narrowed my eyes. It was like being in the headlights of a neon party car.
    “No way! This girl is . . . but she’s so weak!”
    Now that was just uncalled for. I huffed to myself, about to remind this guy I got taken out by a back-attack – from someone over a foot taller!
    “Should we take her?”
    “No. We’re done here, Plumbarco. We’ve wasted enough time with these humans.” Farron shifted his arm into his cloak.
    “Hey! We’re still here, or have you forgotten? Don’t think we’re about to let you leave!” the girl on my other side yelled. Truth be told, I kind of had forgotten they were there. I whipped my head around just in time to see her break into a run towards the cloaked men.
    “ Kaira! Wait!” Her handsome friend reached out to grab her arm, but he wasn’t quick enough. She was barely a foot away from the strangers when she slowed, her leg sailing around into the air for a high kick – sleek and graceful, just like a ballet dancer. I looked in awe as her long leg forced forward, only an inch away from impact. Swish!
    I coughed violently as a surge of . . . of dust? sand? . . . filled the air. What the hell was that? I continued to try and clear my lungs as I stood from my position on the ground. It turned out to be a good decision. As the air cleared, the cloud began to settle on the ground. I brushed my clothes off, looking at some of the material that came off in my hand. It was like fine, dark gray sand, and as I moved my hand over to the nearby street light, it glittered with tiny sparkles of light.
    “Cool,” I said in awe, waving my hand in the light.
    “Kaira, are you all right? What happened?”
    The army man crouched by his friend and put his hands on her shoulders. She sat coughing on the ground. Other than the dust coating her clothes, she looked no worse for the wear.
    “Yeah, Markus, I’m fine. It just surprised me. They must have used the stone.” She grimaced before she and Markus stood. “What do we do now?”
    “I don’t know,” he replied. “We have to return to Master Rigel. He needs to know what happened. Oh and the girl,” he pitched in, suddenly remembering something. “You -” he looked at me and stopped mid-sentence. This was the first time my fighter saviors paid me any attention. And unfortunately, it looked like they didn’t like what they saw.
    “This was a set up!” Kaira spat in my direction. “She’s one of them!”
    Seeing my integrity was in danger, I spurred forward s. “No way! I was attacked by those guys! Who the hell are ‘they,’ anyway? And who are you?”
    Kaira looked at me in furious indignation. For one so beautiful, she sure could make one scary-ass face. Her whole body tensed up, and for a second, it looked like she was about to leap at me and try to kick my head in. I was trying to decide whether I could take her when I was mercifully spared by the militant forces.
    “Settle down, Kaira. I don’t think she’s with them,” Markus said while looking at my wrinkled uniform. I smiled at Markus. Looks and brains. I’m beginning to like this guy. “Besides,” he began, looking lower to take in my bloody knees, “I don’t think she’s cut out for fighting, especially against them.” Scratch that last part . My smile dropped, and I glared at him instead.
    “So we’ve established I’m just the victim here. Good. You never did tell me who you guys are,” I pointed out while nursing my pride. Didn’t anyone know what a back-attack was anymore? Not cut out for fighting, indeed.
    “Who we are is none of your concern,” Kaira snarled, turning away. “Come on, Markus. We need to speak with Master at once.”
    Markus shook his head at her retreating