No. Never any.

This was wonder. Emotionless.

Six.

With the sun awake, watching, he stayed hidden beneath dead leaves, dead bark, dead dirt.

Separated from the other hunters. There could be no witnesses.

Coward.

"Wh.o.r.e thinks she can run away and we'll just forget about her. f.u.c.king freak." Psychotic laughter fell off worm-wet lips and wrapped around the knife. His knife. "No, no, no. We weren't done playin'. I say when it's over, an' it ain't over yet." He slept with the stink, waiting for the moon.

Killer. Coward.

The torture tool whispered, s.a.d.i.s.tic. Craving. Happy. Kill her.

We will kill.

Bleed her.

Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.

She asked for it. For us to kill.

Born a freak.

Kill kill kill kill killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill. Yummmmm.

Seven.

The girl awoke to touchable sounds.

And sun.

Thick vibrations twisted in its heat, comforting waves uncovered consciousness, washed over her body, healing, empowering.

Black pulled back from her eyes, revealing alien surroundings. She sat up. No words could roll from her mouth. A mind sinking heavy and blank. The music that had pulled her back to life ceased. Allowing pain to drill holes, invade from skull to spine. She winced, teeth grinding, reality fading, sleep racing to catch her. It was interrupted, cut off by deep mola.s.ses.

"You are safe here."

Emotionless wonder.

Safe. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are safe.

She turned to him, corking pain. Every beat of her heart matched a blink of his eyes, eggs dipped in emerald mystery, suspended in a face smooth and unlined. Below could be consumed, wither in those eyes.

Sol nodded and continued to play.

Music. But this was different from the harsh beats from Below.

This was pa.s.sion.

The Other's smooth black frame melted into the female-shaped string instrument, becoming fluid. Ink plucked off the pages he played from, constructed as man.

His music choked her insides.

Reshaping.

Making new.

Tears p.r.i.c.ked her eyes, jumped from her chin, slid through her neck. Seen by the sun. Nude. New. Exposed.

His song ended and his eyes toured the wet face. Innocent, beautiful.

Beautiful. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are beautiful.

"I have upset you?"

Pause only the leaves rustled in reply.

"You need not be frightened. I will do you no harm. You are too...changed."

Emotionless wonder.

The girl blinked slowly, pushing doubt from her eyes. He was next to her. An Other.

Five feet took only a moment.

Cold blew from his smooth frame. Sewed chills through her arms.

"Well, I should be afraid, but..."

I am too changed?

"But I'm not."

Pain from the journey upward, to protection, sprang active. Her head burned hot, angry.

Eyes closed she coiled her legs to her chest.

Sinking again into opaque sleep.

Sol caught the nameless new girl, kept her from crashing.

A mistake?

Their species was not destined to feel without murder. Not designed for natural emotion.

With her touch he now felt all.

Sucked hurt and burn from her body filtered through him leaving shadows of emotion.

Green crystal eyes shook with her pain her wants her needs.

Let go!

She is unique.

The Other looked at her alone unsure beautiful.

Not knowing what happened.

Wanting more.

Wonder fled.

Desire consumed.

Eight.

She had felt the connection.

Her life, a puzzle.

Pieces hidden.

One found.

The Other blinked, stood. Again empty of emotion.

Rational.

"I am Sol."

He wanted her touch. Not her words.

"Oh, umm..."

Peeling her eyes from his, she searched for a new ident.i.ty, not wanting to be tied to the harshness of her given name.

"Aurora. I am Aurora."

She pointed toward her chest as if forcing the name within her heart. A cool, sun-scented breeze played with the ripe auburn of her tangled hair as she looked around the small room. Her eyes lifted to the windows, and she could see that she was no longer near the earth. Aurora jutted her neck forward and rushed past Sol to the line of windows opposite her.

Her body tense with excitement and wonder.

"How did I get here?"

Her dangerous journey to his place in the trees had warped memories.

"I caught you. You were unconscious, so I brought you in here and waited with you."

Rational.

Emotion?

Never. Not any.

Except with her touch.

"You caught me?"

She turned to him. Her positivity turning to annoyance and fear. Pictures of her past becoming clear.

Could this be the end?

No. She had felt something. They had felt something.

A beginning.

She believed what he had said. She was safe. There. With him.

And she was too changed.