Saturday

June 3rd

Gideon bounced up and down on his toes, trying to get used to the weight of the armor that Hunter was fitting to him. Hunter scowled at his back, took her hand, put it on the top of his head and pressed downwards. She had been doing this most of the morning.

Gideon went flat-footed. “Sorry,” he muttered.

This was something he understood. He knew about armor and this was high quality armor. Higher quality even than the military spec he was used to. Though, the long bracer on his right arm was new. Hunter had explained that it was the computer for the whole affair and it held his arsenal. The military spent more money on armor to protect them rather than on fancy gadgets to hold weaponry.

He remembered one of his peers saying something to the CO. The CO had gotten right in his face and started shouting, ‘what do you need with more than two weapons, Private? You can shoot one at a time!’ Gideon grinned and struggled not to bounce again.

Hunter growled.

Gideon tried to hold still better. It was difficult. It was this shiny new toy and he wanted to try it.

Hunter swatted the side of his head. It was the one part of him right now that would feel it. Gideon winced and held still. She went back to work. He started fidgeting again within three minutes. If he stood still too long, he started having questions about why he needed the armor in the first place. Hunter had shut down all attempts to ask questions. He twitched. Fortunately, she was finally done.

Hunter backed up. “Oh, go bounce,” she muttered and crossed her arms.

Gideon turned to her. “Really?”

“It’s fit as best as I can do with you squirming.”

Gideon grinned and took off at a run.

Hunter rolled her eyes. “Boys,” she muttered and looked over. Brand had approached while Gideon had been running off.

“We do like our toys, yes,” he said. Gideon tumbled and rolled and got to his feet again. Brand waved a hand at him. Gideon bounced back. Brand looked him up and down. “You like it.”

Gideon grinned. “Better stuff than I’ve ever used.”

“Good,” Brand murmured. “Good. And it fits?”

“Doesn’t hamper anything.” Gideon shrugged. “I guess.”

“All right, come with me.” Brand turned around. There was a job to be done. It was almost noon, and Houston and Savannah had finally jointly cleared the transport as fit to fly. Eberron had found the short and cleared his end of it.

He led Gideon to the hangar and blinked rapidly until his vision adjusted. Someone had turned off the lights.

Gideon rocked back and forth on his heels and looked around. There was a group of people standing around in the hangar, some in armor, some not.

“Quinn,” Brand said. “Go home.”

Quinn’s head jerked up. He wasn’t in armor yet. He was still cleaning something up and had planned to get into armor afterwards. His jaw dropped.

Brand raised an eyebrow. Was the pup going to question his authority or what?

Quinn ducked his head. “Yes, Brand.”

“You’ll be on my team from now on.”

Quinn froze. “Yes, Brand,” he mumbled. He finished wiping the part and left. His eyes never left the floor and he wished he had a tail to tuck between his legs at that moment.

Brand watched him go with narrowed eyes. He turned back to the rest of the group. He walked over to Eberron and gestured at Gideon to come with him. “Eberron, this is the new prospect, Gideon.” Eberron was Savannah’s second in command.

“I’ve heard about you,” Eberron said and held out his hand.

Gideon eyed it warily for a moment, hoping this wasn’t going to turn into another of those kissing greetings. He took it, and Eberron clasped his forearm and pulled him close for a half hug. Gideon fell back out of it and relaxed a little.

“He’ll be taking Quinn’s place.”

Gideon looked at Brand. “I am?”

Eberron’s eyebrow rose. “Has that been cleared?”

“I cleared it,” Brand said.

“You cleared it.” Eberron nodded and rubbed his chin. Oh boy, that meant Brand hadn’t told Savannah. This was going to be entertaining. “Okay, then it’s clear. Welcome to the team, Prospect.”

Gideon looked between them. There was something he was missing. “Thanks.”

Brand moved on. “Come on, you should meet the rest.”

Gideon nodded at Eberron. Eberron nodded back. As soon as Gideon was turned around, Eberron rubbed his face with his hand to hide his grin. Savannah was going to have a fit.

Leaning against the transport was a big man with a dour face. He cradled a gun in his hands and against his body it looked like a toy. When they reached him, Gideon had to look up to meet his gaze.

“Jordan, this is Gideon. Gideon, this is Jordan. Jordan is the team medic and a former linebacker,” Brand said.

Gideon’s eyes widened. “That I believe.”

Jordan grunted.

Gideon lowered his gaze. “Nice to meet you.”

Jordan smiled and went back to his gun.

They walked away. “Man of few words,” Gideon muttered.

“Prospect!” Dana jumped up off of a box. “Good to see you again.”

“And this is Quinn’s brother,” Brand said.

Dana interrupted, “The better brother.”

“Dana,” Brand finished. “Apparently you’ve met.”

“Briefly,” Gideon said and held out his hand. Dana shook it and grinned.

“Where’s your cousin?” Brand asked.

“Blake? Moonbeams, saying good bye to our darling Poppy and Poppet.” Dana winked. “He’ll be along.”

Gideon heard chattering. He turned. Three girls, all brunettes with long hair, entered the hangar. Though one had olive skin that probably meant she had Hispanic ancestry. She couldn’t be full Hispanic, not and be a werewolf.

“Come on, Prospect. You’ll meet them in a few,” Brand said. They moved on, the last people in the hangar were a group in themselves. A man with shoulder length light brown hair and a beard, a woman, Gideon couldn’t see much about her and a group of children. Brand approached slowly, making sure he was in the male’s line of sight.

The male leaned over and kissed the woman gently. She had long brown hair too. Hers was tied back into a ponytail. A little boy had his arms wrapped about the man’s leg and he held another little boy no older than a toddler. There were four other children all under the age of twelve around them, clinging.

Saying children was a misnomer. There were three children and one puppy. The puppy pressed up against the woman’s legs. The two oldest broke off from the group and dashed to one of the other three girls with cries of, “Auntie Frankie!” They grabbed her about the waist.

Frankie hugged them and kissed their heads.

“You’ll protect Mommy?”

“I will,” she said.

Gideon swallowed hard.

“Flint,” Brand said in greeting.

“Brand.” Flint smiled and caressed the woman’s cheek.

“Gideon, this is Flint and Morgan. Morgan is the sniper on your team,” Brand said. Flint was on his team, but right now Gideon didn’t need to know that.

Gideon did a recount of the kids, six of them, six. Gideon looked at them with a bit of respect in his eyes and a bit of worry. They must be crazy. He had three brothers and one sister for a total count of five and he knew what a house full of werewolf children were like, loud, full and prone to accidents. And his mother had insisted on manners.

Flint and Morgan apparently had four boys and two girls. The puppy wagged her tail and came over, bumping his legs. Gideon knelt down and held his hand out. The puppy ducked her head under Gideon’s hand, and Gideon gently scratched her around the ears. He looked up at Flint and Morgan.

“Gideon is former Special Forces,” Brand said. “He’ll help take care of your mom.”

Gideon half grinned. “Hey, if experience is anything to go by, your mom will be taking better care of me.”

“Auntie Frankie takes care of Mommy, Savvy says so,” the little boy said. He then ducked his head back into his father’s pant leg.

Gideon’s eyebrow rose. “Then your mother is going to be well protected.” He looked over at the girls. “Is that one Frankie?” he asked, meaning the one the boy’s siblings were hugging on still. Frankie had long brown hair that curled at the ends and a face similar to Morgan’s. Frankie was cuter than Morgan and had an infectious smile, while Morgan was elegant and reserved.

“She is,” Morgan said and looked a little annoyed. “Brand.” There were a lot of loaded emotions behind the name.

Gideon eyed the girls. Okay, if that one was Frankie, who was Savvy? And what type of person went by the name Savvy anyways?

Brand raised his hands. “We’ve been over this a hundred times. She wants to go. She’s going. Or, you can take it up with your father.” Brand paused. It’d had been over three years now. He would have thought Morgan would have given in to the inevitable. “Who if I recall, refuses to get involved. You can take it up with your sister.”

Morgan pressed her lips together. Frankie would beat her to the ground every time. It’d be a fight, a bloody, bruises inducing fight, but eventually Frankie would get her pinned.

Gideon patted the puppy one more time and stood up. He’d find out the children’s names later, he was sure.

“We’ll leave you to your good-byes,” Brand said gently.

Gideon’s brow furrowed. Wait. Good-byes? Maybe now wasn’t the time to ask, though he wasn’t sure anymore when was a good time to ask anything. Something was going on here. He wasn’t sure what.

He held a hand out to Flint. “I’ll do my best,” he said.

Flint took it. “Thank you.”

Brand led Gideon away. He lowered his voice, “Morgan likes to get in on the action. Frankie is there to make sure she doesn’t get hurt doing so.” They stopped in front of the girls.

“Since you’re about the same age I’m assuming, I’ll make this quick,” Brand said. “Gideon, this is Frankie, Morgan’s sister, Skyler, and Spike.” He nodded at each one as he said their names. Gideon figured out who was who between Skyler and Spike, since Frankie was pretty easy. None of them were this mysterious Savvy person.

Spike smirked. She had olive skin, and long straight black hair with bangs. “Gideon, Bible name?” she asked, her voice somewhat husky.

“Yeah. He and three hundred men defeated the Midianites with torches and trumpets,” Gideon said. His mother had really liked that story.

Spike held out her hand. “Jael, she killed the General Sisera with a tent peg.”

“Nice.” Gideon took her hand and shook it. His mother had liked that story too, but for different reasons.

“I swear, you are weird.” Skyler eyed Spike.

“It’s a good name,” Spike defended. “What is Skyler about anyways?”

“And this is why you go by Spike?” Skyler ignored the question about her name and focused on the idea that Spike thought Jael was a good name and then didn’t go by it.

Jael crossed her arms and cocked her hips. “Yeah, you know the tent spike that Jael used.”

Skyler rolled her eyes. “Nice to meet you Gideon. Do you have any strange biblically related nicknames?”

“No.”

Skyler tucked a strand of kinky brown curls behind her ear. “You have any nicknames?”

Brand smirked. “The way he was bouncing earlier, you could call him Giddy.”

Frankie brightened.

“No,” Gideon said. He did not answer to Giddy. He refused.

Skyler pouted. She winked at him and took off at a jog. “Hey, Eb!” she said as she past him. She jumped into the transport and ducked into the cockpit, sitting down at the controls. She looked over. Houston sat in the co-pilot’s seat. “You’re in Sav’s spot.”

Houston leaned back and grinned. “She’s not here yet.”

Skyler rolled her eyes and started flipping switches.

Brand slapped Gideon on the shoulder. “That’s everyone. Have a good trip.” He turned around and then turned his head. “Houston!” he shouted and walked off.

Houston grinned at Skyler. “Oops, being paged.” He climbed out of the seat, jogged and jumped out of the transport and after Brand. He saw Gideon and did an exaggerated double take. He caught up with Brand and nudged him. “Is there a new guy I should be knowing about?”

“You can’t steal him yet.”

“Aww.”

“You always steal my best people and he’s a prospect, you can’t lure him away yet.”

“I can try.”

“He doesn’t have a motorcycle.”

“Oh. Oooh. That new.”

Gideon stared after them, alarm bells finally ringing in his mind. All the little things that had been making him uneasy were finally coming together. The test, the weapon’s locker, the shanty town, the qualifiers for basic arms, the hospital visit, the armor and the space flight capable transport and it was adding up to something para-military. “Trip?” he asked.

Frankie rounded up her niece and nephew, and gave him a sympathetic smile. She didn’t offer any help or explanation though. She walked over to Morgan and Flint.

Eberron grinned and it looked a bit maniacal. Oh yes, this was going to be fun.

“Trip?” Gideon asked again to thin air.

Eberron came over. “Africa, doctor in distress, you have a problem with it?”

Gideon took a moment to process the information. Africa? Sure, why not? He’d been there before. A doctor in distress, he wasn’t sure what that was about, but why not? It truly could be a lot worse. It didn’t sound nefarious.

For the moment, he settled. Besides, it could be fun and he might use everything he’d been going through for the past few days proving his training. “I’m all dressed up,” he said. “Might as well have someplace to go.” He had a mission and he shifted into that mode of thought like a worn comfortable shirt. Questions could wait.

Eberron punched his shoulder. “Good attitude,” he said. A shadow passed in front of them. Eberron looked over. “Blake, you’re almost late!”

Blake tossed his long black hair. He looked around and idly swung the maroon cloth bag in his hand back and forth. He did a mental headcount. Savannah wasn’t there. No one was late until Savannah showed up. “Not yet,” he said with a grin. He came over. “Who is this?”

“The prospect. He’s dressed already. Brand is sending him with us.”

Blake brightened. “No smacking Quinn on the nose this trip?”

Eberron tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Is that a way to talk about your cousin?”

“He’s my cousin,” Blake riposted. “I like you already,” he said to Gideon.

Gideon deepened his voice. “I’ll try not to do anything to ruin that impression.”

Eberron laughed and Blake grinned.

“He’s assuming there is an impression to ruin,” Eberron said. “Come on. You can have Quinn’s seat.”

“Assigned seats?”

Blake shook his head. “It was supposed to keep Quinn and Dana away from each other.”

Eberron looked solemn. “Didn’t work.”

Blake mirrored Eberron’s face as best he could. “Never does.”

Gideon looked between the two of them. “Brothers like to fight?” he asked.

Eberron grinned.

“So do cousins.” Blake directed an odd look at Eberron.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eberron said. His grin didn’t fade.

Blake snorted. The three of them headed to the transport. Eberron let Gideon climb in first. “Corner, behind the pilot.”

Skyler looked around the partition. Her curls fell into her eyes. “Here at Lunacy airlines, we like to remind you to keep your chair backs and tables in the locked and upright position until we are in level flight, or we might have to eat you for being insolent.”

Gideon sat down and looked around. “Tables would be a luxury.”

“Commercial is plebian,” Skyler said, sat up, and went back to her pre-flight checklist.

The others started to file in. Dana grabbed the edge of the door and used it as a fulcrum to fling himself into his seat.

“But it wouldn’t be charred,” Eberron pointed out.

“That’s Quinn’s fault,” Skyler snarled.

Spike sat down next to Dana. “Please keep in mind that you are personally responsible for any and all damage that the pilot inflicts upon you for insulting her prowess at the controls.”

“Or any time,” Skyler said.

Eberron leaned forward. “Any time?” he asked and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Do I need to get out of the way so you two can find a room?” Gideon asked.

Eberron grinned.

Skyler turned around and rubbed the top of Eberron’s head. “You’re so cute when you’re all flirty.” She shoved him back.

Eberron shared a conspiratorial grin with Gideon. “She thinks I’m cute.”

“Not the word I would use,” Morgan said from across the flight deck. She sat down. Frankie sat down next to her. They both crossed their legs in the same direction at the same time.

Eberron smirked. “You think I’m sexy.”

Morgan narrowed her eyes at him. That wasn’t the word she was thinking of at all. She shifted in her chair, closed her eyes, and ignored Eberron.

“The lady doth not protest. You must be wrong,” Gideon snickered and settled into his seat.

Jordan and Blake claimed the two more of the seats. Blake set his bag next to his feet.

“It’s been known to happen,” Eberron said. “But who can resist this face?”

“Me,” Morgan said.

Gideon raised his eyebrows at Eberron. He’d been neatly put in his place. Then again, from the looks of things, Morgan was happily married with six kids, and Gideon didn’t want to know if they were counting or not.

Eberron shrugged and leaned back in his chair. The transport quieted into small talk between seatmates. Gideon relaxed. Skyler was verbally going through something with the control tower, or he assumed it was a control tower. Since he was in the corner seat, he had a good view of the door and the still open hangar door.

He didn’t pay attention until he saw movement and by then it was too late to see the person’s face. A silhouette appeared in the hangar door and moved quickly across the room. He couldn’t tell much about them except that they were short. He squinted, trying to get a better idea of who it was, and kept his chin down, pretending he didn’t see them.

Savannah grabbed the edge of the door with the intent to use it as a handle to pull herself into the transport. She stopped with one foot in the transport and one foot on the ground. There was a stranger sitting in one of the seats. She turned her eyes away from him and found Eberron.

“Where’s Quinn?” she asked. She was expecting Quinn, not a square jawed, scruffy looking, something odd about the eyes she couldn’t place her finger on, rangy whoever he was.

Eberron shrugged. “Brand said to bring the prospect.” He deliberately kept his face and body relaxed. Someone who knew him well would see the alertness in his eyes and how his muscles were slightly tensed.

Gideon looked up. Something deep inside him, perked up at the sight of the petite girl back framed in the light. He kept his face neutral. He hadn’t met her. He thought that maybe he’d seen her from a distance once or twice, but this was somebody new. And if he had seen her, he now had a face to go with the rest of it.

Savannah frowned and pulled herself into the transport. This was the prospect. She muttered her version of a swear word under breath, something along the lines of rabid rhododendrons, and glared in the direction of the clubhouse. Of course, Grandfather would send the prospect on this run, and do so without telling her. That was the way her grandfather thought. She supposed that he would want her to sponsor the puppy too while she was at it. She glanced at the prospect again. All right, the deep instinct that she labeled her wolf determined, let’s see which way he jumps.

Eberron wasn’t finished talking. “He’s checked out on everything Hunt’s thrown at him.” She’d been full of news after she’d gotten over her grouchiness at him waking her up at past midnight.

A few kisses and a long lovemaking session had cleared that away enough for her to be talkative, or at least talkative for Hunter. Mostly it had been good-natured swearing about how she hadn’t been able to phase the prospect with the weapons she threw at him. The prospect probably hadn’t known he was supposed to be ignorant on at least one thing, or pretend to be ignorant.

Eberron had let her grumbling send him off to sleep until she smacked his shoulder for not listening. Then he’d gouged out of her that there was a new prospect in the first place. He hadn’t known there was a new prospect. He’d been busy and out of the gossip loop.

Gideon half grinned at the floor. Hunter had been grouchy about that. He glanced up at the girl. Apparently she was grouchy about it too.

Savannah continued to scowl. Wasn’t that fine and dandy? Now, she couldn’t complain he wasn’t qualified, throw him off, and demand Quinn instead. It wasn’t like this mission called for a demolitions specialist. She’d like one, and she knew how to handle Quinn. The prospect was an unknown quantity. She hated unknown quantities throwing wrenches into her carefully laid plans last minute. She might need a demolitions specialist.

Gideon’s inner voice perked up more. She was cute, including the frown. She couldn’t be more than five foot two, and the reason he figured that because there’d been this one girl in high school who insisted she was five foot three until the nurse came and declared her five foot two and a half, and this girl wasn’t any taller than the girl from high school. She was cuter than the girl from high school too. Short black hair that shone purple where the sun hit it, rounded cheeks, deep set eyes and lots and lots of curves.

Gideon averted his eyes. He wouldn’t be caught staring. A girl that short and that skinny shouldn’t have that many curves. It would take one arm to go around her waist and he probably could have his hand almost half way to her back when he was done. That is, if his arm actually bent in that many places which it didn’t. And she was wearing armor. Their armor fit well and allowed movement, but it was still one more layer to add bulk. And skinny or not, she had a nice set of breasts.

Savannah ignored him for the moment and stalked over to Frankie. She held out her hand. Frankie held up her arm.

“Green,” Frankie said and grinned. She turned her head. Savannah checked her ear to make sure her tracking earring was in place.

Gideon tried to relax in his seat. From the way the others reacted, this girl was the commanding officer. He hoped she was decent. She moved around the cabin, everyone showed her the inside of their wrists and one of their ears. The way she was moving, he was going to be last outside of the pilot. He figured it was a deliberate move on her part.

She reached him, grabbed his arm and turned it over. Gideon expected it. He didn’t protest.

“You’ve got three green lights,” she said. She tapped the top. “This is your armament. You’re full. Your clip will automatically refill until you’re out, then this light will turn red, and won’t turn green again unless you switch to another weapon or get more ammo.” If he ran out of ammunition, that meant they were in deep shit and this mission had gone to hell. Oh, and that they’d been lied to about the particulars.

She tapped the second light. “This is your armor and rockets. Green means they’re all functioning properly.” She tapped the last light. “And this is your health. You’re operating within normal parameters set up by Doc.” She pressed the top light and ran a finger through the holographs of the weapons that popped up. She nodded and pressed the light again. “All three green lights mean that I can approve you for this mission.” She reached up and grabbed his chin and turned his head.

Gideon winced and bit his tongue on a protest. Everyone else had shown her their ears. She was being a bit heavy handed in his opinion.

Savannah closed her eyes and made a choppy nodding motion with her head and mouthed another her version curse that looked like slug spit. “He hasn’t been tagged,” Savannah said and glowered. Now she was going to have to do it. She let his chin go and walked over to the storage compartment where they kept an emergency earring punch machine and an extra stock of the earrings. Grandfather was anal about this. Why hadn’t he done it?

Gideon blinked at her back. Tagged? What in hell did that mean? His father tagged their animals to show that they belonged to him, but he’d never heard the reference used in relation to people before. In fact, a lot of church going, law-abiding people got up in arms if anyone merely mentioned the idea of tracking them. Something to do with the Bible, something that he figured was vague to be beyond incomprehensible and therefore not worth worrying about. In fact, the tags he knew about in relation to people were military tags and he shifted uncomfortably and almost had to sit on his hand to keep from reaching up and fiddling with them under his armor.

Savannah pulled out the equipment and came back to him. She opened the box and showed him the earrings.

He eyed it. The last thing he wanted was an earring. “I don’t—”

She interrupted. “It’s cute that you think you get a choice in all of this.” It was company policy. In fact it was Club policy, the one manifestation of Brand’s paranoia. The puppy would shut up and wear the tracking device like everybody else.

He jerked his head up to protest that it was his body, and yes he got a choice, as she leaned in and shoved her breasts in his face. He didn’t think it was intentional, but it shut him up long enough for her to start talking again.

She put the earring into the machine and set it around his ear.

Gideon tried not to stare too hard at her chest. It wasn’t like she was showing cleavage. It was the principle of the whole thing. Her breasts, exposed or not, were in his face.

“It’s a passive tracking advice,” she continued speaking. “That way if you get lost,” and he better not get lost, “we can come find you. Or if you’re kidnapped, we can come give your kidnappers a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” she said the last with relish.

He knew that book. He liked that book. Hell, his little sister had begged him to read it to her whenever he’d been on leave. His brain ran rapidly through a list of replies. The kidnappers would wake up with gum in their hair, only find cereal in their cereal boxes, or not get the color shoes they wanted (red with blue stripes?)

He went with the one that seemed to actually apply to the situation. He struggled but he managed to keep his voice level and not incredulous. Though to do it, he had to shove it into his throat and sound like he was gargling, throwing him down into baritone. “Shove them where it is muddy and call them crybabies?” he asked.

Savannah stilled. The others turned their heads to look at him, quieting their small talk. Gideon struggled not to squirm. Maybe he should have gone with the kissing on television or losing the marble down the drain or not liking lima beans. He didn’t particularly care for lima beans himself.

Eberron stared at Gideon. No one gave Savannah sass when she was annoyed at them. He was really beginning to like this guy.

She leaned back and looked at him. Her forehead furrowed and her eyes narrowed as she considered him. Gideon met her eyes a second and averted his gaze. He had no idea what she was thinking. Maybe his CO was right and he should learn to keep his mouth shut. Or he could smile. It couldn’t hurt. He smiled at her.

Next to him, Eberron snickered.

Savannah didn’t change expression.

“Snarky,” Spike said.

Savannah leaned forward again, double checked the position of the earring punch and squeezed the trigger gently. The machine squeezed together with a quiet chuff shoving the earring through Gideon’s earlobe.

Gideon jumped. “Ow!”

Savannah checked the set of it, nodded and moved away. “The device has a recording function. If you turn the stud a quarter of a turn to the right, you’ll hear the click, it will record for up to four hours, more if you link it with a computer.”

Gideon reached up and touched his earlobe gently and winced. It throbbed.

Savannah held her arm out. “Check me, Prospect.”

He looked up at her again. She raised her eyebrows. Did he remember everything she’d gone over with him or not?

Gideon grabbed her wrist and paused as his thumb and forefinger overlapped by more than inch. They couldn’t be serious about letting her go out, right? The girl was tiny. He glanced up at her again, noted her expression and decided now was not the time to get all overprotective and manly over a girl he didn’t know. He returned his attention to her wrist. “Arms, Armor, Health, All green,” he said and pointed at the lights.

Savannah turned her head and he counted six studs in her ear. She reached up and tapped the top one. It was completely black in comparison to four the others, which were decreasing percentages of white diamonds to black ones, or he thought they were diamonds, he wasn’t sure. He couldn’t figure out the reasoning behind them. The stud closest to her face appeared to be plain silver, which was out of keeping with the rest of them and the reason he noticed it.

“New moon’s my tracker, puppy. Don’t forget it,” she said.

He nodded and then looked over the other side. There was the exact same amount of earrings that looked exactly the same on her other ear. He bit his lip. She’d called the top black one her new moon earring. Were the white diamond looking ones next to the silver studs full moon earrings? She wore earrings in all the phases of the moon? It explained the white to black. He wasn’t sure he understood it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to understand it.

Satisfied he was taken care of, Savannah turned on her toe, put the machine away and ducked her head into the cockpit. “All blue skies,” she said as she entered. She levered herself into the co-pilot chair using her arms.

“Hah, hah,” Skyler said. She held her arm out. Savannah checked her wrist, then she reached up and flipped a switch. “Control, this is Lunacy One, we are manic on the verge of psychotic.”

“We read you Lunacy One, you are all green. Up is go on your command.”

“Arf,” Skyler said, and flipped more switches. The hover transport shuddered and rose in the air.

Gideon leaned back in his seat and tried to make himself comfortable against the vibrations of the engines. He reached up to touch his ear again. It throbbed harder. He jerked his hand down and curled his fist. He glared at the girl again and resolutely shut his eyes while the transport got under way.