Teclis's Sparks (Gracian Mates Book 3) Read online

  Teclis hadn’t left the Gemorph often, but when he had, never had he come across anything like this. Humans shopped together in these places all the time? Daily? Teclis sought out Coil and caught the look on his face. Was that the same look he had on his own face? Panic? Unease?

  Frinx! Teclis ordered himself to remain calm. This was just a program. He was a warrior who could deal with this stuff. But no amount of words could explain the unease he felt.

  Over the din, he heard Maggie utter a few words, and once again the shopping area was humanless and quiet. It made him realize just how much of a sheltered, quiet life he’d led aboard the Gemorph.

  “Now can you see why building a single shop wouldn’t have been a good idea? We will also be adding several other programs into this one. Such crowded areas as pubs and clubs, etcetera. Busy places you could meet your sparks in.”

  “Are all human areas like this one?” a shocked-looking warrior asked.

  “That was nothing. Wait until you see what holidays such as Christmas holds for places like this.”

  “Christmas?”

  “Look it up, warrior. That’s it for now, gents. If you have any questions, you can join Koop and I after I’ve eaten. These babies are screaming at me for some pickles.” Maggie chuckled and rubbed her swollen stomach.

  “Screaming?” Jikel asked, looking rather pale. “You can hear your youngling already?”

  Maggie shook her head. “No, Jikel, I don’t hear them. My body is craving a nice, big pickle right now.”

  Teclis didn’t miss the look Koop suddenly gave his mate. His eyes swirled faster with his heated emotions. From what Tec had read about this pickle, it was a long, green-skinned vegetable that was sat in a bitter substance called vinegar for a while. So why did this have Koop looking lustfully at his spark?

  “All I can say, Jikel, is read up on it,” Maggie said.

  Jikel nodded, confusion written all over his face.

  Maggie turned her attention back to the group of warriors. “For now, please use this program as much as you can, to help you when you encounter places such as this.”

  Koop put his arm around Maggie’s waist and scooped her up in his arms. Before the couple disappeared, Tec heard Koop tell Maggie, “I’ll give you a pickle to suck on, my little spark. A large one.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  Teclis didn’t have time to analyze it further because Coil broke into his thoughts. “Frinx!” Coil uttered, sliding up to Teclis. “We have a lot to learn before heading out into the real world as Amelia says. How long do you think this will take?”

  Teclis shook his head. “To be honest, my friend, I have no idea. I remember shopping with my mother before replicators, but it was never like that experience.” Teclis paused as he remembered shopping with his mother. “Come on,” he said when the room started to clear. “Let’s get some lunch and then hit the books again, or perhaps we should even try this program once more.”

  * * * *

  Crimson Sunny Sweet, known as “titch” by her former friends being she was only four feet nine, mentally crept along the hallway of the beach house her husband Luke owned. And it was his. Everything was his. He had no qualms about informing her of that every single day.

  She had met Luke at a bar three years ago. He wasn’t exactly handsome—his nose was long and crooked, his eyebrows overly bushy—but they’d hit it off, and within six months they were married. Things were rosy before they’d tied the knot. He treated her like a princess, something she had always dreamed of being she was a foster kid. She was found wandering the streets at the age of three. Her druggy parents had been located eventually but had given up their rights to her. They hadn’t even tried fighting for her.

  Crimson wasn’t sure when things had turned sour, because she’d been too loved up and blind to notice. But three months into her marriage she finally saw how controlling Luke was. She found herself concealed in the house with no job or friends, whereas he jogged in the mornings and worked during the day and went out occasionally with his mates. After a day’s work, he came home and not only expected the house to be spotless but a cooked meal of his choosing on the table. Having enough when he wouldn’t allow her out to do a simple food shop, she’d threatened to leave him. That was the first time he’d hit her.

  After that, he didn’t hesitate to raise his hand toward her again and again if she stepped out of line. His line. Gradually, the few friends she’d made in college slipped away. She was left with Luke and his rich, snobby family that wouldn’t have peed on her if she were on fire.

  Six months into her marriage, and with multiple bruises on her torso, Crimson chanced leaving Luke. She packed a small bag while he was out and decided to run. Even then she knew she hadn’t planned her getaway very well. She’d used his bank card she’d stolen from his wallet that morning to withdraw some money at the train station. With only fear as her friend, she’d picked a random place to go and hopefully start anew. But when she reached her destination, two police officers were waiting for her. She was arrested for theft after Luke had phoned the police informing them his adulterous wife had stolen his cards and was using them. However, after an overnight stay in a cell, she was released.

  But her relief at being free was short-lived when she walked out of the police station to see Luke waiting for her. She didn’t go back to his home in Pembroke with him because he threatened to harm any of her family or friends—she had none. She went home with Luke simply because she hadn’t the confidence not to. She had no money, no life, no family, nothing! Where else or what else could she do? He made her pay when they got home; she spent the next two weeks in pain. Slowly, over time, Crimson knew the only way out of the whole ‘Luke abusing her’ situation was to be patient, plan well, and hope for the best.

  Now, three years later, today was the day. Crimson aimed to gain her freedom. She’d watched, listened, and planned everything down to the small details of dodging the squeaky floorboards. She’d also managed to hide some money away, mainly loose coins she’d found or the occasional note that he left lying around. He would have noticed if money went missing from his wallet. She thought she had enough to get a bus or train to some place far away where she could find a woman’s refuge to hide in for a while until she could get the help she needed to gain and keep her freedom. She had hardly been able to sleep that night, with her mind constantly going over everything. But Crimson was adamant that she wouldn’t give in to her tired body today.

  “Crimson, it’s time to get up,” Luke ordered as the alarm clock flickered to life. He gave her a sharp prod in her side with his finger.

  She feigned waking and climbed from the bed. Walking naked to the bathroom, she used the facilities and headed to the kitchen. She went through her normal morning routine. She gathered the items from the fridge to make his protein smoothie. As usual, he followed her into the kitchen a few minutes later, fully dressed in his lycra shorts and top along with his expensive running trainers.

  His arms encircled her waist, and he pulled her back against his body, his fingers pushing into one of the new bruises on her ribs which he’d given her last night for not giving him a decent blow-job. As she always did, she tried not to flinch or clench her muscles. He didn’t like when she pulled away from him. Another thing Luke enjoyed besides belittling her and beating the crap out of her tiny frame was to watch her walk around without clothes on all the time, just so he could admire his handiwork on her body.

  “Good morning,” he said before humming and pushing his erection into her backside. “You always have me so tempted to lean you over and fuck you before I go for my run. Perhaps one day I will do just that,” he mused. “But not today.”

  He slapped her naked backside then turned her around to face him. He leaned over her, his arms resting on the kitchen unit, either side of her body.

  “Be a good girl until I get back.” He pecked her on the nose and picked up his smoothie in his running mug and headed toward the back door. With a final glance toward her, he said, “Be wet and waiting when I get back.” Then he unlocked the back door and walked outside, locking it behind him.

  Be wet and waiting for you? Do you know how hard that is when I don’t want to have sex with you? Crimson thought, carefully keeping her face stoic in case he turned around to look at her through the small window in the door. Whenever Luke left the house, he locked her inside. Even the windows had locks on them.

  She waited, counting to a hundred in her mind. Ninety-nine, one hundred. Crimson waited another second, listening for any sounds, then she ran. First, she headed to the back window to make sure Luke was on his run down the beach. He was.

  An hour. That’s all she’d have for a head start. She couldn’t plan to run away when he was at work, because half the time he worked from home, or he’d turn up out of the blue to make sure she wasn’t up to something she shouldn’t be. She swore he did that to make her life even more of a hell. It was only this time of day that Luke was predictable. He never missed his morning, hourly run. Once he returned, he’d head straight for their bedroom and want to see her laying on the bed waiting for him. With her not there, he’d start hunting!

  Quickly, Crimson ran to the cellar door. Opening it, she hurried down the fourteen stairs into the basement. She slid her hand behind the washing machine and pulled out a small cloth bag. She’d gradually been adding money and bits and pieces she might need to it. Such things as identification or clothes, but mostly her prized set of paper clips that she’d been practicing unlocking the basement window with. It had been a long, slow process just to gather the small amount she had, because if she’d acquired it all too quickly, Luke would have noticed.

  She dressed as fast as she could and then pulled the two small tools out
of the bag she’d need to pick the lock on the basement window. Crimson had always wondered how she’d escape being she was always locked in the house, or if they went out, she was never allowed beyond an arm’s reach of him. Luke was so controlling that when he went to work, he even turned the electricity off. But that didn’t prevent her from cooking his tea as they had a gas cooker.

  Luke, however, had left his phone behind on one occasion. Crimson had spent what time she could and googled lock picking. She wasn’t stupid enough not to delete what she’d searched or looked at, knowing full well he’d check to see if she’d done anything. After creating the ideal tools out of a few paper clips, it had only taken Crimson a week to pick the lock on the basement window for the first time. The window was small, but her nickname hadn’t been titch for any other reason than her being small.

  Crimson hadn’t wanted to pick any of the other windows as Luke checked them each night, and if she’d left scratch marks on the locks she couldn’t take the risk he might see. Whereas she’d noticed he didn’t do that with the two basement windows. In fact, it was the one place he hardly entered, that’s why it made hiding her stuff there so much easier.

  Her heart beat against her ribs and her palms grew sweaty as she inserted the first paper clip into the lock before entering the second. How long has it been? Is this taking too much time? Should I wait? Do I go? So many thoughts ran through her head. But she couldn’t back out now. She was ready.

  Relief came with a single click and she knew the window was now unlocked. She quickly placed her homemade tools back into her bag and carefully opened the window a smidge, just enough for it not to be noticed it was open from the outside. After waiting a few heartbeats and not hearing anything, she pushed the window open enough to poke her head out.

  Seeing and hearing nothing around didn’t stop Crimson from feeling sick to her stomach and her heart beating so fast she thought she might have a coronary. She pushed through it all and shoved her bag out of the window, then she squeezed herself through it. I’m out! Oh God, I’m out.

  Crimson had to take a quick few moments to ease her fearful thoughts. If Luke found her, he would kill her this time; she was sure of it. He’d threatened it so many times before, she believed he would kill her and bury her in the basement.

  “You’re a useless bag of nothing. No family, no friends. Nobody will miss you if I kill you. Remember that!” He’d uttered those words to her, often followed by a beating.

  For a second, Crimson nearly poked her bag back through the window and followed it. What if he found her? But if she were to go back now, she would be giving up, and she might never get another chance to escape. Inhaling deeply, Crimson closed the window. It didn’t steady her pounding heart, but it calmed her briefly enough to help her climb to her feet and start walking. She felt herself gain more confidence as she moved one step at a time.

  Pulling on her backpack, she zipped her hoodie up to her chin and pulled the hood up over her head. She lowered her face enough not to draw attention and headed off in the opposite direction of where Luke took his normal morning run.

  Crimson walked as fast as her legs could carry her, watching for the signs for the train station. She was about to head left to it when another sign caught her eye. Pembroke Rosslare Ferry. A ferry that could take her across the water to Ireland. That would give her more chance of getting away. Could running and getting on that boat really be that easy? Would Luke guess she’d get a ferry after the last time getting a train? What do I do?

  Fuck it! Crimson knew the longer she stood in one spot making a decision, the quicker Luke would find her. She was going to have to take another gamble with her life. Instead of heading toward the train station as planned, she walked toward Pembroke Ferry with the hope she’d make it to Ireland.

  Chapter 2

  Teclis shoved the chrono screen aside. Another week had gone past and he was sick and tired of reading. He didn’t have any interest in trying the damn new program Maggie and Koop had installed either.

  His energy boiled just under the surface of his skin, and it was annoying. He needed to work out, release some of his energy. Since being on Earth, their normal daily schedule of training had been put on hold. For a moment he considered asking Trian to send one of the training programs down, but the cave system they were going to set up in the mountains hadn’t been finished yet. So any technology they brought down from the ship had to be limited in case a quick exit was needed.

  Looking at Coil beside him, Tec could see fatigue and boredom in his friend’s eyes.

  “Let’s get out of this place and go for a walk,” Teclis suggested.

  “Yeah, this sucks. I’d rather be back on the Gemorph and on a security rota.”

  Teclis smiled. It seemed that Coil was picking up the human slang pretty well.

  “Maybe we can find a quiet area somewhere.” Teclis winked, a human action he’d picked up.

  Coil stood and grinned back. Within moments both security officers were walking toward the front door. Passing Jikel, Teclis told him they were heading out to scout the area.

  “See you later,” Jikel replied, his nose returning to the book he was reading.

  After Tec and Coil had walked for a while, Teclis raised his wrist and looked at the new band each of the warriors that were on Earth had been given to wear in place of their comms. It could still act as a communicator, but the voice of the person would sound in a new earpiece designed for them that was hidden behind their ears. The communicator now looked very much like something the humans called a watch. The longer Teclis was on Earth, the more he found himself reverting to the human timeline. It was currently 13:32.

  “How are you finding the time difference?” Teclis asked.

  “From human to Gracian?” Coil replied. “It’s weird, but I’m getting used to it the longer we are here. The change between light and dark helps.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Teclis looked around. He could still see the main house, but it was in the far distance. Teclis led the walk, deciding to head along the west edge of the island which had plenty of foliage. He had a plan in mind. None of the houses were near, and he could hear the waves crashing over the rocky area below, over the ledge of a small cliff. It was a nice, quiet area with no prying eyes nearby, and he and Coil could have a little fun. With another glance around to make sure they were alone, Teclis suddenly tackled Coil to the ground.

  “Oof.” Coil gasped as he landed on his back with Teclis straddling his hips. “You want to do this now?” Coil asked in surprise.

  “Why not? We can’t exactly do it in the house with you being so loud when you—”

  “I am not loud!” Coil snorted.

  “Oh, but you are.” Teclis smirked, knowing full well when his friend and lover came, he could raise a roof. It was a good thing their cabins aboard the Gemorph were all soundproofed or the whole ship would know what they got up to.

  Teclis thought Hover might have an idea being he did their medical checks, but the medic hadn’t said anything. Normally, when male Gracians turned twelve yarns, their need for their parents’ energy dissipated when they started to create their own; that meant their iungos disappeared too. But Teclis and Coil both had theirs.

  Yarns ago, before Teclis had joined the fleet and taken to space with his fellow warriors, he’d come across Coil being beaten to a pulp by a group of male younglings. Not even thinking twice, Teclis had stormed into the group and pulled two young males off Coil.

  Teclis was bigger than most males his age. Thanks to that, combined with the skills his pater had taught him, he had no fear of the males standing around him. Ten pairs of eyes stared at him, looking ready to pounce at any second.

  “What the frinx is going on?” he yelled. “Because ten on one is far from a fair fight.”