Avert by Viola Grace Page A

shielded, but the heat was still incredible.
    One by one, the spectators left the square to watch from the sidelines.
    Sky waited and stared up at Tavik as steam rose from his skin.
    The moment that the last spectator had walked away to watch from the shade, Sky sprang onto the platform and pulled her scissors. She sliced through the bindings on his wrists and wrapped herself in power, transporting them both to her prison.
    He was vivid purple and blue everywhere, his burns marked him on every inch of exposed skin.
    She steeled herself and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, walking him to the shower as quickly as she could. She set the controls to slightly cooler than body temperature and shoved him into the spray.
    “Come on, Tavik, come on.”
    With the water sluicing over him, he shook himself and stared up at her. “Sky? You came to get me?”
    “Of course. And as soon as you are stable, I am going back for the shavirel.”
    He smiled. “There is a quick way to do that. Use temporal energy.”
    “We can do that?”
    “It is how I restarted your heart, so yes, we can do that.” His voice was hoarse. “Concentrate, contact the Orb of Time inside you and bring it out, focussing it in your hands. Then, put your hands on my body.”
    She shivered under the cool water and did as he said. The power was different than the energy she used to transport herself. It was part of her in some way. She pressed her hands against Tavik’s chest and focussed on his body returning to health.
    When the burn marks receded, she stopped the flow of power and moved her hands up to cup his face, kissing him sweetly before she popped back to rescue the shavirel.

Chapter Eleven
    The bar was full of people drinking, shuddering and enjoying themselves. Still wearing her solar shield, Sky walked up to the tank, pulled back her hand and rammed her scissors through the plexi that contained the creature.
    The shavirel didn’t wait but scampered up under her solar shield and hid in the fur around Sky’s shoulders.
    Sky didn’t look left or right but ploughed through the crowd and out the door into the suns’ light.
    She sprinted to the gallows while wrapping her hand in the folds of her solar shield and jerked at Tavik’s blade until it came free.
    The knife belt was hanging over the edge of the gallows and she quickly grabbed it as well.
    Why retrieve these things?
    These are the marks of our kind. No one should keep them who is not one of us.
    I see. Do you know where you are taking me?
    Sky could feel the creature moving around on her neck. The Orb has given me an image, so I will take you there. It looks comfortable, but how will you reproduce?
    Amusement coloured the shavirel’s thoughts. I am asexual. The eggs mature and grow and lose their addictive properties, but the remaining population never let them grow and live to reproduce on their own.
    That is sad.
    It is. I kept hoping that some would survive, but the occupants grew more and more desperate for distraction. They are stranded and no one is coming for them.
    Sky moved between times and worlds, taking the shavirel with her. I thought that there were more ships coming.
    No more ships can pass through the solar storms. They will die.
    Aw hells. We will have to look into that. For now, welcome to your new home.
    Sky removed her solar shield, folding it neatly and tucking it under one arm.
    The creature came out of the fur and the wave of happiness was unmistakable. This is wonderful. It is like my home when it was green and alive.
    It is your home when it was green and alive. Your species is too dangerous to leave its home, but you can live here for thirty thousand years before one settler sets foot on this world.
    Thank you, Nameless. I honour you and my daughters will honour you.
    The creature scampered down her arm and Sky fought a shudder at the feathery-light feet. Having a sudden urge to scream and fling the creature into the forest next to her, she instead