Shiver and Bright Read Free Page B

and which her mother would rather see her eating.
    “For example, I can tell that you will not be able to eat all that.” He quirked his lips and sipped at his caf.
    She blinked and eyed her plate. “Is that a challenge?”
    “No. It is an observation. Unless you have an exceptionally fast metabolism, you will not be able to clear all that food. You need to accept your limits.”
    Nat smiled at him, it was a slow, dangerous smile. “I know my limits. I am here to push them.”
     
    He stared at her plate ten minutes later, and she smirked, wiping her lips on a napkin.
    “I know my limits. I do, in fact, have a fast metabolism. My peristaltic contractions are at three times the normal rate. My father guessed that it linked to my talent.”
    She suddenly yawned and tried to keep her eyes open.
    Worvin got to his feet and helped her to hers. “Come on. You need rest. Back to your quarters.”
    “Don’t I get to see the flowers?”
    He grimaced. “Fine. A detour through the oxygen farm. Then back to your rooms.”
    She smiled brightly and hung onto his arm as he led her through the station and to the scent of dirt and greenery.
    “I thought there would be humidity.”
    “It is a garden, not a jungle. We keep the humidity to the minimum that the plants require to function. The rest of the humidity is collected and recycled in our water systems.” He smiled.
    “Where are the flowers I smelled earlier?”
    He led her through a variety of plants, and she finally saw the blossoms that were so familiar. The bank of blooms was three feet thick and fifteen feet long. Their scent swelled and cascaded, refreshing all the musty odours that came with the large amount of soil and loam.
    Nathaly stroked her hand along the blossoms and inhaled their scent past her lungs and into her soul. “Okay. I am ready to rest now.”
    Worvin looked at her curiously. “Why now?”
    “For every day of my life I have passed those blossoms on my way home. Today was the first time I have tried to relax and rest away from home. If I am to function here on the station, I need to find things to help me de-stress. This was one of those things.”
    They returned to their slow walk back to her quarters.
    “I understand that you are trying to make yourself at home, but remember, this is not your home and you have a job to do.”
    “I won’t forget it. My family depends on it, but I need to be able to function at full capacity to make it through the testing phase. For that, I need peace of mind and an ability to fool my ingrained habits into thinking I am still somewhere safe. Do you understand that?”
    He tensed at the tightness of her tone. “I do. Apologies. I am used to working with Guardsmen who are eager to get into battle.”
    “I just want to get my life back and my parents to safety, whatever it takes.”
    “Right. Well, you have made excellent progress today. Get some rest, and tomorrow, you will be able to manage that last test.”
    Nat swayed a little. “I hope so. It was trickier than it seemed.”
    She staggered a moment before she struck the door of her quarters. “I think sleep is next on the agenda.”
    He frowned. “When was the last time you slept?”
    He helped her through the door and into the small but well-appointed room.
    “I woke up the day I had to run. I don’t think I have slept since.” She quirked her lips and crashed on the bed.
    “Do you want me to help you remove your clothing?”
    She flapped one hand and sighed when her door closed, leaving her in silence.
    She was going to do this. She was going to do here what she couldn’t do at home, and then, she was going to go home and rattle the capitol until the building crumbled and all that was left was her parents.
    She felt the smile on her lips as she drifted away.
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Nathaly got up, showered and blinked at the boxes of clothing that hadn’t been there the day before.
    The clean clothing matched the outfit from the day before, and