32 The Lives of Dax by Marco Palmieri

Author:Marco Palmieri [Palmieri, Marco]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Adventure
ISBN: 0743456823
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2011-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

Audrid Dax

NEEMA CYL TURNED the last page over, sighing, absently smoothing out the wrinkles and lines in the soft paper. No tears this time, although there was a heaviness in her throat that wouldn't go away, and that was all right. In the weeks since she'd first read the letter, she'd felt the bitterness seeping away from her feelings of sorrow, and sorrow alone wasn't such a terrible thing.

She checked the time and sighed again; it was getting late. Gingerly, she folded the rumpled pages and stood up from her desk, slipping the letter into the top drawer. The house was silent and still, the darkness outside making her feel that her small home was a sanctuary, a haven against the night, against the unknown. Since receiving Audrid's letter, she couldn't help but feel that the world--that the universe--was no longer safe. Knowing the truth had changed things, had created a sense of wariness in her that had never existed before ... but that wasn't such a terrible thing, either. There was much to be done, and learning to be watchful was the first step.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. There would be time for that later. Tonight, she had other business, and it was already late. Maybe too late. Neema looked at the clock again--

--And the door chimed softly at her, and she couldn't get there fast enough. Another deep breath, a rush of belated fear that too much had been lost, and the door slid open.

The heaviness in her broke apart, the tears spilling out as Audrid, older, stronger, gazed lovingly into her eyes.

Eyes like my father's, Neema thought, and stepped forward, both of them reaching out, both of them crying.

"Mother," Neema whispered, and they stood in the open doorway for a long time, each unwilling to let the other go.

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