Icarus Unbound Read online

  Icarus Unbound

  by Bernadette Gardner

  Atlantic Bridge

  www.atlanticbridge.net

  Copyright ©2011 by Bernadette Gardner First published in 2011

  NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others.

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  Icarus Unbound

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  CONTENTS

  Blurb

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  * * * *

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  Icarus Unbound

  by Bernadette Gardner

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, Imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana.

  Copyright 2011, Bernadette Gardner. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

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  Blurb

  The only full-blooded human member of the winged population on Icarus, Laramee Faulkner has longed to be accepted as one of the tribe. Since childhood, Jaran, the adopted son of the Icarian leaders, has never let Lara forget that she's different. As a boy, he teased and taunted her. As a man, he has the power to give her everything she's always desired, or tear her away from the world she loves.

  When Jaran chooses Lara as his mate, she's certain his plan is only to humiliate her, but his passionate kisses and sensual commands ignite her long-suppressed desires. Will she be able to resist the erotic temptation and make him pay for all the years he tormented her, or will she give in and claim her birthright as a member of the Icarian race even if it means giving herself to the man who made her feel like an outcast?

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  Prologue

  "You are not Icarian and you never will be!" A violent shove accompanied the taunt delivered by Jaran, and Laramee Faulkner fell to her knees on the freshly swept launching platform of Icarus's royal aerie. She had come to the largest of her home planet's millions of towering columnar islands today with her parents, Caleb Faulkner and Zara Abbott, to receive her wings, despite the fact that she was not Icarian by blood.

  Her parents had carried her here to the lofty residence of the Icarian leaders, Jidar and Namara, perched more than a hundred meters above Icarus's worldwide ocean. Today was the last time Laramee would fly suspended from her parents'

  arms. In less than an hour she would take to the air herself along with hundreds of other ten-year-olds, who were now ready to join with the headless birds, called symbions, which gave their humanoid Icarian hosts the ability to fly.

  Lips pursed, brows lowered over a deadly stare, Laramee drew herself to her feet and glared at Jaran. He was only a few months older than she, but much taller and already quite muscular for his age. Since Jaran was the last full-blooded Icarian child born on Icarus, and Icarian's matured faster than humans, he was a bit closer to adulthood physically than Laramee, though she had just entered puberty herself.

  Size and strength notwithstanding, Jaran was years behind Lara mentally and emotionally. At least in her sage opinion.

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  In fact, he was nothing more than an oversized, immature, jealous baby. She conveyed this fact to him by sticking out her tongue and kicking a small eddy of dirt in his direction.

  "Well, at least I know who my father is."

  The moment those hurtful words left her mouth, Laramee regretted them. Not because she realized teasing Jaran about the well-known fact that his Icarian mother, the healer Arilani, had been unmated when Jaran was conceived and had staunchly refused to reveal the identity of his father, but because as she spoke, her own mother happened to appear at the edge of the group of children who had assembled today to receive their wings.

  "Laramee Namara Faulkner, come here right now!"

  Oh no. Lara rolled her eyes. Not only did the use of her ridiculously long full name mean she was in major trouble, it also produced peels of laugher from most of the other children. They'd been singing her name like a song for years, using it to bring her to tears and make her wish her parents had loved her enough to give her a normal, short Icarian name like everyone else had. Unfortunately both of her parents were human, so they had named her according to the traditions of their ancestors. It just wasn't fair.

  "Mother! Jaran started it," Lara said, launching a parting scowl at Jaran as she pushed her way through the crowd.

  "Larameenamarafaulkner ... larameenamarafaulkner..."

  Voices whispered her name in agonizing redundancy as she passed the other children. Her mother seemed oblivious to the teasing and furthered Lara's humiliation by yanking her by the wrist until they'd left the group behind.

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  "How many times have your father and I told you? It's very rude to talk about Jaran's parents. It's not his fault he doesn't have a father. That was a choice his mother made, and it's unacceptable to punish him for it."

  Lara bowed her head. He punishes me for the choices you made, like my stupid, stupid name. She didn't say the words out loud, and holding them back was the hardest thing she'd ever done.

  "Laramee, are you listening to me?"

  "Yes, mama."

  "Good." Zara tilted her daughter's chin up, forcing Lara to look into the lovely hazel eyes she'd always wished she'd inherited. "Now, today is a very special day. Let's not ruin it by fighting with Jaran. Go and take your place in line and smile. The symbions are coming, and in a few minutes you'll be flying by yourself for the very first time."

  Zara's voice cracked, and tears sprang to her eyes. Lara sighed. Not again. Her mother practically burst into tears every single time she talked about the joining. Sure, Lara was excited to be taking her place as an airborne member of Icarian society, but it was nothing to cry about.

  "Yes, mama."

  Zara hugged her daughter, and for a moment Lara forgot about Jaran and the embarrassment of having an eight-syllable name. She allowed herself to enjoy the comforting scent of her mother's sun-warmed skin and the tickle of wing-feathers on her arms as she squeezed her mother's shoulder.

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  "Your father and I will be watching and waiting for you to land, but remember, you fly as long as you want to. You don't have to hurry back."

  "I know, mama. I know." Lara
smiled. Today she would become Icarian, and it would no longer matter what Jaran said or thought. She would kneel down with all the other ten-year-olds who represented the first wave of the Icarian/human breeding program pioneered by her parents'

  research team, and she would wait for a symbion bird to land on her back and claim her as its host.

  The joining with the headless birds was painless, so everyone told her. Even though the creature would stick a sharp proboscis called a siphon into the back of her neck, she wouldn't feel a thing.

  Within seconds, the bird would attach itself to her spinal column, fuse its elongated body to her back, spread its wings and take flight with her. She and the symbion would then be joined forever, sharing one body and eventually one mind.

  Even though her parents both had symbion wings, they were not Icarian born. Because of that, on the inside, Laramee would always be human. But at least from this day forward, she would be Icarian on the outside, and that was all that mattered to Lara.

  She would finally fit in.

  With her head high, chin jutting forward and her shoulders back, Laramee crossed the wide expanse of basalt rock that made up the landing platform of the royal island. Without casting her gaze to either side at the children who lined up next to her, she took her place at the edge of the island and 9

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  looked down at the jagged volcanic rocks below where the blue-green ocean water swirled in the treacherous shoals.

  She had no fear, only raw, uncontrolled anticipation. She practically held her breath until Jidar stepped up to the edge of the sheer drop and issued the command for them all to kneel. Along with the Icarian leader's own son, Odan, who also occupied a place in line today, Lara obeyed the leader of her people and dropped to her knees. She put her arms straight back along her sides and bowed her head. Closing her eyes, she broke into a satisfied smile.

  Today I will show Jaran. Today I will fly.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

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  Chapter One

  Twenty years later

  Dr. Laramee Faulkner glided to a perfect landing on the south side of the royal island. Immediately, a familiar feeling of dread washed over her. She hated this place.

  Despite the majestic beauty of the island, which rose one hundred meters above the surface of the ocean, this spot held nothing but bad memories for her. The incredible views, the permeating scent of sweet, flowering fruit trees and the stunning architecture of the newly redesigned royal aerie couldn't change her mind.

  Even the wonderful day she'd received her symbion wings at age ten had been tainted by the cruel words of the other children with whom she'd shared the joyous rite of passage.

  Every time she'd come here since then had been to receive bad news, such as the death of the Icarian leaders Jidar and Namara four years ago, or the day her parents had summoned her here and told her they'd been asked to move to the nearby planet Daedalus to study that world's developing feudal government.

  Today would be no different. Today Lara would be told with whom she would be required to mate.

  After a deep breath of the rarefied air, she settled her wings resolutely against her back and pointed herself toward the new leader's aerie. Decades ago, the structure had been made entirely of hand-carved sandstone, but now, thanks to technology brought by the human scientists who had come to 11

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  help the Icarians rebuild their infertility-plagued society, the royal dwelling looked more like a jewel than a glorified cave.

  Glass walls and enclosures had added to the existing natural alcoves, creating a cathedral-like building that sparkled in the strong sunlight. Tilting solar panels collected energy to fuel bubbling fountains and hydroponic green houses, which produced a host of hardy fruit-bearing plants.

  What had once been a somewhat barren, windswept plane atop the rock column was now a lush garden, a place of serenity and eternal beauty.

  Lara couldn't wait to leave. Hopefully the proceedings would go quickly and she could return to work before sunset.

  As chief botanist for the human colony on Icarus, the work she'd done at the Alpha Island Research Station, the same place her parents had met over thirty years ago, had contributed to the transformation of not only the royal aerie, but thousands of others in the endless chains that spanned the watery globe as well. She should have been proud to walk among the gardens and inspect the results of some of her most successful experiments, but all she wanted to do was learn the name of her future husband and fly away, back to the academic world she preferred, where she was respected as a scientist and accepted for her accomplishments rather than ridiculed for the inadequacies of her DNA.

  I'm an adult now, and that's all behind me, she had to remind herself. In truth though, her fully human heritage was no secret among the Icarian hybrids. It had been decades since anyone had held it against her, considering almost everyone in her age group was half-human themselves. While 12

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  it didn't erase all the bad memories, a few moments of rational thought now and then did help to put her life in perspective.

  "Lara! You're finally here." A familiar voice squealed her name and, grateful for the distraction from her cloudy thoughts, Lara halted and waited for her friend Kiala to catch up to her.

  The half-Icarian female had been one of the few children not influenced by Jaran's ridiculing. As a result, the two had forged an enduring friendship. Lara hugged her friend, their wingtips brushing momentarily.

  "How long have you been here, Kee?"

  Today, Kiala would receive her mate assignment as well, and unlike Lara, the statuesque, white-haired Icarian woman was thrilled about it.

  "I've been here for hours. I could barely sleep last night, so I came here to watch the sunrise."

  Lara tried to keep a hint of derision out of her response. "I couldn't sleep either. I worked all night."

  Seemingly unaware of Lara's bad mood, Kiala linked arms with her and urged her toward the aerie buildings. "Just think, this time tomorrow, you'll be flying off with your mate to choose an aerie of your own. I plan to head south. There are still a lot of empty islands in those chains and I want lots of privacy."

  Lara tried to keep her false smile in place, but by the time she and Kiala had reached the main thoroughfare leading into the aerie's largest archway, she could no longer hide her scowl.

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  Kiala's expression fell when she noticed. "What's wrong?

  You were so excited about the new mating cycle beginning.

  Don't you want to have a child?"

  "Well, yes, but I'm worried about who I'll be paired with."

  "Well, you shouldn't be." Kiala dismissed Lara's anxiety with a wave of her hand. "I heard that both Lian and Soren have asked for you. Either one of them would make a wonderful husband."

  "Hmm." Lara tried to muster enthusiasm for the two handsome Icarian men Kiala had named. Lian was a builder.

  Tall like Kiala, with golden eyes and excellent muscle tone, he was a perfect specimen for breeding. Soren had dark hair and stately, gray-feathered wings. He worked at the research station in the medical center. Patient, reflective and intelligent, he would likely make a great father. Lara should have been excited about the prospect of being paired with either male, but she wasn't. While she understood and accepted the long-standing Icarian tradition of arranged bonding based on genetic compatibility, she'd always held out the remote hope that one day she'd fall in love, the way her parents had, and that like in the case of Caleb and Zara thirty years ago, the Icarian leader would be forced to pair her with the mate she'd chosen for herself.

  After today, that dream would never come true. She'd be assigned a husband, prov
ide him with a child, and together they would spend ten years preparing their offspring for joining with his or her own symbion bird. If they were lucky, when the next mating cycle rolled around a decade in the 14

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  future, they might be able to conceive a second offspring and start the process of child-rearing all over again.

  That was how Icarian society worked, and at least on the outside, Lara was Icarian.

  Deep down, though, she knew, just as her childhood playmates had never tired of reminding her, she was and always would be fully human.

  Kiala squeezed her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

  "Don't worry. You'll be so happy once you have an aerie of your own and a baby on the way, and Lian or Soren would be lucky to get you. They'll treat you like a treasure."

  Lara nodded absently, then her insides turned to cold mush when Daralei, an administrator to the Icarian leader, strolled out of the aerie to greet them.

  "Kiala and Lara, it's good to see you both." The older female squeezed each of their shoulders, the Icarian equivalent of a friendly hug. At seventy, nearly the end of the Icarian life cycle, Daralei was not eligible to participate in the current mating cycle, but both women knew she had some influence over the choice of mating pairs.

  "Our liege is ready to see you, and the men are already inside. Which one of you would like to go first?"

  In deference to Kiala's bubbling enthusiasm and eager to hold off the inevitable, Lara nodded to her friend. "You go. If you don't stop bouncing, your wings will fall off."

  In defiance of the fact that she, like Lara, would be thirty years old before the current mating cycle even began, Kiala squealed like an excited child. "Wish me luck, Lara," she said as she fell into step behind Daralei. "I'll wait for you when I'm 15

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  done so our mates can greet each other. I can't wait to see who you will be paired with."

  "Me neither." Lara sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Me neither."