Neimi hunched her shoulders irritably, cold seeping through her boot soles as well as down her neck. Abandoning all pretenses, she stuffed her hands under her armpits, fluffed her tail so what warmth she had left wouldn't escape the fur, and dug her chin into her collarbone. Frost crackled in her thick black hair, which fell stubbornly forward into her eyes. What the hell was wrong with this planet? She'd never experienced anything so utterly cold. And she wasn't liking it.

Narrowing her eyes, she gazed around the bleak landscape; still trying to adjust herself to the huge gravity difference that made her feel as if she was going to float away. The wide icy vistas were beautiful, she supposed, though the red planet had been much more inviting from space. It had looked like home, then, but she didn't want to think about that. They had no home.
Period.

She heard heavy footsteps approaching and a light brush along her awareness.

Did you find them? she asked, not bothering to turn around, nor did she hide the irritation in her voice. An uncontrollable shivering was starting in her stomach.

a deep voice replied indifferently, right behind her ear. The billow of misted breath that wafted past her cheek made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

She cast a nasty look over her shoulder, black eyes snapping, and was met with Bern's wide, lazy grin. Calmly, he held out one of his shirts to her, the one he'd been wearing; but she simply growled softly and turned to face the frozen river at her feet again, wrapping her tail more tightly around her thin waist. Bern stood there, bare-chested, studying the stiff lines of her back, and sighed.

This was the best place we could find for now, he told her. We aren't ready yet.

We are, she replied angrily. Because there is nothing to be ready for. We have the advantage, and we have the strength. Yule* knows that.

Bern pulled his shirt, now stiff with frost, back over his head and tugged his ragged ponytail out of the collar. A jumble of emotions radiated from his lover, nervousness, fear, excitement, anger, anger, anger, all pricking his skin like so many spiteful bees, and he gently put his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her bowed head. Neither of them had donned armor this morning, choosing instead to spend the day in reconnaissance. Bern shifted his hold slightly when Neimi raised her head, for they were almost the same height, and pressed his cheek to her chilled one instead, feeling her earring press sharply into his neck.

I hate being cold, she grumped irrationally. Somehow, that seemed to be the worst thing at the moment, despite all they had gone through to get to this time and place.

I can fix that, Bern said, deadpan. Neimi, still hunched over, pressed back into his solid body; and then stood straight, finally turning around and breaking free of his arms. She was grinning, small sharp teeth glinting in the unfiltered glare of the tiny yellow sun that was just then breaking
free of the horizon. This sun was so young.

Not right now you couldn't, she said slyly, poking him in the stomach. The grin dropped off her face.

Where is Yule?

Bern tilted his head toward the main ship. Inside. He said he found them an hour ago. And . . . he said to tell you, we're going to get there first.

Neimi snorted softly. He's not going to like that, is he? Her expression turned fierce as she gazed at the rapidly fading stars, and Bern knew she wasn't referring to her brother. And that's too damn bad.

She began walking briskly over the ice, stamping a little harder than necessary and sending chips flying. Bern strode along next to her, hands behind his head, whistling tunelessly, his tail swinging lazily with each step. They reached the ship together and went inside, Neimi jumping impatiently up the ramp and through the hatch, Bern following absently. There was only room enough for one down the companionway and Neimi took the lead, walking even faster down the metal corridor, slapping her hand on the walls every other step. In no time at all they had reached the control room and Yule.

He was slumped over in his chair, unmoving.

Neimi bounded down the steps into the sunken bridge, then skidded into the main computer console when she couldn't halt her forward motion, banging her hip painfully. Frantically, she grasped her little brother's shoulders and pulled him upright in his seat. His eyelids flickered when she cuffed his face, and the blood returned slowly to his cold skin. Frowning, he rubbed his forehead and pushed Neimi away.

I'm fine.

The siblings stared hard at each other, almost identical from the thick hair, large eyes, and small pouty lips. Both were tall and strong, both furious fighters.

But Yule, inexplicably, was very different in one major way — he was albino. His hair and skin were deathly white, his eyes a blazing pink. Fortunately, early on in his life Yule found a way to use his ki as a shield able to withstand sunlight, and Neimi and Bern had simply ceased to see Yule's ghostly appearance.

It was Yule, after all, who had first sensed the Others. And it was he the Power Eternal talked to, trusted, shared knowledge with. This Power, though Neimi herself had never heard it speak, was slowly becoming something even she and Bern could sense. The best way she could describe it to herself was hungry, or perhaps, cold. Like this empty planet. Yule refused to talk about it, or else he couldn't — she hadn't decided which.

Bern flopped into an empty chair that faced a silent console, his heavily muscled leg over one of the armrests, and broke the tension.

What's the story? he drawled, cracking his knuckles.

Yule replied, flicking his pale fingers over his console, lights flashing. The big viewer, the one that took up the entire port wall, buzzed to life and a picture slowly focused. They were looking at a man in strange clothes, and a tiny girl. Both were laughing soundlessly, the man with a mouthful of food and a head of crazy hair. Neimi grimaced distastefully as noodles dropped from his chin.

Then, her eyes widened and she let out a long, low hiss as she realized who she was looking at. Bern had sensed it too, and he tightened one fist. Yule, his weird eyes flicking from one tense face to the other, nodded.

This is one, he said, tapping one of his feet against the floor. The child . . . The child is a mix, filthy Blood. There is another, and more of the diluted Blood. I'll have more for you later.

Please wait a little longer. This was directed at Neimi, who was rocking her weight restlessly from foot to foot.

Just as long as we get there first, she snapped at him.

Yule smiled slowly, gazing once again at the silent people on the screen. The little girl was drinking from a plastic tumbler, both of her tiny hands wrapped around it, while the man was talking to the ceiling. We will, he promised with a cruel hiss.

*Pronounced YOO-lay

...continued...