Infinite Horizons

By Meyari McFarland

Collecting five stories by author Meyari McFarland, Infinite Horizons examines what it means to be a woman in worlds unlike our own.

Relationships bloom in Sensory Adjustment, a tale of finding love in a strange new environment. The loss of love drives Another Path to Infinity to discover what truly matters. Wedding Plans shows how hope blooms when family gathers around. In Stardust In Your Veins determination empowers freedom from persecution. Finally, in Moon of the Sea danger enables growth to finally occur.

Infinite Horizons holds stories that focus on women's lives and how they interact with each other. Love, family and adventure fill these stories, making it an exciting exploration of what it means to be a woman in very different worlds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MDR Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311393470

Meyari McFarland

Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

Book preview

Infinite Horizons

By Meyari McFarland

No, Badra whispered. Don't die, Rida. I can't lose you, too.

Badra hauled the anchor up, tossing it into the center of the boat along with the silverlings. They had gone as still as Rida, only an occasional pectoral fin flexing weakly as the fish gasped at air that could never sustain its life. The wind was too still to propel them to shore so Badra shipped the oars and stated paddling.

She put her full weight into each stroke, all but standing as she drove the oars into the water. Badra's arms ached in moments. Her legs burned from the effort. Through it all, Badra kept her eyes on Rida's still body. They'd lost so much over the last few years. There was no way that she would lose Rida as well, even if Rida thought she was an abusive, overbearing fool.

Other Books by Meyari McFarland:

Fitting In

Artifacts of Awareness

A Range of Debts Collection

The Nature of Beasts

Captured Debts Collection

Repair and Rebuild

Published by Mary Raichle on Smashwords

Copyright ©2013 by Mary Raichle

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to [e-mail]

This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

Dedication:

This book is dedicated to Jeannie, Carol, Zina, Lectorel, JC, and all the other wonderful women I've met online. Thank you, ladies! You keep me writing and exploring new themes just by being your wonderful selves.

Table of Contents

Another Path to Infinity

Sensory Alterations

Stardust In Your Veins

Wedding Plans

Moon of the Sea

Repair and Rebuild

Afterword

Another Path to Infinity

1. Loss

I'm sorry, Benella said as she dropped Exie's hands, the smell of distilling rose petals heavy in the air. I can't accept.

Benella's kitchen was filled with roses from her garden, the heads coolly and methodically cut off at the peak of blossom so that Benella could distill rose water from their petals. Steam drifted around them, dripping down Exie's drooping curls and forming tiny pearls of water on Benella's cheeks. The steam only made Benella's dark hair shine as she looked at the worn floor. Her dark eyes picked out the boards that Exie had replaced for her before raising her eyes to Exie's again.

Her expression was anything but apologetic. Her eyes were cold despite the regretful smile twisting her lips into an approximation of emotion. Exie swallowed down a surge of acid rage. Months. She had spent months with Benella, helping her fix her house, weeding the garden, laughing at all Benella's weak jokes about needing a real man in the house but oh well, Exie was close enough.

Close enough to do the hard labor. Close enough to fix what had gone wrong through neglect and lack of money. Close enough to fill Benella's bed most nights. Not close enough to love, to cherish, or to keep. She'd failed again.

I know you were expecting something more, Benella said as she rubbed her hands distastefully over her stained and spotted apron. Once it had been beautifully embroidered, apparently a gift of Benella's grandmother. Now it showed its years. You have helped me enormously. I might not have been able to survive the winter without you staying here. The leaks in the roof alone would have destroyed half the food in the pantry.

It would have, Exie agreed, not bothering to hide the harshness of her tone. Not to mention last week.

Benella winced at the reminder of Exie's battle with the local bully boys in her defense. She looked away, the set of her jaw and shoulders defiant. Bruises still dotted Exie's chest, back and stomach. Her knuckles were scraped and split. Exie had only just gotten sight back in her right eye. It had been ugly with broken blood vessels and bruising when Exie glanced into the water bucket this morning.

They would have raped you, Exie said. The words came out casual, as if it was a comment on the weather.

They wouldn't have, Benella replied. Her shudder made the words into a lie.

I'm just to leave? Exie asked, said, demanded. Take my things and walk away. Near a full year I've been here for you and I'm just to walk out the door and not look back.

She expected a denial, some weakening of Benella's expression. Instead she got a flat stare, a firm nod and a gesture towards the back door where Exie's traveling bag sat waiting. This time Exie was the one to look away. No matter how often this happened she never expected it. It always hurt to be turned out of a place that she had begun to consider home, even though it could never be her true home.

Please go, Benella said.

Fine.

Exie went and knelt to check that she wasn't missing anything. Benella's sharp inhalation soothed a little of Exie's fury, her pain, but she didn't look at Benella to memorize her expression. It wouldn't be any different than the other times. No matter what changed, the rejection and fury were always the same.

No matter how hard she tried, Exie never found someone who looked at her with love, humor. All of them glared when they turned Exie out, looked furious at Exie for daring to care about them. She'd sought each of them out, hunted through the paths to infinity for them, only to be thrown out in the end by every single one of them. Benella was only the most recent to discard Exie's heart as if it was garbage.

Everything was there, her books and pens, carefully sealed ink and seals. The interior of her bag was much larger than the exterior, letting her bring ample clothes for the many different environments she'd found in her travels. Several pairs of spare boots were secured in one corner. A hidden interior flap that only Exie could open concealed several pounds of gold and silver coins. Exie rarely used them. Working her way was better.

I'll want the ring back, Exie announced as she stood and took her coat off the peg by the back door. And the necklace and earrings.

They were gifts! Benella objected. When Exie looked, Benella's hand was over the priceless sapphire pendant that Benella had always treated as if it were glass.

Consider it payment for the work, Exie said. Either way, they're coming with me. I won't leave them with you, not after this.

Outrage had Benella shaking as she jerked the ring off, tossing it at Exie. She nearly tore her ears taking off the earrings. Getting the necklace back took Exie stepping close and glaring down into Benella's eyes. Benella glared back up at her, one hand crooked as if she intended to throw the slowly simmering pot of water at Exie.

You're horrid, Benella snapped as she dropped the necklace into Exie's hand.

You're the one throwing me out, Exie replied. Good luck with Aleksey's boys. I'm sure that they'll be excited to hear you're alone again.

I won't be, Benella said.

There was enough defiance in her eyes for Exie to know that she'd finally gotten an offer from one of the men in town. Twenty-one year old unmarried women usually didn't find husbands but apparently Benella had done it. Exie wondered who she'd fucked into offering, wondered which of her trips into town had been for business and which for seduction. It didn't matter anymore.

Exie could feel the sneer twisting her lip. When Benella raised a hand to slap her, Exie blocked, letting Benella feel the strength she'd always held back. Benella skittered backwards. There was fear in her eyes for the first time. She reached for her broom, holding it between them as if it could protect her.

I would have stayed with you forever, Exie said.

I don't want you to, Benella snapped. Get out of my house! You're not welcome here anymore!

Was I ever? Exie asked, not expecting an answer.

She took several meat buns, two apples and a niexi fruit, stuffing all of them into her bag despite Benella's infuriated glare. Exie had picked the apples, rooted out the niexi vine and nurtured its growth. Not to mention that Exie had been the one to catch the rabbit that filled the buns. Benella could deal with her outrage at food being taken.

Rather than leave by the back door as Benella so obviously thought proper, Exie stomped through the house to the front door. She felt even more out place among Benella's worn furniture and patched cushions than before. It was the house of someone barely scraping by, a person who was desperate for any little scrap that she could get.

Why did I stay? Exie asked, her hand resting on the brass doorknob. Most of the gold color had worn off, revealing the iron underneath.

Because I let you, Benella snapped. Go!

When Exie glanced at her, Benella still had the broom between them. The bent ends of straw were worn to the point that it was a bare nub, hardly able to do its job. Exie laughed, something like relief mixing with pain at the realization that this had been completely wrong from the very beginning.

I wasn't asking you, Exie said.

Her wry smile made Benella stare and hunch her shoulders, not that Exie cared anymore. This attempt at finding a new home was over. Exie should have admitted it was a failure months ago but desperation had driven her to keep trying long after the point of absurdity. Benella's expression was so puzzled that Exie laughed as she walked out of the sweltering house.

Outside, the day felt so cool compared to Benella's steamy kitchen that Exie shivered. The porch creaked under her boots, the left side drooping down where the struts had rotted out. Exie had never gotten the time to rebuild the supports. Whoever Benella had seduced into marriage would have to fix it now. It wasn't Exie's problem anymore.

Rather than turn left towards town, Exie turned right. The neighbor's fields had grown up over the summer to the point that they probably couldn't see Exie walking away. Benella certainly could. She stood on the front porch and glared at Exie's back. Exie didn't need to turn around to know that.

How long has it been? Exie murmured as she rounded the corner that would lead her into the forest that surrounded the village's fields. Months? Nearly a year. Why did I stay?

She knew why, of course. Benella's resemblance to Tivian had been too powerful for Exie to ignore. As the trees surrounded Exie, layers of green leaves filtering the heat of the sun enough that the heat of midsummer faded to pleasant warmth that let the sweat on Exie's skin finally dry. It had been in a forest much like this one that Exie had first met Tivian. Her first meeting with Benella had been on this very path, back when the leaves were gold and scarlet instead of emerald.

Meeting Benella under such similar circumstances had given Exie entirely too much hope. She'd convinced herself over and over again that Benella would become a decent replacement for Tivian despite the many, many ways that they differed. Benella's short temper, harsh judgments and lack of a sense of humor should have sent Exie back out onto the paths of infinity almost immediately. Instead she'd tortured both herself and Benella by trying to make the relationship work.

Stupid, Exie complained. That was just stupid.

She'd seen within days that it wasn't going to work. Exie had just convinced herself that there had to be a way so that she didn't have to face the possibility of returning home again. Actually, she'd convinced herself to stay every morning and every night, so determined not to face her past that she'd blinded herself to what was happening around her.

Exie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Benella's people were so religiously rigid that Exie had even given up her magic. That in itself should have told Exie that she was in the wrong place. Magic was a part of her heart and soul, just as it had been part of Tivian. Giving it up had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done, and for what?

Nothing, Exie murmured as she walked slowly through the forest, her firm grip on her magic finally slipping free so that her mind moved with her body.

She let her mind unfurl for the first time since meeting Benella. Dull green leaves became sparkling webs of light. The shafts of light spearing through the canopy vibrated with deadly power. Under her feet the hard-packed earth rumbled with the tread of thousands of feet, remembering the passage of every single person, animal and cart that had passed by.

I missed this, Exie admitted as she