Sparked (The Metal Bones Series Book 1) (12 page)

For comforting me, for being there for me.

“And for saving my parents. It’s not even just me you’re saving, it’s my whole family. And about my mom . . . what she said just as we were leaving, I . . .” The words I was going to say fled and I played with the buttons on my jacket.

“You don’t feel accepted,” he said. “You never felt wanted.”

My throat closed up and tears marred my vision.

How did he know?

“It sucks that she chose that moment. She’s had plenty of time.” My chin quivered. “All the time in the world. And then, after all that I’m supposed to believe her. Sometimes I even want to believe her and other times I don’t. I want to pretend it never happened because I’m scared she’ll take it back.” I pressed my lips together. “I’m scared that she didn’t mean it.”

I was opening up my soul and spilling the contents on him. Pouring my thoughts, my feelings, my cares, and my wants, all at his feet.

“I’m sorry.” I spun away from him. “I don’t know why I’m suddenly talking about this now.” I took a deep breath and collected myself. “I guess I just wanted you to know I wasn’t on purpose being harsh with her as we left. And that it’s just been there in the back of my mind, bothering me. I just . . . I just wanted . . .”

The words hung in the air. I didn’t even know what I meant or what I wanted or why I was suddenly explaining myself to him.

“I know what it’s like to not feel accepted. To feel like you’ll never be good enough,” he said.

“You?” I snorted and wiped my eyes. “But you’re practically perfect.”

“I’ll never be human. I’ll never be perfectly imperfect. I’ll never have blood racing through my body. I’ll never be able to have children. I’ll never be able to live the way others take for granted. I’ll never know what it’s like.”

“You . . .” I faced him. “You want to be human?”

He backed away and wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Why,” I asked, “why would you ever want to be human?”

“For the joy, for the family, for the laughter and the love and freedom and the choices.”

“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you? But have you thought about all the pain being human comes with? Being human can suck a lot sometimes, too,” I whispered.

“There’s pain in everything. With every choice and every decision you make, pain comes with it,” he said.

I peered into his eyes. The soft green glowed with sadness. A strand of black hair fell onto his forehead. My heart pounded. I wanted to run my fingers across his face. I wanted to smooth the strand back into place.

I wanted to soothe his soul. I reached out to him and he stepped away from me.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?” he asked.

Robot
, the voice hissed again.
You were a fool to trust him when he doesn’t trust you.

“N-N-No.” I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He tugged at his turtleneck.

“Actually.” I swallowed. “There is something, I heard your body adjusts to the weather.” I glanced at his outfit. “Is that why you don’t wear a lot of clothing? I mean—”

Oh God. Did I just say that?

I felt my eyes bulge out of my head, totally horrified but luckily Green Eyes didn’t seem to notice, either that or he was being kind. From the slight uptick on his lips, I was guessing the latter.

Robot. He’s a robot.

“Our bodies need to be capable of surviving,” Green Eyes said, “from the ice-cold lands of the arctic to the deserts of the Sahara. We are made to regulate our body temperatures to our environment. Here”—he held out his hand—“touch me.”

Touch. Me.

Two small and simple words.

Considering where my thoughts were moments before, this shouldn’t be so unnerving. Yet still, I was finding it hard to swallow.

I slipped my tiny hand into his broad blue vein-corded palm, as if we were in a ballroom and about to start dancing. And then the iciness of his palm frosted against my fingers.

“Good God!” I snatched my hand back and a zing shot through my arm. “You’re freaking freezing.” I rubbed my hands together.

“Try it again.” His palm remained outreached.

I made a face.

“What?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Afraid of a big scary robot?”

“I would be”—I smiled—“if you were scary.” I glided my palm into his, and warmth spread through my hand. I relaxed in his grip and the heat radiated to my wrist and washed up through my body.

I sighed, my hand and now arm, being wrapped in his heat blanket.

“How did you do that? It’s cool,” I whispered. My fingers tightened around his, as if trying to suck the warmth out.

Robot!
the voice hissed again.

But he’s different. He wants to be human. He wants to give all this up.

Those are not the same things!
the voice hissed back.

“I told you,” Green Eyes said, “I can regulate my body temperature to whatever I want it to be.” He played with a wet strand of my hair. “Touch it.”

My fingers pulled at the strand, slipping across the warm hair. “You dried it. Amazing.”

“I could dry it for you. Your hair I mean.”

Wet spots soaked through my clothes where my damp hair rested. “You can do that?”

“One of my many talents,” he said. “But I’ll need both hands.” He looked down to where our hands were still locked.

“Of course.” I felt my face heat and electric jolts stung my hand as I jerked it away. I rubbed my palm against my jeans.

He ran his hands down the length of my wet hair. Heat radiated off his palms onto my neck.

I shivered.

“I heard you and Bonnie had a good time outside.”

“Yeah. We did. She even—” I froze. “Did-Did you just call her Bonnie?”

Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap.

My face flamed.

“She couldn’t resist. She told everyone.”

My hair slipped from his hands as I turned. “You-You don’t mind?”

“I thought it was nice of you.” He ruffled his hair and his voice softened. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Bonnie this happy.”

“Really? I thought she was always that happy.”

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time.”

“That’s a shame.” I frowned. “She’s too nice not to be happy all the time.”

The words echoed through my head.

Robots. Happy. Nice.

Words that shouldn’t fit together.

The scent of pinewood drifted through me, and my body relaxed.

“Let me finish,” he said, and guided me back around.

“Of course.” I cleared my throat and straightened. “Of course.”

But every time he stroked my hair, I wished it was my shoulders, or my arms, or my face. Because it was warm. So relaxing.

Soft and gentle. Slow and caressing. Sweet and caring.

Do not forget what he is
, the voice whispered.
Do not forget what he’s capable of.

Of stroking my hair? Of saving my life? Of saving my parents’ lives?

You know nothing! Nothing. Only what you see.

The voice was right. I knew nothing. I was letting their few good deeds cloud my judgment. Maybe this was all a set up. Maybe this
was
the point. Maybe this was how they lured you in.

“You’re shivering.” He put his hands on my arms and rubbed them.

He was my own personal heating blanket sealing me from the chill of the frost air.

And all the warnings, all the doubts seemed to quiet. To wait in the distance.

And I let them. 

I felt Green Eyes’ breath on my neck and I could almost feel his chest against my back. If I leaned backward a little more, I would be surrounded—by him.

“Thank you.” My cheeks burned. “I’m warm again.” Sharp electric jolts scurried up my arms where his hands had been. Replaced by fire, scorching my shoulders. I clutched the burning skin and gradually the tremors subsided.

I lifted my fingers and glanced at where he last touched me. Nothing marred my skin. Nothing was different.

“You feel it.” He stepped back. “I didn’t know. I would never have—I’m sorry.”

“What am I supposed to be feeling?” 

“I won’t touch you again.”

I reached for his hand. “I don’t understand.”

“No.” He jerked out of my reach.

“Tell me.” I stepped toward him. “Why does it feel like that?”

“It just sometimes happens,” he said. “That’s all. I just didn’t realize you were experiencing it.”

“For goodness sakes.” I stomped my foot. “Experiencing what?”

“It’s not a big deal. Now turn around and let me finish drying your hair.”

“If it’s not such a big deal, you could tell me then,” I mumbled, and spun around for him.

I tapped my foot when his fingers massaged my hair. Heat radiated down on my neck. His fingers wove in and out—pulling, tugging, caressing—making it hard not to close my eyes and purr like a kitten. I focused on the tapping of my foot and the knowledge that he was keeping something from me.

Which is what robots are all about. Secrets and lies.

I gritted my teeth and crossed my arms.

“Did you give anyone else a name?”

“Well . . .” I licked my lips, grateful for the distraction. “I was planning on giving everyone names. There’s no possible way I can remember your random string of numbers. I didn’t even ask if it was all right with everyone. If it’s a problem, we can just forget about it.”

“They’ll be thrilled.”

“I thought of a name for the big guy.”

He snorted. “The big guy? I hope that’s not his name. He’ll be so disappointed.”

“Oh no.” I bit my lip.

“Why? What is it?”

“I was thinking, er, Bear?”

He dropped my hair.

Oh no.

“If it’s too much like—”

His deep, melodious laugh filled the room.

“We’ll change it,” I said, heat filled my cheeks. “How about Leon? Alberto?”
Think. Think. Think.
“Michelangelo?”

He laughed harder.

Michelangelo? Really, Vienna?

“I mean, not Michelangelo. We could go with—”

“Bear,” he said. “It’s too late. It’s Bear.”

“It’s never too late. I can always change it.”

“Nope. It’s Bear.” Green Eyes continued drying my hair. “He specifically said he wanted your original idea.”

“I highly doubt that.” I rolled my eyes. “How about we just tell him I had another original idea?”

“You want to lie about it?”

I pursed my lips. “Not really. I thought he looked all big and bear-like. That’s all I meant.”

“Then it’s perfect.” Green Eyes’ voice softened. “What about anyone else? Did you give anyone else names?”

“Well.” I paused. “You’re the commander and I wanted a strong-sounding name for you. One that was unique, like you.”

“And?”

“Do you like Alec?”

His hands stop moving through my hair.

My heart pounded in my chest. “If you don’t like it I can always—”

“Vienna.”

The way he said my name brought tingles to my toes.

“I would be honored. Thank you.”

“I don’t understand. You could have always given names to yourselves.”

“It’s not the same as someone choosing it for you.”

“Oh. Well, I’m glad, Alec.” I liked the sound of his name on my tongue.

“Your hair’s dry now.”

“Thanks.” I pulled my warm hair into a ponytail.

“Anytime.” He held open the door for me. “Besides, I can’t wait to tell Bear about his new name.”

“You’re so mean.” I rolled my eyes and tightened my ponytail.

“And, what? Lie to him? No way.” Alec shook his head.

But robots are lies and secrets and false representations.

Stop it!
I cried to the nagging inner voice.

“Maybe I should wait a little before I tell him?” I suggested.

“Sure. You could do that.” And then he cupped his hands and called, “Bear,” to the outer area where the robots were lounging on the couch.

Ohhh . . .  

I could have kicked him.

Chapter 15

I shouldn’t have been worried. Bear paraded around the cabin displaying his muscles—which I still couldn’t believe didn’t do much—saying he was all big and strong and bear-like.

The other male robot, the robot sensor, chose the name Kyle. It fit.

I caught Alec staring at me. His green eyes danced and his black hair stuck out in different angles. He looked happy.

You are humanizing them,
the voice growled.
You must remember they are not you. They are not human.

But they are
part
human!

I shook my head, drowning out the rest of the thoughts, and enjoyed the conversation in the room.

Peach opened the girls’ bedroom door. “What’s all the commotion for?”

Alec leaned against the wall. “We gave everyone names.”

“Really?” She raised a thin little eyebrow. “What about our classification numbers?”

“Humans have social security numbers but they don’t go by them,” Alec said.

Peach narrowed her eyes at me. “So then, what’s your
new
name?”

A hush fell over the room. No one asked what name I gave him.

“Alec. But it gets better,” Alec said.

“Really?” Peach asked.

“She gave you one, too.”

Peach stiffened. “Really? Is that so? And what . . .?” She glanced at me, and I could hear her grinding her teeth. “. . . name did she bestow upon me?”

I don’t know where all her animosity came from.

Maybe she was picked on, maybe she was rejected. She clearly had her own issues to figure out, but it didn’t feel good to have her take out her hurt on me. Especially when I didn’t do anything to deserve it.

“Don’t get too excited.” Alec’s voice dripped sarcasm. I could have snorted, both at the sarcasm a robot just used and at the thought of Peach getting excited about anything. “You will now be . . . Peach.”

“Peach?” Her mouth fell open. “Peach?” she repeated. “As in the fruit? As in the color? As the princess from a video game? Her?”

Ow! I had forgotten about that.

Peach rolled her tongue over her teeth, making sure the seething noise scratched my ears. “So really, why Peach?”

“Your hair.” I gestured to the frizz that poofed around her face. “It reminded me of the fruit.”

She narrowed her eyes at me.

Well, she really was just
peachy
.

“That’s so
sweet
of you.”

“Just peachy,” I said.

“Enough,” Alec boomed, suddenly in the middle of us.

Peach stiffened, and I exhaled.

“Bear, Kyle, and I are going scouting while it’s still light out. Peach and Bonnie, stay here, watch out for Vienna. And”—he looked between Peach and me—“fix this. I feel something brewing between you two and I don’t like it. Whatever it is you’re both on the same team. It’s time you start acting like it. You could get us all killed if you don’t. Now, let’s get moving.” Alec gestured to the front door, dismissing us, and the others headed out behind him.

Robots!
the voice slithered in.
They want to control. They try to control. He tries to command you! A human.

My jaw clenched.

I had done nothing wrong. Maybe risen to Peach’s bait but Alec was wrong in reprimanding me. I was a person. I shouldn’t let a robot forget that.

Alec stopped at the door, turned around, and strode toward me.

My breath hitched and I stepped backward, not liking the hard gaze in his eyes, and not liking the predatory way his arms swung and his legs moved forward. Not liking the way any of it made me feel like an icicle about to melt.

Something flashed across his eyes when he reached me and he lowered his head. “We have”—he cleared his throat and tossed an object in his hands—“we have some canned soups and food in the cabinets. When you’re hungry, feel free to use them.”

I nodded.

“And I’m sorry about Peach. I had a feeling this would happen but . . .”

“You knew that she wouldn’t like me?”

“She doesn’t take to people very quickly.”

“Doesn’t mean she should take it out on me,” I said.

I had enough issues in my life already. I didn’t need more.

“She thinks she’s helping.”

And now he was defending her.

I shifted my feet and stared out at the white mountains.

“Vienna.” He turned my chin to face him.

“Alec, I don’t—” My words teetered away at the pain etched in his eyes, a hollow green color that sank into his face.

“Alec,” I whispered. “What’s wrong?”

He eased a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“You can talk to me,” I said. “After all, I did just spill my guts to you in the other room.”

He smiled, and I saw the color returning to his cheeks.

“There. That’s the Alec I like to see.”

“Don’t be shy if you’re hungry.” He tugged on my hair. “The food is all for you anyways.”

“Why?”

“We don’t like food.” His boots thumped as he walked backward to the front door, and to the robots waiting outside for him. “Never have.”

“Then what do you like?” I called across the cabin.

He stopped, his broad shoulders filling the space of the doorway, and pinned me with his intense emerald gaze. His black hair swayed as the cold wind caught it. His tan skin sang out against the background of white snow. His muscles convulsed, tightening under his clothes. His eyes drifted over my body and he practically growled.

You.