Gaia’s Children, Book One, Riven, part 4

Katya drew her coat around her as the damp bitterness pried icy fingers into her small shelter. Her path from Belgrade had been long and hard, hiding in the blasted ruins of Kosovar homes, venturing from cover only in the depth of night to avoid snipers and wandering bands of murderous Serbs intent on genocide. At first Belgrade had seemed so much better than Mereshor but the Russians had come there too and just like at home in Ukraine, they had slaughtered any who spoke against them.

Forced to pretend that he likes wearing girls’ clothes in order to protect his secret identity, Chris has a difficult time now that friends, family, and schoolmates all believe him to be transgender. Meanwhile, a chance encounter uncovers a mystery that has potentially far-reaching effects for the entire city.

I got to know Doug so quickly in fact that it felt like I knew him my whole life. Nothing seemed out of bounds, except my dark secret. And even there Doug got to know me better than I know myself. The real me.

Copyright © 2017 by AuP reviner

I didn’t get any more work done before joining Theo in bed although it was quite a while before we got to sleep. We both slept until we woke which meant I woke to an empty bed just beginning to cool. I took a few moments to lie there and think before my bladder drove me to the bathroom and a shower to get the funk of the previous night off.