Read Valeria for Free Online

better?”
    “Leagues better,” she exclaimed. “Instead of lugging around the engine to work it, they shift the remainder of their limb in the framework, which sets off the weights and moves the arm as desired. Oh, I can’t wait.”
    Mache chuckled, reaching out to rub the streak of red off of her cheek, smoothing her hair back in the meantime. “I’ll come get you for dinner, ok?”
    “Yes, yes, of course,” she said, already bending over the prototype, head tilted to put her artificial eye close to her work, hand splitting open to attack the wires and weights.
    * * * *
    It was two in the morning when Valeria shook Mache awake. Her breathing was hard and she was kneeling over him. He blinked as her hair tickled his lips, murmuring, “Valeria?”
    “Mache,” she whispered. “You have to get up.” She reached out, pulling at him to get up faster, cupping his cheeks. “Mache, the CEO.”
    “What?” He snapped awake. His eyes widened, suddenly at full attention. She wasn’t even fully dressed, clearly in her underwear and the same shirt she always wore without the leather bustier. His eyes widened as he realized the lamp she’d put on the floor illuminated every last curve before her words sank in again. “What again?” he mumbled. “The CEO?”
    “Yes! She called me only a few minutes ago.” She followed his gaze, gulping. “I–I–you need to get up.”
    “I’m up.”
    “I mean get dressed.”
    Mache winced, turning his head. “Okay. Right. Should I make the bed?”
    “Change the sheets. They’re in the drawer over there.” She pointed and got up, backing away. The lamp light continued to make her distracting and Mache stayed firmly under the sheets as she reached the door.
    “Do you need help?” she asked.
    “Nope,” Mache said. “Just…er…you’d better go get ready.”
    “Okay,” she said, looking down at herself again and bolting out of the room. Mache tossed the blankets aside as soon as the door closed, ignoring his clamoring blood, and grabbed sheets off the bed as fast as he could. Replacing them took longer than he would have liked, being a bachelor, but it gave him time to cool down. He hoped she had enough sense to dress by the time he came out again or this was going to be difficult to say the least.
    When he came out to the kitchen, though, her bustier was in place, her pants and socks pulled on and immaculate. She was packing a box with food and drink, and shoved it at him. “Here. Take this into the ballroom, where you landed.”
    “Wh–”
    “Go,” she said, “I have to make sure everything’s in order. I’ll come help you. Just take that down and wait without touching anything.”
    Mache followed her orders, trotting down to the big room and sitting on the grating where he had cut his face two weeks before. He touched his cheek, pleased with its healing progress. He looked out of the windows, admiring the way the city was still lit even at night, yellow fire and green phosphorous mixing eerily.
    It was fifteen minutes before Valeria came down to him, pushing another box into his hands, panting as she hugged him. “Mache, I’m so sorry.”
    He blinked. “For what?” She was crying. He pulled her closer, smoothing her hair. “Valeria, what’s wrong?”
    “The CEO! When she sent her communication, I was prepared to tell her about you. I thought she would understand, let you stay.” Mache gulped as she muffled a sob with her natural hand. “She also sent a report of a factory that was infiltrated and…” She hiccupped. “…And they hanged the people who helped them!”
    Mache shivered. That sounded much more up Elthgo’s alley. “You didn’t say anything?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “If I had…if I’d reported you…” She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. “Mache, they plucked the intruders’ eyes from their heads, beat them, and set them wandering the streets as beggars! How could they?”
    He stroked her hair but