AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The Acradidia thought it would make us better fighters if they linked the three of us together, if we could speak mind-to-mind and not make a sound,” Tekil explains abruptly.
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad for you, or if that’s something you wanted…but they’re right. I’ve seen a pack of wolves back home circle and kill calves,” Myla replies.
Calves and wolves must be some sort of Earth animals, Tekil muses silently.
“It is not what I wanted,” he continues, “but it is done, and I do not believe it can be undone. Even if it could…now we are like brothers. Talking with them lessened the isolation in the cave.”
“I kept trying to talk to you, but you would never answer,” she says accusingly. “At least, not until the last couple of days. And even then, it was only to tell me to be quiet.”
“If the Acradidia suspected that we were friends—that we had any kind of relationship—I did not know how they would try to use you against me. Vi’del and Zeno concurred.”
“Huh,” she half scoffs, falling silent as they keep walking.
As the sun finally begins to set, the relief to Tekil’s burning eyes is instantaneous. Up ahead, he spots a few small and spindly trees here and there, but not enough to provide much shade. Still, it gives him hope that they are approaching a more viable habit for animals to hunt and water to drink.
Myla has been silent for over an hour, but as much as she is a distraction, he misses her strange words and the sound of her soft voice.
It angers him that the Acradidia experimented on this delicate female. The need to protect her is strong, almost instinctual, and he does not understand it.
Shifting his eyes, he notices her shuffling feet and slouched shoulders.
“Are you tiring?”
“I’m good,” she replies in a monotone. Obviously, she is lying.
Watching her from the corner of his eye, he wants to carry her, let her rest. Afraid of rejection, he clamps his jaw to keep from offering.
The fragrance from nearby foliage alerts Tekil that they are nearing a denser forest. Large trees stand a few feet apart, the wide branches blocking the bright rays from the sun. Sounds of scurrying critters tingle his senses, his mouth waters, his stomach rumbling with anticipation. Tekil has a strong desire to hunt them down and eat them raw (which is also not normal).
Inwardly, he realizes he needs to accept this new part of himself, embrace it if he’s going to survive, and deal with the consequences later.
“Don’t you think it’s odd that we haven’t run into any Acradidia out here?” Myla asks. “Even if they’re not tracking us, you’d think some might live out this way.”
Her eyes shift back and forth, almost as if she expects someone to jump out at any moment.
“Perhaps they do not like the dry weather,” he replies. Still, his gaze sharpens and he listens carefully.
“Maybe,” she says, pausing. “But if this is their planet…”
Her voice trails off. Tekil exhales slowly. He has already considered the same thing, and it concerns him.
Myla walks toward a tree with large, drooping branches and long black leaves that sweep the ground.
“What about under here?” she asks, pointing at a small gap between the canopy of branches and leaves.
Needing to make sure it’s safe, he dips his head and parts the leaves. It’s dark. The area under the tree is dry, with a spongy brown moss coating the ground. An earthy musk permeates the air.
He grins over his shoulder. “This should work fine.”
“Good, ’cause I’m exhausted.”
Dropping to her knees, she crawls past him to get inside. When he peers in, she’s stretched out on her right side, hands tucked under her cheek, eyes closed. Tekil swallows hard, a wave of guilt washing over him for not offering to carry her, which only adds to his feelings of ineptitude and unworthiness.
“I’ll be back,” he says softly, then backs out of the covered area.
Sitting outside the opening on his knees, he hesitates to leave her alone, but she’s exhausted, and he has an overwhelming need to provide for her. Deciding to hunt nearby so he can stay within earshot in case she needs help, he jumps to his feet and stares back down at the small opening one last time before heading out.
6
