Page 71 of Black Mamba

She promised too. I release a raspy hiss. She will come back. She told me herself. She will not leave her ship behind.

Which means she will return to my territory with me, and… possibly alone.

But that will not happen until she knows whether or not her sister is here.

Slipping into the shadows of the woods, I pick the largest tree to stake out my prey, leaning against its side where I have a clear view of the tent she is in. On either side of me, humans and their machines appear from the forest. Some haul animal carcasses with them, soldiers and non-soldier alike. I watch as they drag their game back to the camp, returning to various ships, tents, and bonfires.

I hear a rustling, cracking noise behind me as something large moves through the forest. As it swiftly closes in, I turn toward the sound and brace for whatever is going to appear, not certain what to expect.

A massive, light gray-blue naga breaks through the foliage in front of me. I jerk back, bearing my fangs as his icy blue eyes meet mine. Under both arms hangs a deer, limp and dead.

He stops when he sees me, bearing his own fangs. Massive in his size, and bald, I have never encountered a naga so large in my life.

“What clan are you?” I practically hiss in wary awe. I note the hint of disbelief in my voice. Still, I pull my venom forth, ready to defend myself. If I even can.

“Titanoboa,” the naga rumbles, his tone deep. “Are you going to let me by or do I have to make you?”

I glance over my shoulder at the camp, scanning the area outside the central tent for Elena. When I do not see her, I face the Titanoboa. “I will not stop you.” I pull my tail underneath me tightly. “I have no interest in fighting.”

“Good. I do not care to fight either. Not so close to humans.” The naga hefts both deer under his arms. “It has been a long but fruitful day.” Cracking his neck, he slips closer and to my left. He pauses at the threshold of the forest, next to me. For a moment we both gaze over the encampment.

How life has changed…

The Titanoboa turns toward me and I face him, still unnerved by how large he is. It is rare for me to feel intimidated. He could crush me if he wanted to.

“Are you seeking favor with the humanssss?” He eyes me closely, his gaze narrowing. “Why are you here?”

I debate whether or not I want to answer him, but curious about his deer, I decide I must if I want my own questions answered. “I am here because my bride wishes to be here.”

The naga’s eyes widen and then an expression of understanding veils his face. “Ah. Since I have not seen you before, I assume you just arrived with her? Are you waiting for her now?”

“Yessss.”

He nods. “You trust her alone?”

I understand what he is asking. And for a moment, I dwell on it thinking back on all my recent interactions with Elena. “I believe I do.”

She will return to me.

“What about you?” I narrow my eyes in turn and flick them to the deer. “Why are you here?”

He drops his kills and they flop at his sides. With a groan, he faces the camp, stretching out his arms. He bends his elbows and arches his back, groaning once more. “Since you are not just here to seek a mate from within, and are here for your bride, I will share with you that I am also here because of my bride.”

I eye him, almost shocked, wondering how a human woman could be with a naga as large as him.

“She is within the encampment, and you have left her?”

He chuckles. “No, she is not within the encampment. She is within our own camp out here. She has been with me all day as I tracked these deer.” He waves at the corpses beside him. “I have only left her to deliver these to the humans.”

“I am confused.”

The naga runs a hand over his bald head. “Confused? Why?”

I wave my own hand at the camp. “Why would you bring the humans the deer when your bride is with you out here? You would feed them over her?”

“My bride is well fed and with what she desiressss best.” His eyes hood. “I bring the meat to the humans to gain their entitlements and favor with them. I do that because Sabrina and I wish to build a nest together near this camp. Being in good favor with them is what she says is best. So far, we have gotten what we have needed from them.”

“Which issss?” What could he need from the humans that he cannot provide from the wilderness?