Defy

by Raine Thomas

  Ini-herit tried to heal him when the chest pains hit him. His silver healing power had no effect. Similarly, when the clawing hunger and desperation had Tiege doubling over to the point where they had to land, no one could do anything for him. The intense feelings roaring through him had unwanted tears stinging his eyes.

  Because the most significant pain hit after nightfall, they decided to make camp. After a while of just sitting around, Sophia announced that she was going to hunt for some meat. Since she shifted before anyone besides Quincy could argue with her, they all just watched her lope off. Clara Kate then gathered Sophia’s clothes and folded them neatly, laying them on a nearby log.

  Tiege sat on another log, rubbing a hand across his stomach and forcing back a groan of complaint. He already knew the others were concerned about him, and he wanted them focused on rescuing Tate rather than on the projected pain he was experiencing.

  “She’s stubborn as a mule,” Quincy muttered. He moved around the area collecting kindling.

  C.K. and Ini-herit were doing the same. “The meat will come in handy,” C.K. pointed out.

  “She could get herself injured or killed,” Quincy returned.

  “Sophia can take care of herself,” C.K. said in her patient tone.

  Then her foot collided with a tree root and her kindling went flying. She would have joined the wood on the ground if not for Ini-herit’s quick reflexes. Since he had been near enough, he reached out to grab her around the waist, dropping his own kindling as a result. The move had C.K. caught in his hold.

  Tiege watched with interest as C.K. blushed and reached up to place her hands on Ini-herit’s biceps as she regained her balance.

  “Thanks,” she murmured as he released her.

  “You are welcome,” he replied in his formal manner of speaking.

  Watching the scene play out, Tiege couldn’t help but feel for the elder. He couldn’t experience emotion, yet he appeared truly perplexed by C.K. When C.K. hurried to occupy herself with gathering dropped kindling, Ini-herit did the same. But his silver eyes remained thoughtful and focused on her.

  “See?” Quincy said, waving a small branch to punctuate the remark. “That’s how easily accidents can happen out here. Sophia could trip on a tree root or slip down a trench or otherwise injure herself, and none of us will ever know!”

  Tiege raised an eyebrow over the normally level-headed male’s behavior. He noticed C.K. also giving their Corgloresti friend a careful study over her shoulder as she rose with her arms once again full of kindling.

  “Uh…hey, Quincy,” she said. “Why don’t we get the fire started and then you can help me forage for other edible stuff? You know what’s safe to eat around here better than any of us.”

  When Ini-herit opened his mouth to speak, C.K. promptly jerked her boot sideways and kicked him in the side of the leg. He gave her a rather incredulous look, but she succeeded in distracting him from arguing.

  Fortunately, Quincy was too absorbed by his concern about Sophia to notice. “Fine,” he sighed, obviously frustrated.

  He moved back into the center of the camp to arrange the kindling he held. It wasn’t long before they had a fire going. Tiege watched as C.K. led Quincy into the forest. He heard her asking the Corgloresti in a low voice about what kinds of things she should be looking for as they walked. Tiege knew his caring cousin asked the questions merely to try to keep Quincy’s thoughts from Sophia. They had all been taught from a young age by their Aunt Olivia and Uncle James about edible and poisonous elements of the forest.

  “Clara Kate is merely distracting Quincy, is she not?” Ini-herit asked from his position standing beside the fire.

  Tiege caught the elder’s gaze. “Yeah.”

  “Why is it he needs distracting?”

  That was a tough one. Tiege certainly wasn’t going to betray Quincy’s confidence, especially to his class elder. After a moment, he shrugged. “He’s just concerned for Sophia. In truth, I’m anxious about her being out there on her own. None of us have been outside the area of protection like this before.”

  Ini-herit continued to stand with his arms crossed, looking toward the forest where C.K. and Quincy had disappeared. The firelight danced off the many silver markings lining his skin, reminding Tiege again of the fact that he was thousands of years old. He hoped there wouldn’t be any other questions about Quincy’s strange behavior.

  Then another severe stomach cramp struck him, and he clutched at his waist and forgot all about his other concerns.

  Ini-herit moved over to him and squatted beside the log. “Have you attempted to eat something?”

  Tiege nodded as the pain eased a bit. “Yes. I ate yesterday, so I know I shouldn’t be hungry. But I thought maybe if I ate something that, well…”

  Interpreting Tiege’s hesitation, Ini-herit said, “Your connection with your sister does not work that way. You will feel her distress, but you cannot ease hers by attempting to treat the ailments on yourself.”

  “I reasoned that out myself, thanks,” Tiege grumbled irritably. “And it sucks ass.”

  Blinking, Ini-herit asked, “How can something suck—?” He shook his head, interrupting himself. “Never mind. It bears no consequence. Perhaps it will ease your concern to know that the pain you are experiencing is transient and—”

  “The pain I am experiencing?” Tiege asked in sudden anger. He surged to his feet and paced, unable to sit still. He gestured toward the forest and ominous darkness beyond. “My sister is out there somewhere experiencing this agony for real. I don’t give two damns about what I’m feeling, for all holy sake! She’s hurt, starving, exhausted and scared. And alone for the first time in her existence.”

  There was a long silence as Ini-herit processed the outburst. He shifted from the squat to sit on the log, his elbows resting on his thighs and his hands dangling between his parted knees. Then he observed, “It would seem your connection to her—with Tate,” he amended, as if consciously forcing himself to refer to her by name, “is stronger than a typical pairing. It even seems to surpass the connection your mother had with her sisters before they fully realized their powers. I imagine the fact that you are more Estilorian than human weighs into that.”

  Tiege had also figured that out himself, but he bit back his hostile reply because he knew the elder was only trying to help. On top of that, he had a feeling the temper surging through him was actually more Tate’s than his own. It seemed logical that her exhaustion and hunger would have her on edge.

  He was saved from having to think of a toned-down response when C.K. and Quincy walked back into the camp. They held their tank tops out in front of them with something filling the fabric.

  “There were tons of mushrooms not even two minutes from here,” C.K. said. She and Quincy began unloading their stash of the edible fungus, lining the log across from the one that Tiege had previously occupied. “We’ll have to pick some more before we leave in the morning and take them with us. They’re light and will travel well.”

  Although Tiege wasn’t especially fond of mushrooms, he’d certainly eat them if they were the difference between life and starvation. That thought made him think again of Tate. How would she ever survive on her own?

  Not long after that thought entered his head, his hunger eased. Over the next stretch of time, Tate’s projected emotions calmed. He couldn’t have been more relieved.

  Then Sophia ran into the center of their camp in her panther form, dragging the carcass of a wildebeest behind her. She dropped the dead creature and then turned to the log housing her clothes. When she grabbed the clothes as delicately as she could with her teeth and hurried into the woods, Tiege exchanged a look with Quincy.

  Their relief over her safe return didn’t last. Even as they stood to get the wildebeest for cleaning and cooking, Sophia rushed back toward them from among the trees. Her face was even paler than normal.

  “I believe there’s a murderer nearby,” she said, making Tiege’s neck hair stand on en
d. “One that preys on females. I think Tate’s in more danger than we thought.”

  Chapter 22

  Zachariah had about had it with females. Damn Nyx and her bloody instincts.

  His chest throbbed a bit where the springy-haired female struck him. He wanted that fact to anger him. Instead, he somehow found himself wishing she had hit him harder.

  He watched without comment as she returned to her position next to the fire and sat with her arms hugging her knees to her chest. Tears dripped from the eyes that only a few moments ago had been sparkling with vibrant energy and emotion that he didn’t fully understand.

  How had he suddenly become responsible for Nyx’s actions? he wondered with increasing frustration. Drumming his fingers on his thigh, he wondered what the hell to do.

  “Why did you leave me?”

  His eyes moved to her. The question had been a combination between a whisper and an accusation. And it finally occurred to him that it wasn’t Nyx’s actions she held in such terrible judgment. It was his.

  What could he say? That he hadn’t cared enough about some distended stranger to stick around? Though it was the truth, it would surely just appall her all the more.

  But he couldn’t lie to her. Somehow—and he was deeply interested in learning just how—she had called all of his bluffs, some even before they left his mouth.

  Curse it. She already thought the worst of him. What did it matter?

  Yet, instead of that rather ugly truth, he found himself saying, “I should not have left you alone.”

  He registered her surprise, even as he frowned. Why had he said that?

  “Well, can you help me now?” she asked, wiping her cheeks with the heels of her hands. “I mean, if you were in that cave with me to heal me, you can’t be too far away, right?”

  “Why can you not fly to a platform for aid?” he asked again.

  “I’m not old enough yet to extend my wings,” she answered. “In another…” she trailed off. “Well, I don’t know how long from now, actually. I’m not sure how long I’ve been away. But I should be able to extend them soon. And hopefully call forth balls of light like other Estilorians.”

  Her words mystified him. Despite himself, he found himself moving closer to her. “Just what class of Estilorian are you?”

  “Don’t push your luck with the questions, Sparky,” she said warningly. “I answered your question about flying, and that’s more than enough for the moment.”

  He found that fair enough. She wasn’t pressing him for answers about his circumstances, after all. “Very well. But I am not sure how I can be of assistance to you. At this point, I do not know what direction you traveled upon leaving that cave, and I myself have changed directions multiple times since I—”

  “How did you heal me?” she interrupted.

  Losing his train of thought, he looked down at her. “I administered the antitoxin.”

  “Antitoxin? There’s an antitoxin for kragen bites?”

  “She did not bite you. There is a barb in her tail that injects her victim with the paralytic toxin. You were struck in the chest with the barb.”

  “Ouch.” She made a face and once again rubbed her chest. “Okay. So what’s the antitoxin made out of?”

  “I created it using some of my blood—”

  “Your blood?”

  “You have the most atrocious habit of interrupting me,” he said. He couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t seem in the least contrite. “Yes, my blood. I have been infected by Nyx’s toxin once myself, but I battled the effects and overcame them. I now keep some of the antitoxin handy in case I ever again need it.”

  “Huh,” she said thoughtfully.

  By some miracle, she was quiet for several minutes. He watched as she settled back on the grass, crossed her booted ankles, put one hand on her bare stomach and idly twirled a light blue curl around the finger of her other hand. Her arresting eyes focused on the night sky. Since he had the luxury to do so without her yammering at him, he tilted his head slightly and once again studied the cinquefoils around her eyes. Realization dawned.

  “Your second power is your ability to recognize when someone is lying, is it not?” he guessed.

  “Yep.”

  The way she said the word resulted in a little popping sound on the “p.” He found himself staring at her soft, full lips after she spoke.

  “Damn,” he muttered when he realized what he was doing.

  “Yep,” she said again, this time issuing a giggle and smiling up at the sky.

  The dimple in her left cheek made an appearance. When he shifted his gaze to it, he noticed the bruising that ran from her jaw down along her neck. There was similar bruising at a variety of spots along her body, something he had deliberately avoided focusing on before. Now, he frowned and looked away before he did something foolish like ask her how she was feeling.

  “Did you take any of my blood or anything to make the antitoxin work?” she asked at last.

  “No.”

  “Hmm.” She paused again. “Well, I was pretty beat up. I had a lot of blood on me. Did you have any open wounds that could have come into contact with my blood or saliva?”

  He lifted his hand and looked at the faint lines that still remained from Nyx’s swipe and the female’s teeth when he opened her mouth. “Yes,” he said at last. “Why?”

  “Easy. You’re a Gloresti. We exchanged bodily fluids. That’s why we have this connection.”

  He blinked. “That is—”

  “Ridiculous?”

  “Stop interrupting me.”

  “That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?”

  It was, damn it. But it was ridiculous.

  She sat up, bracing herself with her hands behind her on the grass. “Look, Sparky, I know you’re not happy about this. I’m not exactly tossing confetti and throwing a parade myself. But the fact is, we’re connected. We should make the most of it.”

  He frowned over her strange word choice. Tossing confetti? Shaking his head to push the confusing thoughts away, he said, “I was going to suggest having Nyx try and find you. She hunted you once, she could likely—what?”

  She looked at him as though he had lost his mind. And when he questioned her, she dipped her head and gave him an even more incredulous look.

  “If I tell her not to harm you, she will not,” he said.

  She considered this for a moment. Evidently reading the truth in his words, she glanced from him to Nyx and back again.

  “Well, you say that,” she said, “but Nyx did try to kill me, you know.”

  He frowned. “So?”

  She rolled her eyes. “If someone or something nearly killed you and some stranger later tried to assure you that the attempted killer would behave themselves around you, would you take their word for it?”

  He most certainly wouldn’t, and he knew she would see it if he lied. So he said, “It is one thing if you do not know whether you can trust the stranger. In this case, you can read truth. What is the issue?”

  She quirked an eyebrow. “What’s your real name, Sparky?”

  He stiffened. She nodded.

  “Exactly. There are always shades of truth and perception.” She got to her feet, stretched a little and then walked closer to Nyx.

  Zachariah moved forward to block her. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to sleep. Well, I guess I’m technically already asleep, but you know what I mean. I figure if I can sleep next to Nyx without her trying to stab me again through the chest and we get through the night, I can trust her to try and find me.”

  “You are not sleeping by her.”

  “I sure am.”

  Completely ignoring his defensive position, she ducked under his arm and crawled close to the sleeping kragen. He could have stopped her, but that would have meant deliberately getting close to her, something that he didn’t think would be in either of their best interests at the moment.

  “Don’t worry, Sparky,” she
said with a sleepy smile and a yawn as she settled herself against Nyx’s belly. “You’ll protect me.”

  He snorted. “I will n—”

  “Lie.”

  “Damn it. Stop doing that.”

  “I can’t help it. The lie just radiates out of you.”

  “I was talking about the interrupting.”

  “Oh.” Her cheeks flushed with color. “Sorry about that. I’m used to talking around a lot of people. You have to speak loud and quick to be heard.”

  “Where did you—?”

  “Not answering that.”

  “You just did it again!”

  “Sorry,” she repeated with a grin. Then she patted the ground beside her. “Come on and get settled, Sparky, or neither of us will be rested before the sun rises.” When he hesitated, she added, “The longer you stand there, the longer you’re going to have to listen to me talk.”

  He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t doubt her for a minute. It was an effective threat, too. Grumbling about her manners and presumption, he joined her on the ground against Nyx’s smooth belly. He left as much room between them as he could, crossing his arms over his chest after he set his tomahawk on the ground by his thigh. She ruined his efforts by scooting herself closer, causing him to turn his gaze to the heavens in question of just what he had done to deserve this.

  “There’s something else I want to say before I forget,” she said. Her voice was softer now. Less certain. It made him look over at her.

  “What?”

  “Thank you for saving my life.”

  He held her gaze, not knowing what to say. Eventually, he nodded.

  She yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand. “Seriously, it’s time for some sleep. Sweet dreams, Sparky. I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe.”

  She didn’t seem to care when he didn’t reply. He wondered why the hell they were still sharing this godforsaken dream. Surely one of them should have awakened by now. He was even more perplexed when her breathing evened out and she seemed to be asleep. How was any of this possible?