by Mira Maxwell
“Got it,” he says, lifting the tweezers toward the light so he can get a better look. He pulled something long and thin from the center of the wound on her back.
“What is that?” I ask.
“I assume part of the ragadh’s skin from when she was injured initially. Its skin is poisonous.”
“I didn’t know. We had never encountered a ragadh before that day. We thought they were a myth.”
“It won’t affect someone just from touch. But this has been festering under her skin causing all sorts of problems. I’m sure this is the cause of her fever. Hopefully the poison hasn’t tainted her blood.”
“How will you know?”
“I have all sorts of useful things in this pack of mine,” he says. And this time he looks confident that the challenge before him is one that he’ll be able to conquer.
Nineteen
SAVANNAH
This time when I regain consciousness, the foggy haze is gone. My thoughts are my own again. I open my eyes and look around. It only takes a moment for everything to come back to me. I see that I’m in my room in the fortress, lying next to the fire in a nest of furs. Ozmyx is next to me, holding my hand…asleep. Everything is quiet. The door is open and there’s a gentle snow falling outside. It’s peaceful just lying here watching the snow come down in huge flakes that would cover my whole hand. The fire is crackling and there aren’t any sounds from the fortress making their way inside yet.
My body is sore when I start to move around. My back has had this dull ache ever since my encounter with the ragadh but today it feels much better. The soreness must be from lying in one place for so long. And I can tell that I’ve been lying here for a long time. I know the difference between a quick cat nap and a deep sleep from all of my shifts in the hospital on Earth.
“Who is grandpa?” Ozmyx asks from beside me, surprising me.
“I thought you were sleeping,” I say. My voice is hoarse and dry from not using it for so long. Ozmyx gets up and gets a canteen of water and brings it to me, holding it to my lips so I can drink.
“Dozing at best. I was too worried about you,” he says. “You mentioned your grandpa a few times when you were dreaming.”
“Yes, I was dreaming about him. At least I think I was dreaming. It felt so real, like he was right here with me, talking to me.”
“Is he alive back on Earth?”
“No. He passed almost a year ago now. It was the reason I decided to leave the hospital and become a part of this mission. He raised me like his own and he was all I had. So when I lost him, I was devastated. At first the further away from Earth we got, the more lonely I felt. But now, with you here, I think I found what I was looking for.”
Ozmyx keeps running his hands over my skin, continuously touching me, as if he can’t believe I’m here.
“I’m sorry that you had to experience such loss and pain. And I’m sorry that I didn’t make things easy on you when you arrived.”
“Well, you’ve more than made up for that. You saved my life. What happened to me anyway?”
“You had a piece of the ragadh’s skin embedded in your skin. Apparently it is poisonous. I had no idea. You developed a bad fever overnight. I tried to wake you, but I couldn’t.”
“I’m impressed that you were able to figure out what was wrong.”
“It wasn’t me. I went in search of Edek and begged him to come back to the fort with me to help you. He is the one that saved your life.”
“You went after Edek?”
“Of course. I would do anything to save you. I would do anything for you…even seeking out the wanderers and pledging my alliance to them.”
“You did that? For me?”
“Yes. I would do that and more. Which leads me to another question I wanted to ask you.”
“Oh yeah…what’s that?”
He looks almost shy for the first time since I’ve met him. The Ozmyx that I met when I first came to this planet and the one lying next to me now are completely different. I always thought people were full of it when they said that finding the right one really can change you. That love can change you and make you a different person. But looking at Ozmyx right now, I know that what they say is true. Love can change you.
“Stay with me, on Attala. Stay with me, by my side forever more.” I’m about to answer him but he continues before I can. “Because I love you. You are my heart. I feel you inside of me every time my heart beats and I don’t want to live without you now that we’ve found each other.”
His proposal to stay has butterflies quivering about in my stomach. I started out on this trip homesick and alone. But the home that I missed was the one that gave me comfort, with my grandfather. Now that he’s gone, I’ve been searching for something in this wide space to fill the emptiness that his loss created. I thought I was anxious to get home but now I realize that I was just anxious to find my new home.
“Yes, of course I’ll stay. I can’t imagine leaving you now.”
His kiss is desperate and passionate. I’m already weak from being so sick that I’m like putty in his arms. I don’t know how it’s possible to feel horny after all that I’ve been through, but I do. I can’t stop the constant need to want to mate him when he holds me in his arms. But, he has more sense that me. When I’m almost lost in the heat of the moment, he pulls away and holds me.
“You need to rest and build up your strength. Edek will be returning shortly to check on you again.”
“Edek is here?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes. He has been close by this entire time. He’s a very diligent doctor. I can see why you like him so much.”
“We have a lot in common, both of us sharing a curiosity for medicine and healing.” He also came to our rescue when we needed him the first time we met. I could tell he was one of the good ones right then and there. “So he has been staying in the fortress?”
“Yes, and he has been treated very well.” Funny how he must have known what I was thinking. Not that I think he would mistreat him but he isn’t typically the overly welcoming type either. He’s an alien with a wall around him until he knows you well enough to let you in.
“You’re awake!” Diana walks through the open door and hurries over to my side. “I can’t believe it! I was so worried about you, Savannah.” She leans down and gives me a hug, forcing Ozmyx to scoot over so she can get to me. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel surprisingly good for having apparently been quite close to death.” I smile at Diana but she looks shocked. “I’m joking. But I do feel good. Just sore from lying around for so long.” I mean, I’ve assumed all along that I’ve been out of commission for a while but it only occurs to me now to ask how long it has been since the fever began. “How long have I been out of it anyway?”
“This is the fourth day,” Ozmyx says. “Edek removed the sliver from your back and you steadily improved after that. He had a feeling that you’d come back to us by today or tomorrow. It’s almost like a sixth sense with him.”
“I’m certainly glad to be back.” For the first time since regaining consciousness, I try to lift myself up onto my elbows. I’m stiff but I really want to move around. I’m anxious to feel like myself again.
“Easy,” Ozmyx says. He grabs a few extra furs and props them up underneath me so I’m sitting up higher but still mostly laying down. “You can take it slow, there’s no rush.” He hands me the canteen of water again and I drink the cold water, letting it soothe my dry throat.
“Are you hungry?” Diana asks. “I made a soup that I thought you might like. It’s very mild in flavor but it’s hydrating and it has small bits of meat for protein. I thought it would help you regain your strength.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I say, at the same moment that my stomach decides to growl loudly. “Apparently I’m ravenously hungry.”
Diana laughs and stands up to leave. “I’ll be right back. It’s simmering over the fire.”
She leaves and I’m alone with Ozmyx
again. He leans down to kiss me once more. “You’re comfortable?” he asks. He’s rearranging the furs over me and reaching for another fur to stuff underneath me. It warms my heart the way he’s fussing over me, making sure that I have everything that I need. It has been a long time since I’ve had someone to watch over me like this.
“I’m very comfortable, thank you. You’ve all taken really good care of me.”
Diana walks back in a moment later and this time Edek is with her.
“Savannah! You’re looking so much better. I had a feeling you’d come around today,” Edek says.
“From what I hear I have you to thank, Edek. It was so kind of you to come here to help me. And it sounds like you have a lot of knowledge that I’m going to need to gain access to.”
Edek laughs. “There is definitely an exchange of information that needs to happen between us. We’ll have to make sure to teach each other what we can before you leave for Earth.”
It’s quiet for a moment. I’m deciding if this is an appropriate time to share what Ozmyx and I discussed when Diana chimes in.
“Speaking of leaving for Earth…I realize that this probably isn’t the best time to ask you this, but I wanted to sooner rather than later.” She kneels down next to me and hands me a steaming bowl of soup. “A lot has happened since the announcement, but as you know, I’m going to be having a baby. Which is kind of a scary thing, I mean, having a baby isn’t necessarily scary but a half-human half-Attalan baby? We’re definitely in unknown territory. I guess what I’m trying to say is, would you stay with me? On Attala? Just until the baby is born and then we can figure things out from there?”
She looks so nervous to ask me, a side of Diana that I’ve never seen before. Not even when we were about to crash land on this planet.
“I hate to disappoint you, but Ozmyx beat you to it. He already asked me to stay and I said yes.” She’s exhaling loudly and smiling from ear to ear before I can even finish my sentence. “I would love to stay and help you through your pregnancy.”
“Oh, thank you!” she says as she scoops me up into a big hug again. “I’m so relieved! I didn’t know who would help me deliver this baby if you said no.”
“I could of course,” Edek says. He’s not offended in the least, just matter of fact that he’s capable of delivering a baby.
“Of course,” Diana says. “But I feel a little better with a doctor that has experience with humans as well. No offense, Edek.”
“None taken. But I do have experience with delivering a baby from a human female.”
All three of us look at him like we’ve misheard him. Finally Diana breaks the silence. “But I thought we were the first humans that you have had on the planet? Aside from humans that have occasionally been caught up in the black market slave trades.”
“Oh no. I’m sure Ozmyx knows the story of a warrior named Adox who fell in love with a human.”
“Aye. Adox and his human mate, Lavina. Though it was never really known what became of them. It is assumed that they are both dead.” Ozmyx says.
“Oh no, in fact, they are very much alive. Adox took Lavina away from the city. He defected from the guard so he could take her as his mate. They have lived down in the caves with the wanderers for as long as I can remember. They had three babies together and I delivered all of them. Three beautiful girls.”
Ozmyx’s eyes are so huge they look like they could pop right out of his head. When I look at Diana she has a look of complete fascination on her face.
“So there’s a human female living in the caves and she has had children with an Attalan warrior?” Diana asks.
“Yes. They are all very much alive,” Edek says.
Diana’s face is full of joy and wonder. “Can you take us to meet them?” she asks Edek.
“Absolutely. They would find it fascinating to meet you.”
Twenty
OZMYX
“What’s the matter with you?” Savannah asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
“It is too soon for you to be traveling again. I am not happy that we could not wait one more day to let you heal a little longer.”
She has slipped her arm around mine and she smiles up at me so sweetly, even though I am feeling grumpy about being out traveling again. I’m carrying all of the supplies and she’s completely bundled up so she stays warm on our trek to the caves. Diana, Mallyk and Edek could have made this trip on their own but Savannah was insistent on meeting Adox and Lavina. If I wasn’t so worried about Savannah’s health, I would have been the first to volunteer to go back to the caves and meet them. Adox and Lavina’s story has been told many times among the warriors. It’s a story that has been embellished over the years to the point where no one really knows what is true and what isn’t. “And I’m worried about those clouds. I thought the storm was further away. It’s moving faster than I thought it would. I don’t want you getting caught out in another blizzard.”
“I’m feeling fine,” she says, dismissing my concerns with a wave of her hand. “And it feels so good to get out in the fresh air. I spent too many days pent up in my room. This is exactly what I need.” Her face is a light pink color from the cold but she’s glowing. Though I’m concerned about her health and the weather, I wouldn’t have been able to leave her behind anyway. She has very quickly become everything to me.
“Besides, there’s no way I would miss meeting this infamous couple,” she continues. “This is so exciting Ozmyx. Aren’t you excited? You’re about to meet the man of all of the myths and legends that you’ve heard about over the years.” She squeezes my arm with excitement and I can’t help but smile.
“You’re right, my love. The thought of meeting Adox and hearing his stories first hand is something I never imaged would happen.” Of course, not all of the warriors think of Adox as a legend. Some consider him a coward for defecting from the guard and running off to be with a woman. Those same thoughts crossed my mind, especially considering my history. But I had to live with guilt and regret for a long time, something that Adox left behind him when he chose his mate. I’m interested to see what kind of life he has carved out for himself, defined by his own rules.
We’re traveling behind Diana and Mallyk and Margo and Lodyn are behind us. Mina stayed behind at the fortress. Even though it is full of warriors, she doesn’t trust anyone but herself to guard the Eclaydian. I suppose I can’t blame her, even though it is a little insulting to the warriors. Cardyk, Mina’s mate, assures us that she’s completely confident in our abilities. She just needs to be near the Eclaydian so it doesn’t go missing again.
Edek is leading the way and following him makes me realize how things have changed over the last several days. And really, things have changed significantly since the humans arrived on the planet. Before they came we were all devoted to the guard. Content with our oath to serve and protect the people of the city, forsaking our own wants and desires. But now it is clear that we don’t need to choose. We can serve our purpose but have mates at the same time.
“I have a strange feeling,” Lodyn says from next to me. He has moved up to walk closer, talking quietly so the women can’t hear.
I clear my mind and focus on my senses, trying to hone in on what Lodyn is feeling. It could be the storm approaching faster than we had anticipated, but he’s right, something is off.
“The storm?” I ask. With the bursts of energy that he can emit from his body, I swear he’s in tune with the weather. It’s almost as if the changing pressure from a storm sets his sixth sense tingling.
“Yes, but something else as well.”
“What’s wrong?” Savannah asks.
“The storm is moving faster than we anticipated,” I say. I don’t want to alarm the women if there is no need. If it’s just the storm, we’ll be able to outpace it. But something tells me I’ve used up all of my luck.
The sky is quickly becoming overcast, the clouds moving above us casting an eerie fog around us.
“How much longer unti
l we reach the caves, Edek?” Mallyk asks.
“I’m taking the shortest route. But my people have had to clear this particular path of snow phantoms so we’re avoiding that area,” Edek says.
“Fucking snow phantoms?” Lodyn says.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Margo says, moving closer to Lodyn.
“It isn’t good. That’s what I’m feeling. They’re probably stalking us from above, getting ready to attack at any moment.”
“What?” Savannah says, grabbing me tighter.
“Snow phantoms are four legged animals but they can fly. They blend in with the snow which is how they get their name. Thankfully for us they make a loud screeching sound just before they attack,” I say quietly into her ear. We’re searching the skies above us for any sign of the creature but the weather is making things difficult.
“Yeah, thank goodness,” Savannah says. And now, for the first time, I can feel her fear inside of me. Our bond is growing stronger and stronger with every day that passes.
“Quickly, let’s move,” Mallyk says, and we all take off at a quicker pace.
We stay together in a tight clump as we move swiftly over the snow. I’m regretting not bringing more men with us but I didn’t think we’d have anything to worry about on such a short trip. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my heart starts pounding aggressively in my chest. Lodyn and Mallyk sense it too, they’re gripping their weapons tightly in their hands, quickly scanning our surroundings as we continue to move.
A cold brush of air on my skin makes me turn around quickly, sword raised at the ready. I catch a glimpse of something disappearing into the fog behind us. If Edek is correct, we are being hunted by a snow phantom.
“Behind us,” I yell to the others as I tuck Savannah behind me with my free arm. She’s clinging to my body as I frantically search the skies, seeking out the beast. I sense its presence all around us but it’s moving too quickly to spot. Edek is next to me but he doesn’t have a weapon. I grab him as well and push him behind me. Mallyk, Lodyn and I are forming a protective circle around the women and Edek. Snow phantoms can easily grab any of us with their huge claws and carry us off into the skies above. Staying in a tight clump so one of us can’t get picked off is vital to our survival.