by Avery Rae
I crouched down along the way, gathering up the biggest rocks I could find and cradling them against my chest with an arm. As I neared the source of the horrific sounds, I grabbed one of the rocks from my pile and quietly stepped out, arm cocked back and ready.
"What're you doing here?" Kolyr asked as he finished putting on his pants. "I told you to hide."
I blinked at the sight before me. All four guards were unconscious and bound together by thick cuffs I'd seen them all carry on their belts.
"But . . . there were so many . . . you—" Eyes wide, I clamped my mouth shut and let the rocks tumble from my arms.
"Get dressed. Quickly." As he spoke, Kolyr wasn't looking at me. His focus was on the pathetic pile of white rocks at my feet. I cleared my throat and nudged them aside with a foot, then strode over to my discarded dress. I could've sworn I saw Kolyr smile.
Watching the tied-up guards warily, I rushed over to my discarded dress and tossed it on. One of the guards was starting to stir as Kolyr held a hand out, fingers crooked.
"Take my hand."
I linked my fingers through his, and he immediately started to run, keeping his pace just slow enough that I could avoid stumbling over my own feet. As we disappeared into the thick line of trees around the once-peaceful grotto, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder.
"They're awake," I squeaked. The effects of the berries were starting to wear off, and I could feel their eyes drilling holes into my back.
"We're alright," he soothed in a low whisper. "It'll take them a few minutes to get out of the cuffs."
I swallowed thickly over the lump in my throat and nodded even though he couldn't see me. I tried to tell myself that Kolyr could keep me safe from them, but would he really be able to take down all of them again? I struggled to think so.
What was to stop Solys from sending even more now that he knew where we were? He was desperate to get me back. He wouldn't have sent people he didn't think could do just that. Trying to suppress my growing panic, I focused hard on Kolyr's back, trusting him to take us in the right direction. When we crossed through the treeline, I let out a breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding.
Kolyr paused for a moment, body stiff and head cocked. I wanted to ask him what was going on, but I resisted. Just when I started to get twitchy, my eyes darting to the trees behind us, he finally spoke. "They're not following us yet."
"What're we going to do now?"
"We'll have to move a little faster than I'd hoped." He looked back at me and nodded to himself. "At least you've had some time to heal. But if you need me to, I can carry you to—"
I jerked my head back and shook it at him. "No way. You have too much to carry as it is. I can handle it."
A small smile played at his lips. "You would say the same thing even if you were in horrible pain, wouldn't you?"
"Absolutely."
He chuckled to himself as he walked ahead, giving my hand a small tug. As we approached our campsite, Kolyr suddenly stopped and motioned for me to hide. Through the dense trees ahead, I could see his cause for sudden alarm. There was a bored-looking guard lying in wait. He must've been there for some time.
I nodded at Kolyr and ducked behind a nearby tree. He would have this guy dealt with in a second. Easy. And then we could get very, very far away from these guys—and Solys's grasp. I strained my ears, listening for the sounds of combat, but there was nothing but silence. I gnawed at my lower lip, then crouched down and peeked out from behind the tree's trunk.
I sharply inhaled at the sight before me, only barely resisting the urge to gasp. Kolyr was standing a short distance from the campsite, hands in the air, with a staff pointed at him. The guard at the campsite was getting to his feet, preparing to join them.
Kolyr wasn't doing anything. But then again, the guard had his finger on the trigger of that staff, and Kolyr probably couldn't do anything before the guard zapped him. Which meant I had to help him. How? I sure as hell didn't know. Combat wasn't exactly part of my repertoire. Not exactly necessary when you sit on your butt flying a spacecraft every single day. With a plan still forming in my mind, I crept alongside the guard walking toward them.
The guard chuckled at the sight of Kolyr and called out, "Has he told you where he stashed the girl yet?"
No, no, no! Do something, you idiot! Before the other could answer him, I charged the guard from the side, grappling for his staff. He let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise, but before I even knew it was happening, he gained control. I slammed against the forest floor, my breath coming out in a wheeze.
Snarling, he held me to the ground. "Thanks for making this so easy."
I really did make it easier, didn't I? I stared at the staff with wide eyes, plagued by regret. What the hell had I been thinking? I put on a pound or two, and I suddenly think I can handle a Korysti solo? Panic took over as he shifted against me, one arm crushing my throat as he raised his staff with the other. I struggled against him, rocks, dry branches, and dirt cutting at my skin.
One of his legs slipped, splaying his limbs out in a wide V—and I didn't hesitate to go for a low blow, jerking my knee up between his legs. Something between a groan and a hiss fell from his lips as his entire body seized. I tried to push him off, but he jammed the staff into my shoulder.
I cried out as sharp pains shot through me in waves, head to toe. Through the blinding agony, I realized he wasn't moving the staff away. He jammed it deeper into my shoulder. I stopped feeling at some point. My arms and legs went limp as my head grew light, and the edges of my vision darkened until I saw nothing at all.
The last thing I heard was, "The governor is going to be happy to see you."
8
I woke with a groan, my hand flying up to touch my shoulder. I hissed the moment I touched it as it sent a deep ache drilling down through my scant muscle and straight to the bone. I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself into a sitting position.
There was a fire flickering in front of me, and sat behind it was Kolyr, eyes glazed over as he absently stoked the flames. He didn't even seem to notice I'd gotten up. I couldn't believe it had happened again. The whole me passing out in the thick of conflict thing. It was starting to make me feel like a real liability.
"Kolyr?" I asked, my voice unexpectedly hoarse.
Frowning, I touched my throat and found there was a long line of tender skin. It hurt to swallow, too. Just how hard had that guy pressed down? Was he trying to kill me?
"Try not to speak. There's nothing to worry about." He paused, expression darkening. "I took care of them."
"What did you—" My voice cracked, and I winced at the burn in my throat.
"Don't worry about what I did." Kolyr looked up from the fire, expression blank. "Worry about the fact that you nearly got yourself killed with that stupid stunt."
"Don't tell me what to worry—" I held a hand to my throat and growled in frustration, making the burn even worse. I furrowed my brow and drew my knees up to my chest, gritting my teeth in frustration. My voice was the one thing I had left, and that asshole guard robbed me of it.
I stared at Kolyr with all the annoyance I couldn't vocalize written on my face. He stayed silent and unreadable except for the tension in his jaw. What had him so pissed off? Was it really so bad that I didn't want to see him get hurt?
Honestly, I probably should've used that moment of distraction to run for it. Yet I didn't. I hadn't even considered it, had I? I would've been safer running into an open flame while covered in gasoline, yet I sprinted right in to help him. But only because I needed his help getting to his senator, right? Was I scared of what would happen to me without him, or . . .? I frowned. Or what? Because I have a little crush?
I didn't know what the answer was, but I did know that I was getting uncomfortable. I didn't want to follow that thought any longer than I had to. I hugged my knees, hissing at the ache in my shoulder.
"How much longer?" I asked in a soft whisper.
"Until we reach the se
nator?"
I nodded.
"Only a couple hours." He tossed the stick into the flames and got to his feet. "I was only waiting for you to wake up. We can leave now."
I shook my head. "Can we wait? It hurts."
"What does?"
"Everything."
The hard, emotionless mask covering Kolyr's face crumbled and, for the briefest second, I saw sadness. The moment I tilted my head to the side, he recovered, leveling me with a flat look. "No. We're going."
"But—"
"Stop talking, you're only hurting yourself." He started moving around, gathering the bags and my staff, plus another that he'd likely taken from one of the guards.
I pressed my lips together in a thin line and gestured at my bruised shoulder, plus my undoubtedly jacked-up looking throat. My way of saying I needed to rest.
"Doesn't matter; I'm going to carry you." He handed me both staves. "You hold these."
I stared at him in disbelief. He was so damn lucky I couldn't speak without my throat feeling like it was on fire. I didn't take kindly to being told what I was going to do, especially since I'd tasted freedom once again. I slid my fingers over the textured buttons of the staves, tempted to show him how I felt.
But a moment later I was in his arms. I was light, sure, but he made it seem like the backpacks weighed more than I did. Stiff against him, I held the staves and scowled, irritated by the situation—even if it was technically my fault I was in so much pain.
Kolyr walked to the entrance of the cave and ducked outside. The air was fresh and cool as it brushed my skin. The moons gleamed bright in the starry sky, and the trees bathed the ground with soft color. How could somewhere so beautiful be so bad?
My eyes flickered up to Kolyr as he jogged through the forest. A hint of guilt had crept into my mind. How much longer would I try to convince myself they were all like Solys? Kolyr was his exact opposite. Then again, there were countless others out there who'd been just as willing to buy humans, never mind what they were doing with them. If they were a better people, they would've helped us instead.
Sensing me staring, Kolyr's eyes darted down. Briefly, his silver eyes softened at the corners, but he forced himself to look away, the hard mask sliding into place once more.
I couldn't help but wonder whether this was because of me, or because of what had happened with those guards. Did he hurt them that badly? Was he regretting helping me? I could imagine he did. He'd knocked around a handful of his people for one miserable human.
His attitude might suck right now, but I understood because I got the same way when I was stressed, and we were under a hell of a lot of stress. Eyes closed, I nestled a little closer to his chest, trying to tell Kolyr in what way I could that I was grateful. I really, truly was.
He didn't have to do any of this. He could've just let Solys have me, and his life would be no different at all. But he made the choice to save me. A few seconds later, he tightened his arms around me, a gentle squeeze to tell me he understood, and my heart warmed. I bit down on my lower lip, willing the feather-light fluttering in my heart to stop. What're you doing? Why would you try to give yourself a reason to stay?
I could tell we were nearing a city long before we reached the outskirts. After having been in the forest for so long, I could see the way the trees began to thin. The way the air grew sweeter—perfumed by the daily life of the Korysti. And then came the noise. Korystus was quiet in general, but the city could've rivaled one on Earth with the way it burst to life as we approached the city gates.
"Why're the Korysti so obsessed with security?" I asked in a whisper so low Kolyr had to lean down to hear me.
He lifted a brow. "Our industry is a valuable one. There's a lot that people would pay to have, or to have go unseen within our walls. Both information and technology."
"I sure would hate for something to happen to Solys," I grumbled.
Kolyr was quiet for a moment. "Until recently, I would've said that every Korysti deserves the most protection we can provide."
"You don't think they do?"
"No. I should, but I don't. Not anymore." Kolyr came to a stop at the edge of the treeline and sighed. "I can't. Not after what I saw last night."
As if I didn't already know it, his words further proved to me that I'd really screwed things up by trying to help him last night. I didn't know why I did it. The guy had fought and won against every other guard that tried to take him on, so why had I felt so compelled to butt in?
"I'm sorry for not staying hidden," I said quietly. "I know I probably made things worse."
"You did, and you should be." He clenched his eyes shut, grimacing as if he was swallowing a bitter pill. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that. Not really. Look, let's just not talk about it. Can you walk?"
My head was spinning from the rapid changes to his mood. I opened my mouth and couldn't find my voice, so I just nodded instead. Kolyr set me down, his hands lingering around my waist as I steadied myself. I wanted to bat them away in frustration. This was all too confusing. Ever since I woke after the attack, he'd been hot and cold from one moment to the next. All of our conversations had been short and tense, teetering on a razor-thin edge. One wrong word and he clammed up or snapped at me.
"I'm fine," I murmured.
"Sure you are."
I was only lying a little. My legs were a little numb and wobbly after being carried for the last hour or two, and my shoulder was still aching. However, my throat really was feeling better. It sort of felt like I'd been punched square in the throat while having a nasty case of the flu. So, not great, but I would survive.
"So, what now?" I leaned up against a tree, trying to appear calm and unaffected, but really I just didn't trust myself to stay upright.
"I'm going to let Senator Rylos know we're here." Kolyr searched through one of the bags slung over his shoulder and pulled out a tablet.
I frowned. "Is it safe to be using that?"
"No."
He was already fiddling with it. A moment later, beams of light shot out from the center of the screen and a handsome Korysti male with a stern gaze appeared. I watched him with intense fascination. I'd been so quickly transferred from the lab to my little cell that I didn't have much experience with Korysti technology, and this was the weirdest-slash-coolest thing I'd ever seen.
"Kolyr," the Korysti greeted with a nod of his head. "I hope this contact means you've arrived outside the city?"
"Senator Rylos," Kolyr greeted with deference in his voice and eyes. "Yes, we've made it."
Rylos let out a long breath, his expression filled with relief. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll send someone right away. They'll meet you along the roadway. They won't be able to stop for long, so make sure you are paying attention."
Staring at the disembodied head, I reached out and poked at the 3D hologram, earning something between a frown and a smile from Rylos.
"Naomi, isn't it?" he asked.
"You know my name?"
He was smiling now. "Of course I do. We'll see you both soon. Stay safe, and be on the lookout."
Kolyr didn't reply. His focus was on the road ahead. I followed his line of sight and my stomach fell. That all-too-familiar chocolate-brown vehicle was moving through the gates. Before I could say a word, Kolyr had the tablet shoved in his bag and yanked me back into the depths of the trees. I looked up at the glowing trees, cursing them for the first time since I'd arrived on Korystus. We had to be visible. If Solys had already seen us . . .
I clenched my eyes shut and forced the thought away. That wouldn't help me right now. Kolyr pulled me behind a large tree and motioned for me to stay—more than once. Despite my fear, I rolled my eyes at him. I get it. Don't move, you stupid human.
I sank down to my knees and curled up, trying to make myself invisible as he disappeared. Please don't let Solys find me. I was so close to true freedom. If Rylos could really get me off this planet, that was. I had to believe he could. It was the only way I'd made it this far.
>
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kolyr stepping out of the forest. He'd left the bags tucked behind a tree. My heart thundered against my chest. Where was he going? Why would he leave me here? Solys was right out there.
I started to get to my feet but forced myself back down. He told you twice, Naomi, so maybe you should just listen for once. I wasn't used to following directions. Even my ship's captain deferred to me on most things back in the day. I was a born leader. Back then, that was. Now I was this whimpering little thing who was scared of a big, bad man capturing her.
But it was my fault. I'd given the order to fly to Korystus. It was a choice between either ending up adrift in space, hoping for help before we ran out of oxygen, or coming here. I wished I'd chosen the former. Hindsight is funny like that though.
I rolled my head back against the tree with a shaky sigh then froze as I heard rustling nearby. It was coming from inside the forest, which Kolyr had left. Pulse rising, I got to my feet. Just when I took a step forward, a pale purple hand encircled my wrist and whirled me around. I let out a muffled squeak that turned into a laugh. It was Kolyr.
"Solys knows you're here."
My laughter died in my throat. "What? Already? How?"
Kolyr's jaw tensed. He wasn't looking at me, I realized. He was staring off to the side of my head. What's the deal?
"The call with Rylos," he said. "I knew there was a risk. That he could find the connection if he was looking, but I didn't think he would be. Not yet. But he knows too much."
"What do you mean? Do you think this Rylos guy is trying to . . .?" I mimed stabbing Kolyr in the shoulder.
He followed my hand, but still didn't look at me. "Trying to assault me?"
"No. Betray you."
"How is that— Never mind. No, he's not going to betray anyone. Trust me." Kolyr's eyes met mine for the briefest moment. "If you can."