by Delia Roan
The ground beneath Jahle’s feet shuddered. Jahle frowned at the dancing pebbles beside the wheel of the water truck. They leaped about in a steady pattern, pitter-pattering across the packed dirt, almost as if…
He looked up in time to see the heavy digger explode from the wall beside him. The drill bit at the front of the machine whirled, cutting its way through dirt and stone with ease. Jahle flung his arms over his head to protect himself as the machine sent clods of dirt and pebbles raining down on him.
He’s found us.
Skies save us, he’s found us!
Jahle broke into a run, straight toward the digger.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MELISSA
It bothered her. It really shouldn’t, but it did. She had been rejected before. It wasn’t that. No. It was that he believed it shouldn’t have happened at all.
That was a kick in the teeth.
Nobody wants to be the girl the guy forgets to count when tallying his conquests.
If only I hadn’t enjoyed it.
She threw open the flap of the third tent, and peered inside. Pale daylight filtered into the dim interior. Unlike the previous tents Mel had checked, this one only contained a single sleeping figure, who winced when the light reached her eyes. Olex grunted and scowled up at her.
“What do you want?” The old woman groused. “Trying to sleep.”
“Sorry, Olex,” Mel whispered. “The protein bars in here?”
Olex jerked her head to the corner of the tent, and rolled over, pulling her blanket over her shoulder. “Just be quiet.”
Mel debated taking them all, but her conscience won. She counted out the days: two for Jahle, and four for her. Ration two bars a day… She counted out twelve, then added an extra three for herself. Just in case. Her eyes began to prickle as she tucked four bars into Jahle’s pack and the rest into hers.
Who will chew these for me?
She sniffled and frowned as the ground began to tremble. Another earthquake. She tried to push away the visual of the tunnels collapsing on her while she walked through the dark. Alone. Trapped. Slowly starving to death if she was unlucky, or being killed instantly by a thousand pounds of rock if her luck held.
She shuddered and stood to leave.
Olex sat up, her eyes wide. The beads in her gray braids rattled as she tilted her head this way and that. She cocked her head and listened, and then she painted the air blue with her curses as she tried to rise to her feet.
“You okay, Olex?” Mel darted forward and seized the Ennoi woman by the arm, hauling her upward.
“We must leave,” Olex grunted, making it to her feet. “Now. Those are heavy machines.”
“What?” Mel listened, but all she heard was rumbling.
Olex stared at Mel’s face for a moment. “Dogan’s men.”
Mel’s blood ran cold. “How can you be sure?”
“Only he has diggers now.” The old woman hobbled to the corner. She bent down and rifled through her pile of belongings, until she found a square satchel with a long strap. She opened the bag, nodded in satisfaction before sealing it again, then offered it to Mel.
“Take this,” she ordered. “Hold onto it.”
“What is it?” The bag settled against the sonar disruptor on her hip. She hitched the backpacks over her shoulder.
“All the help I can provide,” Olex replied, her face grim. “It will get you off this planet. Head for the old bakery. A tunnel behind it leads out of the city. Now, run. Run!”
Mel scurried out of the tent in time to see a machine explode out of the wall beside the vehicles. Dust billowed outward, obscuring the tunnel. The heavy drill on the front whirled and slowed to a stop.
Where’s Jahle?
A second digger exploded out of the wall beside the camp, and Mel bit back a yelp. Before the drill on this vehicle stopped, a hatch on the roof slammed open with a clang. Dogan hauled himself out and surveyed the scene. When his eyes landed on Mel, he grinned.
“There you are!” he called. “I wondered where you got to. I shall have to thank my brother for taking such good care of you.”
The words were jovial, but something in the tone of Dogan’s voice chilled Mel down to her bones.
“Plus he was so courteous,” Dogan continued. “I believed you would head to the spaceport. If Jahle hadn’t sent those messages, I would never have known where to find you.”
Messages? What messages?
Did Jahle…
No, he wouldn’t… would he?
“You are not welcome here!” Ketug stepped out of his tent, followed by Zayef. They both stood with their legs braced, and their arms loose at their sides, but their faces were drawn. Ketug coughed slightly, and spat. The glob of spittle that hit the ground was stained with dark streaks.
Dogan leaned his weight onto the roof of the digger and sucked his teeth. “Who are you to tell a king where he may go in his own lands?”
He thumped his fist twice on the vehicle, and a side door opened. Several guards ran out, bearing weapons. They formed a barrier between the digger and the Water People.
Mel’s eyes flicked between Ketug and Dogan. Ketug shared a glance with Zayef. A shadow passed over her face and she bit her lip. She popped her head back in the tent and whispered something. When she emerged again, she nodded to Ketug. The shadow was gone, replaced by a hardness that made Mel’s heart ache.
She’s willing to die to save the children.
Olex hustled up next to Mel and nudged her shoulder. “I told you to run. Have you no sense?”
Mel curled her fists at her side. “I’ll fight with you.”
Olex snorted. “They want you. If you’re gone, they’ll leave us alone.” She lowered her voice and jerked her head. “See that gap between the buildings there? When the chaos starts, you run.”
“I’m bored with this,” Dogan said. “Kill them all.”
The guards stepped forward. Beside her, Olex grunted. “Close your eyes and ears,” she said to Mel, before lobbing a golf ball-sized object at the guards. Mel threw a hand over her eyes. Too late. The object emitted a bang before flooding the camp with a bright white flare.
“Run!”
Olex shoved her in the small of the back, and Mel stumbled forward. Spots danced in front of Mel’s eyes as she tried to blink away the afterimages burned into her vision. She kept her feet moving, hoping she was heading in the right direction. Despite her apprehension at a fall, she broke into a jog. Maybe she would draw the guards after her, and they would leave the Water People alone.
To her amazement, her hand touched rough brick. She fumbled along the wall until it ended. She ducked inside an alley, but she had no clue if it was the correct one. Screamed and yells broke out from behind her, but Mel knew she could only keep going. She staggered down the alley, and turned left when it forked.
A hand clamped down on her forearm. Mel shrieked and swung her fist, only to have her captor duck.
“Stop. It’s me.”
“Jahle!” Mel relaxed. Through her blurry vision, she spotted Jahle’s bright colors. “We have to get out of here.”
“They have blocked off the main tunnels. We are trapped in the city.”
“Olex said I should find the bakery.”
“The bakery?” Jahle sounded surprised. “Why?”
“You know where it is?”
“Yes,” Jahle grabbed a pack from her. “This way.”
A roar filled the air, making Mel flinch. “What was that?”
“Either Ketug or Zayef, is my guess.”
“Wh-?”
He didn’t let her finish her question. “Keep moving.”
Her vision cleared as they wound their way through the ruined city. The sounds of the battle behind them grew distant as they moved. Mel’s breath grew ragged, but she kept up the pace, sticking close to Jahle.
Finally, he stopped in front of a collapsed building. “This is- was the ba
kery. Best bread in all the known universe.”
Mel snorted. “You only say that because you haven’t tasted Angelo’s pizza crust. Come on. We have to go to the back.”
Jahle followed her along the side of the building. He whistled when he saw the tunnel curving into the ground. “Not Ennoi made. Borebugs, I think.”
Mel shivered. “Is it safe?”
He pointed to her side. “You have the sonar evaluator. Just keep firing it. It will repel the creatures.”
Mel eyed the maw of the passage. The thought of crawling into that darkness. The walls closing in on her… Borebugs might be the more humane way to die.
I think I might throw up.
What other choice do I have?
“Right, right. That’ll work.” She wiped her hands on her jeans, leaving streaks of sweat on the fabric. She turned to Jahle, who watched her with wary eyes. She took a deep breath.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” she said.
“Yes,” he replied. He opened his mouth to speak again, then closed it. With a trembling hand, he reached out and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. The scales on his skin prickled, but didn’t scrape. His skin burned, and Mel resisted the urge to lean into his warmth. He stepped closer to her until his breath made her hair stir. His lids lowered, and he moved his mouth to hers.
Dogan’s voice echoed in her head: If Jahle hadn’t sent those messages…
Mel averted her face, letting his lips brush her cheek.
Jahle froze, then stepped back. He swallowed hard. “Safe travels.”
“You too.”
They paused, awkwardly staring at each other, until Jahle spun on his heel and left. Mel bit her lip to stop herself from calling out to him, to prevent herself from begging him to stay. When he disappeared around the corner of a building, she turned to the hole.
“What a jerk-faced dumbass,” she muttered to the tunnel. She wasn’t sure if she meant Jahle or herself.
The longer she stared at the dim interior, the less she wanted to enter it. She shook out her hands, trying to ease the tension from her body.
“C’mon, Mel, you got this.” She hopped on the spot. “Just get it over and done with.”
But ‘over and done with’ was a fatalistic turn of phrase. Precious seconds ticked away, and she remained paralyzed by her claustrophobia. The entrance of the tunnel loomed, growing more and more sinister as she stared at it.
A voice called from behind her. “Here! I found her!”
She turned to see an Ennoi guard storm toward her. Before she could move, Jahle stepped out from behind a wall. He hooked a rock with his foot and slung it at the guard. It struck him on the temple, and he recoiled. When the guard staggered back, Jahle barreled out and tackled the guard to the ground. The two scuffled, before Jahle knocked him out.
“Fancy footwork,” Mel remarked.
He rose to his feet panting. “Why are you still here?”
Mel placed her hands on her hips. “Why are you still here?”
Shouts rose from behind them. “This way!”
Jahle spun Mel around and nudged her toward the hole in the ground. “Get moving.”
She dug her heels into the ground. “I can’t!” she wailed.
He shoved her. “If you don’t, you will die.”
Mel shook her head. “I can’t! I can’t!”
“Why?” he roared. “Do you want to die?”
Her voice came out as a whisper. “I told you, I don’t like dark spaces.”
The rage in his face faded. Jahle ran his hands over his face. He crouched, pulling Mel down to the ground. “Fine. You go first. I will follow to cover the rear.”
She blinked. “You’re coming with me?” The bright colors of his scales somehow made the tunnel seem less foreboding.
“For now.”
Mel took a deep breath. The lamps on her shoulders burned after her mad dash through the city. It’s not so bad, she told herself. You won’t be alone. Yet she still hesitated.
Jahle snorted. “I knew you were a coward.”
Her back stiffened, and her eyes flashed. “Watch me, big boy.”
She scrambled into the tunnel, ignoring her panicked breathing and the dryness in her mouth. Dust floated in the air, making her lungs work. Sweat prickled on her brow as the darkness closed in around her, but she kept crawling. Behind her, she heard Jahle huff out his breath in relief, and he followed.
The tunnel curved downward, and Mel wanted to scream as the last of the daylight faded behind them. She froze when one of her lamps flickered, but Jahle’s heavy hand closed around her ankle.
“I am here,” he said.
Mel inhaled, sneezed, and kept going. The weight of Jahle’s hand settled on her, like a tether securing her to safety.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JAHLE
The tunnel was a tight fit for his new form. His horns kept brushing the ceiling, sending clods of earth into his hair and eyes. So he kept his head ducked, staring at the ground passing below. With his one hand on Mel’s ankle, he shuffled along awkwardly, pressing her onward. They could not afford to be slow. Who knew what Dogan might send after them?
Guards? Gas? A bomb?
And what lies ahead?
It was clear that she would die without him. It was also clear that Dogan would kill him for helping her.
If I could just get a chance to talk to him, one brother to another…
Only Mel’s harsh breathing broke the silence of the tunnel. Jahle strained his ears but he heard nothing of the battle behind them. Had Dogan given up? Had the guards missed the entrance to the tunnel? Were they crawling to their death?
In front of him, Mel slowed.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
“The tunnel forks. I-I don’t know which way.”
“Pick one.”
“But, I-”
“Pick. One.” His voice held an edge of scorn, and Mel responded to it, just as she had to his goading earlier. She turned right. Guilt gnawed at his belly, but Mel had too much pride. She didn’t want to seem weak, and he used the information against her.
With Dogan, Jahle had avoided provoking his temperamental brother. But with Mel, it seemed the best course of action. With Dogan, Jahle had wanted to survive. With Mel, he wanted her to survive.
More than survive. He wanted her to thrive.
They moved on in silence. At first, he enjoyed the power his new body provided. He was stronger and faster. The exhaustion and pain of the past few days had faded, and renewed vigor filled his body. His clawed fingers and toes gripped the dirt, helping him move forward. Time would help him adjust to his new bulk.
Still, it was a rough passage, and was barely wide enough for his width. Jahle’s back began to stiffen and his shoulder ached. His chest worked, heaving against the heaviness of the air.
He finally yielded. “Wait. I have to stretch.”
He lay down on the floor of the tunnel and rolled onto his back. In the glow of the lamplight, he took in the curve of her glorious backside and her concerned face peering around her shoulder. The front of her shirt covered her nose and mouth, leaving only her warm eyes and bright hair in sight.
Maybe this tunnel isn’t so bad, he mused, as the scales on his shoulders rose. At least the view is lovely.
“Is it just me or is the air really…” Mel’s voice trailed off.
“It is still breathable,” Jahle replied. He paused. “If you get dizzy or sleepy, let me know.”
When he caught his breath, they kept going. The world narrowed into nothing but the tunnel and the constant shuffle forward. An unknown amount of time passed. In the darkness, it was anyone's guess how much.
“Hey! I see something,” Mel said, suddenly. “I-I think I see… stars?”
Stars? Impossible.
He tried to peer around Mel, but could not. He had to follow as she led him to her stars. She paused at the glowing blue dots, mo
ving slightly ahead so Jahle could see.
“Wow,” she whispered. “What are they? Some kind of magical rock?”
Jahle grunted and stretched onto his back again. “Water mollusks. This tunnel must have flooded at some point, carrying them here.”
At some recent point, his mind helpfully supplied. Flooding which might occur again. At any time. Without notice.
“Why are they glowing?”
“Bioluminescence,” he said.
“Hey, I think I see more of them!” Mel scurried away.
A rock snagged his pack when he rolled, and he spent a few minutes cursing while he untangled himself from its grip. By the time he freed himself, Mel was out of sight.
“Mel!”
“Jahle! Hurry!”
The flecks of light multiplied the further he crawled, and the air filled with a rancid smell. He slipped out of the tunnel and into a grotto filled with the pale blue-white glow of a million mollusks.
They dotted the ceiling and walls, like swirling galaxies, but did not touch the water filling the cavern. The wide expanse of dark water before him reflected their brilliance, a perfect mirror, its smooth surface unbroken by ripples. He gaped, turning in wonder at the sight.
“This is amazing,” he breathed.
“This is a dead-end,” Mel said, her voice flat. “A freaking stinky dead-end.”
“What?” He turned to her.
“Did I stutter?” Her hip was cocked and one fist rested on it, while she scowled at the grotto. “No way out. That clear enough for you?”
The sharpness of her tone made Jahle flinch. She was angry at more than their blocked passage. With a huff, she slumped down onto the loose grit underfoot and yanked her canteen out. She sipped while glaring at the view.
“Ration the water,” he said, gesturing to the lake. “I doubt that water is potable.”