Arkness keyed off his comms and shifted the pack on his shoulders. “We’d best be moving. Follow close. We do not know what might be lurking out there.”
“But Rykker said?—”
“Rykker is not here. He took the easier route. ButIam here to protect you. Do not fear. I will protect you with my life.”
Olivia didn’t know how to respond to that. She knew he was interested in her, obviously, but that declaration seemed a little much. Still, it was comforting knowing he felt so strongly. And even with the cliché line, if thingsdidsomehow go sideways, she knew he would do all he could to keep her safe.
They trekked hard for several hours, crossing a small river flowing through a slot canyon that wasn’t on the map, forcing a detour which slowed their progress significantly. They then angled their route back on track, but they’d lost a lot of time. It was nearly dusk when Arkness signaled for Olivia to stop. They both crouched low and crept forward. The treetops above were snapped from the descent of the crashed section of the ship but, fortunately, the lush greenery hadn’t caught fire.
“Wait here.”
Arkness dropped his pack and moved surprisingly silently for a man his size, skirting the perimeter before darting to thecompartment’s hatch. He drew his weapon then opened the door, charging inside, ready for anything. A moment later he exited, quite calmly.
“Nothing here,” he called out. “Looks like it was empty.”
Olivia felt disappointment wash over her. “Shit. How far is the next one?”
“Close, but too far to reach before dark,” he replied, surveying the area, a new plan forming in his mind. “We don’t have much of a choice. We will need to camp out here and leave at first light if we want to make it to the next crash site and back to the ship before nightfall tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“It is late, and it is growing darker by the minute. Given the new obstacles in our path, it would be foolish to try to traverse them in the dark. And using lights would draw attention to us from all directions. I’m afraid we will have to camp out for the night. At least we can use the crashed ship for shelter.”
Olivia wasn’t thrilled with the new plan, but there really wasn’t anything else to do. “Okay, I guess.”
Arkness shed his pack. “Grab something to eat. You must maintain your strength. I will inform Rykker while setting perimeter alarms.”
Without another word he headed out, deploying a handful of small devices that would notify him if anything came close during the night, carefully setting them up all around their campsite.
Olivia dug through the pack and made herself a little meal. Nothing too heavy, though. She wanted to be sure there was plenty of food for tomorrow. Despite having a healthy stash to eat, Harper would be sick of Raxxian food balls and berries by the time they found her, that much she was sure of.
The reddish-skinned alien strode back into the clearing of the crash site and joined Olivia in a quick meal, sitting close,his proximity making her body react of its own accord. They sat and talked a while, telling stories of their upbringings, the differences between Earth and this world, and all manner of things that two people from such drastically diverse races might have to discuss.
Finally, the evening sky darkened to proper night.
“Should we gather some wood to make a fire?” Olivia asked.
“No fires. It would draw attention. But if you are cold…” he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her in close.
His body heat was delicious, cutting the chill in a flash. That, and a different sort of heat his touch triggered within her. She felt his heart beat a little harder, his pulse thudding comfortingly against her like the soothing familiarity of a favorite song. Arkness looked down at her in the dim light.
“Come. We should turn in. It will be a long day tomorrow.”
“I can’t quite make out the ground. Is it?—”
He rose to his feet, lifting her in his arms with utter ease. “I will help. Your eyes will adjust as your runes strengthen. I am confident of it.”
Arkness then walked into the confines of the downed craft, setting Olivia on her feet once they were safely inside the compartment. She looked around. There was a hint of light from the faintest of emergency lighting, but it was just enough to allow her to make out the familiar layout of a holding cell. This one was not only empty, but it also seemed to have been so for some time prior to the crash. All of the bed cushions appeared to be unused, and there were no signs of personal items anywhere.
She crossed to the bunk indented in the wall but hesitated.
No. I’m not sleeping in there. Not again.
Olivia pulled the cushion free and dragged it to the middle of the room. Arkness, observing her closely, did the same, sliding his own cushion against hers. It wasn’t a proper bed by any means, but it beat sleeping on the hard metal.
He pulled off his shirt and lay down.
“What are you doing?”
