His muscled arms give me a squeeze. "I do not regret it."
***
Somehow, Rynn manages to gain control over 'not-so-little' Rynn, and the meeting with Zarriko concludes with many agreements being made. The first and most important is that both tribes will work together to search for the missing girls. The second - something that seems to be quite important to the Trixikka - that should their little 'heart-stars' start twinkling for one of the women, it's the girl's choice as to which tribe she remains in and this will mean that Rynn will have to welcome her mate into his tribe or vice versa. The third - which sounded a little ridiculous to me - was that the males must be given equal opportunity to spend time with the girls to try and ignite their heart-stars. This means that periodically, the tribes will meet to... well, I'm not sure exactly what it is that they're going to do but they really are hung up on this heart-stars business. I told Rynn that this whole 'mates' thing doesn't mean much to us humans and the males should prepare to be rejected even if they think they've found their 'fated mate' or whatever other nonsense they believe.
He was quiet after that.
After a reluctant goodbye to Tessa, Gwen, and Skye, one of Zarriko's men hurries forward. "High Spear," he says, addressing his chief. "Our offerings at the Temple have been accepted. We have the trans-late-tors!"
When we leave the other tribe, we leave them with much excitement at finally being able to communicate with each other. I remind them once more that it's likely they will faint but will wake soon after. I don't miss the way Gwen steps closer to the huge Trixikka she seems to take comfort in and that he has eyes for absolutely nothing else but her.
Rynn continues to be quiet as we fly back home, me in his arms once more. Even with my heart pounding a mile a minute in my chest, I decide to be brave and peel my face away from the safety of the crook of his neck. The evening is setting in and the skies begin to dim. The two, strange moons loom over us, hanging heavy between the stars. Below us lay miles and miles of thick jungle and that knot in my stomach tightens when I think of those missing girls. How are we going to find them? Surviving in the wild of a planet that we understand, with creatures and plants that we might recognize is brutal enough. But here? If they’re still out there... I don't know if they're still alive or not, and fuck if that doesn't bring the reality of our situation racing back home to me. I tighten my hold around Rynn's neck, his strong, powerful wings beating slow and then gliding on a breeze before he repeats the motion. God, am I grateful he found me amongst all the nightmares currently below us.
"Do not fear," he tells me, voice low and calm. "I will never drop you, Zahreenah."
"I know."
And I do. I think. Old Adeline once told me when I was a teen going through one casual boyfriend after another, that one day I'd have to force myself to trust one of these boys to love me and not leave me for something better like my mother did. It had stung at the time. But the truth often does. I find myself looking up at Rynn as he carries me.Reallylooking at him. He's been nothing but kind and sincere with me since he rescued me. "I trust you," I tell him, my voice coming out a little more hoarse than I'd intended.
Our eyes meet and his gaze is so piercing, it makes my tummy flip. "Zahreenah," he breathes, and I know he's going to ask about what I'd said regarding this whole 'mates' business. His body language has practically screamed his worry about it out loud, what with his twitching tail and those stars going crazy at his temples as he mulls it over in his head.
"High Spear Rynn," we're interrupted by one of our flying companions. "Look. The moonflies are out tonight."
Rynn's grip on me tightens as he agilely halts our forward trajectory to hover in mid-air with capable beats of his impressive wings. His men mirror him and I look around until I see what the Trixikka had been talking about. Down below, in amongst the dark of the thick jungle are pockets of bluish light. "Moonflies?" I ask, though I could guess that they might be like fireflies back home maybe? They seem to congregate together to create small areas where their glow is brightest.
Rynn grunts. "Yes. They gather where they feel safest. At the smallest hint of a predator, they will extinguish their light. Trixikka young are taught to find them if they are ever in the forest and unable to fly to safety. Stay quiet, stay still. If you can see the moonflies' light, then you are more likely to stay safe until the rise of the twin suns, for they will indicate if something else lurks nearby.." He gives a whistle and jerks his head to his men and then to the three pockets of light down below. Altogether, they swoop downward at a break-neck speed and one-by-one they head for the gatherings of moonflies, their glow dying as the Trixikka get close. "My males will search the areas for females in case they are using the moonflies for safety."
We hover there with me in Rynn's arms for what seems like an eternity, the only sound being the beat of his enormous wings. "I don't think the girls would know to use the moonflies' light as protection," I say quietly.
"Maybe not, but it is worth checking."
***
We do not find any other missing women. When we land, the dark of night has swallowed the mountain, the village, and the jungle surrounding us all. "You can let me down now," I tell Rynn, giving his lit-up pectoral a playful shove. His feet have been on the ground for almost a whole minute and still, he hasn't stopped holding me. "Your arms must be aching after carrying me all that way."
"Never," he says and I don't miss the way his biceps flex as if trying to prove a point - a big, stupid, manly point. It's only when Chastity is hurrying out of the girls-only hut to come and greet us that he reluctantly relents and sets my feet on the ground.
"Oh, my God," Chastity starts. "Guess what happened while you were away!" I purse my lips, readying to ask what she's talking about but Chastity is quick to answer my unasked query. "The grumpy one got the twinkles for Alana!"
My confusion must be all over my face because she shakes her head at me as if amused that I can't understand her. "The grumpy one, you know, the one who always looks like he’s got a wasp up his ass? M-...Max something..." Chastity finally looks up at Rynn beside me. "What's his name?"
"Mavyx," he says gruffly. "My Second Spear is Mavyx. What has hap-"
"Right! Yeah, him! So Alana was saying that it would be a good idea if we canallgo to the ship site some time and he overheard and would just not have it, so they started bickering like an old married couple. He was all'it is too dangerous for females to venture into the jungle'or some garbage and-"
"And he was correct," Rynn says with a look on his face that brokers no argument. "Females are safer here, where there is a whole village of Trixikka caring for you and protecting you."
Chastity holds up a single finger to him. "Ok, first of all, don't speak over me,featherbrains. Secondly, are y'all not hearing what I'm saying? Alana and Mavyx... his heart-twinkles or whatever they're called... his chest's all lit up like the fourth of July!"
"What?!" I ask, the breath whooshing out of me like a gust of wind. Beside me, Rynn is still before he curses and mutters something about going to speak with his Second Spear.
Chapter 18
SERENA
All three girls are pleased to hear the other tribe have found Tessa, Gwen, and Skye and that they have agreed to help us in searching for the others. There's even a squeal or two when I produce the remaining chocolate we'd found on the ship. Alana doesn't seem to want to talk about Mavyx at all. I get it. Sort of. This 'mates' thing is so important to the Trixikka. To them, their heart-stars lighting up for a girl is like divine intervention or some shit. It's like the universe is saying 'that one! that's the one for you, buddy!'but that just doesn't hold with me. It's probably some biological chemical reaction like how your brain releases dopamine when you see your celebrity crush on the TV. Well, nature is meant to pump a mom's body full of powerful 'love drug' brain chemicals to trick her into that maternal instinct, but it never stopped mine from ditching me. This is the same. And it's probably happening to me too somehow. My stupid bodyisreacting to Rynn, I can't deny that. Even now, I'm curled up on one of the nests with Alana, but my mind is acutely aware of the fact that he's stationed himself outside our hut again. Does this guy ever sleep? If I sit up and look out the paneless window, I can see the arch of his dark, folded wing and the opal point of the spear in his grip.
"What else did the ship's computer say it had?" Alana whispers to me in the dark. She wiggles a little closer, her hands tucked beneath her head.
