The Paohl holding him lets go and runs for the frozen river. In a blink he is gone, leaving only his black uniform behind on the ice. The fabric can’t pass through the way his water body can.
I shudder runs through me. How long until I can perform similar impossible feats?
I drop the knife. I don’t know how to use it and while Noil is water, it will have no effect. But fire will.
“Give up, Noil.” I pull a burning stick from the fire.
Noil snarls, his attention now divided between Wraight and Harding and me.
Harding shakes his head and holds out his hand. “See to your mate.” The word seems to stick in his throat. Then he takes the burning stick and charges at Noil.
I run over to Eskar, he’s on the ground and breathing too fast. I place my hand over his, expecting warm blood but like the rest of him it’s cold as if he’s already dead.
“Change and save yourself.”
“I can’t.” But he smiles. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not.” My blood is hot enough for both of us even now. “You did this to me.”
A scream and fighting tears my attention away. Noil steams like a pot of boiling water. Then he returns to flesh, but half his body is burned and blistered. He’s still trying to fight, but Harding knocks him on the head and Noil crumples to the ground. Harding checks to make sure Noil is out cold before helping Wraight up. He picks up the med kit bag as they walk over, both hurt.
Eskar cups my face, his skin cool and rough. “And I said I’m sorry. I was only thinking of myself. I’m as bad as Noil.”
“No.” I hold his hand. Now I’m touching him I never want to stop. I want to taste his skin and feel him against me. It doesn’t matter how many times I remind myself that it’s just the drug from the mating barb, the need doesn’t abate. “You aren’t like him.”
Wraight sits down heavily. Harding remains standing. the sleeve of his flight suit is ripped and dark with blood. My fingers are stained purple.
And I’m all they have.
I glance around the clearing. We’re exposed and vulnerable, but the remains of the ship are too far away for the wounded to make it. I’ll have to patch everyone up in the dirt by the fire.
I quickly assess everyone’s condition. Wraight will be fine for a bit—his wounds might have torn a little, but he doesn’t seem to be bleeding out, and neither does Harding. Eskar needs help now, and I know nothing about Paohl physiology.
“Can you build up the fire and boil some water?” I don’t look at Harding, but I hear him move off. “I don’t know what’s been cut, Eskar. You need to help me.”
“I’m an engineer, not a doctor. You don’t have to try. Just let me go.”
I close my eyes and draw in a breath, trying to find some kind of inner strength, but all that exists inside of me is fear and lust. A combination that leaves me feeling sick and confused. I keep hold of his hand. “Is that what you really want? Or do you want to try mating and see if things can work out between us?”
Do I really want to try? I don’t know anything about Paohl mating habits. I know more about this planet, and what it does to survivors, and that’s precious little.
Eskar is silent for a few breaths. “Paohl mate for life. And here that is an exceedingly long time.”
“You are immortal now?”
“I don’t think so, it’s just harder to die. Using my mating barb weakened me. Now this.” He lifts his fingers, but not his hand from the wound. “I can’t change to water. I never thought Noil would stoop so low.”
I lift an eyebrow. From the little I’ve seen of Noil, that is exactly the kind of man I thought he was. I glance over, but Noil is still on the ground. Behind me the fire is hot and bright.
My mate is dying. No, not my mate. But it calms me to think of him as that. Like my body has already claimed him. It’s ridiculous, as I barely know him.
Harding hands Wraight a burning branch. “For light, while Leah operates and I tie up our friend and gather dropped weapons.”
“Are you okay to hold that?” Wraight’s skin is ashen. From exhaustion, pain, or blood loss, or all three?
Wraight gives me a sharp nod. “Yeah, sort him out. I don’t understand what the fuck is going on, but if he dies, will you die?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way.” Eskar’s voice is strained.
