Julia’s eyes snap open and she wipes at her face furiously as I lose sight of her over the rock.
Pausing out of her line of sight, I freeze begrudgingly.
“I know you’re there.” Her words call out to my frozen form. “You don’t have to check up on me, Krellix, I’m not going to run. I’m also a screamer...” There is a soft teasing note to her voice.
Slipping out from the other side of the rock, I move around it to the entrance of the small inlet. “Screamer?” My eyes narrow.
She turns to face me and her bun falls out, making her long hair tumble down her back. The dark waves, catching shadow and sunlight, steal my attention, reminding me of the pressure engulfing my yet to be released prick.
Her eyes gleam briefly with mischief but I also catch a flicker of sadness. There is also wetness in them and I am unsure if it is because she is crying or because she just washed her face.
“If one of your kind, or an animal happens to get the jump on me, I’ll shout.” She smiles but it does not reach her eyes. “That’s what I mean. I also wasn’t planning on being here long, so like I said, you don’t have to check up on me.” She shifts on her feet to look directly at me, still crouched on the ground. “Also, a girl needs privacy, sheesh. Next time, announce yourself first.”
Our eyes meet and silence falls between us, sharpening with every second I fail to respond, feeling the muscles in my tail unwittingly tighten further. Uncomfortable that she might make my prick emerge, a dose of panic hits me.
Fearing I might close the distance between us, my teeth grit, eyeing the smooth skin of her shapely arms.I have not seen her arms and chest so bare before…
“Is there something you want?” she asks when I fail to speak, too focused on the wet skin along her collarbone and neck. I want to ask her about last night… I want to understand what she means about ‘anything.’ When our eyes meet next, her gaze spears into me like a blade through my chest, her brows furrowing with question.
I fist my hands. “We are leaving,” I say, my voice gruffer than it needs to be. “Grab your things and hurry up. We have lost too much time already.”
Spinning on my tail before she has a chance to say more, I head back to the others before I do something I will regret. I have done enough already. Because if I touch her… and lean in close and breathe in her scent, I may never stop and then it would be me who cannot be trusted.
It will be me who has lied… because I may like it too much to ever let her go.
THIRTEEN
A RISK TO AVOID
Julia
I don’t knowif he saw me crying, and staring at his muscled back, I try to figure out why he’s being extra watchful of me today.Was it because I left when he asked me to stay put?I was only trying to help when I heard Benjamin shouting. If he hadn’t sounded so close I would have stayed put.
Maybe he’s expecting more from me after our deal? Right now, more is hard to give, especially since I just lost everything I knew.Oronce knew.
The Dreadnaut’s gone.That means I don’t have a job anymore, not really. It also means my home and everything I owned is gone too. It’s not like I had much but it’s still a shock. I’d made friends on the ancient colony ship, and now I don’t know if they’re okay or not, if they made it off and if they did, if they’re here or elsewhere. Thank goodness I had no family onThe Dreadnaut.My brother is living on the colony shipThe Apollo, a much smaller vessel thanThe Dreadnautand closer to the frontlines.
Regardless, for whatever reason, Krellix is being extra watchful of me. I don’t really care. I’m not going to balk if he wants to be extra protective. It’s not like I want to die out here. I’ve survived enough already. I just hope he knows I can take care of myself. I have my entire life and I don’t plan on stopping now.
Olivia coughs, startling me from staring longer at Krellix’s beautifully patterned tail, where his brown and gold coloring is the deepest.
He glances over his shoulder at me and I pointedly look away at the rocky slopes to his right.
Thankfully, and despite his watchful demeanor, he’s safely gotten all of us through the worst of the terrain. We’ve been taking it one boulder at a time. The shoreline has been covered in slick moss, pointy bushes, and steep drops, making passage slow and treacherous. After several hours of it, we were all about done. There were many breaks and near misses. At one point we had to stop while Krellix scared a family of bears away. But since then the land has gradually flattened and the slopes have receded.
Having followed the base of Zaku’s mountain to its north side, the rocks have also begun to give way to the trees. And soon—when Krellix tells us it’s time—we’ll cross the river and enter the larger forest on the other side. Somewhere within is one of the soldier encampments. If there’s antibiotics and doctors with medical supplies, it’ll be there. I should know. I’d once been stationed at one of the encampments here.
Wiping my hands on my military jacket, I have the urge to take it off and discard it.
Either way, we’ve been following the river for several hours, trekking through the forest, and Krellix still hasn’t spoken a word to me outside necessity.
His mood hasn’t gone unnoticed by the others. Now that we’re out of the rocky terrain and within the forest, he’s acting even more vigilant than before, his eyes often flicking between the trees and, whenever he thinks I’m not looking, back at me. I feel bad for Olivia, who’s stuck in his arms. Although each time I have pressed forward to check on her, she has been dozing, only waking to eat a few of the berries we’ve foraged and to rehydrate with some water from my bottle.
Several ships have flown past, none of which have been military. Now and then, I’ll hear shouting or gunfire far in the distance, but the anxiety of it has lessened since we haven’t run into any more people.
When Krellix slips out of sight, I blink, realizing I’ve been staring at him this whole time. Ducking my head, I quickly tighten my mask.
This time tomorrow, if all goes to plan, Olivia, Benjamin, Quinton, and I will be at the encampment and I’ll no longer be under Zaku’s, Krellix’s, or any other naga’s control. I won’t have to worry my choices will affect others anymore, and my burden will be lifted. I’ll return to being a soldier if need be—if there is something to return to—and afterwards, maybe I’ll have a clearer idea where I’m meant to be.
