I sobered as things I wanted to talk to him about paraded through my thoughts. I was scared to address the larger issue, but I’d been thinking about it for a while.
“I can hear the wings flapping in your mind. What are you thinking?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “We have a similar saying, ‘I can see your wheels turning.’”
“Wheels are boring.”
“That’s fair.” My smile faded. “I think it was on purpose.” He tilted his head curiously. “I keep wondering why I was given this research mission when theyhadto know this was your planet.” Despite my trepidation I kept his gaze. “They never intended to get us back. They took advantage of the situation where they could get rid of me.”
His brows furrowed and his thumb brushed back and forth over the back of my hand. “Couldn’t they have gotten rid of you in an easier way? They trespassed against a galactic enemy and spent a great deal of currency on the trip.”
“There had to have been more to it than that. We were just a smokescreen.” My voice broke. “And I don’t know why. As faras they know, we’re all dead.” A soft growl vibrated through his chest, and I squeezed his hand, hoping I wasn’t pushing him away. “I’m sorry. For everything.” I took a breath and admitted what had been bothering me the most. “I think there was another reason they came here, but I can’t think of what it could be.”
His eyes briefly narrowed. “I wonder…” he shook his head. “We’ll eventually find out. I believe that you will not do anything to betray the trust I’ve given you.” He held my gaze. “And no matter how it came about, I’m glad you’re here.”
I swallowed down the emotion that threatened at the sweet admission.
“Do you ever feel homesick?” he asked suddenly.
I shook my head right away, then paused. There was no reason to lie to him. “Sometimes there will be a sight or smell that reminds me of home and I feel…nostalgic. Sometimes I wonder what’s happening at the university I used to work at, or how my colleagues who I brought on this trip fared.”
“We will find you something to do here on a more permanent basis.” he said.
I smiled. “I would like that.”
Chapter 28
The sky was filled with vorpyr as we flew toward the gathering and hunting grounds. Eventually the hunters would split off and head toward the mountains, but for now we all flew together. The other two humans were settled into a massive basket that hung suspended by three vorpyr and held both gear for the week or two we’d be gone, with enough room left for a portion of the food. Several other similar baskets dotted the landscape.
I refused to let Jacqueline be carried in a basket and had her wrapped in my arms. She’d been stiff at first, but now she curiously looked around, eyes sharp, cataloging everything with that beautiful mind of hers.
Some vorpyr flew close and gave us curious looks. Whether that was because I was gathering instead of hunting or because I had a human bundled in my arms was anyone’s guess.
“Vorpyr have incredible stamina.” she commented after hours of flying.
I pressed my lips close to her ear, “when your body is ready again you’ll get to experience that stamina up close and personal.”
She shivered and shifted her hips against me before she laughed it off and playfully smacked my shoulder. A sharp smile crossed my face at her reaction. I’d never taken such delight in a female before. Jacqueline was something else.
“Tell me about how you came to be a Vorazyr. Is there an election, or is it by birth?”
“The only way for someone to become a Vorazyr is to fight and compete for his place. Usually children of the current Vorazyr are trained from a young age how to win the competition, so the title stays within a family until someone strong enough comes in and defeats them for the position. In my case, there was only one challenger because everyone knew I’d been trained well by my father like he was by his, and it would be nearly impossible to defeat me. My brother went to another territory and took the title from an unworthy Vorazyr.”
“And you stayed here, where you grew up?”
“Yes, my family has ruled here for a long time.”
She became quiet when a rattle passed through the mass of vorpyrren.
“The ones in front have spotted the gyksh.” I said.
It wasn’t long before we landed and set up a temporary village. Jacqueline and the other two dove into the work without being asked, helping to set up. Technology made it a quick process. Then everyone went out to gather.
When I showed Jacqueline what we were gathering, she peered close. “How interesting. The closest thing I can think of that looks like them are oysters.” I twitched an eyebrow. What a strange word. Oysters. “These are unfertilized, like eggs frombirds, right?” she murmured to herself as she touched one and looked it over.
“I am not sure what a bird is, but they cannot be fertilized in the way a male does to a female to create life. They are simply weight left behind by the gyksh before they take flight and travel great distances.”
She frowned. “Like…poop?”
