Drovo
We walked back through the ship until we reached an empty room with a medium-sized bed. I ran the blanket through my thumb and finger and marveled at the unique material. It looked thin, but felt just as warm as one of my furs. This would make for a good bed for Kayla. I would sleep on my furs by the door in case anyone or any beast tried to attack us in the night.
I didn’t notice my hands were shaking until I laid my furs down on the hard floor. It had been jarring to see my old dekes, especially my brother Favalor and former playmate, Zander.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Kayla’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I think we have to sleep in the same bed in case those pricks try to spy on us. I suspect they think we’re lying, but we’d better keep up our charade, just in case.”
She chewed the bottom of her lip as she looked at the bed. “I better go tell Taylor and Brexl to sleep in the same bed together, too. I have a feeling Brexl will push back on the idea, but if Taylor and I tell him heneeds to do it, he’ll back down.”
She left the room, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts. I sat down on the strangely cushioned bed and hunched over with my head between my hands. My brother was here not more than twenty lengths away from me, and yet I can’t talk to him. He looked so grown compared to last year. I always look for my sire and brothers in the crowd when we gathered for the offering. I could have sworn Favalor was an inch taller and had twice the muscle he had last season.
I shook my head. I would give anything to speak to him, to know how he was doing, how our sire was doing, but I couldn’t put Favalor in jeopardy like that. Scaron would disapprove of us talking, and the Savrix might punish him for it.
I looked down at Kayla’s bag on the floor and wondered if Scaron was right. Would she be safer with them? She could walk around the valley freely without fear of getting attacked. She couldn’t even walk around our small clearing without someone guarding her. It was relatively safe, but not without danger.
“Well, that took some convincing, but we eventually got there.” Kayla said as she walked back into the doorless room. Taylor had mentioned earlier that the doors would automatically open and close, but since the ship had no power, they were stuck open.
“Are you alright?” She looked at me with concern in her eyes.
“No,” I croaked out. I wouldn’t lie to her. I’dspent enough time lying about her chariot, and that got me nowhere. I wouldn’t lie to her again.
Kayla sat down next to me on the bed and placed my right hand in hers.
“I gather that’s your brother out there, the one with the brown hair that matches yours and who has the same nose and chin as you do.”
I nodded my head. “Favalor.”
“He looks like a good kid,” she added as she squeezed my hand.
“He is.” I didn’t know that for sure, but I refused to believe otherwise. It hurt too much to think he might hate me as much as the others did. I hadn’t felt the despair of losing my family for a long time, but now, after seeing my brother, it was coming back in waves. How much had I missed? Had Favalor needed an older brother for guidance? There was a scar on his neck. Had he been in danger of dying on a hunt in the past? I could have protected him like an older brother should. I was the oldest of three children. I had two brothers and one sister. She had died in the stiffness like so many of our females, along with our mother.
I looked up at Kayla and I knew she saw the pain in my face. Her eyes had become glossy with unshed tears as a reflection of my own.
“I could ask him to protect you if you would prefer to live in the valley.” The words passed by my lips like poison. Each one was a bitter blow to my heart.
“What? And live with those assholes? No, thank you.”
“You would be safer there.” I pleaded, and all the joy left her face.
“You’re serious, aren’t you? You really think I should live with them.”
“I failed you once, and I’d be failing you again if I didn’t encourage you to live with them. They might be right, you know.” I confessed. “We don’t know if we spread the Stiffness or not. What if you get sick?”
Kayla put a finger to my lips to quiet me. “You’re not cursed, and you didn’t cause the Stiffness. Got it?” She removed her finger and got on her knees before me.
“I don’t care how safe the valley is. My home is in that mountain. My home is with you.”
A tear trickled down my face, and Kayla wiped it away with her thumb. She cupped my cheek with her hand and it about broke me. It’d been so long since I’d been touched with such tenderness. I didn’t deserve any of it. I had hurt Kayla. I had lied to her and made her think she wasn’t my priority, and here she was cupping my face with the gentlest of touches.
A sob escaped me as I confessed, “You shouldn’t like me. I’m not worthy.”
“I decide who I do and don’t like, and I like you. I hadn’t realized how much until I saw you in danger. But I do like you.”
“Friends,” the word was a watery plea on my lips.
“No, Drovo,” Kayla looked me dead in the eyes. “I like you as more than a friend.”
My heart was overflowing. How could I be sogoddess blessed?
