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“I thought we were walking?” I stay a few steps further behind than Raiz.

He strokes his hand through the black fur of the one beside him. “Not with our timeline being pushed up. We’ll make it there and back twice as fast.”

“I don’t know how to ride.”

A wicked smirk lifts his lips, and he leans down close to me. “I’d say you have excellent riding skills,” he whispers.

I smack his chest with the back of my hand as my cheeks flame. “You know what I meant.”

“I know.” He pulls me closer and lifts my hand to the beast’s soft fur. “You’ll ride with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Are you two going to be like this the entire time?” Hyva asks as he tosses his bag onto the back of his own kyril. “Because I’m going to need regular vomit breaks.”

“Jealous Hyva?” Vynia smirks over at him. “I’m sure your kyril will give you some extra affection if you’re feeling left out.”

“Or you could,” he taunts back. It sounds like a joke, but the way that he yanks the straps around his bag to tighten it tells a different story.

I’ve never really paid much attention to what goes on between the two of them, even though they’re the closest to me, aside from Raiz. They’ve each become equally good friends to me, but neither of them have even hinted at having romantic feelings of any sort, for anyone. Most matches for the Zeahiri seem to come from arranged partnerships rather than developing naturally. Aside from the mate bonds I’ve heard mentioned in passing.

I’m going to use this journey as time to dig a little deeper into these two who have steadily become my friends. As easy as it is to spend all my free time with Raiz, I shouldn’t depend on him for everything. Even if I were to somehow find a way to stay with him, I’d also need my own life. I can’t let him become my everything.

Las comes stalking down from the other side of the tunnel. He’s dressed in the same heavy clothing as we are, with thick fur-lined pants tucked into boots. The cloak he has wrapped around him is hooded with a mask over his nose and mouth, so all that can be seen of his face are his red eyes. Two daggers are strapped to either of his thighs, which doesn't seem excessive when Raiz has weapons attached to every possible body part.

I myself have two blasters, one on each hip and a small blade tucked into my boot. I was also told to wear extra layers as there are places where the land above the tunnels and caves have collapsed, leaving it open to the frigid temperatures of the dark side of the planet. Even though I have lost nearly all mobility, I’m not upset. They’re taking the cold seriously, so I trust I should as well.

Vynia mounts her kyril with ease as she speaks quietly to Las. Hyva and Las mount both of their kyrils and begin to guide them in the direction we’ll be traveling. The one I’ll be riding with Raiz turns his head and snorts at me impatiently. Steam puffs out from its nostrils while it stares me down with obsidian eyes.

“Ready?” Raiz asks quietly. “I promise we’ll be gentle.”

The kyril paws at the ground, very much giving the vibe that it disagrees.

Raiz bends down and interlocks his hands. “Grab the saddle, and I’ll give you a boost.”

“Okay,” I say with hesitation.

Unsurprisingly Raiz lifts me effortlessly so getting into the saddle is easier than I thought it would be. I pull my cloak to the side, so he doesn’t get tangled when he gets up behind me. He gets up with ease, settling behind me like a natural.

“I take it you’ve ridden one of these before?”

He snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest, holding the reins low in front of my belly. “I grew up riding. It’s almost as natural to me as riding Kodia.”

“Who does he belong to? And does he have a name?”

“He belongs to one of the members of House Aste. His name is Nebula.”

“Are you not worried about the spikes in front of us?”

“No, not particularly. They have those for protection, but when they’re relaxed, the blades retract.” He switches the reins to one hand and runs his fingers over one of the spikes. “Just like our talons, they’re only out when they need to fight or escape.”

Everything on this planet is made to survive violence. “I’m not sure how much I like being the most vulnerable being on this planet.”

“There’s something to be said for the softness you possess. You don’t view things through the lens of violence and brutality like we do. It’s refreshing and something we could use more of.”

He speaks of the violence of his people often, but all he’s shown me is kindness and an openness to change. I don’t think it’s as bad as he believes it to be here, despite the attempt on my life. There are pockets of kindness everywhere. Even the males aboard his ship were always deferential to me, never showing anything less than the utmost respect for the strange female wandering the halls.

Then again, I’m only seeing a very small amount of the planet and even less of the people who call it home.

He leads Nebula deeper into the tunnel as we fall into silence. I can’t help looking around the space in awe as I take in every detail that I would have missed without the special lenses created for me. The same stone that Raiz’s home is carved from seems to be the same lining the tunnel walls.