Page 26

T he dawn brought no relief from the fever burning through my veins, but Zara’s presence beside me provided an anchor against the pain.

Through our growing bond, I sensed her concern, her determination.

Her markings had become a map of silver beneath her skin, far more extensive than when we first met—branching patterns that now extended up her neck and across her shoulders, visible at the edges of her torn clothing.

She checked my wounds in the gray morning light filtering through the cave entrance.

“The infection is still spreading,” she said, her fingers gentle but firm as she applied the last of our medicinal paste to the worst of the gashes across my ribs. The herbs stung sharply before delivering their numbing effect. “But the swelling has decreased slightly.”

I pushed myself to a sitting position, ignoring the protest from my lacerated muscles and the pull of damaged tissue. Every movement sent daggers of pain through my chest and back. “We cannot remain here. Hammond’s drones will have resumed their search pattern at first light.”

Zara helped me to my feet, adjusting her grip around my waist to provide steady support.

The top of her head barely reached my shoulder, yet she bore my weight without complaint.

My tail dragged momentarily before I forced it to lift, understanding its position would reveal my weakness to any Nyxari we might encounter.

A warrior’s tail never dragged, no matter the circumstance—one of the first lessons taught to Shadow Canyon youth.

“I can detect the drone frequencies,” she said, her eyes taking on that distant look that indicated her markings were processing energy patterns. “Nothing close yet, but they’re methodical. They’ll expand their search radius in concentric circles.”

We emerged from the shelter of the cave, the morning air cool against my fevered skin. The vibrant teal of the Arenix sky was muted by thin clouds, the twin suns only vague bright spots behind the haze. The forest stretched before us, deceptively peaceful.

Moisture clung to the vegetation from the night’s storm, catching the light in tiny prisms. I knew better than to be lulled by the beauty.

Arenix tolerated no carelessness, even from its native sons.

“Eastern Settlement lies three days’ journey for a healthy traveler,” I said, tasting blood where I’d bitten the inside of my cheek to focus through the pain. “But there should be patrols in these outer territories. If we can reach the ridge line by nightfall, we might intercept one.”

Zara nodded, adjusting her grip around my waist, careful to avoid the worst of my wounds. The pressure of her arm was both pain and comfort. “Then let’s go.”

The journey was a haze of pain and determination. Each step required focus, each breath a conscious effort. The forest floor was treacherous after the rain, slick with decomposing vegetation and loose stones.

Without Zara, I would have fallen hours ago. I could sense her growing exhaustion, but also her unwavering resolve through our bond.

Her markings responded constantly to the environment, processing data about our surroundings that her conscious mind translated into insights.

“Wait,” she whispered suddenly, pulling me behind a massive tree trunk, its bark rough against my palm. “Drone—approaching from the south.”

I strained my senses, pushing past the fever haze. There—the faint mechanical hum, barely perceptible even to my sensitive ears. Her ability to detect the devices at such distance was remarkable, even among marked humans.

“Can you tell what type?” I asked, tasting the air for other threats. A faint metallic tang rode beneath the forest scents.

Her brow furrowed in concentration. “Search model. Basic sensors, no weapons.” She tensed suddenly. “But it’s tracking something... not us...”

The undergrowth to our left rustled, sending a small, six-legged lizard scurrying up a nearby tree trunk. My warrior instincts surged through the fever haze, recognizing the pattern of movement. “Predator. Using the drone to flush prey.”

“Hammond’s figured out how to use the local wildlife,” Zara muttered, her fingers tightening against my side. “Clever bastard.”

The drone appeared first, a hovering metallic sphere barely larger than my fist, its surface decorated with small sensor arrays that rotated slowly as it moved.

It paused at the edge of the clearing, sensors whirring with an unnatural rhythm.

Behind it, moving with unnatural focus, came a juvenile Trelleth, its iridescent scales showing the distinctive discoloration of resonance manipulation—patches of dull gray where the natural color had been leached away.

“They’ve linked it to the drone somehow,” Zara whispered, her eyes tracking invisible energy patterns. “I can see the energy pattern connecting them—like a tether of light, pulsing with commands.”

The Trelleth’s sensory stalks waved, seeking prey. The appendages were shorter than an adult’s would be, but still deadly accurate in detecting neural activity and body heat. We were downwind, but that advantage wouldn’t last if the drone detected us and redirected the predator.

“I need to disrupt the connection,” Zara said, her markings beginning to respond to her focus. “If I can send a counter-frequency through my markings...”

“The strain could harm you,” I cautioned, feeling protective despite our situation. Through our bond, I already sensed the pressure building within her, like a vessel being filled too quickly.

Her eyes met mine, determination evident in their depths. “Better than becoming that thing’s dinner.”

Before I could protest further, she closed her eyes, focusing her energy through the silver patterns beneath her skin. I felt the burst of disruptive power through our bond, a sensation like being brushed by lightning, painful yet exhilarating.

The drone stuttered in midair, its sensors blinking erratically, emitting a high-pitched whine that hurt my ears. The Trelleth let out a high-pitched keen of confusion as the control signal faltered, its sensory stalks thrashing wildly, seeking the lost connection.

“Now,” she gasped, the effort clearly taxing her. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and through our bond, I felt the sharp pain lancing through her temples. “Strike now.”

Despite my weakened state, warrior training took over. I grabbed a fallen branch, its wood still green enough to be strong but light enough for my diminished strength. Using it to vault forward, I ignored the tearing sensation in my wounds as I launched toward the disoriented predator.

My tail whipped forward for balance, the motion sending fresh waves of pain through my fever-wracked body.

I brought the makeshift weapon down hard on the creature’s primary sensory stalk with a precise strike taught to every Shadow Canyon youth. The Trelleth howled, thrashing wildly, no longer focused on us but simply in pain, its primitive brain overwhelmed by the sensory confusion.

The drone sparked and dropped from the air, landing with a soft thud on the damp forest floor. Zara staggered against a tree, one hand pressed to her temple, but her eyes remained fixed on the Trelleth. “It’s retreating,” she said, her voice tight with strain. “The control signal is gone.”

I returned to her side, noting the pain lines around her eyes and the strain evident in her face. “You pushed too hard.”

“I’ll be fine. Just a headache.” She straightened, though I could feel the pain she was suppressing through our bond—a dull throbbing pressure behind her eyes. “We need to move before they send something to investigate why the drone went offline.”

We continued our eastward journey, moving as quickly as my injuries and her fatigue would allow.

The ground began to slope upward, the terrain becoming rockier as we approached the ridge line I had identified as our best chance of spotting a patrol.

Each step upward sent fresh lances of pain through my legs and back.

The twin suns climbed high, then began their descent.

My fever spiked again in the afternoon heat, making the forest swim before my eyes, the double shadows cast by the twin suns seeming to move independently of their casters.

Sweat soaked my skin, alternating with chills that set my teeth chattering.

Only Zara’s steadying presence kept me moving forward, her voice a constant anchor, urging me onward.

“Just a little further,” she said, her own breath coming in labored pants as we climbed. “I can see the ridge ahead.”

As dusk approached, we reached the rocky outcropping that offered a view of the valley beyond.

The stone was still warm from the day’s heat, radiating against my fevered skin as Zara helped me find a sheltered position against a boulder.

The rough surface scraped against my back, but I welcomed the support.

She climbed higher to survey our surroundings, her movements careful on the loose stone. The last rays of the setting suns caught her figure, haloing her in gold and red light. For a moment, she looked more alien than human, her silver markings visible beneath her skin.

“Ravik,” she called down, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. “Look.”

I pulled myself up beside her, every muscle protesting the movement. My vision blurred, then cleared as I followed her pointed finger. There, at the edge of visual range, a pattern of lights flashed in a distinctive sequence against the gathering dusk—three short, two long, one short, repeated.

“A patrol signal,” I said, my voice rough with relief and lingering fever. “Lazrin’s squadron, by the pattern.”

“Can we reach them?” The hope in her voice was almost painful to hear.

I considered our position, the failing light, my worsening condition. I assessed my remaining strength. “Not tonight. But they patrol in a standard sweep. If we descend to that clearing by morning, we should intersect their path.”

Zara’s hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my larger ones. Her skin felt cool against my fever-heat. Through our bond flowed a complex mixture of hope, relief, and lingering fear.

We had come so far, endured so much. Yet the most dangerous part of our journey might still lie ahead.

“We’ll make it,” she said, the certainty in her voice a balm to my doubts.

I squeezed her hand gently, marveling at how this small human woman had become essential to my survival in ways that went far beyond the physical. My clan’s warnings regarding the marked ones now seemed distant, hollow compared to the reality of Zara beside me.

“Yes,” I agreed, watching the patrol lights move in their methodical pattern across the darkening valley. “We will.”

As we settled for the night in a sheltered nook among the rocks, I tried to ignore the worsening burn of infection in my wounds.

I could sense Zara monitoring my condition through our bond, her worry a background hum beneath her outward confidence.

My tail curled weakly around her ankle as she sat beside me, the contact instinctive, as though some part of me feared being separated from her even in sleep.

Tomorrow would bring rescue or disaster. There was no middle ground left. As consciousness began to fade, I found myself thinking not of my clan’s warnings or Hammond’s threats, but of Zara’s hand in mine, the shared energy that joined us, and the strange peace I’d found in our unlikely bond.