Page 45

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

CORVAK

I stare out at the cluster of huts dotted across the beach, and I am overwhelmed.

The land is strange. The mountains are behind us now, falling away to a steep cliff and then a strange calm flatness.

The flatness edges out to the waters, which roil and crash against the shore as if they have a vendetta.

It is my first glimpse upon the ocean, and I can stare and stare and there is yet more to see.

There are small birds circling over the waters.

Chunks of ice drifting offshore. Craggy rocks rising from the distant waters like fingers.

And the people. There are so many of them.

Everywhere I look, there are people on the shore.

I see at least two dozen huts and several cookfires.

I see people fishing and children running on the sand.

Someone points in our direction as we head down the steep path towards the village, and then it feels as if all eyes are upon us.

I do not realize I am clutching Aidy's hand too tightly until she squeaks. Immediately, I am ashamed and release her. "I didn't realize?—"

"It's okay. Just maybe don't grip that hard?" She eyes me with concern even as she slips her hand back into my grasp again. "Don't tell me you're shy?"

"I am not," I bluster. Shy sounds…not very warrior-like. "I am just uncomfortable with so many people staring at us."

"I imagine they're curious. They don't know anything about us, remember? They'll stop staring after a bit." She gives me an affectionate squeeze. "It's going to be okay. I'll be at your side."

Again, I feel unworthy of her affection. Aidy is such a good mate and I am…useless. A gladiator with no tourney to fight, a warrior with no war.

People begin streaming towards us. Thrand and Nadine wave, and U'dron pulls the sled faster, dragging it ahead of Aidy and myself.

I deliberately slow my steps even more, letting him pass, but also giving myself a chance to watch the reactions of others as they approach.

They are smiling, their faces full of curiosity as they view us.

These are not rivals. They would not look at us with such eagerness if we were here to fight them.

I watch as a male approaches, one with four arms. Such an interesting build.

I wonder if I could ask for more arms, because they would make grappling easy…

and then I remember I am a gladiator no longer.

If what they are saying is true, I have been rejected and abandoned here with the other clones.

I am not wanted as a fighter. I clench my jaw against this painful realization.

Part of me had hoped that we were being misled, that this was a ploy to flush us out and get us to a more easily accessible fighting arena.

There is no ploy, though, and I should not be as disappointed as I am.

"I am J’shel,” the male with four arms says as he approaches.

He is the first one to move directly to myself and Aidy.

He speaks in a tongue that is foreign to me, but my translator implant easily adjusts it as quickly as it does to Aidy's language.

"We are glad you have joined us. All are welcome. "

"I'm Aidy," my mate says, and then touches my arm. "This is Corvak. We ran when we were dropped with the others. We thought it was a game of some kind."

"I was not dropped," he replies, an easy, welcoming smile on his face. "I am from the island."

"There's an island?" Aidy asks, tone bright.

J’shel’s smile fades. "No longer."

"Oh." The silence grows uncomfortable for a moment as we stare at one another. Aidy's hand feels clammy in mine, and I realize she is nervous after all.

I clear my throat, nodding at J’shel. "We are glad to be here. Survival alone is…difficult."

The male's face creases into a broad grin.

"This I know well. I look forward to hearing your story, and I will tell you mine across a fire sometime.

" He glances behind him, watching as another male comes forward, this one with impossibly tall, arching horns that seem to point at the sky.

Less useful in battle, for all their deadliness. They are too easily grabbed, I decide.

"I am R'jaal of Tall Horn," the male says as he approaches.

"Now of the Icehome Beach. This is my mate, R'slind.

She is one of your people, and we are glad to see you.

" He gestures at the solid, pale human female with a yellow mane at his side.

The female seems timid, less like my Aidy, and she gives us a shy smile.

"You're a clone, too?" Aidy asks.

R'slind nods. "Everyone that arrived in the same drop is a clone. It was on the bracelet…" She gestures at her wrist. "You didn't get one?"

"I didn't know what it was, so I took it off," Aidy lies easily, touching my arm again. "But the clone thing makes so much more sense than me thinking I was losing my mind."

R'slind laughs. "I can see that. Some of us definitely have more memories than others.

" She gestures behind her, where there are more and more people gathering and staring at us.

"Do you want me to introduce you? I can point out our group.

Icehome is actually several different groups all coming together.

It'll be confusing at first, but I promise you'll be comfortable quickly. "

Aidy glances up at me. "Oh, that sounds lovely, thank you." She steps forward with R'slind, who is immediately approached by several other human females.

I hold back, noting the suspicious looks they are sending me. Aidy is welcome, but they are not so certain about me. I do not look like them. I understand it. I will not look like anyone, because I have no people. I am a mix of many people and belong to none.

"Well, well, well," calls a female voice. "Look what the cat dragged in. Literally."

Another yellow-haired human female strides forward, this one slightly older than the others if I had to guess. She is followed closely by an ugly, battle-scarred mesakkah male with a tall, rangy form and a scowl on his face. The female crosses her arms over her chest and eyes me speculatively.

This is the leader, I suspect. She has that air about her.

"I am Corvak." I gesture at Aidy, who is being surrounded by human females and pulled farther away. "Valmir has convinced us to join you."

"Valmir did?" Her brows go up. "That's…impressive."

I look around at the crowd, trying to count heads, but there are so many. I see all kinds—a moden splice, another a'ani with vivid red skin, and others I do not recognize. "I did not expect it to be so…crowded. How many of you are here?"

"Too many," the yellow-haired leader says.

I freeze at that.

The ugly male behind the female nudges her.

"Oh, shit. I was kidding!" She puts her hands up in the air. "I figured if you were used to Valmir, you could take a bit of ribbing." She thinks for a moment, counting on her fingers. "Well, there's those of us from Croatoan, and then there's the islanders?—"

"Exiles," the scarred male adds.

"Yup, there's exiles, too. And the Ancestors. Not the real ancestors, but I'm not calling them Those Who Remain because that's too much of a mouthful. And the splices. And the human clones. Oh, and the dragon. Can't skip him." She rolls her eyes. "He'll never let us forget it if we do."

"Visitors," her mate says, interrupting again.

"Yeah, them too, but they don't really count as part of the tribe since they're just hanging out for a while, right?" She tilts her head, gazing up at him thoughtfully. "Though do we count Bek and Elly's kid? She was born here but they're Croatoan…though they're not in a hurry to go back?—"

Her listing of all the different peoples makes my gut clench. If there are so many, how can they all possibly be fed? Are two more going to be seen as a burden? "Are we welcome here?" I ask, voice flat. "Or should we leave?"

They both turn and glare at me, as if I am annoying them. "Everyone is welcome."

Aidy returns to my side, her hands on my arm. There's a look of concern on her face. "Everything okay?"

I nod. What else can I say?

"Do you want to see my baby girl?" Nadine asks Aidy, all smiles. "I swear you won't see a cuter kid on this beach."

"Lies," the blonde female in front of me says, her tone practically a snarl. "You know my kids are the fucking cutest, you monster."

But Nadine just laughs at her, waving away her words. "You are far too competitive, Liz. Come on, Aidy. Corvak can manage without you for a moment, right?"

"Actually I'll stay with him," Aidy says, ever loyal, and holds me even tighter. "Until we get settled, at least."

The female leader, the Liz, points a finger at Aidy and Nadine. "Do we need to have a cute-off? Because I'm game. Wait until you see my little Ahsoka. She's got a gap between her front teeth that would make the Gerber baby shit a brick in jealousy. It's the fucking best."

"It is pretty cute," chimes in another female, who moves forward and puts a fat, enormous infant into my mate's arms. "But not as cute as this baby!"

"Oh my goodness," Aidy breathes, juggling the heft of the child and giggling. "So big! Just look at you!"

I swallow hard, remembering the conversation about babies and how they emerge when the stomach is distended. I cannot picture it, and the thought terrifies me. The creature in Aidy's arms is so much bigger than I envisioned, and the realization makes me dizzy. "Is…is the size of that thing normal?"

Aidy laughs, jiggling the child in her arms as it puts a fat hand on her chin. "What a big, perfect girl you are. Or boy. Or whatever."

“Boy,” the mother says shyly. "His name is Varukhal.”

"Come on," Nadine says to Aidy again. "Liz is probably rounding up all her girls so you can ooh and aww over them."