Page 44 of Taking Jenny (Planet Orhon #4)

Mal

J enny had dressed, but we hadn’t gotten her back on the path just yet.

In fact, she had been rather stoic after we had our time in the river.

We sat next to the water, hidden from the path by a veil of trees.

The canopy above filtered the moonslight into patches across her skin…

silver on her cheekbones, shadows under her eyes.

I read the expression on her face, and the story it told did not make me feel better about what had transpired between us. The sex, while intense, was hardly my best performance.

Jenny finally broke the silence.

“So,” she said softly, without looking at me.

I cleared my throat. “So.”

She exhaled a deep breath and finally met my gaze. “That was…”

My stomach twisted. I did not need to hear the end of that sentence. “Something done out of the urgency of the moment. I understand. We never need to speak of it again—”

“Incredible,” she said.

I stared at her for a heartbeat. “Really?”

Her smile curved up slowly, a sly, wicked thing that chased off every fear in my bones.

“Yeah. I know we shouldn’t have done it considering where we are, and why I’m here.

I keep waiting for the hunters to leap out of the trees and gut us mid-afterglow, and we should be moving, but…

I really did need that, Mal. Not just the distraction, but the connection to you, too. ”

I took her small hand in mine, entwining our fingers. “Same,” I said, and brushed my lips across the backs of her knuckles.

Relief wasn’t what I should’ve felt. Not with death shadowing us. But a small, treacherous part of me was relieved. Not because we’d survived this long, but because she didn’t regret us.

I smiled at her. “Now that that’s settled…other topics?”

She laughed lightly. “Sure. Let’s ruin the mood.”

I didn’t sugar coat my words. “Boxer is dead. Pleon is dead. That leaves us with five hunters out there. Now that blood has been shed, the hunters will become more aggressive—”

“What’s more aggressive than trying to kill me?” she asked incredulously.

“They will make the hunt slower and more personal.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Additionally, this will make things easier for us.”

She frowned in confusion. “Because they’re going to try and kill me…slower?”

I gently squeezed her hand. “Because now, I can hunt them.”

She eyed me curiously. “As in, Illiapol has now become your playground?”

I shrugged, not willing to give her details. “Something like that.”

She tried to stifle a yawn, and failed. “Sorry. I think exhaustion is finally catching up to me.”

I watched her, concern creeping in. “That’s not good.”

“You’re not tired?”

“I can go for days without sleep. I’ve trained for it.”

She looked impressed. “I want that training, if I live through this…”

“You will.” I placed a warm, affectionate kiss on her forehead. “But to ensure that happens, we will need to separate on the path.”

A spark of fear flashed in her eyes. “But you said you were staying with me.”

“I am. I will be,” I promised. “I’ll be in the forest. Always nearby. If we travel together, that’s twice as much noise. They’ll hear us, and we can’t risk that. It’s the only way.”

“I know,” she said, nodding too fast, her bravado cracking at the edges. “It’s just scary, being out here on my own.”

I cupped her face between my hands, tipping her head back so that she was looking into my eyes. “You are not out here on your own,” I said fiercely. “You won’t see me, but I am always with you.”

A tremulous smile curved her lips. “Thank you for that, Mal.”

I brushed my lips across hers, soft and sweet. “Now, let’s get out of here. You have a game to win.”

After we confirmed the area was clear, she stepped onto the path while I disappeared into the cover of trees.

It felt like a crime to leave her exposed like that.

Every nerve in my body screamed against it.

Protect, protect, protect. The command was carved into every breath, every muscle.

I had to keep reminding myself of the logic.

Less noise. Better coverage. It was the only way, but instinct railed at me to throw out all rationality and shield her with my body.

We moved forward, staying parallel. Then, without warning, Jenny froze. Her posture went stiff with terror, and she darted behind a tree, trying to conceal herself on the far side of the trail.

I couldn’t see the threat yet, but I heard it. Footsteps. Heavy. Confident. Too close.

Then he came into view. Arrow.

He prowled around the trees like he was born for the hunt, his staff raised as he quietly glided toward her hiding place.

Fuck. Without hesitation, I surged forward, staying low, silent, and fast. I reached him before he heard me, landing a hard kick to the back of the knee. He stumbled forward, swearing, then whipped his staff around at my head. I ducked, barely dodging the blow, and drove my fists into his ribs.

He grunted at the impact, but he recovered too quickly. He brought the staff down with brutal force, cracking it against the crown of my skull.

Stars exploded behind my eyes.

The trees spun and my knees gave way.

Then I was down.

Arrow snarled above me, his voice thick with contempt. “What the fuck are you thinking, Malice?”

I clawed at the dirt, trying to force myself back to my feet. “Does it matter how I answer that?”

He sneered at me. “I’m gonna love living in your mansion.”

The next hit landed between my shoulders. Sharp and hard. My vision whited out, and I hit the ground again, face-first, a mouthful of dirt choking off my air. I tried to roll away, to fight, but then saw movement behind Arrow.

Jenny swept her staff beneath Arrow’s feet, taking them out from under him. He fell onto his back, and I crawled onto him before he could recover, grabbing his head in both of my hands and slamming it on the ground. He screamed.

Jenny thrust her staff into his open mouth and jumped, using the pole like a lever to launch herself over his body. The force pushed it deeper into his throat, choking him.

He gurgled, body thrashing. I wrapped my hands around his throat before he could breathe and squeezed tight, watching as his eyes bulged out of his skull. Jenny didn’t hesitate. She brought her staff down across his forehead with a loud crack of sound.

Arrow stilled, and the forest went quiet again, except for the rasp of our breathing.

Now that I knew Jenny was safe, the world tilted again. I nearly collapsed, but she caught me and pulled me to my feet.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“Arrow,” I managed to say, my tongue thick in my mouth.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered.

“You, too,” I rasped, so impressed and proud of her courage.

She wrapped an arm around my waist and tried to support me, but I slipped from her hold. “Gotta get back in the trees,” I said, stumbling. “You stay out here.”

“You’re bleeding,” she said, reaching for me again.

“I’ll be fine,” I lied. “Don’t worry about me. Go.”

She stood up on her toes and pressed a kiss to my mouth, firm and lingering. “Don’t you dare fucking die on me, Mal.”

I forced a smile. “You either.”

She gave me one last look before turning and jogging up the trail. Head spinning, I stumbled into the woods, and as soon as she was out of sight, I dropped to my knees and vomited from my concussion.

But I’d be damned before I let her walk that path alone. Not while I still had legs to stand on.