Page 14

E mily

The light fades fast here, swallowed by towering trees and thick underbrush, transforming everything into a dreamlike world. Luminescent vines and flowers emit a soft glow in blues and greens that makes the jungle look like something out of a movie.

My legs feel heavier with each step I take. My calves burn, my thighs ache, and sweat trickles down my back, soaking into the material of my dress. It feels like we’ve been walking for hours since the magnis attack, but in truth, it’s probably only been an hour. Maybe less.

But I don’t stop.

I won’t stop.

I keep walking, keep pushing forward, even though every part of me screams for rest. My legs ache, my feet burn, and my eyes keep catching on the shadows in the jungle, like they might reach out and drag me in. It’s not just about Lily anymore. No, I have another reason for pushing forward now.

It’s because of him. Vrok. I know all too well what he thinks of us humans, and I saw the grudging respect in his eyes when I didn’t run away at the first sign of danger.

So, I’m going to keep going just as long as he does, and I’m not going to complain or fall apart.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and it got me nowhere.

So, I keep my chin up and try to keep my eyes straight on the path ahead. I’m going to keep moving, even if it kills me. Because as scary as this place is, I’m just stubborn and petty enough to enjoy proving him wrong.

Vrok walks ahead of me with Dania ambling beside him, her long tail swishing lazily behind her, swatting away any bugs that dare to come too close.

They’re both nearly silent as they move through the jungle, and I watch as Vrok’s ears twitch and swivel, picking up sounds I can’t hear.

A couple of times, he stills. His hand brushes the hilt of his sword, and his eyes scan the trees like he’s expecting something to leap out at us. Then, he shakes his head and moves on.

He doesn’t say anything about the magnis blood that’s still streaked across his skin, but I can’t stop staring at it.

It's one thing to know this planet is dangerous, but it’s entirely different to see that violence play out in front of me.

The trail widens up ahead, revealing a small clearing beside a slow-moving stream.

The sudden openness makes my shoulders tense.

It’s a relief not to feel like the edges of the jungle are pushing in on me, but it makes me nervous.

There’s nothing to hide behind if a dinosaur comes charging out of the jungle.

Vrok lifts a hand, and I freeze. “We’ll rest here for the night.”

I nod, because what else can I do? I’m nearly vibrating inside from exhaustion and nerves, and the thought of finally being able to rest is almost too good to be true.

Easing myself down onto a flat rock, I bite back a groan as my legs finally get a break. I yank off my boots and rub my aching feet, wincing at how swollen they’ve gotten. I do my best to ignore how much I want to stretch out right here and not move again for a week.

Vrok crouches beside the stream, inspecting the water. The muscles in his back ripple as he leans forward, and I catch myself staring for a moment too long.

His whole body looks like it was made of stone, like one of those statues you see in museums. There’s not an ounce of softness on him, and not a hint of weakness. I can’t even imagine him resting or laughing or taking a nap on a rainy afternoon.

“Don’t wander off,” he says without looking back at me. The words are clipped, like nearly everything else he says, and the hint of vulnerability I thought I saw in him after the magnis attack is gone. Wiped away like it never existed.

I want to snap at him, to tell him I’m not an idiot, but I’m too tired to say anything. So, I stay silent and focus on rubbing my toes.

The sound of water splashing draws my attention, and I glance up.

Vrok is knee-deep in the stream and bent over, splashing water on his arms. My heart skips a beat as I realize what I’m seeing. The sharp line of his shoulder, the broad, ridged expanse of his back leading down to… oh, my God.

“Are you naked?” I yelp, my voice shooting up an entire octave.

He glances over his shoulder, giving me a blank, confused look. “I’m washing the blood off,” he replies matter-of-factly, utterly unfazed by the fact that he’s naked.

And my poor human brain is still trying and failing to look away from a behind that could win blue ribbons at the county fair. If they gave prizes for that sort of thing. Then, he straightens and turns, giving me a full-frontal shot. My mouth drops open and my brain stutters to a stop.

Holy mother of… If that’s what all Laediriians are packing, then no wonder Haley and Mara are so happy.

I slap a hand over my eyes. “You could’ve warned me!” My cheeks feel like they’re on fire with mortification. And something else that settles low in the pit of my belly.

“Warned you?” he repeats, genuinely confused. “Why?”

I peek through my fingers despite myself. Because apparently, I have no self-control. His body is ripped and scarred and so blatantly, breathtakingly male that it’s almost offensive.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re standing there with everything hanging out, and some of us weren’t mentally prepared to get hit with the full Laediriian experience?”

His brow furrows. “Nudity is natural. It’s not something we hide. Especially when bathing. That would be foolish.”

Of course not. Because of course he doesn’t care. He’s just casually existing in the water while I’m over here trying not to stare and failing miserably.

I quickly avert my gaze to a very safe, very boring patch of moss. “Where I come from, we usually ask permission before letting our junk hang out.”

There’s a pause, and then… “Your customs are strange.”

I let out a strangled laugh. “Yeah, well, so is getting a surprise anatomy lesson.”

“I didn’t realize humans were so easily scandalized,” he says. For the first time, I swear I hear a hint of amusement in his voice.

“You’re just… just walking around like—” I sputter, still not daring to look at him.

“Like I’m cleaning myself?” he interrupts, his tone dry. “I’d prefer not to sleep with dried blood crusted to my skin, or would you rather I left it?”

I lower my hand just enough to glare at him, careful to keep my eyes fixed firmly on his face. “No, but let me know next time you decide to get naked.”

He shrugs. “You’re free to look away.”

“I am looking away!” I snap. But I’m not.

He grunts. “Humans,” he mutters, shaking his head as he turns back to the stream.

I huff out a breath. My cheeks are still burning. I force my gaze downward to my boots, pretending they’re the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen in my life.

The sloshing of water fills the air, mingling with the hum of the jungle. It should be soothing, but instead, it heightens my awareness of him. Of the fact that a naked warrior is just a few feet away. I grit my teeth and try to block out the thought.

I glance at Dania for a distraction, but she’s contentedly grazing nearby as though she doesn’t have a care in the world. Of course she’s unfazed. She’s just an animal, blissfully oblivious to my discomfort.

I shouldn’t look, but my eyes have other ideas. Vrok’s back is to me again as he scrubs at a spot on his shoulder, the muscles in his back flexing with each movement. My eyes drop lower of their own accord, trailing over his exposed skin.

Heat creeps up my neck, and my core clenches in a way that I stubbornly refuse to examine.

Before I can tear my gaze away, he shifts, turning slightly to cup water in his hands.

He splashes it over his chest, the droplets catching the light as they trail down his skin.

The angle gives me a clear view of his side profile silhouetted in the glow from the jungle.

Sharp jaw, high cheekbone, and that impossibly broad, ridged chest leading straight down to?—

I snap my gaze away so fast my neck twinges.

“So, how much further do we have to go?” I blurt out, my voice coming out high and breathless.

Vrok pauses, and I risk a glance at him. He’s turned his head slightly, his silver eyes flicking to mine with an unreadable expression.

“Before we get to where Lily is,” I add quickly, locking my eyes on his face and not letting them stray a single inch downward. Not even a millimeter.

He straightens slowly, water cascading in shimmering rivulets down his body, catching in the ridges and grooves of his skin. The stream laps at his knees as he moves toward the bank.

“We’ll reach the anurois’ nesting grounds tomorrow if we don’t encounter any more trouble.”

I nod, swallowing hard as I force my attention to his words and not the way water droplets cling to his skin.

“Good. I’d like to see her again sooner rather than later,” I manage, folding my arms across my chest in an attempt to compose myself.

Vrok’s sharp gaze lingers on me as if I’m some mystery he’s trying to solve. It sends a ripple of unease through me, but not the bad kind. More like the kind that pulls at something deep inside me.

Then he looks away, crouching to pick up the strip of cloth he left near the water’s edge. He wraps the loincloth around his waist before picking up the various weapons he left on the bank and donning them with practiced ease.

When he straightens, he strides toward me, closing the distance with that same deliberate confidence he exudes in everything.

Like a predator on the prowl. My pulse quickens, and my fingers twist in the fabric of my dress when he stops a few steps away to rifle through his satchel before pulling out a waterskin and a bag of trail rations.

“You need to eat,” he says before extending the bag of trail rations toward me.

I blink, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. Gone is the clipped edge from earlier. Instead, his voice is softer, almost gentle, as he eyes me.

“I’m fine,” I start, but my stomach betrays me with a growl that seems to echo around us.