Page 38

E mily

The towering wooden walls of the Tussoll village loom ahead, half-hidden by the surrounding trees. My heart pounds in my chest, each thud a brutal reminder of what’s at stake.

I force myself to breathe slowly and steady, but the fear gnaws at me, sharp and relentless. Lily is in there somewhere, scared and alone, and the thought of failing her makes my stomach twist with a knot of anxiety.

Vrok and I crouch low behind a cluster of boulders. I glance at him, and for a split second, I forget to breathe.

His skin begins to shift, the bright teal darkening and morphing into mottled shades that mirror the foliage around us. I’ve seen him camouflage before, but in the fading light, it’s nearly flawless. If I hadn’t been looking right at him, I might not have noticed him at all.

It’s unsettling, how easily he vanishes into the jungle.

One second he’s there, and the next he’s part of the landscape.

He moves with that deadly, quiet grace with every muscle primed and every sense on alert.

He’s a warrior, though and through. But I’ve seen what’s beneath the ridges and fierce exterior, and I know his heart.

I know the male beside me is risking everything for me, and for Lily, without hesitation.

He doesn’t acknowledge the change. His eyes stay locked on the village, sharp and unblinking as he studies every inch, every shadow, looking for a way inside. I want to thank him for fighting for us and for risking so much, but the words catch in my throat.

Somehow, I know he wouldn’t want to hear them. He doesn’t think he’s doing anything special, and that’s just who he is.

I pull my gaze away and force myself to focus on the village.

The Tussoll’s defenses are simple but effective.

Thick wooden logs sharpened to deadly points make up the perimeter fence.

From our hiding spot, I can make out a single entrance, guarded by two warriors.

They shift their weight from foot to foot, gripping their weapons tightly.

And they’re not alone.

Vrok leans in, his breath brushing against my ear. “There.”

I follow his gaze to a cluster of tall bushes near the wall. A shadow shifts ever so slightly. Then a few yards away, another shadow moves. They’re hidden guards. Vrok silently points out two more, all stationed along the perimeter of the village.

With a tilt of his head, he signals we should move back. We retreat a hundred feet or so and hunker down behind a thick patch of undergrowth.

“They’re on high alert,” he murmurs, jaw tight. “Getting inside the village walls won’t be easy.”

I swallow hard. “She could be anywhere in there. How are we even supposed to find her?”

He doesn’t answer right away. His eyes stay on the village, his mind already racing through possibilities. Then, without looking at me, he murmurs, “When Mara was taken by the Pugj, where did they keep her?”

I follow his gaze toward the back of the village as I recall the story Mara and Sorrin shared by the fire the night they returned.

During the mission to find the other women who crashed here at the same time as us, the group was ambushed by the Pugj in the Bitter Forest. One of them took Mara and brought her to the Tussoll village.

“It was a small hut near a gate at the back of the village. Mara said they kept her there because it was easy to guard and away from the center of the village.” A spark of hope stirs inside me. “They might be keeping Lily in the same place.”

Vrok nods, his jaw tight. “Then that’s where I’ll go.”

I lift a brow. “Where we’ll go.”

His lips press into a flat line. “No.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are not going with me.” His voice is quiet but firm, the kind that leaves little room for argument. “It’s too dangerous. I won’t put you at risk.”

I stare at him, stunned. I came all this way, fought tooth and nail to get here, and now he wants to leave me behind? The thought makes my skin prickle with frustration.

Crossing my arms, I glare at him. “I didn’t come this far just to hide in the bushes while you sneak in alone.”

His nostrils flare. He leans in close, so close I can feel the heat of his breath on my face. “You don’t understand what you’re asking. The Tussoll know I’m an Anuriix. If they catch me, they will kill me without hesitation. No questions asked. And then, you’ll be at their mercy,” he growls.

“Which is exactly why I’m going with you,” I shoot back. “I’m not some damsel in distress.” My voice cracks, but I push through it. “I can’t go through that helpless feeling of waiting, not when Lily’s still in danger. I won’t lose her, and I won’t lose you, either.”

His whole body tenses. The air between us feels like it could shatter. “I will not risk you,” he bites out.

My chest tightens, and I meet his glare with one of my own.

“And I won’t risk you. I’m not going to sit out here wondering if you’re lying dead while Lily’s locked up in some damn hut.

That’s not gonna happen.” I square my shoulders.

“Besides, I’m already at risk just being on Tussoll territory.

Hiding in a bush isn’t going to change that. ”

Silence stretches between us. His jaw is clenched so tight I can almost hear his fangs grinding together. His eyes burn with fear. He doesn’t want me to come because he’s scared of losing me. Just like I’m scared of losing him.

He cares. A lot more than he’s ready to admit.

The realization settles in my chest, warming something that’s been frozen since this whole nightmare began. Maybe longer.

He looks away, back toward the village. Then, through clenched teeth, he murmurs, “What if my father is in there?”

The question hangs in the air between us. I can hear the dread and guilt in his voice.

“If he is, then we’ll deal with it,” I say softly. “Together.”

He doesn't answer right away, but something seems to shift in his expression and it looks almost like acceptance.

Finally, he releases a heavy breath and turns back to me. “You follow my lead, and you do exactly what I say.”

Relief crashes over me. I nod, trying to look solemn. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”

His unamused look tells me he knows that’s a lie, but there’s no more time to argue.

When night finally falls and the Sister Moons are high in the sky above us, we make our move. Darkness envelops the Tussoll village, and the shadows stretch long and deep across the landscape. The heat and humidity of the day still lingers, clinging to our skin.

We slowly creep closer until we reach a thick clump of bushes near the perimeter.

The village walls loom in front of us, their jagged outline stark against the night sky.

The sounds drifting from the village are loud and jarring.

Drums pounding, voices raised in excitement, and bursts of wild, drunken laughter cut through the night.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think we’d stumbled onto a keg party back on Earth.

The air is thick with the scent of roasting meat and woodsmoke. Beneath it all, the sharp, sour tang of kifir, the Laediriian’s version of alcohol, burns my nostrils.

Are they seriously throwing a fucking party because they caught Lily? Somewhere in that village, my cousin is tied up or locked away in some dark hut, scared out of her ever-loving mind, while these assholes laugh and drink like it’s New Year’s Eve.

My fists are clenched so tightly my nails dig into my palms, but I welcome the sting. It keeps me grounded.

Beside me, Vrok’s silver eyes narrow as the raucous noise of the Tussoll tribe carries through the night. He hasn’t said a word since we reached this spot, but he doesn’t have to. I can feel the storm building inside him.

He glances at me. “They’re distracted. This is our best chance.”

I nod and try to look confident, even though I’m shaking on the inside. Doubt gnaws at me. Maybe I’m in over my head. Maybe I should’ve stayed behind and… No.

That’s fear talking. The same fear that’s haunted me for as long as I can remember. I’m done letting it call the shots, and I’m not going to let it take me away from Vrok’s side.

I draw in a deep, steadying breath and square my shoulders. My fingers brush against the hilt of one of the knives strapped to my waist. When we were discussing our plan for tonight, Vrok had quickly removed the holster from his own waist and tied it around mine, his mouth in a grim line.

“You might need this,” he’d said as his fingers lingered on my skin.

I hadn’t argued. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him and Lily.

We wait until the drums grow louder and the chanting hits a fevered pitch. I can almost picture them around the fire pit in the village’s center, their faces alive with cruel glee as they celebrate the capture of a human, and it makes my blood boil.

Well, they may have taken her, but they’re not going to keep her.

With a nod, Vrok slips toward the rear of the village, his footsteps silent as he moves. I follow close behind him, keeping low. My heart hammers loud in my chest, almost loud enough to drown out the distant thump of drums and cheers.

As we follow the wall and move farther from the main entrance, the noise of the celebration begins to fade behind us. Tucked behind a storage hut, barely visible in the darkness, is a narrow gate. The same one Mara escaped through.

We press close to the rough wood, concealing ourselves in the shadow of the wall. The gate has been reinforced since her escape, and a thick metal lock now hangs from the latch.

Vrok scoffs at it. “They really think this will stop us?”

With a single, fluid motion, his sword flashes through the dark, slicing down in a swift arc. A sharp crack splits the air as the lock shatters.

He tosses the broken lock aside with a shake of his head. “The Tussoll have always been poor metalworkers. Not like Maalin.”

He pushes the gate open just enough for us to slip through, and we move in silence, disappearing into the shadows of the village.