Page 10 of 80% Beef 20%
When I sped up to take the lead, she raced forward and passed me. When I regained the lead, she increased her speed, showering me in a spray of ice as she took point. I smiled, and for a minute, I was transported back to drills with my soldiers and the camaraderie among the elite guards. But my sensible side returned when the speed gauge dipped into the yellow.
Geo would kill me if his best friend got pitched off a hoverbike and broke her neck, so I reluctantly slowed, letting her maintain the lead. My way, east of the wastelands, would’ve shaved off some time, but I was positive she wouldn’t want to be told that, and her route worked—I acknowledged with a begrudging grunt.
Just as tempting as when we were face-to-face, her movements from behind proved equally interesting. Even under a bulky coat, the shift of fabric over her curvy hips drewmy gaze and her silvery hair fluttered around her, sparkly as the blue snow. She was so different from smooth-skinned female Rock Dwellers, who tended toward narrow hips. Though her imperious personality matched what I’d been told about females, I liked the bite of her claws.
I scanned the landscape below, searching for signs of hellsna—a habit from my past life. Icicles hung from the concrete mesh, bent rebar and sheets of lamar poking out from under the snow on the wastelands. Brittle vines held in winter’s death grip wove through the wreckage.
Ginger’s voice, surprisingly pleasant for once, came through my helmet speaker. “Why does everything look so dead here?”
I tilted my lips to the mic. “There was a plague, and the Fires That Cleanse were deployed.”
“And that killed…everything?” Her voice softened.
“In theory, the Fires That Cleanse eliminate everything organic.” I paused for a moment. What had happened to the prior residents of Tern had been tragic. “But nearly an annum into recolonization, that proves untrue. Plants and animals once documented to exist on Tern before the Cleanse keep cropping up. Only they’re strangely mutated.”
“So everyone that used to live here is gone. That’s incredibly sad.”
I hummed in agreement. Moments later, the rocky outcrop lay before us. Its jagged ebony peaks poked out among the clouds of blue, softening the rough edges and befitting the somber mood. The hoverbike’s downdraft hollowed the snow below us as we slowed and stopped on the exposed pink soil.
Similar ebony stones formed Yagras’ ancestral temples, and Rock Dwellers worshipped at their mineral pools. As I inhaled the sulfur-laden air, a rumba vibrated low in my chest. Despite the need to honor my ancestors with the Rock Dweller’straditional song, I forced back my call. It might alert the hellsna to our presence, and Ginger already thought I was too loud.
When I glanced down, Ginger already had a row of snares lined up in front of her.
“Put your gloves back on. I’ll do that,” I said.
She gasped before toppling backward from her crouched position, landing butt first, then leveled me with a glare that could melt the snow from under her. “Jesus, King Kong.” She stood and smacked the snow off her bum. “Why don’t you talk a little louder?”
I was pretty sure she meant that sarcastically, but I kept my ‘that’s my normal voice’ comment to myself. I had no idea how to act around her. My instincts kept crossing wires.
Ignoring me, she carried on making snares, her nimble fingers trembling in the cold. I made a mental note to ask Geo more about this gorilla creature, because I doubted it meant anything good. King had a certain ring to it, though.
As I moved closer, the scent of linnea filled my nose. I lurched back on my heels, tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and swallowed awkwardly. Linnea, the most beautiful tree from home, intoxicated Rock Dwellers. Its purple leaves emitted a sultry perfume for one complete lunar span every annum. Rock Dwellers roamed like drunken lovers for the duration, all sappy smiles.
I picked up a coil of wire, only to have it snatched out of my hand.
“I’ve got this.” Ginger scowled. “Why don’t you go over there and brood a little?” The boulder she gestured to was so far away that she wouldn’t be able to see me.
Nope, not moving. In fact, her fragrance enticed me so much that I was content to stay within arm’s length for the rest of my life, no matter how much she snarled.
I don’t brood. I’m a stoic soldier.
Crouching beside her, I waved at the many snares lined up. Speak quietly. “I think you have enough.” Maybe if I didn’t command her, she’d heed my words.
Her ebony bangs blew up from her shadowed eyes when she huffed, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
I straightened, and warmth spread through my chest.
She shoved a handful of snares at me. “You want to take half? I’ll take the other half and we can meet back here in an hour?”
No. I gathered the snares she passed me. Her fingers tangled over my thumb when she reached for one that slipped. A thrill buzzed through my hand and down my arm. What was that? I didn’t want to leave her side, but I’d follow her plan to keep our tentative peace.
“Yes, I’ll see you at the hovery in one sun.” I’d remain in sight the entire time. With her poor vision, she wouldn’t be able to tell.
She jerked before rolling her brown, green and gold eyes. “Shh…remember? Use your inside voice.” Her lips kept moving, but all I heard was a hiss as she spun on her heels and bolted up the jagged rocks, placing snares.
“Do that with your mittens on.” I didn’t rein in my voice that time. With her back to me, she shook her head and slipped them on. Happy she listened, my rumba vibrated in my chest. I would take her wrath over her tiny fingers getting cold.
I shadowed Ginger’s every move, just far enough away to avoid her glare. Bossman Geo tripped over everything when the sun set. Would Ginger’s vision be as bad?
