Page 34 of Hope Forged
She didn’t, charging along the shore. A muttering Illan made her grin. Not that she planned on slowing her pace. Losing Seba was out of the question. And once she relocated him again, she’d make damn sure to keep him in her sights. But searching with a grumpy Illan trailing her was hard. He made such an annoying distraction.
When darkness engulfed her and Illan’s tread didn’t reach her, she halted. She must have gone too far ahead. Whirling, she longed to find a pinprick of light saying she wasn’t alone. She’d been an idiot to hurry ahead, but pride squared her shoulders and smothered her screaming instincts. Panic lodged in her throat. She had to cough to dislodge it so she could call out to Seba.
“That damn animal,” she muttered, sparing the ripples on the lake a glance.
“This is insanity,” Illan whispered, bringing light with him as he rounded a rock spire. His focus wasn’t on her. He was cast in an eerie glow from the flare, and yet, as relief flooded her core with blessed warmth, she’d never seen a more handsome sight. “Let us return. Onward can only lead to trouble.”
“I need to know the way in and out,” she said. “Padya can be stubborn. Regardless of this incident, he’d come down here—”
“You are not staying on this planet.”
She faced Illan, shock flapping her mouth like a ceaza out of water. “What?” she managed, anger rising to the fore.
“Once we reunite your mother and father, they will, no doubt, want to see civilization for a change.”
She blinked. Leaving Vora hadn’t occurred to her, which was silly. Illan had responded to the beacon. Just its existence meant the desire to forsake her…home. She swallowed hard and gave him her back.
“I can’t go anywhere without Seba.” Unshed tears burned her eyes.
“No one is expecting you to. I will ask King Xeus for a battleship equipped with a pseudo-Vora biome for Seba.”
“You can do that?” she gasped, then stiffened. “Yes, that’s right. You are Durn,” she mimicked him in her deepest voice. “It’s not wise to migrate any species to another planet orecosystem not their own.” She tutted. “And I want him to find a mate at some point.”
“You cannot stay,” he said, his tone gentle.
Fury burst into life. “Of course I can. So you answered my father’s distress signal. He can leave.” She raised her chin. “I’m staying.”
She gave him a firm nod and stomped off. A sort of peace settled in her heart at her decision, but a part of her twanged, flickering pain outward. She’d be alone…again. But this time, she’d not be living with a dying hope but with the knowledge that her family was well. And maybe not so helpless. She stroked the blaster’s grip. Two med-guns bulged her pants pockets. And she had boots. Maybe where Mudya was would act as a better home, but Ziamee refused to abandon theHaileand Oz.
“What if we find Seba a mate?” Illan asked, standing too close for her senses to ignore.
“Teleport a few females to your ship in the hopes he likes one?” She scoffed.
“Why not? But I am suggesting we go to the females.”
She rolled her lips to hide a smile.Thatwas a good idea. “And Oz?” She waved a dismissive hand. “You’re assuming Padya wants off Vora.”
“True.” He caught her elbow and steered her away from the water’s edge. “It draws near.”
A chill raised bumps over her skin.
Not from fear but a slight breeze— In a cave?
She veered toward it. Seba’s secret entrance had to be behind the fresh air smelling of sunshine. Excitement merged with hope, and she grinned.
She hadn’t taken a step when she hit the ground, her chin bouncing off the soil. An immediate ache formed at the nape of her neck. Illan pinned her in place, then rolled, taking her withhim. She stared at the massive grooves in the shore where she’d been a moment earlier.
“What—”
He had her on her feet, shoving her in the direction of the breeze. “Run!”
She did, sprinting along the shore. “What is it?” she asked, not daring to peek over her shoulder.
“Great creature,” was all he said. “We must climb.”
She wanted to smack him. How high was enough for a great creature? Did it have limbs, fins, fangs, wings?
A blast of air whipped her braids forward. Illan grunted, stumbled, then righted himself—as far as she could assume, by his footsteps.
