Page 34 of Gemini
“I’ll just leave the medical supplies on the table.” I held a gasp. What was the human who updated my translator doinghere? “The rest of my team is still waiting for me at the explosion site.”
A Gemin female took the human’s hand and pulled him with her toward the opening of the cave. “We can go, I will drop you there and stay to help.You—” She pointed at Nitochi, narrowing her eyes. “You have a female to take care of now. Next time you decide you want to kill a group of ten armed humans, donotdo it alone.”
He didwhat?
“Thirteen. And it wasfine, the mad man just—”
“I do notcareabout the reasons it went to shit,” the female Gemin interrupted him. “You may be the strongest of your generation and even if you are the general of our defense forces, you cannot be selfish anymore. You need to think about your female. About Baelor. If something happens to you, they will bebroken.”
For him to let her talk to his face like this, she must have been from his family. But why was she holding hands like this with the human doctor?
“If I see you fly around alone while you are here, Iwilltell your mother,” she said, pointing an accusing finger at my man. “You rest, and you spend time with your female. You got it, boy?” He gave her a small nod. “And bring her to us. We would like to have you over for dinner before you go back.”
With that, she was gone, pulling the human with her. Only Nitochi’s father remained, his arms crossed over his chest, looking at his son in charged silence.
“If you are going to scold me too, do not bother,” Nitochi gritted out.
“You have been scolded enough,” Xantu answered. “So…Is your female safe now?”
I blinked, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Nitochi nodded. “She is.”
“Good. Next time, do not go alone, alright? This could have been avoided if—”
“Iknow, alright? It is just—Wendy wasterrifiedwhen she mentioned the man after her. Ineededto check and ensure they were not coming after her. And since they were—”
“You acted before thinking about it.”
Nitochi sighed. “I do not regret it. If I was facing the same situation again, I would not do it differently. I needed to get them before they moved. Before they caught her trace.”
“I know,” Xantu said softly. “Although it worries me that you have put yourself in danger, I would have done the same for Nodala.” His hand found Nitochi’s shoulder. “You rest and spend some time with Wendy. She is out of danger now. Forget dinner tonight, we will see you in a couple of days before you leave.”
I kept looking at Nitochi after his father left. He didn’t stand up immediately, staying seated in the kitchen, eyes lost in front of him.
He looked tired.
“I think you heard enough fromdasuand our aunt,” Baelor drawled from behind me, his arms tightening around my waist to keep my back plasteredagainst his chest. “So I will overlook your recklessness and thank you for whatever you did.”
I gasped. I had no idea he was awake too…
“Alessio is not going to be a problem anymore,” Nitochi simply stated.
“Alessio?” I breathed out. “What—what happened?
Nitochi stood before slowly walking toward us. “He was where I found you, looking for you.” He reached for something in his back pocket and handed it to me. “I will clean it,” he said. “But I am guessing this is yours?”
My brooch! Thank god, I thought I had lost it forever. “It is!” I said. “My sister gave it to me before she left our colony.” My thumb brushed over the red stones forming a sun and the moon-shaped white opals circling it. “Thank you.”
I sat up and Baelor grunted in protest but let me. Nitochi’s eyes shone despite the lack of light. The faint gleam coming from the two moons in the sky was enough to read his expressions. To study his beautiful face.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, reaching to cup the side of his face.
“I am fine,habanshi.” The word sent shivers up my spine. “And now that I know you are safe, my mind does not feel restless anymore.”
I pulled on his hand and scooted backward, making some room for him in our large moss mattress. He winced. “You are notfine,” Baelor muttered.
The second Nitochi lay down on his side, turned toward me, his wings free to stretch behind him and his long horns safely away and unable to stab me, I slid my hands all over his body, searching for wounds.
“Dear lord,” I breathed out.
