Twenty One
Our days slipped into a routine of never-ending steps. And after a little over a week of this, every part of my body ached, but I think I was getting used to it. Lying down was a chore and heaven at the same time.
Plus during our marches, I couldn’t get the image of the guy from that movie, A Knight’s Tale, out of my head. The one dude who was naked on the highway, when Heath Ledger’s character asked him what he was doing, he replied, “…trudging.”
That’s what this felt like right now, trudging, a never ending journey of dry blue-green grass, brown rock, and dust. Some snow-covered mountain tops dotted the distance and low-lying clouds blanketed the landscape, which was remarkably beautiful in the morning.
The presence still watched. I could feel eyes on me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. It didn’t seem malevolent, like the E’mani. I knew when the E’mani were about, except for that one time. All it took was one time. My chest ached. But this presence was less frightening and more…watchful. Still, I slept with my back against Finn’s just in case. No need to be stupid.
So far we’d traveled without incident, no knowing how long that would continue. But our pace suffered. We were all tired and I, for one, was sick of jerky. Finn hunted for game, but there wasn’t any to be found, which was unusual. He said even in winter, the area had been teeming with wildlife. Not now.
Hana, Edd and Jace continued to violate each other on a regular basis. I had taken to walking with Finn, who flirted his heart out in an attempt to cheer me up. Zanth glowered at us both in the background and hung out with Giggy. They’d taken to lifting boulders—because there really was not much else around to lift—for an upper body work out during breaks. Near and Baren I still didn’t have a good grip on. Those two rarely talked, more content to observe. It made for an exciting trip. Not. And every night I called to Marin with no response.
On what was the eleventh or twelfth day, the vista changed to rolling hills, long grass in that same blue-green shade, wildflowers, kind of like yellow mums, and, I blinked, crabs? Green crab-like creatures roamed the clearing at the base of our current hill. Mountains stretched behind us. Crab sounded good with lots of butter. My mouth watered. Anything sounded better than jerky right now.
Edd whistled and the rest of the crew all gathered for a snack of porridge and water. It felt good to get this pack off my back for a bit. My shoulders screamed as I dropped my gear to the ground and sat on a nearby rock. I scanned for Finn. He conferred with Zanth before they both entered the grassland, a few meters from everyone else.
A minute or two after the men left, my senses stirred. Eyes on me somewhere, again, I was almost used to it by now, but this was different. More. My skin crawled.
“Finn, something here,” I thought in his direction with the wind.
Ever so slowly, I turned and examined my surroundings. Hmm. I peered around and almost missed it. There. On the limb of a nearby tree, about fifteen feet away, a massive adult Coreck stretched across a branch on its belly. It looked like a mountain lion with scraggly chocolate-colored fur streaked with light tan, and droopy whiskers. The cat licked its chops and then peered to the side. I made out three more. A pack.
My knees got weak. Good thing I was sitting down.
“Guys…” I started.
Finn burst back into camp and I pointed to the trees. The rest of the group stood with gasps, sighting the animals. Finn ran toward the corecks, weapons out, Zanth behind him, moving between them and me. The first cat flicked its tail once appearing unconcerned. The other corecks disappeared into the trees.
I wrapped my arms around myself and backed up a few paces. The cat’s eyes returned to me. His paw moved back and forth in the air. Huh. No, it did not just wave at me. No way. The cat put his head on his paws without breaking eye contact.
Zanth and Finn exchanged glances and inched toward it. The coreck stretched and sat upright on the branch, its legs hanging down. It almost looked like a hairy child dangling there, a vicious man-eating furry kid with weird moss green eyes.
My heart thudded when I watched the cat’s muscles tense and it hurtled down next to me, knocking me on my ass. In the blink of an eye, the cat draped itself across my lap.
Holy Shit.
I did my best not to breathe. This could not be happening. George hummed from inside my shirt. His head popped up. The adult coreck nosed him. George growled and swatted his nose. The adult cat jerked back and a surprised squeak escaped him.
I echoed it, my arms wrapping around George, pushing him back into my jacket. My eyes closed, waiting for the bite.
A few seconds ticked by, my eyelids drifted open and my gaze met Finn’s. His white eyes glowed, a tic starting along his jaw. I glanced at Zanth and Giggy, who both fanned out with intent expressions on their faces. Hana crouched behind Jace. Baren raised his shoulders at me as if to say ‘what the hell’? George continued to hiss through my jacket, at the adult taking up my lap.
“This is odd,” broached Near.
We all stared at the cat who lounged on top of me and started to lick his paw. Lord, he was heavy, and what awful breath. I shifted my butt trying to edge him off but the cat moved with me and settled onto my legs with a feline sigh.
Finn crept forward out of the corner of my eye. Jace and Giggy fanned out at his side. Hana stood back next to Edd, who held his arm out protectively. I couldn’t see them, but Baren, Near, and Zanth had to be coming up behind me. Everyone was afraid to move quickly, just in case it urged the coreck on.
After a minute or two of his weight, spots filled my vision. A moan slipped out as my head spun.
The cat stopped his grooming and blinked at me. His eyes. They were moss-green but there was something else there. Another face peered back at me. Just like in the garden when I was chasing Lara before the E’mani attack all those months ago. I never understood the interaction then either. Was this the same coreck? That seemed like unlikely but if it was, it couldn’t be a coincidence. He had to have followed us.
“Do I know you?” The words slipped out, unbidden.
The cat huffed and the corners of his mouth lifted in a macabre grin. With a flick of his tail, he stood on two legs and his muscles rippled. As I watched, his fur peeled back and his legs elongated. His face stretched and grew longer.
I scooted backward to get away and the coreck’s paw landed on my knee to hold me in place. Finn cursed. The cat’s skin appeared to boil and reformed in front of my eyes.
In a few seconds, an adult male lounged above me. His eyes when they looked at me were Fost, golden-yellow and slit, no longer green. Occasional tan and gold streaks peppered his hair that otherwise fell in thick brown waves to his shoulders. His markings were different than the Fost’s. His jatua showed greenery, more like mine, not thorns. The theme song to Lion King played in my head.
He smiled at me, stark naked, and leaned closer, encroaching on my personal space. “Hello.”
I stifled the inappropriate desire to laugh and leaned backward. Pretty sure it wouldn’t go over well with anyone here, though I noted Hana studiously avoided my gaze, her hand over her mouth.
Finn appeared behind him. His hand threaded in the stranger’s hair, pulling him up. Finn’s knife nestled in the curve of his jaw. “Explain yourself.”
I got an up-close full frontal view of the stranger as Finn straightened with the man held in front of him. He looked like a high-class stripper. And was hung like one too.
Wow.
The stranger arched and laughed heartily, then turned with a slick move, and grabbed Finn’s knife hand. They remained locked in that position, arms straining, gazes locked on each other. Finn’s face flushed, a vessel popped out on his forehead. The stranger twisted his wrist and disarmed Finn, catching the blade.
“Do not be rude, brother.” He twirled Finn’s dagger in the air, then threw it into the dirt.
Finn staggered back. “I am not your brother.”
When Finn moved toward him, the stranger picked him up by the neck. Finn dangled a foot off the ground, legs swinging. The stranger didn’t appear to strain at all. “No need to get angry.”
He shook Finn once, twice, then threw him a few feet away and turned back to me. “Hello, pretty,” he said and he eyed the group. “And look, another.” He winked at Hana right before Jace stepped in front of her.
I should be worried, yet I wasn’t. I sensed no threat from the stranger, only playfulness. “Hi.”
Finn staggered to his feet with a feral glint in his eyes. This would not be good. He picked up his knife from the ground and stalked forward. And for some reason, it reminded me of the day we met. I couldn’t remember who was more surprised to see each other. The intent look in those deadly eyes, that caused my belly to clench. I tried to catch those eyes now, but Finn’s were fixed on his opponent.
The stranger tilted his head and cocked his hip with a smile. “My name is Thorn, who might you be? These are Fost.” He waved to the rest of the group. “No hiding the eyes, but you. I have never seen your like before…I am curious.” He paced behind me.
I ran to stand by the rest of the men, who formed a circle around Hana and me.
For some reason, the other men seem intimidated by Thorn. Only Finn approached him. Their chests bumped.
Thorn backed up and raised his arms. “No harm. We saw you in your travels and wondered. Where are you going? You are far from Groos.”
How did he know that was where we came from? Was this the same coreck I met before? If so then he saved me in the maze.
Finn followed him back, right up in his grill. “These are my people, and that is none of your business.”
Thorn stepped back, cocking his head. “Little brother, settle down. We mean you no harm. You keep on this path and you will stumble upon our home. What once was your home, as well, not so long ago.” Baren sucked in a startled breath. The others murmured among themselves.
Thorn continued, “We have no quarrel with you. We are, as I said, curious.”
“We are coming home. Our magic is returning and the E’mani have been attacking our valley. We seek their home, their weakness,” Finn replied.
At the E’mani name, Thorn hissed and arched his back, his hair ruffling like the cat he was inside. “The E’mani, land curse them, are rarely seen nowadays. This explains their absence, but what makes you so special? You cannot even shift...” He looked Finn up and down. “Though you have the potential and I can see you track. Tell me, have you ever studied someone and thought ‘prey’?
Finn shoved him. Thorn flew backward and twisted mid-air to land on his feet. Finn pointed at him with his blade.
Thorn snorted. “Are you going to poke me with your big knife there, Finn?”
“How do you know my name?”
“We have people who can hear the wind too, and she wasn’t specific in her call.” Thorn glanced at me then flicked his eyes back to Finn, maintaining eye contact. Finn kept glancing down, then back up at Thorn with a clenched jaw like he couldn’t help but drop his gaze. I’d never seen Finn back down before.
“Oh, you are a strong one, Finn, very good. This will be fun,” Thorn muttered.
They circled each other.
Shuffle, slide, step.
Their movements were hypnotizing and quick. I could barely track them. Why the hell were they fighting, anyway? Baren and Near moved to help. All the other men stayed in place around Hana and me.
Finn screamed, “Stay out of this. This battle is mine.”
“Yes, yes. No helping.” A blood-thirsty grin lit Thorn’s face. “This is just play.”
They fought in a blur of blows. Finn got first blood, scoring a strike to Thorn’s arm after a quick block.
Thorn’s free-moving willie distracted me, so I didn’t see his arm come around. He got a clean cut across Finn’s cheek, but with what weapon? He was unarmed. Then I examined his hands. His fingers were tipped with claws. A crimson drop shone on one of his nails.
My breath caught.
Finn.
Maybe this dude was more of a threat than I thought. I gathered power just in case.
As if sensing my magic, Finn shook his head at me and tossed back his hair. He stepped back and wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. His smile turned sharp. “Very good.”
Thorn preened. “I am good.” He gave me what I assumed was his come-hither glance. Crouched as he was in his birthday suit, the look made me giggle. He winked at my laughter. “Hello.”
Finn growled and launched himself at him.
Thorn danced backward, avoiding every flash of the blade. Slash, dodge. Dodge, slash. On it went, until Finn changed tactics. He stopped and watched Thorn dart around him like Marin had at our mating ceremony.
“Oh, what is this, little brother, giving up?” Thorn taunted.
“No, letting you come to me.”
Thorn tilted his head. “Is that a challenge?”
“Yes.”
Thorn dropped his chin and all levity in the air drained way as if a switch had been pulled. “Accepted.”
His arm flashed toward Finn’s face. Finn bent left, his legs rooted in place. His eyes followed Thorn’s every move. Thorn sliced again testing Finn’s resolve. Finn stayed in place, unafraid. Emboldened, Thorn twirled behind Finn who lifted a leg and booted him hard to the face. Boo yah.
Thorn staggered and fell to his knees, shaking his head.
“You all right? Ready for more. Get up now, little oreck.” The tone in Finn’s voice had changed. And I realized his intentions had changed. This was dominance. Corecks killed his father. And now a coreck stood before him, taunting him and flirting with me.
I reached out a hand to Finn. “Stop.”
Finn peered at me with that sly grin of his. “I am not quite done yet, Beta.”
“Well, don’t kill him.”
Thorn laughed. “Look, she cares.”
I glared at him. “I care about Finn.” He was my friend, damn it.
Finn’s fake grin slid into more of a smile just for me. My heart beat once hard and my gaze dropped. Oh boy, I could practically feel Zanth’s gaze peeling the skin off my back. I didn’t mean it that way.
The combatants nodded to each other. Finn charged Thorn again. They grappled for the knife. Thorn was a wee bit stronger and forced Finn’s hand down. But Finn was bigger. He leaned and plowed his shoulder into Thorn’s stomach then straightened, holding his legs. Thorn went flying backward to land on the ground, dazed.
In a flash, Finn had the knife to Thorn’s throat. Thorn laughed and sprang up quick, shuffled back, and threw out his arms with a flourish. “Such fun. Not an easy fight.”
Finn hit him with an uppercut that knocked him off his feet. Thorn retaliated with three hard strikes to Finn’s knee and then a quick jab to his kidney, knocking Finn to the ground this time. He held out his hand and his claws sharpened. He held a nail to Finn’s throat. Oh, hell no. My power coiled inside me.
Thorn moved his hand toward Finn. I pressed back with the wind. Thorn’s eyebrows creased and he looked up. “Oh, pretty. I am just playing. I will not hurt your little play thing.”
“No, you won’t,” I said.
I held my breath as Finn snarled, unmoving under this claw.
“He needs to submit, and this game will be done. Submit, little brother.” Thorn said, pressing closer.
Finn growled low and stood, letting the claw cut his throat, a small trickle of blood streamed down his neck. Finn stood eye to eye with Thorn. This time, Thorn had difficulty meeting Finn’s gaze. “I will Not. Submit. To Anyone.”
Thorn made a show of lifting his hands up. “Like I said. We are not your enemy. We are just nosy. We could escort you to our camp. You are almost there, a day’s journey. You must be hungry,” he wheedled. “We have been hunting this area pretty heavily, so I doubt you have gotten any game.”
Finn shrugged off my help. “Leave and we will discuss it.”
Thorn winked at me. “I will talk to you soon.” Then, with an honest to god flourish, he changed to his cat form and ran off into the woods.
I went and sagged onto a rock, Hana next to me.
On cue she leaned over. “He was cute.” I giggled and shushed her. Finn glared at us as we huddled closer. I pointed right at Hana and mouthed, “her.” Finn rolled his eyes.
“He had to have been following us for a while now.” Near tapped his chin. “We have all felt it to some extent. They could have attacked us, if they meant us harm. This is what we wanted, right, to reestablish contact with any Fost here, and find our home. Explore the area. Find Beta her lab.”
Zanth nodded.
Jace added, “They also cleared the trail of game and possible threat.”
“I am hungry,” Edd said while tucking Hana into his side. “I say we go meet some of our own people.”
“We do not know anything about them, their numbers, or their situation. I do not trust them.” Finn paced, bleeding from a cut along his side.
“We came looking for them. And we need to find the lab. They can give us shelter. I say go for it.” I rubbed my feet, resting back. “I, for one, am tired.”
Finn frowned at me. “I do not like you flirting with that cat, Thorn.”
“I was the flirtee, not the flirter.” I sat up straight and glared at him.
Finn snorted and crossed his arms. “What does that mean?”
“He flirted with me, not the other way around. My heart is full,” I said, my words trailing off.
Finn opened his mouth then closed it with a snap. I could almost hear his unsaid, “Who?”
Damn you, Marin.
“We met up with the Fost here. Hurry.” The lack of detail would drive him nuts. A smile spread across my face at the thought of his reaction. I waited, hoping for his voice. A minute passed and no response. My smile faded.