Dzar-Ghan (Alien Barbarians of Vandruk #3)

44. Chapter 44

To make sure Jenna didn’t break her neck during our walk back to the tents, I carried her while she kept her precious contacts in the hollow of her palm. It was nice and peaceful; everybody had finally gone to bed; here and there, I noticed lights flickering inside a house as we passed, and now and then, laughter rang out. Whenever I heard the higher tone of a gallis’ voice, warmth flooded my heart. We had done it. The gallies were free and ready to reunite with their loved ones.

Suddenly, Jenna squealed in my arms. “Watch out, Dzar-Ghan! Eeek!”

I was about to reach for my sword, but my arms were holding my Jenna as my head moved back and forth frantically to figure out the source of her concern. Just then, her arms and legs moved rapidly, catching me off guard. Her palm slapped me across the face in her haste to get out of my embrace as she tried to climb up me like a tree. I noticed a shadow rush through an alley, coming straight for us. It was the largest flock—rat-like animal—I had ever seen, and it rushed right between my legs, causing me to stumble forward and land on my knees.

“Oh no, my contacts,” Jenna cried while I somehow managed to keep us upright, worried I might drop her.

“Are you all right?” I asked when I got my hammering heart under control.

“I lost the contacts,” Jenna cried, scrambling out of my arms and moving carefully on all fours, with her hands outstretched, searching the ground.

“Jenna…” I tried to fight it, but I lost, as I broke out into loud laughter. Jenna turned to me, her face set in a large question.

“I’m sorry, xao, gods in the sky, you startled me.” I chuckled.

For a moment, she looked outraged, but then she giggled, too, silently at first before bursting out in loud laughter, which was music to my ears. “I can’t see well without my glasses, and when I saw that dark shadow coming at us… I thought… I thought it was a giant spider.”

I had no clue what a spider was, but it sounded ferocious.

“I’m afraid your contacts are lost,” I admitted once we both stopped laughing. Gods, that felt good. I had no idea when the last time had been that I laughed this hard.

“It’s all right, I’ve got more of them.” Jenna brushed some dust off her well-worn uniform.

Which reminded me, “In the morning, we’ll have to get you some decent clothes, some more fitting for my khadahrshi.”

Squinting, she smiled up at me. “That would be nice.”

I took her hand. “Give me another chance to carry you?”

“Always,” she replied, setting my heart on fire with her honest trust in me.

“I’ll buy you a satchel you can wear where you can keep your glasses and contacts on you all the time.”

“I would like that.” She beamed. She leaned up and brushed her lips against my cheek, missing my mouth. “Oops.”

I chuckled and bent lower to capture her lips, stopping dead in my tracks, not wanting to risk another stumbling accident.

“I love you, Jenna. I’m not sure I made that clear enough.”

“I love you too.” She leaned her head against my chest in a gesture of total trust. A deep sigh escaped her as she snuggled even closer.

We made it back to the camp without any further incident. I helped her find her glasses in the many pockets of her backpack.

“Ah, I can see,” she exclaimed happily as I took her in. She looked utterly adorable with her eyes framed like this.

“I love you.” The words left my lips without hesitation. I would stand by my promise and tell her every day to make sure she would never doubt her spot in my life again. Nek, not spot. She was my life. She had become my driving force, my line to sanity. I would do anything for her.

“Hmm, I like hearing you say that.” She smiled up at me so sweetly my heart expanded. “And for the record, I love you too.”

She crawled to the furs, where she fit perfectly. As much as I had enjoyed making love to her in a real bed for once, I preferred the honesty of our tent, even if it was borrowed from Grohn-Vhyn. I stepped out of my pants and snuggled up next to her.

“Happy?”

“Scarily so.” She nodded against my chest.

I took a deep breath, knowing what she meant. After all these years of heartbreak, it was hard to fathom having found the one that completed me. Not only that, having finally found all the other gallies, set them free. She was right; happiness was scarier than any foe I had ever fought before. If one knew how quickly it could be snatched away, it was me. But I had long ago learned on the battlefield that fear didn’t serve a purpose, fear only paralyzed you.

“Don’t be scared, just enjoy it. The gods are finally smiling on us,” I assured her, kissing the tip of her nose. “Now get some sleep. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.”

She yawned, but then her face turned serious again. “What about you? How are you doing? God, I’ve been so selfish and absorbed in my own misery. How is your sister? Secylly, are you happy? Is she? What about your brother? And your other sister, Halana?”

Smiling, I kissed her nose again, my Jenna, my little waterfall. “Sa, I’m happy and so are my sisters and brother. You’ll get to officially meet all three of them tomorrow. Today was too chaotic.”

“And…” She paused.

“And Mynarra.” I nodded. “Sa. She said she wanted to meet you.”

“I’m sorry. I never wanted to—”

I cut her off, “Go to sleep, xao. We’ll talk in the morning. You have no reason to be sorry for anything. I love you and always will. What was between Mynarra and me… was different, nothing like you and I have.” When I could tell she still wasn’t convinced, I took her chin in my hand and lifted it so she could look in my eyes. “Jenna, my xao. Given a choice now and then, I would always pick you.”

Her eyes lit up, and her arms flung around me. “I feel even more selfish now, but I really, really needed to hear this.”

“Then I will tell you every day from now on. I love you. You are my light, my joy.” By Vorag, I shook my head. I was becoming as wordy as she was. Soon, I would turn into a waterfall of words.

I smiled at that image; there could be worse things.