Orc’s Forbidden Claim (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss #33)

19. Saylor

19

SAYLOR

“ O h god, Saylor you’re okay!” Wren yells from close by.

I’m aware of her and dimly of Sek’su too, but much like before, I lose myself in Khiara. He consumes my thoughts and fills my body with this pounding, pulsing need that makes me willing to throw away all sense of propriety.

I kiss him and kiss him, and I never want to stop. I might not either if it wasn’t for the pain. Stabbing into my head and growing sharper each time I try to take a full breath I finally give in and groan. Khiara jerks back, his eyes looking over my body in a way that is a lot less sexy and filled with more of the ‘where are you hurt’ searching gaze.

I blink but when I try to speak the words catch in my throat causing a coughing fit. I double over as I gasp air, trying to get the dust out of my throat. Khiara is cradling me in his arms and adjusting them to keep me safe and protected. Finally, the fit passes.

“I’m… I’m okay,” I say, coughing more between words. Sek’su and Wren are close, watching and concerned. The fragmented moments dance behind my momentarily closed eyes and I still can’t make sense of it all. “What happened? Where is… the other guy? The one who was running for me? Did he attack? Was that it?”

Khiara looks over at Sek’su with a deep frown.

“Say,” Wren says, putting her hand on my arm.

She’s filthy. Filthier than I’ve ever seen her in my life and I’m sure I can’t look any better, but the sadness is palpable. I’m missing something.

“What? What is it?”

“His name was Kharta,” Khiara says. “He is… he is gone.”

“Gone? What happened? Was he… did we misjudge him?” I ask, fear tightening my throat.

“Not you, no,” Khiara says. “I did.”

I blink, trying to hold back the tears, but it’s not happening. They flow and honestly, it’s a relief. I didn’t realize how dry and burning my eyes were until the first sting of the tears rinses over them.

“Oh,” I say. “What happened?”

Some part of me knows. And with the knowing the dream returns. Or maybe it wasn’t a dream. Something more?

“He saved you,” Khiara says.

Now I cry harder. No one says anything, but they all move in close until I’m cocooned among my friends. Feeling safe I let the emotions free until they have run their course. I’m empty but cleansed. The sadness of the loss of a man I never really knew remains, but there are more important things for all of us right now.

“Can we go home?” I ask.

“Not easily,” Sek’su says. “The explosion collapsed the tunnel. We will not return the way we came.”

I wriggle around and Khiara takes the hint, placing me on my own feet. The world spins as I stand on my own for the first time. I grab onto Khiara’s shoulder for support, and he has one hand on the small of my back while the other hovers over my midsection.

“There has to be another way back,” Wren says.

Sek’su looks at Khiara but doesn’t say anything. Khiara looks around, grunts, shakes his head, then rolls his shoulders and grunts again.

“There should be,” he mutters, extending his hand. “Let me see that light. Are you okay Say?”

“I’ll be fine,” I say, “for now.”

He studies my face carefully as if judging every word for any hint of a half-truth before he nods and then takes the light.

“Wait here,” he says in his gruff way before he wanders down the tunnel.

I take a slow look around. This must be what shock feels like. The only other time I’ve felt anything like this was waking up after the ship crashed in the first place. That was so long ago, and I was so young then, I didn’t register it.

Now I’m numb and it feels like I’m thinking in slow motion. I see something but it takes a second for that something to make sense in my head. Dirt, rock, and even boulders are piled around us. The fact that the four of us are alive at all is a testament to… something. Bits of the dream drift through, but I can’t grasp them, and though it feels important, I don’t know why.

“Are we… it?” I ask.

“Yes,” Sek’su says.

Simple and direct, thanks Sek’su. No beating around the bush with him.

“So…” Wren says, her soft-spoken voice echoing off the small sections of bare stone walls.

I finish my circle looking at her. Blinking in slow motion I study the smudges on her face.

“Only you,” I whisper.

“Me?” she asks.

“Only you can come through,” I make a wide gesture with my arm, “this and still look fucking amazing.”

“Oh,” she says, and I don’t know if she’s blushing or not due to the dirt on her face but I’m guessing she is. She shrugs and shakes her head. “I don’t mean to…”

“You never do Wren. You’re just beautiful. Lucky like that.”

Her eyes are on Sek’su, not me, and he is staring at her with not only open admiration but an underlying tone of lust and desire. He doesn’t care she’s filthy, he wants her and something about that makes me hot too. I look down the tunnel but all I see is a dim bit of light from the lantern. Frowning, I swallow hard.

“Thank you,” Wren says. “But girl…” And that jerks my attention back to her. “Spill. You could have told me. Why didn’t you?”

I huff. It doesn’t mean anything, really, but what am I supposed to say to that? I’m not you, Wren? She clearly doesn’t understand that and why would she? She is my best friend, but I’m not a fool. Ziva was her bestie, not me. I’m close, sure, but Wren lives in her own world and damn it the world hasn’t always bent to her will with no apparent effort on her part.

I shake my head, unable to figure out the words to say why. I don’t know why I didn’t, I guess. It felt like I shouldn’t, but then isn’t that the core of what she just went through herself? But then she’s Wren. The Ice Queen comes through everything and nothing sticks, which isn’t the case for any of the rest of us and most especially me.

“I, uh, I guess… I don’t know,” I finish after stumbling around the words long enough to be really uncomfortable.

I hadn’t realized that we were speaking Common. Sek’su seems to lose interest and moves off to explore the cave-in. Wren comes closer, invading my personal bubble. Her eyes are locked on mine, bright, insightful, and knowing. I try not to but cannot stop myself from grimacing.

“You didn’t trust me,” Wren whispers.

“Trust is… too strong,” I murmur.

She puts a hand on my arm, rubbing up and down with gentle pressure.

“It’s okay,” she says, barely a whisper. “I get it. It’s not like I came rushing to tell you about Sek’su.”

I force a smile but it’s tight and tough, my cheeks feel as if they’re cracking with the effort. I am glad she understands though.

“Thanks,” I say, shrugging.

The moment continues to be awkward and uncomfortable. But I don’t know why. I can’t keep my eyes on hers. I study the debris that litters the floor, and in my peripheral, I see the Urr’ki who saved me. He sacrificed himself for me. For me. Why?

“Come here,” Wren says, jerking me into an embrace.

She hugs me so tight I can barely take a breath. Panic rushes in and I push her away. Sweat pours into my eyes bringing along dirt. I’m panting desperately and trembling uncontrollably.

“Saylor,” Wren says, coming closer with open arms but I put my hands up to stop her.

“No, no…” I pant, shaking my head. “Give me… a… minute.”

I struggle to get myself under control. It feels like the mountain is crushing me. Again. I’m trapped. Can’t catch my breath. Fragments of the dream I had right before Khiara saved me drift through my thoughts, but they still don’t make sense.

“Okay, hon,” Wren says. “You’re safe now.”

She continues talking. The words don’t matter, but her voice does. It’s an anchor that pulls me out of the trap in my head. Finally, I take a deep, full breath. Along with air comes calm. I straighten, shake my head, then rub my hands over my face, heedless of the filth that I’m spreading.

“Sorry,” I say, shuddering one last time as I exhale heavily.

“Can I?” she asks, arms held out.

I look and see her clearly. Tears fill my eyes, my throat clenches, and I can’t speak but I nod opening my arms. We rush into one another and cling tight.