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

23. Saylor

23

SAYLOR

K hiara moves cautiously ahead. I can barely take a breath watching. Anticipation and fear make my heart race, exacerbated by the care he is taking with every single step. There cannot possibly be a doubt that he’s worried he missed something.

Wren takes my hand in hers and squeezes tight. Sek’su’s tail makes a rasping sound as the tip twitches on the tunnel floor. My heart is in my throat making it hard to swallow. I stare into the dimness ahead without blinking.

Finally, after what feels like an hour at least, he turns and raises his hand. I let out a sharp exhale of relief. Sek’su takes a step forward but then we all see Khiara freeze. His lips turn down into a frown, his tusks quiver, and he looks behind himself. An instant later he disappears into the dark.

I bite down to keep myself from crying out, clipping my tongue as I do. Coppery blood fills my mouth and all I can do is swallow it and remain silent in my place while waiting. Sek’su looks at Wren and me. He motions with his hand that we should wait. Both of us nod understanding.

Where would we go anyway? The way back is blocked and there is clearly danger ahead but still, it’s an act of caring, so I take it for what it is, after my snarky thoughts. I need to be a nicer person.

Sek’su is surprisingly quiet for such a big guy. He keeps his tail lifted off the ground as he too disappears beyond the small pool of light cast by the mostly hooded lantern. Wren and I are left alone, waiting, hoping, and for my part praying to anyone and anything that might listen or help.

The seconds drag past without any hint of what is happening. Fears dance across my thoughts like skeletons performing a ballet. There is a strange, uncanny depth to my fear. Something is happening. Has been since I was trapped. Since I saw… I can’t grasp it. I know I saw something but all I have is broken fragments that make no sense.

Whatever I saw, dreamed, or whatever, since that happened, something is different. My imagination is in overdrive, I guess. I don’t know, because I’ve never been this way before. I wonder if this is what it’s like to be an artist. To see things so vividly in your head, things that aren’t real, or can’t possibly be.

I don’t like it. The fears push in but now they’re not ambiguous ideas or thoughts. No, they come now with a full-on, three-dimensional vid of late Earth quality. The vids that project into the room and make you feel like you’re in the scene. I never cared for those but some of the girls did so I’d occasionally have to in order to get along.

I never knew why I didn’t like them but now I do. I couldn’t figure it out before because though the story might make me think I cared about the characters I didn’t really. Not like this. This is my life. The real thing now and this is not okay. How am I supposed to be okay knowing he’s out there and maybe, for all I know, hurt? Dead? Especially when not only am I worrying about those things, but I’m also seeing it in my head every bit as real as if it’s already happened.

I suppress a sob but there is nothing I can do about the tears rolling down my cheeks. He has to be okay. Is this what love is? Being terrified every time your one leaves your sight? Surely this isn’t normal. How does anyone deal with this?

Wren wipes away my tears and then cups my face. She leans in close and kisses my forehead then wraps her arms around my neck. I cling to her as my lifeline. A connection to the world outside the horrific visions playing in my head.

We jerk apart when the scream reaches us.