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

28. Saylor

28

SAYLOR

I can’t believe he did that.

Of course, the Urr’ki hate the Zmaj. The history between them, all the pain of the past, but I thought that Khiara was rising above that. Better than that. Sek’su is hurt. Badly. How could he slap him like that?

Wren and I are giving all the support we can to Sek’su. He has his arms over each of our shoulders and at least some of his weight is on us. His feet shuffle as we walk in silence. There is no talking because we can’t. I want to talk though. I want to sit Khiara down and understand why he did what he did, but that will have to wait.

We walk and we walk. My legs are killing me. Shin splints are making every step painful. I’m not wearing good shoes to be kidnapped in, especially having to walk as much as I have. Not that I own any good shoes for walking long distances.

Shoes. Though I miss the luxuries of the ship, I don’t miss life on the ship. I like it here on Tajss. Yes, it’s scary, even terrifying at times, but it’s real. There is a visceral-ness to life that makes me feel more alive than I ever did back there.

On the ship, my life was a pantomime. Every emotion, and every action, is carefully considered and planned. The stakes that seemed so real then are so clearly ridiculous now, yet I’ve fallen into the same old game. Sek’su’s weight suddenly comes down onto my shoulders as he trips.

“Ee-ugh.”

It’s a weird sound that escapes before I can stop it. Worse, it echoes off the walls. Wide-eyed I look behind us, my stomach churning with fear, all while I’m also being crushed by Sek’su’s weight.

Before I turn my head back around, Khiara is there. He grabs Sek’su and lifts his weight off of Wren and me. He ducks under Sek’su’s arm and then carries him next to the wall before settling him down.

Wren is at his side, and I can feel the worry emanating from her like heat waves off the desert sands. She doesn’t say anything but then she doesn’t have to. I know her. The only thing I can offer isn’t much. I put my hand on her back and rub small circles while we both stare at Sek’su and Khiara.

“Bad?” Khiara asks, speaking softly to avoid the echoing noise that I just so inelegantly made. Sek’su nods.

Sek’su is breathing even heavier as if every breath is taking almost all his energy. I can’t tell for sure in the dim light, but he looks pale. Worse, there is no missing the dark veins radiating from inside the bandaged wound on his shoulder.

Khiara bows his head and the hand not resting on Sek’su’s shoulder convulsively clenches into a fist. He growls softly, then looks at Wren and me. His eyes go past her without pausing to land on me.

I know what he’s thinking. He doesn’t have to say it because though we haven’t been together long, he’s not a complicated man. If anything, he is about as practical a person as I’ve known in all my life.

Subtly, I shake my head. He frowns deeper, his eyes narrowing, brow furrowing. We stare into one another’s eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, the outcome of which will decide the fate of not only Sek’su but my best friend.

I win. I know it when his eyes drift closed, and he lowers his head. Winning shouldn’t feel this bad though because now I am sick to my stomach. This wasn’t a choice, at least not one I could make. If I’ve doomed us all, then so be it.

Brave thoughts, missus. Remember that if we get caught by another Urr’ki patrol.

Wren seems to have missed what happened. She’s kneeling next to Sek’su, running her hands over his face and chest. Oblivious to the life-and-death decision that was made behind her back.

“He’s burning up,” she whispers.

“Yes,” Khiara says.

Khiara stands up and then gently pushes Wren to the side. He hooks an arm under Sek’su’s and helps him to his feet. Without a word, he resumes the journey home. I hesitate, paralyzed by the weight of the decision I have made.

“You okay?” Wren asks, running her hand down my arm.

I blink as I snap my mouth shut, cutting off the admission that sits waiting on my tongue before it slips out. It’s bad enough I’ve done this to us, but if I tell her what happened the only thing that will happen is she will freak out.

Lie. She always knows when I lie, but I have to. Khiara was only being practical and thinking of us, he wasn’t being mean, but she wouldn’t see that.

“Fine,” I say.

My voice is steady which fills me with enough pride to override the way my guts are twisting as the lie comes out. Wren’s face is drawn, her eyes sunken and not nearly as bright as they usually are. All that is beyond the dirt and filth we’re both covered in.

The wrap that serves as her bra is protruding from beneath the remains of her shirt, so I motion towards it. She stares at my hand then me showing no signs of comprehension even after I gesture again. Khiara is getting away so there isn’t time to do this slowly. I grab the loose bit of cloth and get it tucked back into place.

“Thanks,” she murmurs then we move to catch up with Khiara.